THE POLICE - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE 

"Message in a Bottle" és una cançó de The Police escrita pel cantant i baixista de la banda, Sting. La cançó va ser llançada com el senzill principal del seu segon àlbum d'estudi "Reggatta de Blanc" de 1979. La cançó exemplifica l'estil reggae rock/new wave dels primers Police.

La cançó parla d'un noi perdut a una illa remota. Un dia troba una ampolla, hi posa un missatge i la llença al mar amb l'esperança que algú la trobi i vingui a salvar-lo. S’emociona en despertar-se un matí i trobar un munt (cent mil milions, segons el seu recompte) d'ampolles a la vora, demostrant que hi ha molts altres nàufrags com ell. La lletra es pot veure com una metàfora d'estar sol i adonar-se que hi ha molta gent com tu.

Aquest va ser el primer senzill del segon àlbum de Police, "Reggatta De Blanc" (que significa "White Reggae" en la parla col·loquial de la banda). Al Regne Unit, el seu primer àlbum, "Outlandos d'Amour" es va publicar un any abans, però encara estava per descobrir-se. "Roxanne" i "Can't stand losing you" havien arribat a les llistes, però la banda encara no tenia el reconeixement popular. Amb "Message In A Bottle" va ser quan van despuntar a Gran Bretanya; la cançó va arribar al número 1 el 29 de setembre de 1979 i s’hi va mantenir durant tres setmanes. Aquest va ser el primer dels seus cinc senzills número u al Regne Unit. El seu següent single, "Walking on the moon" també va arribar al cim. En aquell moment, "So lonely", una cançó del seu primer àlbum que va fracassar quan es va publicar com a senzill, va ser reeditada, arribant al #6 al Març de 1980. A Amèrica, "Message In A Bottle" va ser només un èxit menor, arribant al número 74 al desembre de 1979. No va ser fins al seu tercer àlbum, "Zenyatta Mondatta", publicat el 1980, quan el grup va començar a destacar als EUA.

"Message in a Bottle" va ser una de les cançons en directe més populars per a la banda, tocada en gairebé tots els concerts després del seu llançament, sovint com a cançó inicial dels bolos. Fins que van ser incorporats al Saló de la Fama del Rock and Roll, aquesta va ser l'última cançó que The Police van tocar junts. Sting va continuar interpretant-la com a artista en solitari, incloent-la al seu set al Live Aid el 1985. El guitarrista Andy Summers va dir que era la millor cançó que ha tocat mai.

"Message in a Bottle" també és una de les favorites dels membres de la banda. A més de dir que era la seva cançó preferida en una entrevista amb Jools Holland de la BBC, Sting la va descriure com una "bona cançó", i també va dir que n'estava "molt orgullós". Copeland va dir que va ser "un dels nostres millors moments a l'estudi i sempre genial a l'escenari". Summers va descriure la cançó com a favorita personal al seu llibre “One Train Later” i va dir: "Per a mi, segueix sent la millor cançó que Sting ha creat mai i la millor cançó de The Police".

Aquest va ser el primer número 1 del Regne Unit per al segell A&M, que Herb Alpert i Jerry Moss van fundar el 1962.

L'any 2009, la vinya de Sting a Itàlia va començar a produir un vi negre anomenat "Message In A Bottle". També té una sèrie de vins anomenats "Roxanne".

THE POLICE - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Released: September 7, 1979

Charted: US: #74  UK: #1

"Message in a Bottle" is a song by The Police written by the band's lead singer and bassist Sting. The song was released as the lead single from their 1979 second studio album, “Reggatta de Blanc”. The song exemplifies the reggae rock/new wave style of early Police.

This song is about a guy stranded on a remote island. One day he finds a bottle, puts a message in it and throws it out to sea in hopes that someone will find it and come save him. He's thrilled to wake up one morning and find a whole bunch (a hundred billion, by his count) of bottles on the shore, proving there are many other castaways just like him. The lyrics can be seen as a metaphor for being lonely and realizing there are lots of people just like you.

This was the first single from the second Police album, “Reggatta De Blanc” (which means "White Reggae" in Police-speak). In the UK, their first album, “Outlandos d'Amour” was released a year earlier but was still being discovered. "Roxanne" and "Can’t stand losing you" had charted, but the band was still bubbling under. "Message In A Bottle" was when they exploded in Britain; the song went to #1 on September 29, 1979 and stayed for three weeks. This was the first of their five UK number one singles. Their next single, "Walking on the moon” also went to the top. At this point, "So lonely”, a track from their first album that flopped when it was issued as a single, was re-released, reaching #6 in March 1980. In America, "Message In A Bottle" was just a minor hit, reaching #74 in December 1979. It wasn't until their third album, “Zenyatta Mondatta”, released in 1980, that the group got much attention in the US.

This was one of the most popular live songs for the band, played at just about every concert after it was released, often as the set opener. Until they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this was the last song The Police played together. Sting continued to perform it as a solo artist, including at his set at Live Aid in 1985. Guitarist Andy Summers said it was the best track he ever played on.

"Message in a Bottle" is also a personal favourite of the members of the band. In addition to saying it was his favourite song in an interview with Jools Holland of the BBC, Sting described it as a "good song", and also said that he was "very proud" of it. Copeland said it was "one of our best moments in the studio and always great on stage”. Summers described the track as a personal favourite in his book One Train Later, and said, "For me, it's still the best song Sting ever came up with and the best Police track”.

This was the first ever UK #1 for the A&M label, which Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss founded in 1962.

In 2009, Sting's vineyard in Italy started producing a red wine called "Message In A Bottle”. He also has a series of wines called "Roxanne”.