The Police Unveil Synchronicity Reissue Project

Four decades after its original release, the final album from The Police, 1983’s acclaimed Synchronicity, is finally getting the reissue campaign it deserves. 

On July 26th, Universal Music Enterprises will be releasing the album in multiple formats, primarily a limited edition six-disc box set that includes 55 previously unreleased tracks, new liner notes and interviews, rare archive memorabilia and unseen photographs. 

This special reissue has been three years in the making, crafted with the complete involvement and endorsement of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. The accompanying 62-page booklet that comes with the box set includes the expert writing of  acclaimed music journalist Jason Draper, who tells the complete story of what many consider to be the trio’s masterpiece.

For the six-disc version of the album, here’s what will be included:

CD1 is the original album including the classic flipside “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 – capturing the band at a show at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, CA on September 10th, 1983.

A 2CD Deluxe reissue will also be available, featuring the same track list as detailed on CD1 and CD2 of the box set above. There will also be a digital version of the box set mirroring the six-disc tracklist on all DSPs as well. 

For vinyl fans, this new edition of Synchronicity will be available in three different forms:

4LP Super Deluxe Edition (Limited Edition)

Original vinyl track list (LP1)

A selection of 7” / 12” B-sides and live recordings (LP2)

A selection of unreleased alternate takes and demos from the Synchronicity sessions (LP3)

A selection of unreleased alternate takes and demos from the Synchronicity sessions (LP4 side 1) and six unreleased songs as detailed in CD4 of the boxset description above, with the exception of “I’m Blind” (LP4 side 2)

 

2LP Deluxe (Coloured Double Vinyl, D2C Exclusive)

Original vinyl track list (LP1)

A selection of 7” / 12” B-sides and live recordings (LP2)

 

1LP Picture Disc (Alternate Sequence, Limited Edition)

Synchronicity hit No.1 around the world, selling over 15 million globally (8.5 million sales of which were from the U.S. alone). The No.1 hit single “Every Breath You Take” would go on to be the most played song in radio history, with more than 15 million plays plus a special cameo in Stranger Things.

The album would go on to receive five Grammy nominations in 1984, winning three for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Song of the Year (“Every Breath You Take”) and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.  

See below for a complete tracklist of all the formats. 

 

TRACK LISTS – ALL FORMATS

6-Disc Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set

CD1

Synchronicity I

Walking In Your Footsteps

O My God

Mother

Miss Gradenko

Synchronicity II

Every Breath You Take

King Of Pain

Wrapped Around Your Finger

Tea In The Sahara

Murder By Numbers

 

CD 2 (Bonus)

Truth Hits Everybody (Remix)

Man In A Suitcase (Live At The Variety Arts Theatre, Los Angeles, USA / 16th January 1981)

Someone To Talk To

Message In A Bottle (Live At The Gusman Cultural Center, Miami, USA / 26th October 1979)

I Burn For You

Once Upon A Daydream

Tea In The Sahara (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Every Breath You Take (Backing Track)

Roxanne (Backing Track)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Every Bomb You Make

Walking On The Moon (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Hole In My Life (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

One World (Not Three) (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Invisible Sun (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 2nd November 1983)

Murder By Numbers (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 2nd November 1983)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Derangement)

Tea In The Sahara (Derangement)

 

CD 3 (Unreleased – Part 1)

Synchronicity I (Demo)

Synchronicity I (Alternate Mix)

Synchronicity I (Instrumental)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Alternate Version)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Alternate Mix)

O My God (Demo)

O My God (Outtake)

O My God (OBX Version)

O My God (Alternate Mix)

Mother (Alternate Version)

Mother (Instrumental)

Miss Gradenko (Alternate Mix)

Synchronicity II (Demo)

Synchronicity II (Outtake)

Synchronicity II (Extended Version)

Synchronicity II (Alternate Mix)

Synchronicity II (Instrumental)

 

CD 4 (Unreleased – Part 2)

Every Breath You Take (Demo)

Every Breath You Take (Outtake)

Every Breath You Take (Alternate Mix)

King Of Pain (Demo)

King Of Pain (Alternate Version)

King Of Pain (Alternate Mix)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Demo)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Alternate Mix)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Instrumental)

Tea In The Sahara (Demo)

Tea In The Sahara (Alternate Mix)

Murder By Numbers (Demo)

I’m Blind (Demo)

Loch

Ragged Man

Goodbye Tomorrow

Truth Hits Everybody (Remix) (Outtake)

Three Steps To Heaven

Rock And Roll Music

 

CD 5 (Live Pt. 1 – Unreleased) Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983

Synchronicity I

Synchronicity II

Walking In Your Footsteps

Message In A Bottle

Walking On The Moon

O My God

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

Wrapped Around Your Finger

Tea In The Sahara

Spirits In the Material World

 

