Strange Things Happen
A life with The Police, polo and pygmies
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4.4 • 5 Ratings
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- £0.99
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- £0.99
Publisher Description
A remarkable memoir from the legendary drummer with The Police.
Stewart Copeland is a genuine rock legend. As the drummer with The Police he was part of the biggest rock band in the world. They sold over 50 million records, won 2 Brits and 6 Grammys and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When they reformed in 2007 they played to nearly 4 million fans on a record-breaking world tour which grossed over $400m.
But his time with The Police is just a tiny part of his story.
Growing up in Lebanon, unaware that his dad was a major US spy. Being best friends with Kim Philby’s son. Singing in the choir in Wells Cathedral. Performing arts college in San Diego. Drumming with prog-rock gods Curved Air. Appearing on TOTP as Klark Kent in full camoflage make-up. Spray painting The Police logos around London at night. Rock stardom and fan obsessions. Filming experimental movies with a pygmy tribe. Playing polo against Prince Charles. Recording the score to Rumblefish with Francis Ford Coppola looking on. Composing operas. Reforming the band. Arguing with Sting. Embarking on one of the biggest tours of all time as he approaches sixty.
These are just a few of the episodes covered in this revelatory autobiography. It is destined to be a must-read for thousands of Police fans and music enthusiasts.
Strange Things Happen is an unforgettable memoir from a musician who has earned his place in rock history.
About the author
Stewart Copeland was a founder member of The Police, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. Before The Police he enjoyed chart success as the mysterious masked pop star Klark Kent. Since the band broke up in the early 80s he has enjoyed a successful career as a composer, working on operas, ballets and film music – most notably the score to Rumblefish. In 2007, The Police reformed and staged the biggest grossing tour in recent years.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Best known as the drummer for the rock power trio, the Police, Copeland has developed a successful career composing for film and stage, post-Police, as well as a deep passion for polo. Given such a pedigree, his autobiography might be read as that of a seriously rarefied man a rock star, composer and English country gent. Yet Copeland's natural humility and sincerity encourage a most intimate, even familiar read. However, his memoir emerges as a series of extended but sometimes haphazardly arranged reminiscences, which occasionally distort his personal chronology. During such disjunctures, Copeland's otherwise smart and easygoing prose morphs into a rather laborious, even confusing read. But the work is worth it. Copeland's confessions from the 2007 2008 reunion tour of the Police, which make up the more engaging second half of the book, form a seamless and irresistible narrative. The ego-driven tempests that have articulated the life and times of the Police are laid out by Copeland in a fresh and honest way, not without self-implication either. More than anything else, however, Copeland makes readers feel as if they were on stage with him, Sting and Andy Summers, sharing with us the thrill of performing with one of the great bands of all time.
Customer Reviews
Hanging with Stewart
What can I say, you know a good book when you turn the last page and bummed it over, a great read, well split up , not all Police, infant only 20 % at most . He is quite the Gent in his own way, says it like it is and you enjoy the honesty.
You don't have to be. police fan to enjoy this book, the man takes you on a few adventures and tells the story well.
Thanks
Studs
PS: I noted in the end credits a few photographers, including an old friend Charlie H but no photos, not sure why !