Reggatta de Blanc is the second album by The Police, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music).

"Message in a Bottle", a Sting-penned song about alienation, opens the album. It is followed by "Regatta de Blanc", the album's instrumental, and one of the few songs written by all members of the Police. "It's Alright For You" is a driving punk-ish song featuring strong guitar and drum parts. The next three tracks, "Bring on the Night", "Deathwish", and "Walking on the Moon" all have a strong reggae feel to them. "On Any Other Day" features a rare lead vocal from Stewart Copeland, and is a humorous take on a middle-aged man's mid-life crisis. "The Bed's Too Big Without You", an empty-feeling return to reggae follows. "Contact" and "Does Everyone Stare" are a pair of songs dealing with the connection, or lack thereof, between two individuals. The frenetic "No Time This Time" closes the album.

The album took only a few weeks (spaced over several months) to record, but unlike its successsor Zenyatta Mondatta, there was no pressure on the band. As Stewart Copeland describes it, "We just went into the studio and said, 'Right, who's got the first song?' We hadn't even rehearsed them before we went in."

The album continued to build on the success of the band's previous record, Outlandos D'Amour, hitting #1 on the U.K. charts upon its release in October 1979. "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" were released as singles and both reached number one in Great Britain.

Track listing

1. "Message in a Bottle" (Sting) - 4:51
2. "Reggatta de Blanc" (Copeland, Sting, Summers) - 3:06
3. "It's Alright for You" (Copeland, Sting) - 3:13
4. "Bring on the Night" (Sting) - 4:16
5. "Deathwish" (Copeland, Sting, Summers) - 4:13
6. "Walking on the Moon" (Sting) - 5:02
7. "On Any Other Day" (Copeland) - 2:57
8. "The Bed's Too Big Without You" (Sting) - 4:26
9. "Contact" (Copeland) - 2:38
10. "Does Everyone Stare" (Copeland) - 3:52
11. "No Time This Time" (Sting) - 3:17

Personnel

• Stewart Copeland - drums, vocals
• Sting - bass, vocals
• Andy Summers - guitar, vocals
• The Police - noise

Production

• Producers: Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers, Nigel Gray
• Engineer: Nigel Gray
• Mastering: Dave Collins, Bob Ludwig
• Arrangers: Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers
• Art direction: Michael Ross
• Design: Michael Ross
• Photography: Janette Beckman, Norman Seeff, James Wedge
• Cover photo: Janette Beckman, James Wedge

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Awards

Grammy Awards