British rock band The Police might have broken up four decades ago, but tensions within the band refuse to die down. According to a report by The Sun, the former band’s frontman, Sting is reportedly being sued by his former bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland over royalties for the 1983 hit Every Breath You Take.
According to the report, the guitarist and drummer have issued the 73-year-old singer-songwriter with a High Court writ. The court filing, listed under “general commercial contracts and arrangements,” names Sting — under his legal name Gordon Matthew Sumner — along with his company Magnetic Publishing Limited, as defendants.
A source told The Sun, “Lawyers have repeatedly tried to reach settlements outside the court but are deadlocked. Andy and Stewart decided there was no alternative other than the court, so they pushed the button. They said they owed millions of lost royalties.”
The legal battle stems from Every Breath You Take, which was the best-selling single of 1983 and later ranked among the decade’s top five. Sting is the only credited songwriter on the track and reportedly earns £550,000 a year in royalties from it. Andy and Stewart claim they were denied co-writing credits and have not received any share of that money.
The British band, formed in 1977, had a short but highly influential run before breaking up in 1984 after just five albums. They briefly reunited for a world tour between 2007 and 2008. During their career, The Police earned eight Grammy nominations and won five, including Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Every Breath You Take and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Synchronicity.
In an interview last year, Sting had recalled the song’s origins. “I would sit at his desk at night and try and write songs,” he said of staying at Ian Fleming’s former Jamaican home.
“I think if the song has any power at all, it’s ambivalent. It could be sinister or it could be quite warm and sweet and nice, and people have both of those interpretations. And I would never contradict anyone who has a different interpretation of any of my songs because in many ways, that enriches the song.”
“Maybe the ghost of James Bond is in that song, you know? He’s our guy, but he also kills people,” Sting added. “Some people get married to that song, so I’m not going to contradict people.”
