The Police - 1979-10-26 - Miami, FL (FM)

The Police
1979-10-26
Gusman Auditorium
Miami, FL
FM Broadcast
320 kbps
Artwork Included

01. Next To You
02. So Lonely
03. Truth Hits Everybody
04. Walking On The Moon
05. Hole In My Life
06. Fallout
07. Bring On The Night
08. Message In A Bottle
09. The Bed's Too Big Without You
10. Peanuts
11. Roxanne
12. Can't Stand Losing You
13. Landlord
14. Born In The 50's

The Police - 1979-10-26 - Miami, FL (FM)

The Police entered the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame as part of the Class of 2003, which also featured fellow New Wave/Punk artists Elvis Costello & The Clash.  Gwen Stefani made the induction speech and the band played 3 songs during the ceremony - Roxanne, Message In A Bottle, and Every Breath You Take.

This FM broadcast captures the band near the start of their Hall Of Fame career, in Miami on October 26, 1979, 47 years ago today.  The band was on tour in suppior of their 2nd album, Regatta De Blanc, which had been released in September. That disc would reach the #25 spot on the Billboard charts in the US. It would be even more successful in the UK, climbing all the way to #1.

The Police - 2007-08-30 - Stockholm, Sweden (Ex Aud)

The Police

2007-08-30

The Globe Arena

Stockholm, Sweden

Excellent Audience Recording

192 kbps

Artwork Included

CD 1:

01. Intro

02. Message In A Bottle

03. Synchronicity II

04. Walking On The Moon

05. Voices Inside My Head

06. When The World Is Running Down

07. Don't Stand So Close To Me

08. Driven To Tears

09. Truth Hits Everybody

10. Hole In My Life > Hit The Road Jack

11. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

12. Wrapped Around Your Finger

CD 2:

01. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

02. Invisible Sun

03. Walking In Your Footsteps

04. Can't Stand Losing You

05. Roxanne

06. King Of Pain

07. So Lonely

08. Every Breath You Take

09. Next To You

The Police - 2007-08-30 - Stockholm, Sweden (Ex Aud) 

I saw The Police just once, in January 1982, at Madison Square Garden, but what a historic show it was. The Go Gos, who opened, had the #1 album on the Billboard charts at the time. The Police, who headlined, had the #2 album on those charts! New Wave had arrived, commanding the charts and selling out "The World's Most Famous Arena."

Today we skip ahead over 2 decades from that legenday show. On February 11, 2007, The Police reunited after being apart for almost 20 years for a performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. As they took the stage for the Grammy’s, the trio proclaimed "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police, and we're back!” The next day, at a press conference at the Whisky a Go Go, they announced they would launch a world tour starting in Vancouver on May 28. The tour would last well over a year, with the final show played held on August 7, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Police sold 3.7 million tickets and grossed $358 million during their reunion sojourn, making it the third-highest-grossing tour of all-time at its conclusion. This excellent audience recording captures The Police on August 30, 2007, 19 years ago today, in Stockholm near the beginning of their historic reunion tour.

 

The Police - 1979-03-23 - Toronto, Canada (FM)

The Police

1979-03-23

The Edge

Toronto, Canada

FM broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Truth Hits Everybody 

02. So Lonely

03. Fallout

04. Born In The '50s 

05. Hole In My Life 

06. Be My Girl > Sally > Peanuts 

07. Roxanne 

08. Landlord 

09. Next To You 

10. Can't Stand Losing You

The Police - 1979-03-23 - Toronto, Canada (FM)

1979 - #6: In early 1979, The Police went on tour in North America in support of their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour. The tour kicked off on March 1 at the legendary Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles and ran until May 25, with the band criss-crossing the US and Canada. They often played 2 shows a night, and rarely took a day off. Given that the album had flopped when initially released, the band felt compelled to tour relentlessly in hopes of gaining exposure for themselves and airplay for their songs. The strategy seemed to work, as the album eventually climbed to the #23 position on the Billboard charts in the US, and rose all the way to the #2 position in the UK. In addition, 3 singles from the disc – Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You and So Lonely - charted in the top 20 in the UK in 1979. Roxanne also climbed to the #32 spot on the US Billboard charts. This soundboard recording captures the band early on in that tour, on March 23, 1979, 47 years ago today. 

