"The Very Best of...Sting & the Police" Offers All of the Band's and Sting's Classics, from "Roxanne," "Every Breath You Take" and "Don't Stand So Close to Me" to His Latest, "Brand New Day".

Entertainment Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2002

Marking 25 years of hits since the release of the first album from The Police, "The Very Best Of...Sting & The Police" (A&M/UME), released October 1, 2002, brings together 18 of the biggest hits from the group and from Sting solo. Including two never-before-anthologized tracks from his latest studio album, "Brand New Day," "The Very Best Of...Sting & The Police" boasts an updated, significantly different lineup than the 1997 album of the same name.

Sting is one of the most popular artists, and The Police one of the most popular bands, in history, combined having sold well over 40,000,000 albums in the U.S. alone. In fact, 1999's "Brand New Day" is Sting's most successful to date, triple platinum and with sales of 7,000,000-plus copies worldwide. "The Very Best Of...Sting & The Police" features the album's Grammy-winning title track as well as "Desert Rose." Sting's most recent album is the live "...All This Time," issued in 2001 and currently gold.

In 1978, singer-bassist Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers signed to A&M, which released "Roxanne" from their platinum debut "Outlandos d'Amour," which also included "So Lonely" and "Can't Stand Losing You." Preceded by its #1 U.K. "Message In A Bottle" later that year, the platinum "Reggata de Blanc" (also with "Walking On The Moon") went #1 there too.

1980's "Zenyatta Mondatta" was the band's U.S. breakthrough. Reaching double platinum and Top 10 (again #1 U.K.), it harvested the Top 10 Grammy winner "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da." The triple platinum "Ghost In The Machine" in 1981 went to #2 U.S. (#1 U.K.) as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" went Top 10. The Police were back in 1983 with the eight times platinum "Synchronicity," which resided at #1 for a phenomenal 17 weeks. The gold, two-time Grammy-winning ballad "Every Breath You Take" was #1 for eight weeks.

With the disbanding of The Police, Sting debuted with 1985's jazz-inflected triple platinum "The Dream Of The Blue Turtles," with its Top 10 hit "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free." In 1987, the ambitious double platinum "Nothing Like The Sun" included "Englishman In New York" and "Fragile." After 1991's dark "The Soul Cages," he lightened up with 1993's pop, triple platinum "Ten Summoner's Tales," which spun off the Grammy-winning Top 20 "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" and Top 20 "Fields Of Gold" plus "Seven Days."

"When We Dance," the 1993 single which appeared on the following year's "Fields Of Gold: The Best Of Sting 1984-1994," is also included on "The Very Best Of...Sting & The Police" -- the one album that not only brings them together but brings them up-to-date.