The Police Reggatta De Blanc released

Reggatta De Blanc The Police

Released: October 5, 1979 Peak: 25 US, 14 UK, 3 CN, 12 AU, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.3 UK, 8.5 world (includes US and UK), 16.61 EAS Genre: new wave/rock

Tracks: Click on a song titled for more details. Message in a Bottle [4:51] Reggatta de Blanc [3:06] It’s Alright for You [3:13] Bring on the Night [4:16] Deathwish [4:13] Walking on the Moon [5:02] On Any Other Day [2:57] The Bed’s Too Big Without You [4:26] Contact [2:38] Does Everybody Stare [3:52] No Time This Time [3:17] Total Running Time: 41:52 The Players: Sting (vocals, bass) Andy Summers (guitar) Steward Copeland (drums)

Rating: 4.223 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album “By 1979’s Reggatta de Blanc…nonstop touring had sharpened the Police’s original blend of reggae-rock to perfection, resulting in breakthrough success.” AM The album “features the Police’s distinctive appropriation of reggae and frontman Sting’s Caribbean vocal inflections.” WK The title loosely translates in French to “White Reggae.” WK “The inspirational anthem Message in a Bottle and the spacious Walking on the Moon” AM both topped the UK charts, pushing the album to #1 as well. Like its predecessor, the album was a top-25 platinum-seller in the United States. “The album also signaled a change in the band’s sound. Whereas their debut got its point across with raw, energetic performances, Reggatta de Blanc was much more polished production-wise and fully developed from a songwriting standpoint.” AM Music journalist Tim Peacock said the album transformed the group “into one of the post-punk era’s defining bands.” WK The songwriting was much quicker for the second album. “Whereas Outlandos D’Amour had benefitted from one of the most prolific songwriting periods of Sting’s life,” WK the sessions for Reggatta De Blanc were marked by recycling old songs. Bring on the Night and The Bed’s Too Big Without You both started out as tunes for Last Exit, Sting’s band prior to the Police. WK No Time This Time was originally a B-side to “So Lonely” from the previous album. “While vigorous rockers did crop up from time to time (It’s Alright for You, Deathwish, ‘No Time This Time,’ and the Grammy-winning instrumental title track), the material was overall much more sedate than the debut…Also included was Stewart Copeland’s one and only lead vocal appearance on a Police album, the witty On Any Other Day, as well as one of the band’s most eerie tracks, Contact.” AM With Reggatta de Blanc, many picked Sting and Co. to be the superstar band of the ‘80s, and the Police would prove them correct on the band’s next release.” AM The band’s drummer, Stewart Copeland, said it was his favorite Police album. WK The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Message in a Bottle The Police

Writer(s): Sting (see lyrics here) Released: 9/21/1979 as a single, Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 74 BB, 62 CB, 80 HR, 2 CL, 3 CO, 1 UK, 2 CN, 5 AU, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 1.0 UK, 1.75 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 79.8 video, 619.18 streaming

Awards (The Police): (Click on award to learn more). Awards (The Police): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “Message in a Bottle” was the lead single from the Police’s second album, Reggatta De Blanc. It was the band’s first #1 in their native UK, where they’d also top the charts with “Walking on the Moon,” “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” and “Every Breath You Take.” In the U.S., the band wasn’t that big yet. “Roxanne,” from their first album, had gone top 40, but “Message in a Bottle” stalled at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, bigger things were still to come. With their next three albums, the group would reach the top 10 in the U.S. six different times, including the #1 smash “Every Breath You Take.” The song also gained a following over the years. In fact, the Police opened their 2007 reunion concerts with the song. Lyrically, the song unspools a tale of a lonely, island castaway who throws a message in a bottle into the ocean in hopes of finding someone. Only after determining he is destined to be alone, does he find “a hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore.” It’s then that the song’s narrator realizes, as he says in the song, “It seems I’m not alone in being alone.” In an interview on the BBC, Sting said it was his favorite song. He told Q magazine, “I like the idea that while it’s about loneliness and alienation it’s also about finding solace and other people going through the same thing.” WK Musically, he explained that the song grew out of Gregorian chants he used to sing as an altar boy. SF Drummer Stewart Copeland said it was one of the band’s “best moments in the studio and always great on stage.” WK Guitarist Andy Summers said, “for me, it’s still the best song Sting ever came up with.” WK Before Sting launched his solo career, he performed a stripped-down, slower version of the song for The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball on September 9, 1981. It was the fourth benefit show staged by the British section of Amnesty International to raise funds and awareness regarding human rights.

Reggatta de Blanc The Police

Writer(s): Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers Released: Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 39 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 12.28 streaming

It’s Alright for You The Police

Writer(s): Stewart Copeland, Sting Released: Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 29 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.64 streaming

Bring on the Night The Police

Writer(s): Sting Released: 11/22/1979 as a single, Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 22 CL, 30 CO, 20 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 44.34 streaming

Deathwish The Police

Writer(s): Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers Released: Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.38 streaming

Walking on the Moon The Police

Writer(s): Sting Released: 11/4/1979 as a single, Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 6 CL, 6 CO, 1 UK, 4 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 179.90 streaming

On Any Other Day The Police

Writer(s): Stewart Copeland Released: Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 18 CO, 15 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.84 streaming

The Bed’s Too Big Without You The Police

Writer(s): Sting Released: 6/8/1980 as a single, Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 21 CL, 11 CO, 17 UK, 10 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 25.57 streaming

Contact The Police

Writer(s): Stewart Copeland Released: Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 29 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.35 streaming

Does Everybody Stare The Police

Writer(s): Stewart Copeland Released: Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 9 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.47 streaming

No Time This Time The Police

Writer(s): Sting Released: 11/3/1978 as the B-Side of “So Lonely,” Reggatta de Blanc (1979) Peak: 31 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.97 streaming

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Greg Prato SF Songfacts page for “Message in a Bottle” WK Wikipedia page for Reggatta de Blanc WK Wikipedia page for “Message in a Bottle” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/22/2008; last updated 8/13/2025.