The Police – on fire for their third album

The record company was keen for a new offering and a return to live gigs. After a relatively short recording schedule, Zenyatta Mondatta came out in the autumn of 1980. It became the Police's North American breakthrough album, reaching the top of the charts in the U.S. and Canada. In England, the album spent four weeks at number one.

The album was at first going to be called Trimondo Blondomina, meaning "three blond guys (dominating the world)," but the band did not want another title referring to "blond" so that title was discarded. They reached a consensus with Zenyatta Mondatta. Zenyatta Mondatta is supposedly a composite of several things. "Zen" comes from the eastern religion. "Yatta" is rumored to have ties to Kenyatta (the leader of the Mau Mau's of Congo-Zaire-Kenya). "Mond" comes from "Monde" - the French word for world. The whole thing was then articulated in such a way to sound like "Reggatta." Another possibility is that the title came from "Zenith" and "Monde," which means "Top of the World." A third theory: In Japanese, Zenyatta Mondatta has a somewhat rude meaning: "gave money, gave a massage."

 "Don't Stand So Close to Me," the album's first single, became the group's second number one single in the U.K. and in America, the single became their second Top Ten hit in the spring of 1981. Earlier that year "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" made it to number ten.  By the beginning of 1981, the Police were able to sell out Madison Square Garden, and were rising in the ranks of the worlds most celebrated artists.

In subsequent interviews Sting stated that he regretted the rushed recording for the album. However, many critics would later cite it as one of their strongest efforts evidenced by the album winning two Grammy awards. The instrumental "Behind My Camel," written by Andy Summers won the band a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The song "Don't Stand So Close to Me" won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance For Duo Or Group.

After another year of success, the band returned to the studio in the summer of 1981 to record their fourth album with producer Hugh Padgham. Following the heady days of1980 and 1981, in which they were named the Best British Group at the first Brit Awards and won three Grammys, the band took a break in 1982.

The Police are touring North America in the second half of 2008, Elvis Costello is supporting them for many of the shows. The complete tour schedule can be found here. Big-ticketdeals.com has the best range of premium seats at discount prices.

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Big ticket deals - more seats, better prices - we source our tickets from over 3000 suppliers - looking for a special seat at a special show? We will have it.

Big ticket deals - more seats, better prices - we source our tickets from over 3000 suppliers - looking for a special seat at a special show? We will have it.

Big ticket deals - more seats, better prices - we source our tickets from over 3000 suppliers - looking for a special seat at a special show? We will have it.