Page "The Police" Paragraph 4

Shortly after the Strontium 90 gig, Summers ran into Copeland, and sensing Sting's increasing dissatisfaction at Padovani's relative limited abilities, proposed to join the band on the condition that they would be a trio.

Restrained by loyalty to Padovani, both Copeland and Sting initially resisted the idea, and the Police began performing as a four-piece version in July 1977.

Shortly after two gigs at the Music Machine in London and at the Mont de Marsan Punk Festival, and an aborted recording session with producer John Cale on 10 August, Padovani was informed he was out of the band and Summers became the sole guitarist.

Padovani went on to play with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, eventually forming his own band, Flying Padovanis, and later becoming Vice President of IRS Records.

The line-up of Copeland, Sting, and Summers was an unusual trio at a time when progressive rock, symphonic rock, and other sound trends lent themselves to musical ensembles with support players.

Even for punk standards, three-men bands were a rarity.

This line-up would endure for the rest of the Police's history.