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Songs That Changed The World: The Police "Invisible Sun" (1986 Conspiracy Of Hope Concert)!



Okay, maybe it wasn't the song itself that changed the world, but it was certainly the song that was playing when Sting ceremoniously passed the musical torch to Bono, whose band U2 were now poised to become the biggest band in the world upon the release of The Joshua Tree in 1987.

For the millions of fans heartbroken by the breakup of The Police in 1984, followed by the release of his jazz-inflected solo debut, Dream of The Blue Turtles, the news of the band's reunion for three shows during Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope concerts at Giants Stadium stirred hopes that the reunion would be permanent.

But it was during their performance of this song that Sting's detachment from the band, the song, even the audience, is at its most evident. Being a vocal supporter of Amnesty International's efforts and knowing that a Police reunion would draw so much more attention to the cause, Sting agreed to the reunion.

Maybe there was a part of him that relished the musical chemistry of the band and hoped that the time apart would erase the personality and ego clashes. The only way to know for sure if he could still wear the uniform, so to speak, was to go through with a reunion.  If there was anything left to say within the framework of the iconic band he'd helped take from the UK punk scene to sold out stadiums around the world, now was the time to find out.

And while the band turned in inspired versions of "Driven To Tears" and "Every Breath You Take", it was their performance of "Invisible Sun" that unknowingly signaled the musical passing of the torch from Sting and The Police to Bono and U2.  As Bono strolled onstage halfway through the song to join Sting at the mic for the second verse, U2 were now seen as equals to The Police - a point later driven home by the success of The Joshua Tree in 1987.



The Police, of course, would enter the studio in July 1986 to record their sixth studio album, but tensions within the band resurfaced and were only made worse when Stewart Copeland broke his collarbone in a polo match and was unable to play drums for the sessions.  The only result of these sessions was "Don't Stand So Close To Me '86", complete with drum machine.

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