After every breath you are at the top of the chart after over 40 years, the bitter quarrel between the sting and its former police bandmates has spread back to the court.
Andy Summers and Stewart Copland have filed a lawsuit in the London High Court claiming that they should be recognized-and should be paid-One of the most played songs in radio history, one of the most played songs in radio history.
The case marks an extraordinary new chapter in one of the most frightening relationships of Rock. The police was notorious for their internal conflicts, but this is the first time the controversy over the song writing credit has gone to a judge.
A song without any mystery – but who is the owner
There is little debate about the origin of the song. Sting has always said that he wrote words, cords and melody in an explosion of inspiration during his stay in Jamaica. Their original is almost the same for the version released on the synchronous album of the demo band.
What does Samars and Copland now argue that their contribution – especially the specific guitar Arpeggio RIFF – converted the track from a thick sketch to a timeless hit. Summers has described his share as saving the song from “Going in the Garbage”.
The sting, for its share, has admitted that Summer added their seal, but insist that the structure and composition were alone. The line between song writing and the system has long been one of the prickly controversies of the music industry, and the police case has brought it into a loud relief.
Financial bets are very high. Since its release, every breath taken by you has produced millions in royalty. It was declared the most played song in radio history by BMI in 2019, and it enjoyed a second life when Puff Daddy (now Didi) is missing you in the 1997 global chart-topper.
In 2022, Sting sold its entire catalog – solo and police – universal music rights for an estimated $ 250m. Any change in credits can force the revaluation of royalty on one of the most valuable catalogs in popular music.
The lawsuit is just the latest clash in a long war. The recording sessions for synchronous were frightening, with the breakdown of fistfites in the studio. Sting and Copland once collided so violently that the sting performed most of the latter tour with a broken rib.
Despite his musical chemistry, the band separated immediately after the release of the album, cited as irreparable stresses. They reunite only for briefly, especially an attractive 2007 world tour.
In this case it has also been said how publication revenue has become even more important as the sale and traditional income sections of the album have decreased. For experienced musicians, the song credits not only determine their income but also their legacy.
Summers has long suggested that he deserves a share. “That rif has become a kind of immortal guitar part that all guitar players have to learn,” they said last year. “It should have been recognized.”
The irony is that the song itself is wrong for a romantic gathagit, actually about passion and control. “It's quite wicked,” Sting once said. Even he wrote a follow-up-if you love someone, then freed them-as an antidot he described as “poison” of origin.
Now, after four decades, the dark subtract of the song is matched to a bitter legal line that shows no signal of expiry.
Can Summer and Copland celebrate a court that their contribution to song writing can be seen instead of the system. But one thing is clear: the war inside the police is over, and one of the world's most famous love songs continues to leave a mark of sharpness.