The Police's guitarist Andy Summers has revealed that he is still in a legal dispute with Sting over the credit for their biggest hit, "Every Breath You Take." The song, which was released in 1983 and topped the charts in both the U.S. and the U.K., is widely regarded as one of the most iconic songs of the 80s.
However, Summers claims that he deserves to be recognized as a co-writer of the song, as he was the one who came up with the distinctive guitar riff that defines the song. In an audio clip, he said: “It’s a very contentious moment that's very much alive at the moment so I can't really say much about it. Watch the press. Let's see what happens in the next year. That song was going in the trash until I played on it, and that’s all there is to it. And I think that’s kind of composition, absolutely.”
Summers also explained that the song was almost scrapped by Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland, who could not agree on how to arrange it. He said: "Stewart and Sting couldn’t agree on where the drums and bass were gonna sit with the song. And it wasn’t going to make it onto the album... We needed the material, and the famous story is Sting just turned to me and said, ‘Well, go on. Go in there and make it your own.’ And of course, I had all this sort of stuff under my fingers. I was the Police stock-artist guitarist, if you like. And I went in and I got that lick almost, it was like one take. Everyone stood up and cheered.”
"Every Breath You Take" is credited solely to Sting, who has reportedly earned more than $20 million from the song's royalties. The song has also been sampled by other artists, such as Puff Daddy and Faith Evans in their 1997 tribute to Notorious B.I.G., "I'll Be Missing You."
Summers has been vocal about his frustration with Sting's lack of acknowledgment for his contribution to the song. In his 2006 memoir, One Train Later, he wrote: "I hate to say this but I think it's true: without my guitar part there would be no song. That's what makes people want to listen to it." He also said that he felt "cheated" by Sting's decision to perform the song solo at Live Aid in 1985.
The Police reunited for a world tour in 2007 and 2008, but have not recorded any new material since their 1983 album Synchronicity, which featured "Every Breath You Take." Summers has continued to pursue his solo career as a musician and a photographer. He recently released a new album called Harmonics of the Night, which is inspired by his photography exhibition of the same name.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]