The song by UK trio The Police about the prostitute “Roxanne” was released in Great Britain in April 1978. An era in which punk and disco exalted each other, but also the young exceptional Kate Bush was crowned the new pop sensation.
In the world’s largest music market, the USA, the song entered the “Billboard Hot 100” charts in February 1979 and climbed to number 32 in April of that year. In Canada, too, “Roxanne” was at best a moderate success: 31st place.
The Police, on the other hand, had no idea of their later global career, in which “Roxanne” would become one of their biggest crossover hits. This still brings in worldwide, regularly flowing royalties to this day.
Drummer Stewart Copeland didn’t think much of “Roxanne” when he first heard the track.
Today he admits that he thought the piece was a “song for the trash”. He said this in the podcast with host Bob Lefsetz:
“We fought and starved… and didn’t get out of the kink for a year and a half… Sting wrote the song without any calculation at the time,” says Copeland. “It wasn’t a typical Police song either; back then, at least in my theory, we were still a punk band.”
The drummer in particular kept the punk rock flag flying high in The Police – whereas Sting and Andy Summers were willing to explore an expanded spectrum of genres and sounds.
“I was the one who waved the punk whip,” Copeland admitted self-deprecatingly. His credo: “No, we have to be punk!! We have to be punk. And they yawned and said, ‘Can’t we just play?’”
According to the drummer, Sting “secretly” played his “Roxanne” draft to Summers. When the guitarist shared his enthusiasm for the piece, Copeland also became involved.
He hesitated and complained, but ultimately went along with it.
“I gave it a drum beat that was more bass-heavy and turned it into a Police song. OK, it wasn’t punk-o-rama anymore. BUT it was still a rock song, even if it ended up being a dirge.”
In the internal police parliament it was 2:1 for “Roxanne” anyway. And against the clock. “It was just a throwaway song for me,” said Copeland – adding that it was his manager brother Miles who recognized the song’s hit potential early on.
He desperately wanted the breakthrough to success and, according to Copeland, was the anti-artist:
“’Forget musician honor, fuck underground sophistication’. He heard it and was sure: “People will love it. And I don’t care if it’s good or not, but I know people are going to love it.'”
Background: Miles Copeland III was born in London in 1944 and was the manager of The Police in his mid-20s. He later had an illustrious career in the USA, as founder of the music label IRS Records, on which REM also released. Copeland later also worked as a film producer.