Zenyatta Mondatta cover art

  Studio Album · No. 3

Zenyatta Mondatta Songwriting Credits by The Police

1980 A&M Records 11 tracks 38 min

Produced by The Police, Nigel Gray  ·  Engineered by Nigel Gray

A&M Records New WaveReggae RockPost-PunkRock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Police carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by The Police 0 tracksoutside writers
The Police's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist82%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
2
Lyricists
2
Producers
1
No.1 Single
1980
Released

Awards & Recognition 2

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (1982)
Best Rock Instrumental Performance (1982)
Data Insight

Sting wrote eight of the eleven tracks on Zenyatta Mondatta, including the singles 'Don't Stand So Close to Me,' 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,' and 'Voices Inside My Head.' Andy Summers contributed his first Police composition with the instrumental 'Behind My Camel,' which won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, while Stewart Copeland wrote 'Bombs Away' and 'The Other Way of Stopping.' 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' separately won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album was co-produced by The Police and Nigel Gray, who engineered it under tight time pressure.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Don't Stand So Close to Me #1
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
2
Driven to Tears
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
3
When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
4
Canary in a Coalmine
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
5
Voices Inside My Head
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
6
Bombs Away
Stewart Copeland Stewart Copeland The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
7
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da #5
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
8
Behind My Camel
Not documented Andy Summers The PoliceNigel Gray -
9
Man in a Suitcase
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
10
Shadows in the Rain
Sting Sting The PoliceNigel Gray Sting (Lead Vocals)
11
The Other Way of Stopping
Not documented Stewart Copeland The PoliceNigel Gray -

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 5 contributors

S
Sting
Writer · Vocals
On this album8 written
SC
Stewart Copeland
Writer
On this album2 written
AS
Andy Summers
Writer
On this album1 written
NG
Nigel Gray
Producer
On this album11 produced
TP
The Police
Producer
On this album11 produced

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Frequently Asked Questions Zenyatta Mondatta

Did Sting write all of Zenyatta Mondatta?
Sting wrote eight of the album's eleven tracks, including both hit singles. Stewart Copeland wrote 'Bombs Away' and 'The Other Way of Stopping,' and Andy Summers wrote the instrumental 'Behind My Camel.' This made it one of the more collaboratively credited Police albums.
Who wrote Behind My Camel?
Andy Summers wrote the instrumental 'Behind My Camel,' his first composition credit for The Police. The track won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards in 1982. Sting reportedly disliked the song, but it became one of the band's two Grammy winners that year.
Did Zenyatta Mondatta win any Grammys?
Yes, the album produced two Grammy wins at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards in 1982. 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and the instrumental 'Behind My Camel' won Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The two awards highlighted both Sting's and Andy Summers's writing.
How did Don't Stand So Close to Me chart?
'Don't Stand So Close to Me' reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was the best-selling UK single of 1980. Sting wrote the song, which deals with a teacher-student attraction.
What chart position did De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da reach?
'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da' peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Sting wrote the song as a comment on how simple-sounding lyrics can carry meaning. It was the album's second single.
Who produced Zenyatta Mondatta?
The album was co-produced by The Police and Nigel Gray, with Gray also engineering. It was recorded quickly in 1980 between tour dates, a schedule the band later said affected the sessions. It was the last of three consecutive Police albums Gray worked on.

Sources

Wikipedia: Zenyatta Mondatta Wikipedia: Don't Stand So Close to Me Wikipedia: De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da Wikipedia: Behind My Camel MusicBrainz release group Cover Art Archive front cover Cover Art Archive: Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police