Roxanne

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove with the Zoo Crew as we spin "Roxanne" by The Police from their killer debut album Outlandos d'Amour! This track’s got a wild story behind it. Picture Sting wandering the gritty streets of Paris’ red-light district in October 1977, where the band was crashing in a seedy hotel to play a gig at the Nashville Club. Inspired by the prostitutes he saw, Sting crafted "Roxanne" from the perspective of a dude head-over-heels for one of them. Originally, it had a bossa nova vibe, but the band reworked it into that iconic reggae-tango hybrid in their Finchley rehearsal space. Drummer Stewart Copeland pushed for the reggae-tinged rhythm, while guitarist Andy Summers laid down those crisp, four-in-the-bar chords. Sting himself called it a “throwaway” track, but when manager Miles Copeland heard it at Surrey Sound Studios, he flipped, declaring it a game-changer. Fun fact: there’s a longer, four-minute version from the sessions with an extended bass-and-drums jam and Sting riffing jazzy vocals, even swapping lyrics like “I won’t share you with another boy” to “another man”!

The song didn’t blow up right away. Dropped as a single on April 7, 1978, "Roxanne" got banned by the BBC for its prostitution theme, tanking its initial UK run. But in early 1979, a Texas radio station picked it up, and Boston’s WBCN DJ Oedipus spun it like crazy, sparking a US deal with A&M Records. By April ’79, it hit No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, after a UK re-release, climbed to No. 12. The track’s legacy? It’s No. 388 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” No. 85 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Rock Songs,” and snagged a Grammy Hall of Fame nod in 2008. Oh, and that single? It sold over half a million copies in the US alone. Sting got the name “Roxanne” from Cyrano de Bergerac’s love interest, tying a literary bow on this raw street tale. The band even kicked off their 2007 Grammy reunion tour with it, cementing its status as a classic.

Now, let’s rewind to how The Police came to be. Formed in London in 1977, the trio—Sting (Gordon Sumner), Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers—blended punk’s raw edge with reggae and jazz vibes. Copeland, an American drummer raised in the Middle East, had been pounding skins for prog-rockers Curved Air when he met Sting, a Newcastle jazz-rock bassist and singer nicknamed for his black-and-yellow-striped sweater. Copeland had a vision for a punky new wave outfit and roped in Sting after catching him gigging. They linked up with guitarist Henry Padovani, but the lineup solidified when Andy Summers, a seasoned player who’d jammed with everyone from Soft Machine to Mike Oldfield, joined the crew. Padovani split, and the trio’s chemistry clicked. With no label or manager, they borrowed £1,500 from Miles Copeland (Stewart’s brother) to record Outlandos d’Amour over six months, sneaking into Surrey Sound Studios whenever it was free. Their hustle—grueling gigs and a no-frills approach—paid off as "Roxanne" broke them globally, setting the stage for superstardom.

Want to dive deeper into The Police’s world? Check out their official website for news and tour updates. They’re active on Facebook, Instagram, and X, sharing throwbacks and merch drops. Fans keep the vibe alive at PoliceWiki, a treasure trove of band history, and on Facebook groups like The Police Fans, where Zoo Freaks can geek out over setlists and rare tracks. So, crank up "Roxanne" and let’s keep the love outlaw spirit rolling!