Early documentary on the Police gets ‘Restored & Expanded’
Also, Hall & Oates’ ‘Marigold’ gets vinyl treatment
It’s been mostly quiet on the Police front since the UK trio shamelessly cashed in on their legacy with wildly overpriced ticket costs on a 2007-08 reunion jaunt. Now they’re looking back in the rearview once again with a re-release of the 1982 documentary ‘The Police: Around the World,” appearing on DVD and Blu-ray formats for the first time along with a host of extras.
Dubbed ‘The Police: Around the World Restored & Expanded,’ the film chronicles the band’s first world tour, which saw them journey across six continents in 1979 and 1980. Capturing behind—the-scenes footage and candid personal moments as the group explored new terrain, it’s a snapshot into the beginning of their meteoric rise to worldwide fame where the Police became one of the biggest outfits of the decade.
Set for release May 20, ‘Around the World’ blends footage of the Police performing live with intimate footage of frontman and bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland discovering Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Egypt, Greece, France, South America and the U.S.
The band was filmed on and off stage as they visited local monuments, snacked on foreign cuisines and grew their global fanbase.
At the same time, the Police were enjoying their first chart success in the UK with “Roxanne” and “Message in A Bottle.” They were young, hungry, ready to break big and not charging an arm and a leg for tickets.
“Like Napoleon, we wanted the world,” Summers says in the liner notes. “Out of the messy and fervent atmosphere in London at that time we conceived the idea to go all around the world and film the whole adventure. As far as we knew no rock band, at least, had ever done that. We had just about enough popularity to get booked around the globe. Plans were made.”
There have been a couple of documentaries released on the band in recent years, including a reconfigured 2019 edition of Copeland’s intimate collection of home movies titled ‘Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out’ originally released in 2006. Summers put out his own documentary, though somewhat mediocre, in 2012 called ‘Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police.’
‘The Police: Around the World Restored & Expanded’ will be available on DVD+CD, Bluray+CD, and DVD+LP, pressed on silver vinyl — although early press images show it in blue.
The DVD and Blu-ray feature restored picture and remastered audio, as well as complete performances of four bonus songs featured in the documentary. Additionally, the doc includes never-before-released live audio on CD and LP.
VINYL OF THE WEEK
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a re-pressing of a landmark recording, special edition or new collection from a legendary act. This week, it’s a fan favorite from one of the region’s most popular acts getting its first time on the format.
DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES: MARIGOLD
Legendary Philadelphia bred duo Daryl Hall and John Oates have reissued ‘Marigold Sky,’ their 15th studio album and first to be released as independent artists back in 1997. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the LP, it is being made available for the first time on double LP, as well as an expanded CD format that includes three bonus tracks previously unavailable on the original album release. Additionally, it has also been added to all streaming major platforms, also for the first time.
Regarded as a fan favorite, ‘Marigold’ is a collection of exquisitely crafted soul-pop, irresistibly smooth that lays bare the mastery of the pair’s classic songwriting chops that played a large part of putting them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Including the singles ‘Promise Ain’t Enough,’ ‘Romeo Is Bleeding’ and ‘The Sky Is Falling,’
it was at the time the first Hall & Oates album of original material in seven years.
“I look at ‘Marigold Sky’ as the lost Hall and Oates album,” Hall said in a statement. “The fans have been asking me for years about it. I’m really proud of these songs and happy to see that it’s getting a global re-release.”
“I am really pleased that ‘Marigold Sky’ is finally becoming available around the world,” added Oates. “It’s a very unique and cool album, and I hope old and new fans really enjoy it.”
‘Marigold’ is available on black vinyl and can be found online and in stores from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.