"DEAR STEWART": Are The Vaults Well & Truly Locked Forever?

[visions]

All I can say is.................

Hi tj7 and Craig!!!!

miss you guys, lovely to see you around again!

Jan xx

[exit0]

[quote="tj7"]In a more ideal world, one could argue that the best way to prevent bootleggers from making money from such recordings is to simply share them freely, via sites like dime or through trading networks. There are dozens of bootlegs which come up on ebay every day and they don't sell for much because most fans know they are freely available elsewhere. That's what trading really should be about. It's like when alcohol was prohibited - a huge black market grew - and as soon as it was legalised, the bootleggers had nothing to sell anymore.
quote]


Of course the problem with sharing freely is that the artist is also being cut out of any of their fair share of the profits from this material. Most of what we want to hear are outtakes and recordings made by the band themselves. I would pay greatly to hear this stuff of the Police, as most here would, but this is not something they would ever share freely. I've been hearing about early day outtakes since I've been trading Police material in the early '80s and the only thing to ever come out was that "Truth Hits Everybody" stuff, and apparently that pissed off some people that it did, probably closing the vaults even tighter. I've long since stopped holding my breath for this stuff, but if the powers that be allow it to come out I'll be the first in line to get it, well maybe the second or third in line.

[smax]

i understand wehy bootlegs and existing recordings haven't been leaked. gentlemen's agreements, and all that.

I was really hoping 'they' were going to milk it during Tourzilla.... but, no, not a sausage in an area previously renouned for its sausages...
oh no, i forgot, one over-dubbed DVD show from the tour (of which 'better than therapy' was the highpoint) another bloody compilation of 'hits', a promised acoustic album they didn't deliver on and nothing from their previous incarnation, when they were even more popular and pretty; i just don't geddit.

How come there has never been a "Police at the BBC" release?

There could be a brilliant 30 years Synchronicity release, couldn't they? Rehearsals, gigs, tv spots etc etc etc etc.
but 'they' won't.

Maybe the reason is that every Police out-take ends in gordo and stewart screaming swear words, including violent sexual imagery, and threatening each other...maybe that's the reason.

[exit0]

[quote]Maybe the reason is that every Police out-take ends in gordo and stewart screaming swear words, including violent sexual imagery, and threatening each other...maybe that's the reason.[/quote]

Now I want to hear this stuff even more!

[njperry]

At minimum, the Police should release a BBC Sessions CD(s).

Hell, I have BBC sessions from several bands on my shelves, including Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Cream, and jimi Hendrix.

Even Stewart's former band Curved Air has released a Live at the BBC disc, with a couple of tracks that Stewart plays on. (The Curved Air BBC CD is rare thus now expensive to get used.)

So that would be a great disc(s).

[sockii]

I've been hearing about early day outtakes since I've been trading Police material in the early '80s and the only thing to ever come out was that "Truth Hits Everybody" stuff, and apparently that pissed off some people that it did, probably closing the vaults even tighter.

Interesting, curious to hear that, thanks.

I've had the impression for a while that at least one party the Police camp really hates/won't agree to have anything "from the vaults" released, that the official recordings are all that should stand, etc. And that's why so much has been stomped down on, which is a damn fucking shame. To me, being a fan of a particular artist or band, one of the things that only *increases* my appreciation for the final released versions of songs & albums is hearing outtakes, demos, early live performances, etc. (Stuff like the alternative version of Floyd's Have a Cigar, finally released on the WYWH immersion set. Which is just...OMG if you love Floyd it's incredible to hear.)

The BBC Curved Air disc is actually my favorite release from the band. Didn't realize it was now hard to find. Would love something similar from the Police.

Craig, fingers crossed for the project, seriously!

[English-lion]

Craig I soo want it to happen

[luddite lady]

HUMOUR ALERT: The post you are about to read is said in jest. It is a joke. No offense is intended to anyone new or old on this forum.

[quote="smudge"]It's selfish and luddite-like of me, but I don't really want a 'directors cut' of a tour I got to see/hear in person. Oh Gong! Yup. That is selfish...[/quote]

WHAT!? Are you calling me selfish? Why you ... I think I might have to leave this place!

The preceeding has been a moment of mirth. C'est une blague. I'm kidding. Non sono seria. Das ist eine joken. (Yeah, I don't know German, but that fact has never stopped me from trying to speak it anyway.)