The Police - 1979-11-27 - Boston, MA (FM)

The Police

1979-11-27

Orpheum Theatre 

Boston, MA

FM Broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Next To You

02. So Lonely

03. Truth Hits Everybody

04. Walking On The Moon

05. Hole In My Life

06. Deathwish

07. Fall Out

08. Bring On The Night

09. Visions Of The Night

10. Message In A Bottle

11. The Bed's Too Big Without You

12. Roxanne

13. Can't Stand Losing You

14. Landlord

15. Born In The 50's

16. Be My Girl > Sally

17. Peanuts

OFFICIALLY RELEASED - LINK REMOVED

1970s - #6: On October 2, 1979, The Police released their second album, entitled Reggatta de Blanc. The disc was the band's first release to top the UK Albums Chart and also features their first two UK #1 singles: Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon. In the US, the album climbed to #25 on the Billboard charts, while Message In A Bottle reached #74, though no other single from the disc charted in the States. This soundboard recording captures The Police on tour in support of Reggatta de Blanc, in Boston, on November 27, 1979, 46 years ago today.

Amnesty International Concert - 1986-06-15 - East Rutherford, NJ (FM)

Concert for Amnesty International

1986-06-15

Giants Stadium

East Rutherford, NJ

FM Broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

Third World

01. Now That We Found Love

02. 96 Degrees in the Shade

03. Planting Us Too Close

04. Try Jah Love

The Hooters

01. Day By Day

02. Blood From A Stone

03. Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds

04. Where Do The Children Go?

05. All You Zombies

06. And We Danced

Peter, Paul & Mary

01. El Salvador

02. No Easy Walk to Freedom

03. Blowing in the Wind

Bob Geldorf with Little Steven & Paul Schaeffer

01. Walk On By

02. Redemption Song

Joan Armatrading

01. Stepping Down

02. Turn Out the Light

03. I Can Lie to Myself

04. Love and Affection

Yoko Ono

01. Walking on Thin Ice

02. Imagine

Howard Jones

01. No One is to Blame

Lou Reed

01. Rock and Roll

02. I Love You Suzanne

03. No Money Down

04. Turn to Me

05. Walk On the Wild Side

06. Video Violence

Peter Gabriel

01. Red Rain

02. Shock the Monkey

03. Family Snapshot

04. Sledgehammer

05. San Jacinto

06. Biko

U2

01. MLK

02. Pride

03. Bad

04. Sunday Bloody Sunday

05. Maggie's Farm/Cold Turkey

06. Help!

07. Sun City (with Little Steven, Nona Hendryx, Ruben Blades and Lou Reed)

The Police

01. Message in a Bottle

02. King of Pain

03. Driven to Tears

04. Every Breath You Take

05. Roxanne

06. Invisible Sun (with Bono)

Finale (all Performers)

01. I Shall Be Released

Amnesty International Concert - 1986-06-15 - East Rutherford, NJ (FM)

In 1986, Amnesty International celebrated its 25th anniversary of fighting for human rights across the globe. To help raise awareness of the agency’s work, artists as diverse as U2, The Police, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Bryan Adams, Joan Baez and thr Neville Brothers, banded together for a series of 6 concerts in June of that year. To provide some perspective on how important these shows were to the performers involved, The Police reunited for the last 3 shows of the tour after not playing live in over 2 years, then wouldn’t tour again until 2007! This FM broadcast captures the final show at Giants Stadium show on July 15, 1986, 39 years ago today, a sold-out, all-day festival, running from noon until 11 pm. In addition to the 6 featured acts, the Giant Stadium show included such performers as Third World, Jackson Browne, Max Weinberg, Peter Paul & Mary, The Hooters, Stanley Jordan, Miles Davis, Little Steven, Howard Jones, and Joni Mitchell. The performers featured songs about politics, freedom and courage, including anthems such as Sun City, Invisible Sun, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and I Shall Be released. MTv televised the entire concert, while Westwood One handled the national radio broadcast. Of course, while the concert was a spectacular musical event, the question remained as to whether it had achieved its intended purpose. The answer appeared to be a solid yes, as about after tour concluded, US membership in Amnesty International increased by 45,000, while letters written by concert goers led to the release of 2 political prisoners of conscience.

