October 2, 1978, British rock band The Police released their debut album, Outlandos d'Amour. The working title, "Police Brutality," was changed to make it sound more 'romantic'. The title loosely translates as "Outlaws of Love" but the term "Outlandos" is actually a mix of the words for "Outlaws" and "Commandos." The record received mixed reviews upon its release, but since has been regarded as one of the strongest debut albums.
In advance of the album's release, A&M Records released the first single, “Roxanne.” It was written by bassist/vocalist Sting. The song is about a man who falls in love with a prostitute. Sting got the idea after walking through the red-light district of Paris when the band was in town to play a show. It's where he saw prostitutes for the first time.
The Police performed “Roxanne” when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and we feature it as today’s ear X-tacy!
