The "lost" live Police album

[AndysTelecaster]

I've been reading Andy Summers' book "One Train Later" (great read, by the way) and he mentions the live album that the band was working on around the time of the Ghost tour. From the way he describes it, the album was practically done. He never quite explains what happened or why it was never released, other than to say that they just got caught up in other things before finishing it and it never saw the light of day.

Do any of the Police experts around here know the full story? And is this album lying around in the vaults somewhere? Any chance it could ever be finished and released? Has it ever been bootlegged?

I'd love to hear an "official" live album of the Ghost tour!

[TheEqualizer]

Really? I'll have to skim through the book again. I thought that the Synchronicity tour album was they only live album they planned on while they were still together the first time around.

[Krokodyle]

Maybe the Gateshead show? Or the Nassau Vets Coliseum show (4/22/82 - a GREAT performance)? Both would have been good candidates. Or was it supposed to be from different shows?

[TheEqualizer]

Never a fan of the Gateshead show. Certainly not Stewart at his finest on Driven to Tears. I have not listen to many Ghost shows since the ones I've heard are really not to my tastes. The US festival show is always so hyped but that never really did much for me. But I'll give the 4/22 show a listen.

[Franco]

I remember him metioning it in the book but doubt it'll get realeased. There are plenty of bootlegs though ie Boston and Atlanta etcc, which you must have already.

Actually I have a copy on vinyl of a bootleg in 79 called 'Message In New York' which is a top quality record. Had it since I was 14. Used to work in a second hand record store and the owners bought for me for my birthday. The front cover has got a cartoon drawing of a blokes face, which fill the whole cover and he is wearing mirrored sunglasses, has a big nose and stubble muchos. Has anyone else got this?? Its got Fall Out, Peanut, hole in my life, Sol Lonely, Roxanne (x2), Message in a Bottle, Can't Stand Losing You and some others cant remember at the mo.

Would like to know if any of you guys has got it. Will try to find out how much it is worth. Had some Police nut in my town been trying to buy it off me for years but refused all the way. It's priceless to me, well unless it would pay for me and my family to go on holiday somewhere nice all inc for 2 weeks. I guess I could always copy it but apart form that not for sale.

[secretjourneyranch]

Very little is mentioned about this almost released LP back then, but from the one or two mentions of it in period interview mags it was to be a Zenyatta compilation with a few Ghost tracks?? Not one specific show.

Sort of like "Still Life", the live Stones LP of 1982...I also don't think it was ever the Police's idea to release it.

[policerule]

i remember him talking about that too.... no idea what came of it. maybe some of the tracks have been released on the box set or others?

[Krokodyle]

The 4/22/82 show in NY is a really great performance, Sting is in top form, it's the final U.S. show of that tour (they'd return later), and even with the negative aspects of the GitM tour (I'm not a huge fan of it either), this show really turned me around. You can really hear the excitement of both the band and the audience, and would really, REALLY be a great candidate for release.

Of course, this is all speculation. Just because they were working on a live show at the TIME of the Ghost tour, doesn't mean it would have been FROM the Ghost tour. I just assumed it would have been, and if that was the case, then I'd love to see the 4/22 show.

As far as a show *before* the GitM tour, there are so, so many that deserve release....

[secretjourneyranch]

In the 9/82 issue of guitar player AS says they are working on a double live LP! But that they would go into the studio first.

Also-apparently he only plays the classical guitar on Code Word: Elvis.

[Krokodyle]

[quote="Franco"]Actually I have a copy on vinyl of a bootleg in 79 called 'Message In New York' which is a top quality record. Had it since I was 14. Used to work in a second hand record store and the owners bought for me for my birthday. The front cover has got a cartoon drawing of a blokes face, which fill the whole cover and he is wearing mirrored sunglasses, has a big nose and stubble muchos. Has anyone else got this?? Its got Fall Out, Peanut, hole in my life, Sol Lonely, Roxanne (x2), Message in a Bottle, Can't Stand Losing You and some others cant remember at the mo.

Would like to know if any of you guys has got it. Will try to find out how much it is worth. Had some Police nut in my town been trying to buy it off me for years but refused all the way. It's priceless to me, well unless it would pay for me and my family to go on holiday somewhere nice all inc for 2 weeks. I guess I could always copy it but apart form that not for sale.[/quote]

Those old vinyl bootlegs are always a treat, not much $$ value these days, but still neat to have, and many completists still search out for them. I've got a few of them as well.

I wouldn't say it's really "valuable", as far as money-wise, or very rare (they made lots and lots of these vinyl bootlegs), but still it's uncommon and a nice addition to anyone's collection.

It's either the early 1979 shows from My Father's Place or Bottom Line in NYC, or possibly Stage One from Buffalo, NY, or one of the later 1979 shows at the Diplomat Hotel or My Father's Place (again). All of these shows were broadcast on FM radio, and have been bootlegged many times over.