The Police - 1979-04-09 - Philadelphia, PA (FM)

The Police
1979-04-09
Walnut Street Theater
Philadelphia PA
WIOQ-FM Broadcast
320 kbps
Artwork Included

01. Truth Hits Everybody
02. So Lonely
03. Fallout
04. Born In The 50's
05. Hole In My Life
06. Be My Girl/Sally
07. Peanuts
08. Roxanne
09. Landlord
10. Next To You
11. Cant Stand Losing You

The Police - 1979-04-09 - Philadelphia, PA (FM)

1970s - #4: As the decade of the 1970s came to a close, a host of punk and new wave bands rose to prominence. While many would reach the peak of their fame in the 1980s, they paid their dues in the 1970s. For example, in early 1979, The Police went on tour in North America in support of their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour. The tour kicked off on March 1 at the legendary Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles and ran until May 25, with the band criss-crossing the US and Canada. They often played 2 shows a night, and rarely took a day off. Given that the album had flopped when initially released, the band felt compelled to tour relentlessly in hopes of gaining exposure for themselves and airplay for their songs. The strategy seemed to work, as the album eventually climbed to the #23 position on the Billboard charts in the US, and rose all the way to the #2 position in the UK. In addition, 3 singles from the disc – Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You and So Lonely - charted in the top 20 in the UK in 1979. Roxanne also climbed to the #32 spot on the US Billboard charts. This soundboard recording captures the band on April 7, 1979, 46 years ago today in Philadelphia.

The Police - 1979-03-05 - Davis, CA (FM)

The Police
1979-03-05
University of California
Davis CA
FM broadcast
320 kbps
Artwork Included

01. Can't Stand Losing You
02. Truth Hits Everybody
03. So Lonely
04. Fall Out
05. Born In The 50's
06. Hole In My Life
07. Be My Girl - Sally
08. Peanuts
09. Roxanne

The Police - 1979-03-05 - Davis, CA (FM)

The Police 1979 - Back To Back - #2: As promised yesterday, here's the 2nd half of our Back o Back set featuring The Police on tour in 1979. This one is a soundboard recording from David from March 5, 1979, 46 years ago today.

The Police - 1979-03-04 - Berkeley, CA (SBD)

The Police

1979-03-04

Zellerbach Auditorium

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Can't Stand Losing You

02. Truth Hits Everybody

03. So Lonely

04. Fall Out

05. Born In The 50's

06. Hole In My Life/ Fixing A Hole

07. Be My Girl/Sally 

08. Peanuts

09. Roxanne

10. Landlord

11. Next To You

12. Can't Stand Losing You

The Police - 1979-03-04 - Berkeley, CA (SBD)

The Police 1979 - Back To Back - #1: As the decade of the 1970s came to a close, a host of punk and new wave bands rose to prominence. While many would reach the peak of their fame in the 1980s, they paid their dues in the 1970s. For example, in early 1979, The Police went on tour in North America in support of their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour. The tour kicked off on March 1 at the legendary Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles and ran until May 25, with the band criss-crossing the US and Canada. They often played 2 shows a night, and rarely took a day off. Given that the album had flopped when initially released, the band felt compelled to tour relentlessly in hopes of gaining exposure for themselves and airplay for their songs. The strategy seemed to work, as the album eventually climbed to the #23 position on the Billboard charts in the US, and rose all the way to the #2 position in the UK. In addition, 3 singles from the disc – Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You and So Lonely - charted in the top 20 in the UK in 1979. Roxanne also climbed to the #32 spot on the US Billboard charts. This soundboard recording captures the band just 3 days after the start of the tour, on March 4, 1979, 46 years ago today. Download this one, then come back tomorrow for the 2nd half of this Back to Back set.

