THE POLICE: Synchronicity Concert DVD released!

[STING2]

The Police's Synchronicity Concert video, previously only available on VHS has now been released on DVD. It was first released on DVD in Europe and in other regions back in September while the American release was delayed.

The original VHS tape was released in September 1984 and had 15 songs filmed and recorded from two soldout shows at the Omni Arena in Atlanta Georgia on November 2nd and 3rd, 1983.

The DVD has better sound and film quality, plus four songs not on the original VHS tape have been added. Synchronicity II, Roxanne, Invisible Sun, and Don't Stand So Close To Me have been included as extra songs and can each be viewed from four different camera angles(only two for Roxanne). The only song not included from the shows appears to be "Murder By Numbers".

The original concert trailer promoting the release of the VHS tape back in September 1984 is also included. The trailer notes that the video is available in "Beta Hi Fi".

Another extra feature is the last Police interview prior to the start of what became the final Police Concert in Melbourne Australia on March 4, 1984. All three members are actually interviewed seperately and its interesting to see the members views at that time on the final concert of the Synchronicity Tour and their views about the bands future at that time as well as personal plans.

The March 4, 1984 Melbourne show was attended by over 50,000 people and was the largest concert by a foreign artist in Australian history at that time.

Here is the tracklisting for the DVD:

1. Intro
2. Synchronicity I
3. Walking In Your Footsteps
4. Message In A Bottle
5. Walking On The Moon
6. Wrapped Around Your Finger
7. Hole In My Life
8. King Of Pain
9. One World (Not Three)
10. Tea In The Sahara
11. O My God
12. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
13. Every Breath You Take
14. Can't Stand Losing You
15. Spirits In the Material World
16. So Lonely
17. Credits

Synchronicity Concert Multi Angle Tracks:

1. Synchronicity II
2. Roxanne
3. Invisible Sun
4. Don't Stand So Close To Me

Synchronicity Concert Trailer

Interview in Melbourne, Australia 1984

 

[financeguy]

They had some very good singles. 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' is my favourite of theirs.

I can remember seeing a feature on TV promoting the release of the original VHS (God I'm old).

 

[JOFO]

X100

 

[annabelle]

Another extra feature is the last Police interview prior to the start of what became the final Police Concert in Melbourne Australia on March 4, 1984.
The March 4, 1984 Melbourne show was attended by over 50,000 people and was the largest concert by a foreign artist in Australian history at that time.

I was there! (god, I'm older than you financeguy!) It was a great concert! Look forward to seeing this.

Thanks for that! Does this mean it is available in Australia yet?

(there is a link to a clip on andysummers.com)

 

[STING2]

I was there! (god, I'm older than you financeguy!) It was a great concert! Look forward to seeing this.

Thanks for that! Does this mean it is available in Australia yet?

(there is a link to a clip on andysummers.com)

WOW, did you have any idea at the time when you saw the concert that it would be the last "Police concert"? I know there were obviously reunions at Amnesty and The Hall of Fame awards, but the show in Melbourne was the last time people bought tickets specifically to see the Police play a full concert. Of course, it may not be the last Police concert if Sting would one day decide he is willing to re-unite for a tour.

I wish the the show from Melbourne was on there to. The interview with all three members only last 7 minutes, but its definitely worth having since in many ways it was the last interview from the band while they were still actively a band.

It should be available in Australia as I think North America was the last region to get it.

 

[MsMofoGone]

I think North America was the last region to get it.

Exactly right !!
It was released here last Tuesday (November 8th)

 

[INDY500]

Yikes! I haven't watched this in about 10 years and man has it aged badly. You think Hamish Hamilton can butcher a concert...just look at what Godley and Cream do to a great band at the height of their popularity. Way too much video gimmickry, audience inserts and phoney crowd noise. Plus they cut Invisible Sun. Watch the unretouched bonus songs to see what a live Police dvd could have been like.
Is there a video of the Ghost in the Machine Tour? Or bootlegs of other Synchronicity shows that anyone has seen?
Also, didn't Sting record a show this May in New York for release soon?

 

[elevation2u]

while The Police is one of my favorite bands, I've seen this concert on vhs before years back..while it was great to see concert footage, I dont remember being too thrilled..
The filming I remember it being sketchy,
but I hope it's just my memory

do they have back up singers?? I really hope not,
I have the live album and I hardly listen to the 2nd cd - syncronicity tour era for the same reason.

 

[annabelle]

WOW, did you have any idea at the time when you saw the concert that it would be the last "Police concert"?

Yes, we did and it was all the sweeter for it...singing all the way home on the train and crying and and all that stuff you do when you're young

Even if it is a dodgy production I'm looking forward to seeing it just for nostalgia.

 

[barlowdog]

I have a friend who would like this Synchronicity tour dvd very much. Perhaps I'll pick it up along with the U2 dvd out tomorrow.

 

[one4u2]

 

[STING2]

Yikes! I haven't watched this in about 10 years and man has it aged badly. You think Hamish Hamilton can butcher a concert...just look at what Godley and Cream do to a great band at the height of their popularity. Way too much video gimmickry, audience inserts and phoney crowd noise. Plus they cut Invisible Sun. Watch the unretouched bonus songs to see what a live Police dvd could have been like.
Is there a video of the Ghost in the Machine Tour? Or bootlegs of other Synchronicity shows that anyone has seen?
Also, didn't Sting record a show this May in New York for release soon?