CD 6 (Live Pt. 2 – Unreleased) Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983

Hole In My Life

Invisible Sun

One World (Not Three)

King Of Pain

Don’t Stand So Close To Me

Murder By Numbers

Every Breath You Take

Roxanne

Can’t Stand Losing You

 

4LP Super Deluxe Edition (Limited Edition)

Disc 1

Synchronicity I (Side 1)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Side 1)

O My God (Side 1)

Mother (Side 1)

Miss Gradenko (Side 1)

Synchronicity II (Side 1)

Every Breath You Take (Side 2)

King Of Pain (Side 2)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Side 2)

Tea In The Sahara (Side 2)

 

Disc 2 (Bonus)

Murder By Numbers (Side 1)

Truth Hits Everybody (Remix) (Side 1)

Man In A Suitcase (Live At The Variety Arts Theatre, Los Angeles, USA / 16th January 1981) (Side 1)

Someone To Talk To (Side 1)

Message In A Bottle (Live At The Gusman Cultural Center, Miami, USA / 26th October 1979) (Side 1)

I Burn For You (Side 1)

Once Upon A Daydream (Side 2)

Tea In The Sahara (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983) (Side 2)

Every Breath You Take (Backing Track) (Side 2)

Roxanne (Backing Track) (Side 2)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983) (Side 2)

Every Bomb You Make (Side 2)

 

Disc 3 (Unreleased)

Synchronicity I (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

Synchronicity I (Instrumental) (Side 1)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

O My God (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

Mother (Instrumental) (Side 1)

Miss Gradenko (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

Synchronicity II (Outtake) (Side 2)

Synchronicity II (Extended Version) (Side 2)

Synchronicity II (Instrumental) (Side 2)

Every Breath You Take (Alternate Mix) (Side 2)

 

Disc 4 (Unreleased)

King Of Pain (Alternate Version) (Side 1)

King Of Pain (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Instrumental) (Side 1)

Tea In The Sahara (Alternate Mix) (Side 1)

Loch (Side 2)

Ragged Man (Side 2)

Goodbye Tomorrow (Side 2)

Truth Hits Everybody (Remix) (Outtake) (Side 2)

Three Steps To Heaven (Side 2)

Rock And Roll Music (Side 2)

 

2CD

CD 1

Synchronicity I

Walking In Your Footsteps

O My God

Mother

Miss Gradenko

Synchronicity II

Every Breath You Take

King Of Pain

Wrapped Around Your Finger

Tea In The Sahara

Murder By Numbers

 

CD 2

Truth Hits Everybody (Remix)

Man In A Suitcase (Live At The Variety Arts Theatre, Los Angeles, USA / 16th January 1981)

Someone To Talk To

Message In A Bottle (Live At The Gusman Cultural Center, Miami, USA / 26th October 1979)

I Burn For You

Once Upon A Daydream

Tea In The Sahara (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Every Breath You Take (Backing Track)

Roxanne (Backing Track)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Every Bomb You Make

Walking On The Moon (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Hole In My Life (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

One World (Not Three) (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)

Invisible Sun (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 2nd November 1983)

Murder By Numbers (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 2nd November 1983)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Derangement)

Tea In The Sahara (Derangement)

 

2LP Coloured Vinyl (D2C Exclusive)

Disc 1

Synchronicity I (Side 1)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Side 1)

O My God (Side 1)

Mother (Side 1)

Miss Gradenko (Side 1)

Synchronicity II (Side 1)

Every Breath You Take (Side 2)

King Of Pain (Side 2)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Side 2)

Tea In The Sahara (Side 2)

 

Disc 2 (Bonus)

Murder By Numbers (Side 1)

Truth Hits Everybody (Remix) (Side 1)

Man In A Suitcase (Live At The Variety Arts Theatre, Los Angeles, USA / 16th January 1981) (Side 1)

Someone To Talk To (Side 1)

Message In A Bottle (Live At The Gusman Cultural Center, Miami, USA / 26th October 1979) (Side 1)

I Burn For You (Side 1)

Once Upon A Daydream (Side 2)

Tea In The Sahara (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983) (Side 2)

Every Breath You Take (Backing Track) (Side 2)

Roxanne (Backing Track) (Side 2)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983) (Side 2)

Every Bomb You Make (Side 2)

 

1LP (Picture Disc)

Disc 1

Synchronicity I (Side 1)

Every Breath You Take (Side 1)

Wrapped Around Your Finger (Side 1)

Miss Gradenko (Side 1)

Synchronicity II (Side 1)

King Of Pain (Side 2)

Walking In Your Footsteps (Side 2)

Mother (Side 2)

O My God (Side 2)

Tea In The Sahara (Side 2)