The Police - 2008-02-14 - Tokyo, Japan (IEM Aud Matrix)

The Police
2008-02-14
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo, Japan
IEM Aud Matrix
320 kbps
Artwork Included

CD 1:
01. Get Up, Stand Up (Introduction)
02. Message In A Bottle
03. Synchronicity II
04. Walking On The Moon
05. Voices Inside My Head > When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around
06. Don't Stand So Close To Me
07. Driven To Tears
08. Hole In My Life
09. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
10. Wrapped Around Your Finger
11. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
12. Invisible Sun
13. Walking In Your Footsteps
14. Can't Stand Losing You > Reggatta De Blanc

CD 2:
01. Roxanne
02. King Of Pain
03. So Lonely
04. Every Breath You Take
05. Next To You

Soundchecks
2008-02-13

06. Soundcheck Jam
07. Message In A Bottle

Fiction Plane (Support act)
08. Death Machine
09. Anyone
10. Presuppose
11. It's A Lie
12. Cross The Line
13. Sadr City Blues
14. Hate
15. Two Sisters

The Police - 2008-02-14 - Tokyo, Japan (IEM Aud matrix)

The Police reunited after being apart for almost 20 years for a performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. As they took the stage for the Grammy’s, the trio proclaimed "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police, and we're back!” The next day, at a press conference at the Whisky a Go Go, they announced they would launch a world tour starting in Vancouver ion May 28. The tour would last well over a year, with the final show played held on August 7, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Police sold 3.7 million tickets and grossed $358 million during their reunion sojourn, making it the third-highest-grossing tour of all-time at its conclusion. This IEM matrix recording captures The Police in Tokyo, Japan on February 14, 2008, 17 years ago this very day

The Police - 1983-12-11 - Glasgow, Scotland (SBD)

The Police

1983-12-11

The Apollo Theatre

Glasgow, Scotland 

Sound board recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

CD 1:

01. Synchronicity 1

02. Synchronicity 2

03. Walking In Your Footsteps

04. Message In A Bottle

05. Walking On The Moon

06. Oh My God

07. De Do Do Do

08. Wrapped Around Your Finger

09. Tea In The Sahara

10. Hole In My Life

11. Spirit In The Material World

CD 2:

12. Invisible Sun

13. One World

14. King Of Pain

15. Don't Stand So Close To Me

16. Every Breath You Take

17. Murder By Numbers

18. Roxanne

19. Can't Stand Losing You Reggatta De Blanc

20. So Lonely

The Police - 1983-12-11 - Glasgow, Scotland (SBD)

The Police’s 1981 Ghost in the Machine album tour put them on the map as rock super stars. Their tour in support of that disc made them the first new wave/punk band to graduate from playing clubs to headlining at 20,000 seat arenas such as Madison Square Garden on New York, where I saw them January 22, 1982. The follow up album, Synchronicity, released in June 1983, was another blockbuster, going to number 1 on the US and UK charts, and winning the band a Grammy Award for best rock performance by a duo or group. The album spawned 4 top 20 singles: Synchronicity II at #16, Wrapped Around Your Finger at #8, King of Pain at #3 and Every Breathe You Take, which went to the #1 spot and stayed there for 8 weeks. Despite all that success (or maybe because of it?), the band was beginning to come apart. The album was recorded with each member of the band in a separate room, ostensibly for engineering reasons, but in hindsight it is apparent that the arrangement symbolized that the band was no longer a cohesive unit. Moreover, during the recording of Every Breath You Take, Sting and Andy Summers came to blows in the studio. When the band went on the road in July 1983 in support of the album, no one knew that it would be the final world tour for the band (with the exception of 3 shows in 1986) until 2007! This soundboard recording captures the band during that final 20th century tour, in Scotland on December 11, 1983, 41 years ago today.

2003 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - 2003-03-10 - New York, NY (TV SBD)

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions

2003-03-10

Waldirf Astoria Hotel

New York, NY

TV Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

AC/DC

01. Highway To Hell 

02. You Shook Me All Night Long with Steven Tyler

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

01. Pump It Up 

02. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror 

03. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding

Righteous Brothers

01. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

The Police

01. Roxanne 

02. Message In A Bottle 

03. Every Breath You Take - with Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani John Mayer

2003 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - 2003-03-10 - New York, NY (TV SBD)

The 2003 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony was a celebration of the punk/new wave era as The Police, Elvis Costello and The Clash were all inducted. Both Costello and The Police took the stage, but The Clash did not, as founding member Joe Strummer had passed away just a few months prior. For The Police, it was their first performance together since 1992.  

