Strontium 90 (band)

Strontium 90 was the name of a short-lived 1977 British band with members Mike Howlett (bass, vocals), Sting (bass, vocals), Stewart Copeland (drums), and Andy Summers (guitar). The band is most notable for introducing Summers to Sting and Copeland, as this trio would go on to massive success as The Police.

Strontium 90 was formed in mid-1977 by Howlett after he quit Gong and recruited Sting and Summers to participate in a new project. Chris Cutler was unavailable to play drums, so Sting brought along Copeland, as the pair were then playing together in an early incarnation of The Police.

Strontium 90 recorded several demo tracks at Virtual Earth Studios, and then performed at a Gong reunion concert in Paris on May 28, 1977. An album with some of these studio and live tracks was released in 1997 under the name "Strontium 90: Police Academy." The foursome also performed at a London club as "The Elevators" in July, 1977.

References

• Mike Howlett, "Police Academy" album sleeve notes, Pangaea Records, 1997.
• Sting, Broken Music, Simon & Schuster, 2003. ISBN 0-7434-5081-7
• Summers, Andy (2006), One Train Later: A Memoir, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Dunne, ISBN 0312359144