Waves, hugs and kisses across the Atlantic to our lovely smudge.

[63falcon]

[quote="sockii"][quote="exit0"]........I've had the impression for a while that at least one party the Police camp really hates/won't agree to have anything "from the vaults" released, that the official recordings are all that should stand, etc. And that's why so much has been stomped down on, which is a damn fucking shame. .......[/quote]
"Snape-Slithern!" He-who-shall-remain-namelessssssss..... grrrrr
I thought as much!

[policefan]

Maybe there will be some unreleased stuff in Andy's movie.

[Kim]

I'm torn. While I'd like to hear something that is old but new to me, I would like anything that is released to be quality material, to keep the "legend" intact. I point to the '86 version of Don't Stand So Close To Me, which, I think was a shadow of it's former self. NOBODY plays that version on the radio. It didn't make Message In A Box! If the band doesn't think the material is up to snuff, then, I guess I'll go with their judgement. But, if someone, ahem, is being a controlling prick about it, when there actually is good stuff in the vaults, then, that stinks. But, hey, people, ahem, have done things in the past that we never thought they would do, so, one never knows.

[New Zealand Promoter]

[quote="Kim"]I'm torn. While I'd like to hear something that is old but new to me, I would like anything that is released to be quality material, to keep the "legend" intact. I point to the '86 version of Don't Stand So Close To Me, which, I think was a shadow of it's former self. [/quote]

I think we can all agree that basically everything the band ever did whilst they were still together at the beginning was gold, perhaps with the exception of "Flexible Strategies" (which at least still *sounds* amazing, given the Ghost era production quality).

The '86 stuff stank for three reasons - 1: The band had already broken up. This is a post Police recording. The band wasn't even playing together at the same time, everything was overdubbed. 2: The drummer wasn't able to drum because he had broken his collarbone - sheer bloody bad luck, basically, and this meant that there was no live percussion. 3: By this time, Sting had arguably already changed too much as a musician to fit with the Police aesthetic. This one is not so much fact as opinion, but I think his recorded output from '85 onward supports the argument.

I would argue that there is NO possibility that anything the band recorded during their album sessions, which wasn't included on the albums or released as B-sides, would be anything less than good material... and wouldn't be anything less than musically, historically relevant, because no other band ever did or ever will sound like these guys did when they were first together. They could have recorded covers of Johnny Cash songs, covers of ABBA songs, covers of Bob Dylan Songs, covers of anything that would read on paper as ridiculous for the Police to cover, and it would have still sounded like something just that little bit beyond the capabilities of other bands to accomplish... and by sheer virtue of their connectedness as musicians, even a shamble like "Flexible Strategies" sounds damned tight.

[Funio]

Is it known what shows the band actually professionally recorded themselves during the 70's/80's (that means no BBC recordings, various FM recordings, raw soundboards etc.)? I think Frejus 1980.08.28 was - unfortunately, all the pro-recordings we have from that show, apart from Roxanne and So Lonely I think, have some pretty obvious overdubs, even the amazing Driven To Tears clip, which is a shame, as the audience recording of that show demonstrates that pretty much all of those overdubs were completely unnecessary. I think even Craig once mentioned many years ago that the summer '80 tour was the quintessential demonstration of the Police "sound" and I wholeheartedly agree.

[English-lion]

Let me tell you a story about another famous band from the 80's that I follow. The band broke up, and it was a very bad split 3 out of the 5 are sill not talking to each other. The company made a release of remixed songs and two "never been heard of" recording in the studio last year one was just a drum loop the other was *fuck you* (it was them just goofing off not meant to be released) some members of the band was furious (1 had o.ked it) they never even heard the album till it was too late they got a lawyer and that album was taken off the shelves.

the band is only now receiving royalties from their big success. and it's not much!

I can see why some stuff has to be "policed" and I too only want quality releases (I've been called purist and it true I only own 2 bootlegs and they were given to me) but if there is quality stuff just waiting to be released I want to hear it !!!

The band? .....Frankie Goes To Hollywood

[secretjourneyranch]

Sting has been pretty clear about not being nostalgic for what's over an done with. He doesn't seem to want his past and his present to compete commercially. The lute vs the precision bass.

Good luck to Craig