This TV soundboard recording captures the musical highlights from that ceremony on March 10, 2003, 21 years.s ago today.  A complete list of inductees is provided below.

Artist	Inducted By	Category
AC/DC	Steven Tyler	Performer
The Clash	The Edge and Tom Morello	Performer
Elvis Costello & the Attractions	Elton John	Performer
The Police	Gwen Stefani	Performer
Righteous Brothers	Billy Joel	Performer
Mo Ostin	Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon & Neil Young	Lifetime Achievement
Benny Benjamin	Paul Shaffer	Sideman
Floyd Cramer	Paul Shaffer	Sideman
Steve Douglas	Paul Shaffer	Sideman

 

The Police - 2008-02-10 - Osaka, Japan (IEM)

The Police
2008-02-10
Kyocera Dome
Osaka, Japan
IEM Recording
320 kbps
Artwork Included

CD 1:
01. Get Up, Stand Up (Introduction)
02. Message In A Bottle
03. Synchronicity II
04. Walking On The Moon
05. Voices Inside My Head > When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around
06. Don't Stand So Close To Me
07. Driven To Tears
08. Hole In My Life
09. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
10. Wrapped Around Your Finger
11. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
12. Invisible Sun
13. Can't Stand Losing You / Reggatta De Blanc
14. Roxanne

CD 2:

01. King Of Pain
02. So Lonely
03. Every Breath You Take
04. Next To You

Soundchecks

05. Soundcheck Jam #1
06. Soundcheck Jam #2

Fiction Plane (opening act)

07. Death Machine
08. Anyone
09. Presuppose
10. It's A Lie
11. Cross The Line
12. Sadr City Blues
13. Hate
14. Two Sisters

The Police - 2008-02-10 - Osaka, Japan (IEM)

On February 11, 2007, The Police reunited, after being apart for almost 20 years, for a performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. As they took the stage for the Grammy’s, the trio proclaimed "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police, and we're back!” The next day, at a press conference at the Whisky a Go Go, they announced they would launch a world tour starting in Vancouver ion May 28. The tour would last well over a year, with the final show played held on August 7, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Police sold 3.7 million tickets and grossed $358 million during their reunion sojourn, making it the third-highest-grossing tour of all-time at its conclusion. This IEM recording captures The Police in Osaka, Japan on February 10, 2008, 16 years ago today

The Police - 1980-11-29 - Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ (SBD)

The Police

1980-11-29

Capitol Theatre

Passaic, NJ

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Inlcluded

01. Voices Inside My Head

02. Don't Stand So Close To Me 

03. Walking On The Moon 

04. Deathwish 

05. Fall Out 

06. Man In A Suitcase 

07. Bring On The Night 

08. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da 

09. Truth Hits Everybody 

10. Shadows In The Rain 

11. When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around 

12. The Bed's Too Big Without You 

13. Driven to Tears

14. Message In A Bottle 

15. Roxanne 

16. crowd noise 

17. Can't Stand Losing You 

18. crowd noise 

19. Next To You

20. So Lonely 

21. crowd noise 

The Police - 1980-11-29 - Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ (SBD)

I saw The Police just once, in January 1982, at Madison Square Garden, but what a historic show it was. The Go Gos, who opened, had the number 1 album on the Billboard charts at the time. The Police, who headlined, had the #2 album on those charts! New Wave had arrived, commanding the charts and selling out "The World's Most Famous Arena."

This soundboard recrding captures The Police a little over 2 years earlier, at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, on November 29, 1980, 43 years ago today.

