The Police - We are celebrating something big....

[invisible]

We are celebrating something big....sign-up to the official mailing list to find out first!
@ThePoliceBandOfficial

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/t09Hw_goiI8

What do you think about it?
Synchronicity Box?
Reunion?
6th album?
3654937267484 re-re-re-re-re....release of Greatest Hits?
....................

[jerseyfan]

When I first saw it, I was excited. But I see nothing from Stewart, Andy or Sting.

I hope I am wrong, but it might just be hype from the new owners of the Police music. It still bothers me to write that.

And it's very unusual that not one interviewer has asked any of the three about it.

[TheEqualizer]

My bet is a Synchronicity box set. But that is pure speculation.

[TheEqualizer]

Yep. 6 cd Synchronicity box set. July. Looks better than I except

[Krokodyle]

Disc 3 -17 previously unreleased alternate takes, out-takes, instrumentals and demo recordings

Disc 4 – Unreleased (Part 2)
A further 19 previously unreleased alternate takes, out-takes, instrumentals and demo recordings

Disc 5 – Live (Part 1) / Disc 6 – Live (Part 2)
Features the 19-track live concert recording from the Oakland Coliseum, California, in September 1983

Well, FINALLY some goodies that are long overdue. While I was interested in the colored vinyl release, I'm going with the 6CD set, as it has the Oakland 1983 show, which I attended. I hope the audio for this wasn't taken directly from the video feed of the show...

I will NOT be buying that picture disc. The recent "Ghost in the Machine" was a huge disappointment, audio-wise.

But it's so freakin' upsetting that we are STILL waiting for the "Regatta" deluxe set. *sigh*

[TheEqualizer]

But it's so freakin' upsetting that we are STILL waiting for the "Regatta" deluxe set. *sigh*

I am with you there. My hope is that if this box set sells well, the Regatta set will follow. But I am not holding my breath.

[TheEqualizer]

- CD1 is the original album including ‘Murder By Numbers’, all remastered directly from the original source tapes
- CD2 features 18 tracks containing all original 7” / 12” B-sides plus 11 exclusive non-album bonus tracks, available on CD for the first time
- CD3 and CD4 contains previously unreleased alternate takes of all the Synchronicity songs
- CD4 also features unreleased Police songs including an early version of Andy Summers’ 1982 track ‘Goodbye Tomorrow’ (later renamed ‘Someone To Talk To’); a demo of a Stewart Copeland penned song ‘I’m Blind’ which later resurfaced as the renamed ‘Brothers on Wheels’ for Copeland’s acclaimed soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Rumblefish’; an unreleased first take of ‘Truth Hits Everybody’ (originally from the 1978 debut Outlandos d’Amour’); and rare covers of the Eddie Cochran song ‘Three Steps To Heaven’ and ‘Rock and Roll Music’ by Chuck Berry
- CD5 and CD6 features 19 live recordings – all previously unreleased – captured on 10th September 1983 at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, USA

[TheEqualizer]

- CD4 also features unreleased Police songs including an early version of Andy Summers’ 1982 track ‘Goodbye Tomorrow’ (later renamed ‘Someone To Talk To’); a demo of a Stewart Copeland penned song ‘I’m Blind’ which later resurfaced as the renamed ‘Brothers on Wheels’ for Copeland’s acclaimed soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Rumblefish’; an unreleased first take of ‘Truth Hits Everybody’ (originally from the 1978 debut Outlandos d’Amour’); and rare covers of the Eddie Cochran song ‘Three Steps To Heaven’ and ‘Rock and Roll Music’ by Chuck Berry

Seems like CD4 may not be specifically Synchronicity era related. Kind of weird.

[TheEqualizer]

Even more specific:
CD 3 (Unreleased - Part 1)
1. Synchronicity I (Demo)
2. Synchronicity I (Alternate Mix)
3. Synchronicity I (Instrumental)
4. Walking In Your Footsteps (Alternate Version)
5. Walking In Your Footsteps (Alternate Mix)
6. O My God (Demo)
7. O My God (Outtake)
8. O My God (OBX Version)
9. O My God (Alternate Mix)
10. Mother (Alternate Version)
11. Mother (Instrumental)
12. Miss Gradenko (Alternate Mix)
13. Synchronicity II (Demo)
14. Synchronicity II (Outtake)
15. Synchronicity II (Extended Version)
16. Synchronicity II (Alternate Mix)
17. Synchronicity II (Instrumental)
CD 4 (Unreleased - Part 2)
1. Every Breath You Take (Demo)
2. Every Breath You Take (Outtake)
3. Every Breath You Take (Alternate Mix)
4. King Of Pain (Demo)
5. King Of Pain (Alternate Version)
6. King Of Pain (Alternate Mix)
7. Wrapped Around Your Finger (Demo)
8. Wrapped Around Your Finger (Alternate Mix)
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger (Instrumental)
10. Tea In The Sahara (Demo)
11. Tea In The Sahara (Alternate Mix)
12. Murder By Numbers (Demo)
13. I'm Blind (Demo)
14. Loch
15. Ragged Man
16. Goodbye Tomorrow
17. Truth Hits Everybody (Remix) (Outtake)
18. Three Steps To Heaven
19. Rock And Roll Music

