May 1st, 1977, the relatively unknown band The Police, recorded and released their first single, “Fall Out.” Written by drummer Stewart Copeland, it was one of the first songs he presented to lead singer and bassist Sting when the band was forming. The guitarist at the time was Henri Padovani and later replaced by Andy Summers.
From the Police 'Message in a Box' liner notes, Sting wrote,
"This was one of the first songs Stewart played me. What they [the songs] lacked in sophistication they made up for in energy. I just went along with them and sang them as hard as I could. No, it wasn't false punk. I mean what's a real punk? Our first record was entirely a tribute to Stewart's energy and focus. The band wouldn't have happened without him."
Stewart Copeland added,
"It was a heartfelt lyric, all about a personal disinclination to follow the styles of my peers. It was the first song that we rehearsed as the Police and also our first recording. We recorded it in a tiny studio and it was one of the rare instances in which I got to play the guitar. On this track and on (B-side) Nothing Achieving I played the main guitar tracks and did the solo in the middle."