The Police - 1979-09-27 - New York, NY (SBD)

The Police

1979-09-27

Diplomat Hotel Ballroom

New York, NY

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Intro

02. So Lonely

03. Truth Hits Everybody

04. Walking on the Moon

05. Hole in My Life

06. Fall Out

07. Bring on the Night

08. Message in a Bottle

09. The Bed's too Big Without You

10. Peanuts

11. Roxanne

12. Can't Stand Losing You

13. Landlord (mislabeled as "Deathwish")

14. Born in the 50's

15. Be My Girl (Sally)

The Police - 1979-09-27 - New York, NY (SBD)

For folks like me, who were raised on The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, etc., it was in 1979 when we began to take notice of these new genres of rock. Sure, punk and new wave began years earlier, and some acts had shot across the sky like comets, such as the Sex Pistols, gaining brief attention. But it was 1979, at least in the New York area, when mainstream rock stations such as WNEW-FM began to make punk and new wave music a part of their regular rotation. It’s also the year I saw my first new wave concert, as I caught Blondie and Rockpile at Belmont Park in July 1979.  The Police also began making a name for themselves in 1979, touring relentlessly early in that year and then releasing their 2nd album, Regatta De Blanc in September. That disc would reach the #25 spot on the Billboard charts in the US. It would be even more successful in the UK, climbing all the way to #1. This soundboard recording captures the band in New York on September 27, 1979, 44 years ago today, on tour in supoort of Regatta De Blanc. The set list includes Message In A Bottle, the first single from that album, which would also become the first song by The Police to reach #1 in the UK.

The Police - 1980-02-06 - Los Angles, CA (TV SBD)

The Police

1980-02-06

Don Kirshner's Rock Concert

Aquarius Theater

Los Angeles, CA

TV SBD Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Don Kirshner Intro

02. Roxanne

03. Message In A Bottle

04. Can't Stand Losing You

05. Next To You

06. Walking On The Moon

07. The Bed's Too Big Without You

08. Deathwish

The Police - 1980-02-06 - Los Angles, CA (SBD)

1980s - #1: In early 1980, The Police were riding a wave of success both in the UK and the US. Their 2nd album, Regatta de Blanc, reached number 1 in the UK, as did the singles Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon. In the US, the title track won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental. This TV soundboard recording from February 6, 1980, 43 years ago today, provides another indicator of the band's success and growing recognition across the music world at that time.  The perfrormance from the Aquarius Theater in Los Angles was taped for the popular program Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, and would be broadcast on May 17, 1980 across the US.

The Police - 1979-12-03 - Paris, France (TV SBD)

The Police

1979-12-03

Chorus TV show 

Théatre de l'Empire

Paris, France

TV Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Next To You 

02. Truth Hits Everybody

03. Walking On The Moon

04. Hole In My Life

05. Fall Out

06. Bring On The Night

07. Visions Of The Night

08. Message In A Bottle

The Police - 1979-12-03 - Paris, France (TV SBD)

1979 - On October 2, 1979, The Police released their second album, entitled Reggatta de Blanc. The disc was the band's first release to top the UK Albums Chart and also features their first two UK #1 singles: Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon. In the US, the album climbed to #25 on the Billboard charts, while Message In A Bottle reached #74, though no other single from the disc charted in the States. This TV soundboard recording captures The Police on tour in support of Reggatta de Blanc, in France on December 3, 1979, 43 years ago today.

The Police - 1980-02-15 - Tokyo, Japan (FM)

The Police  

1980-02-15

Sun Plaza Hall

Tokyo, Japan

FM Broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

CD 1:

01. Next To You

02. So Lonely

03. Walking On The Moon

04. Truth Hits Everybody

05. Bring On The Night 

06. Hole In My Life

07. Deathwish

08. Fallout 

09. Visions Of The Night 

10. Peanuts 

11. The Bed's Too Big Without You 

12. Message In A Bottle 

CD 2

01. Roxanne 

02. Can't Stand Losing You 

03. Landlord 

04. Born In The 50's 

05. No Time This Time 

06. Next To You (reprise) 

The Police - 1980-02-15 - Tokyo, Japan (FM)

In early 1980, The Police were riding a wave of success both in the UK and the US. Their 2nd album, Regatta de Blanc, reached number 1 in the UK, as did the singles Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon. In the US, the title track won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental. This FM broadcast captures the band on tour in support of Regatta de Blanc in Tokyo on February 15, 1980, 42 years ago today.

