“It was kind of amazing”: the vital moment George Martin’s wisdom salvaged The Police from disbandment
For bands lucky enough to reach the same commercial and musical calibre as outfits like The Police, it’s almost impossible to avoid the inevitability of friction. Like many that came before, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, The Police were not immune to internal challenges, but thankfully, it would be divine intervention that soothed their turbulence. Well, almost divine intervention.
Usually, when a band reaches a pivotal make-or-break moment, they can only survive if they take a step back and re-evaluate what’s important. This is where The Beatles failed: internal conflicts and changing dynamics had caused too many rifts, rendering their entire set-up unsalvageable, despite the fact that, many years later, each member would reflect fondly on the friendships they created along the way.
The only exception to the rule is bands like Fleetwood Mac, whose fiery escapades only fuel their appeal and heighten their success through the underscored explosion of emotional passion and rage. The Police, on the other hand, adopted a more traditional approach, wherein all members seemed to occupy distinctive visions and approaches, resulting in perceived long-term resentment.
Recording Synchronicity should have been grounded in bittersweet reflection, a final album filled with subsided troubles and celebration of everything they had achieved. Instead, there were factions from the outset, as each member recorded parts in distinctive rooms. Tension increased until the recording of ‘Every Breath You Take’ when an argument between Sting and Stewart Copeland nearly caused Hugh Padgham to quit the band entirely.
Recognising their unsolvable issues, the members took a long walk in the blistering Montserrat heat for answers. “Down the valley, through the bushes, through the trees, up the other side, and knock on the door,” Andy Summers explained, detailing their arduous journey to reach the one person they thought held the remedy: George Martin.
“He knew we were in his studio,” Summers continued, “and I just said, ‘we want to have a chat with you, we’re having some difficulty. In fact, it’s like a screaming bitch fight.’ and he said, ‘Right, I’ve seen that before, let’s have a cup of tea.'” Amusingly, even as Summers candidly explained that The Police “sort of hate each other and don’t want to be together anymore,” the “admiral” remained “so sweet and such a gentleman.”
After a moment of deep introspection about the internal battles he witnessed within The Beatles, Martin then responded with one vital piece of advice: Perseverance. “He waved his magic wand, and he said, ‘I think you should walk back over there because I think it’s going to be alright,'” Summers recalled.
Strangely, his coveted wisdom rang true because things were different when the band returned to the studio. “It was kind of amazing,” Summers said, detailing the strange ways ‘Every Breath You Take’ was completed with a sudden air of politeness. “It was the Martin magic,” he added. “I’m sure of it.”
