Sting speculated on what may have happened if his solo career had flopped, saying he “hoped” he wouldn’t have returned to the Police as a result.

Despite emphasizing his high regard for former bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, the singer and bassist felt he wouldn’t have wanted to return if his 1985 solo debut The Dream of the Blue Turtles was a failure.

“I don't think any grown man can be in a band actually,” Sting told Mojo in a recent interview. “A band is a teenage gang. Who wants to be in a teenage gang when you’re knocking 70? It doesn’t allow you to evolve. You have to obey the rules and the gestalt of the band. As much as I love the Stones and AC/DC, it's hard to see growth in their music. For me, the band was merely a vehicle for the songs and not the other way round.”

He added that "both Andy and Stewart had made albums without me, so it was my right, too. I recruited a band from the jazz world, and I was lucky it was a hit. I have no idea what would have happened if it hadn’t been a hit. Would I have gone back to the band and eaten humble pie? I hope not."

The Police reunited in 2003 for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, then undertook a final tour four years later. Ruling out any further regroupings, Sting noted the run "was hugely successful, but I wouldn’t do it again. That would be a bridge too far.” He insisted he didn’t regret the road trip, but that “it was hard because the power struggles were still very apparent … but we got through it and people loved it.”

Sting said the former bandmates still "always communicate on birthdays. We have separate lives, but it’s very cordial. I’m very grateful for those guys and their immense talent and their patience with me. I love them.”

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