The Police - 1979-12-16 - Southampton, UK (SBD)

The Police

1979-12-16

The Gaumont

Southampton, UK

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Next To You

02. So Lonely

03. Walking On The Moon

04. Hole In My Life

05. Deathwish

06. Truth Hits Everybody (slow version)

07. Fall Out

08. Bring On The Night (cut at 2:12)

09. Bed's Too Big Without You (fade in)

10. Peanuts

11. Roxanne

12. Can't Stand Losing You

The Police - 1979-12-16 - Southampton, UK (SBD)

1979 -  On October 2, 1979, The Police released their second album, entitled Reggatta de Blanc. The disc was the band's first release to top the UK Albums Chart and also features their first two UK #1 singles: Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon.  In the US, the album climbed to #25 on the Billboard charts, while Message In A Bottle reached #74, though no other single from the disc charted in the States. This soundboard recording captures The Police on tour in support of  Reggatta de Blanc, in Southampton on December 16, 1979, 42 years ago today.

Police - 1983-09-23 - Nimes, France (AM Radio)

The Police

1983-09-23

Les Arenes

Nimes, France

AM Radio Broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Message In A bottle

02. Walking On The Moon

03. Oh My God! (cut)

04. De Do Do Do De Da Da Da

05. Wrapped Around Your Fingers

06. Tea In The Sahara (cut)

07. Hole In My life

08. One World (Not Tthree)

09. Don't Stand So Close To Me

10. Every Breath You Take

11. Roxanne

12. I Can't Stand Losing You > Reggatta de Blanc

13. So Lonely (cut)

Police - 1983-09-23 - Nimes, France (AM Radio)

1980s - #5: In June 1983, the Police released the album, Synchronicity, which went to #1 on the charts in both the US and the UK. In fact, the album sold over 8 million copies in the US, and won the Grammy for best performance by a rock group. The single from the album, Every Breath You Take, also hit number 1, and won 2 Grammy’s, for song of the year and for best performance by a rock group. The band appeared to be on the top of the rock world. Unfortunately, tensions inside the group were tearing it apart. At one point during the recording of Synchronicity, Sting and Stewart Copeland came to blows. Each band member actually recorded their parts of the album in separate rooms. The Synchronicity tour turned out to be the band’s last for over 20 years, as they disbanded once it ended. Except for a few rare performances, the band did not tour again until 2007. This AM radio broadcast of their performance in Nimes on September 23, 1983, 38 years ago today, captures the band at the height of their popularity, with fans little suspecting that the end was near. 

The Police - 2008-08-06 - New York, NY (TV SBD)

The Police
with Elvis Costello

Spectacle TV Show
2008-08-06
Apollo Theater
New York, NY
TV Soundboard
320 kbps
Artwork Included

01. Every Breath You Take (Elvis C)
02. Elvis C Introduces The Police
03. Weird Nightmare (Elvis C & Andy Summers)
04. Roxanne (Sting)
05. Alison  (Elvis C & Sting)
06. Flow My Tears (Elvis C & Sting)
07. Watching The Detectives > Walking On The Moon (Elvis C & The Police)
08. Sunshine Of Your Love -(Elvis C & The Police)
09. Purple Haze  (Elvis C & The Police)

The Police  - 2008-08-06 - New York, NY (TV SBD)

I saw The Police just once, in January 1982, at Madison Square Garden, but what a historic show it was. The Go Gos, who opened, had the number 1 album on the Billboard charts at the time. The Police, who headlined, had the #2 album on those charts! New Wave had arrived, commanding the charts and selling out "The World's Most Famous Arena."

This TV soundboard recording captures The Police on August 6, 2008, 13 years ago today,  on Elvis Costello's program, Spectacle, which featured a host of legendary artists during its 2 season run,  The Police would conclude their fabled Reunion tour the nest night, with a sold out performance at the very venue where I saw them in 1982! (note - I've yet to see Elvis Costello but I'll be working on it in the years to come!)