Roxanne (song)
| "Roxanne" | |
|---|---|
| Recorded by The Police | |
| Released: | 1978-04-07
re-issue in April 1979 |
| Recorded: | January - March 1978 |
| Length: | 3:12 |
| Album(s): | Outlandos d'Amour |
| Label(s): | A&M |
| Writer(s): | Sting |
| Producer(s): | The Police |
| Studio(s): | Surrey Sound Studios |
| Released as single? | YES |
"Roxanne" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1978.
Contents
About the song
Sting had the idea for the song while being in Paris' red light district with The Police on 1977-10-20.
He presented the song to the band at their rehearsal room in Finchley and they changed the Bossa Nova style to the rhythm we all know.
When recording Outlandos d'Amour (initially for Illegal Records) at Surrey Sound Studios they presented the songs they had to Miles Copeland. He was indifferent until he heard Roxanne.
Miles talked to people from A&M and got a record deal.
At the beginning of the song, during the intro, you can hear a strange piano chord, then Sting laughing. In fact, during the voice recording, Sting accidently sat on the piano just behind him. They decided to keep this on the final mix. Note that you won't hear it on the instrumental track.
Personnel
This section needs more information.
Release History
Albums
Roxanne appears on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Outlandos d'Amour | 1978-11-17 | UK |
Singles
CD Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | Songs | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AMCD 905 | "Roxanne" / "Canary In A Coalmine" / "The Bed's Too Big Without You" / "Can't Stand Losing You" | 1988-06-01 | United Kingdom |
7" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song/B-side song | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AMS 7348 | "Roxanne"/"Peanuts" | 1978-04-07 | UK |
|
AMS 7348 | "Roxanne"/"Peanuts" | 1979-01-DD | UK |
|
AM 363 | "Roxanne"/"Synchronicity" | 1986-MM-DD | UK |
12" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
AMS 7348 | "Roxanne"/"Peanuts" | 1978-MM-DD | UK |
|
|
AMS 7348 | "Roxanne"/"Peanuts" | 1979-MM-DD | UK |
|
SAMP 5 | "The Bed's Too Big Without You"/"So Lonely"/"Can't Stand Losing You"/"Roxanne"/"Message In A Bottle"/"Walking On The Moon" | 1980-MM-DD | UK |
Video
"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:
| Cover art | Video title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Video or dvd title | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
Awards, nominations, and certifications
Awards
This section needs more information.
| Year | Winner | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY | WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.) | AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) | CATEGORY |
Nominations
This section needs more information.
| Year | Nominee | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY | NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.) | AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) | CATEGORY |
Certifications
This section needs more information.
| Country | Certifier | Classification | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| COUNTRY | CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...) | CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...) | CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...) |
Lyrics
Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light Those days are over You don't have to sell your body to the night Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight Walk the streets for money You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light Put on the red light, put on the red light Put on the red light, put on the red light Put on the red light, oh I loved you since I knew ya I wouldn't talk down to ya I have to tell you just how I feel I won't share you with another boy I know my mind is made up So put away your make up Told you once I won't tell you again it's a bad way Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light You don't have to put on the red light Put on the red light, put on the red light
Quotations and trivia
The 7" single version of Roxanne sold over a half-million copies in the U.S. and would have qualified for Gold record certification under current rules set by the Recording Industry Association of America. However, at the time of the song's release, singles were awarded with a Gold certification for sales of 1,000,000 units and a Platinum certification for sales of 2,000,000 units. The change to certification of Gold status for sales of 500,000 7" units did not occur until January 1, 1989.
Alternative and cover versions
An alternate version from the Outlandos d'Amour sessions lasted 3:59 minutes. Verse two was repeated with Sting singing it in a jazzy way. The instrumental jam in the middle with just bass and drums was also extended.
Alternative versions
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song/B-side song | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AMP-782 | "Every Breath You Take (backing track)"/"Roxanne (backing track)" | 1983-MM-DD | Japan |
Cover versions
Cover versions of Roxanne appear on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Artist | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aswad | Reggatta Mondatta | 1997-MM-DD | The Netherlands |
|
Fall Out Boy | Policia! A Tribute To The Police | 2005-MM-DD | USA |
- George Michael also did a cover version.
See also
External links
http://www.followtheleaders.fr/rox2006.htm
References
- Police, The. Outlandos d'Amour. (1978) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
- ThePolice.com. UltraStar Entertainment LLC. 31 May 2008. <http://www.thepolice.com/discog/?v=so&a=2&id=219>
- Craig Betts
