Oct 7th in Pop History

On this day, October 7th, in…

• 1986 - The Police release their final single, Don't Stand So Close To Me ‘86 and then call it a career. They can no longer work together.

Don't Stand So Close to Me is a hit song by the rock band The Police, released in September 1980 as the lead single from their third album Zenyatta Mondatta. It concerns a teacher who has a sexual relationship with a student, which in turn is discovered.

The band's third # 1 on the UK Singles Chart, it was also the best selling single of 1980 in the UK. The song also charted in the top ten in Australia, Canada and the US. The Police won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.

The song was re-recorded in 1986 (and released on October 7th — today) with a new, brooding arrangement, a different chorus and a more opulent production. The new version appeared as Don't Stand So Close to Me '86 on the album Every Breath You Take: The Singles, and was released as a single, reaching # 24 in the British charts. It also reached # 11 in Ireland, # 14 in New Zealand, # 19 on the Netherlands MegaCharts Singles Chart (number 20 on Dutch Top 40), # 27 in Canada, and # 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. Because of the decrease in tempo, a slight lyric change is found in the line "Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" (the word 'famous' was added). A new music video was produced for the reworked song by Godley and Creme, notable for its early use of animated computer graphics.

The Police reunited in 1986 to record updated versions of some of their old songs. The reunion brought out old hostilities, and this was the only song they completed.

This song was featured on Friends in the episode "The One Where Underdog Gets Away." Joey was on a poster for Venereal Disease treatment, and the song was played when they showed all the posters all over New York City.

Here’s Don't Stand So Close to Me on Spotify:

(The original version from 1980)

(I prefer the original — you be the judge…)

Don't Stand So Close to Me (Original)

Now Don't Stand So Close to Me ‘86:

(The revised version from 1986)

Don't Stand So Close to Me ‘86

And continuing on October 7th…

• 1967 - Promoter Sid Bernstein, who had promoted The Beatles at their first two Shea Stadium concerts, offers one million dollars to the group (who is “retired” from touring) to do a third concert there. They decline.