2008 Woodie Awards
Grammy recap: A green light for The Police
Ryan O'Connell
Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: Entertainment
Sunday morning I was driving Courtney to work. We were listening to the Police album, Reggata de Blanc. I couldn't stop thinking about the much-anticipated and seemingly impossible Police reunion scheduled to open this year's Grammy Awards.
"I hope it's early Police, as opposed to old Police," I said.
"What's the difference?" Courtney asked.
"Goddamn backup singers."
"Oh. Do you think it'll be terrible?"
"No. They wouldn't do it unless it was going to be perfect."
"Yeah, it'd be weird if they were lip-synching."
I spent the rest of the day thinking about what would be maybe fifteen minutes of Police songs, and hoping at no point during that time would backup singers be involved. Throughout rock n roll, backup singers haven proven to be a good indication of when is band is reaching the unbearable and boring stage of their career. I saw a band at the World Café Live awhile ago with backup singers, and couldn't help but think they were already at that unbearable stage without ever reaching the bearable stage. Between that sad fact and the bad, white boy R&B they were playing, it was a tragic scene.
I hoped it wouldn't be the same for the Police's performance. As for the rest of the Grammys, my interest was limited. Yet I wanted to watch because of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley, and the hope of a tribute to Anna Nicole Smith, who mysteriously passed away this week in Florida.
I wonder if Anna Nicole was a Police fan and if so, what songs she had hoped they would play? I'd assume we'd both be pretty excited for "Message in a Bottle" or a long shot, "So Lonely."
Well it turned out late our worst fears were realized. There they were, all three of them, big smiles on their faces and playing… "Roxanne" and…nope. That was it. The most eagerly awaited reunion to take place in the last ten years, and it lasted six, maybe seven minutes. Now granted the song was great and it was excellent to see the Police back together, but when it was over I felt cheap and used. I didn't know what to say.
"I hope it's early Police, as opposed to old Police," I said.
"What's the difference?" Courtney asked.
"Goddamn backup singers."
"Oh. Do you think it'll be terrible?"
"No. They wouldn't do it unless it was going to be perfect."
"Yeah, it'd be weird if they were lip-synching."
I spent the rest of the day thinking about what would be maybe fifteen minutes of Police songs, and hoping at no point during that time would backup singers be involved. Throughout rock n roll, backup singers haven proven to be a good indication of when is band is reaching the unbearable and boring stage of their career. I saw a band at the World Café Live awhile ago with backup singers, and couldn't help but think they were already at that unbearable stage without ever reaching the bearable stage. Between that sad fact and the bad, white boy R&B they were playing, it was a tragic scene.
I hoped it wouldn't be the same for the Police's performance. As for the rest of the Grammys, my interest was limited. Yet I wanted to watch because of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley, and the hope of a tribute to Anna Nicole Smith, who mysteriously passed away this week in Florida.
I wonder if Anna Nicole was a Police fan and if so, what songs she had hoped they would play? I'd assume we'd both be pretty excited for "Message in a Bottle" or a long shot, "So Lonely."
Well it turned out late our worst fears were realized. There they were, all three of them, big smiles on their faces and playing… "Roxanne" and…nope. That was it. The most eagerly awaited reunion to take place in the last ten years, and it lasted six, maybe seven minutes. Now granted the song was great and it was excellent to see the Police back together, but when it was over I felt cheap and used. I didn't know what to say.
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