[Krokodyle]

- CD4 also features unreleased Police songs including an early version of Andy Summers’ 1982 track ‘Goodbye Tomorrow’ (later renamed ‘Someone To Talk To’); a demo of a Stewart Copeland penned song ‘I’m Blind’ which later resurfaced as the renamed ‘Brothers on Wheels’ for Copeland’s acclaimed soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Rumblefish’; an unreleased first take of ‘Truth Hits Everybody’ (originally from the 1978 debut Outlandos d’Amour’); and rare covers of the Eddie Cochran song ‘Three Steps To Heaven’ and ‘Rock and Roll Music’ by Chuck Berry

Seems like CD4 may not be specifically Synchronicity era related. Kind of weird.

Yeah, VERY weird. But at least it doesn't seem like any of it is Regatta era stuff...so that gives me hope there's still a plan for it to finally get released. I'd love to ask someone in the know what the holdup is, that's for sure.

[Dietmar]

I don't think it's that weird

if the Copeland demo was done for Synchronicity and not used, why not present it here?
the Cochran / Berry songs - maybe the liner notes will say when they were recorded... if it was around Synchronicity times to lighten the mood and get warmed up, why not include it?

[ManWithGoodTaste]

6 disks is just overkill. Men at Work Overkill. This is N-sane. Not that I won't be getting this, cause I absolutely will. Not on release day, but definitely within a year.

A few things I must say regarding this box set no one has heard yet:

I would definitely not make it 6 disk, were I the producer. 3, or 4 max. You don't really need more than 4 to include all the demos and alt mixes. I know this is for superfans, but over the years of amassing a HUGE music collection (I may have everyone beat here), I learned the value of space and personal time. Do not waste people's time with 5 different versions of the same song. Just include the final mix, and 1 or 2 most different varieties. Then the b-sides, and Police generally had 2-3 per album.

I also hope the second studio version of Truth Hits Everybody sounds better than the Flexible Strategies release, which just recorded off vinyl (NOT a bad thing), but with sub-standard equipment it seems, and then just had filters applied to HIDE that fact, reducing the quality further. It sounded good then, but it was never great like the album tracks.

Also, and this is probably the most important part. There was NEVER a reason to remaster the 5 albums by the guys for the CD. When the albums were included on Message in a Box (a prized possession of mine), those versions already sounded perfect. There is only so much quality and dynamic range you can squeeze inside the constraints of 16bit and 44,100hz, and in 1993 it was done RIGHT. No, remastering it not magic. You cannot just remaster and remaster, and make it sound better every time. That is impossible. I wish more people were tech savvy and actually understood that.

P.S. If this leads to Ghost in the Studio finally getting released as a bonus disk for GITM, I am all for it.

[TheEqualizer]

When the albums were included on Message in a Box (a prized possession of mine), those versions already sounded perfect. There is only so much quality and dynamic range you can squeeze inside the constraints of 16bit and 44,100hz, and in 1993 it was done RIGHT. No, remastering it not magic. You cannot just remaster and remaster, and make it sound better every time. That is impossible. I wish more people were tech savvy and actually understood that.

I agree. Message in a Box is sonically superb. No reason to change anything after that point. Especially the Synchronicity material.

[ManWithGoodTaste]

I could not wait till I get to it, so I downloaded I'm Blind from iTunes.

It's neat. It's nyce. I would even say......... it's kool.

[TheEqualizer]

Hey. Shout out to Dietmar. Cool.

Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected. Truth Hits Everybody was a pleasant surprise, as it wasn't really what I expected. I liked the Oakland concert (I think it's better than the live Omni tracks). It has been awhile since I heard it. To my ears, it was well done, as STEWART comes out nice and clear. But I'm not an audiophile by any means.

What happened to the Monserrat Murder by Numbers?