Remember this was 1983. When the VHS tape was released in September 1984, this was regarded as a state of the art video back then. It was even nominated for a Grammy at the February 1985 Grammy awards for its production, although I can't remember if it won. I know some of the video gimmickry is tacky by today standards but I don't recall any phoney crowd noice? But all commercially released live video's and albums often have things touched up a bit, and one can indeed hear that on the Under A Blood Red Sky album.

There is a commercially released video of the Ghost In The Machine Tour, but its only available in Japan. Don't ask me why. Its the July 31, 1982 show at Gateshead Stadium in Newcastle England. U2 opened the show and BONO sang Invisible Sun with Sting. I have about half of this Police show on a video bootleg and most of U2's performance from this show.

Somewhere out there, there must be a bootleg of the Police's performance at US Festival 1982, a 3 day festival in California. The Police headlined the first night, the new wave/alternative night. Several performances from US Festival 1983 the following year are out there, so I imagine there might be some video's of US Festival 1982 out there.

The Police performance on Video that I like the most is their concert in Frejus France from August of 1980. A few songs were including in the Around the World VHS video as well as the Greatest Hits Live Video, but most of it is not. I love the sound they had at the time, with Andy turned way up in the mix as well as the right sound. The ZENYATTA MONDATTA tour was the last tour the Police would do as truly a 3 piece on stage. The Ghost in The Machine Tour had what Sting called "Chops" a 3 piece horn section that played on nearly every song in the set. Then on the Synchronicity Tour, 3 back up singers were brought in, although the horn section did not return. These changes do indeed show the influence or dominance Sting was having which started with the recording of Ghost In The Machine.

As for video bootlegs of other Synchronicity tour shows, I have only seen clips of songs from various shows. The Police played a club in Montreal, the night before they played Olympic Stadium back in early August 1983. The Club show was filmed for the movie channel SHOWTIME and was played on that channel. I have an audio bootleg of the show and the songs from Synchronicity sound very raw compared to the November 1983 performance in Atlanta. I also have the entire audio bootleg of the October 14, 1983 show in Stockholm Sweden although the sound is not that great, but the show sounds a lot like the Atlanta shows.

 

[STING2]

while The Police is one of my favorite bands, I've seen this concert on vhs before years back..while it was great to see concert footage, I dont remember being too thrilled..
The filming I remember it being sketchy,
but I hope it's just my memory

do they have back up singers?? I really hope not,
I have the live album and I hardly listen to the 2nd cd - syncronicity tour era for the same reason.

The back up singers add vocals to every song although their more in the background on some songs on the video.

 

[STING2]

Yes, we did and it was all the sweeter for it...singing all the way home on the train and crying and and all that stuff you do when you're young

Even if it is a dodgy production I'm looking forward to seeing it just for nostalgia.

But the Police had not said this would be the last concert, what at the time made you think that it was?

Also, did you see any Police shows on their two earlier tours of Australia in 1980 and 1981.

 

[INDY500]

Sting2, thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge on the Police. The concert was originally a Showtime special here in the States and then released on VHS, as you say, with a few extra songs. And I used to watch it all the time...and enjoy it as a fan of the Police. So maybe I was just in a pissy mood watching the new DVD. But jeez, just try and not throw something at the TV as they cut to the crowd--mugging for the camera or 80's dancing--again and again. Every 15 or 20 seconds. I know what the directors were trying to convey, it's plain from the first song. Synchronicity. The band and it's fans becoming one.
But to me, the best live DVDs are those that let you experience a concert in your home. This was just too annoying to do that for me. But definitly check it out if your a fan or maybe too young to have seen the band live.
Since I pointed out weaknesses before, here are my highlites.
1) It sure is fun to watch Stewart Copeland play drums and percussion.
2) The backup singers are hot. I could have used a bit more of them.
3) The 4 bonus songs are 4 of their best. It's nice to finally see them after 20 years.
4) Songs like Invisible Sun and O My God remind one why there was such a huge cross-pollenization between U2 and Police fans back in the 80's.

 

[annabelle]

But the Police had not said this would be the last concert, what at the time made you think that it was?

Also, did you see any Police shows on their two earlier tours of Australia in 1980 and 1981.

LOL I'm pretty sure we knew it was their last show. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong/maybe I'm remebering with hindsight - who knows now. It's all pretty hazy now of course - 20 years is a long time. Anyway, that was the only Police show I saw but I have caught Sting since in Melbourne. 1996 Mercury Falling tour.

I do remember that at the time we all thought the support band was pretty incredible - dare I say it - almost better than The Police! Can't stand Bryan Adams now but there you go!

cheers

 

[STING2]

.

 

[STING2]

LOL I'm pretty sure we knew it was their last show. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong/maybe I'm remebering with hindsight - who knows now. It's all pretty hazy now of course - 20 years is a long time. Anyway, that was the only Police show I saw but I have caught Sting since in Melbourne. 1996 Mercury Falling tour.

I do remember that at the time we all thought the support band was pretty incredible - dare I say it - almost better than The Police! Can't stand Bryan Adams now but there you go!

cheers

I understand, 20 plus years is a long time to remember such things accurately. Also, Bryan Adams is indeed a great live artist, but of all the artist who opened for The Police from REM to James Brown, to Joan Jett and Motorhead, I still think U2 were the best.

 

[ponkine]

I have this DVD and it´s a stellar performance . Some versions are even better than originals,


Both the audio and picture quality are superb, considering the age of the concert.
The setlist is fantastic, and the extras are a wonderful addition.

Highly recomended

Peace

 

[elevation2u]

why did it have to come out around the same time as the vertigo live dvd & the born to run box set, 2 items I really want but dont even have yet

 

[STING2]

why did it have to come out around the same time as the vertigo live dvd & the born to run box set, 2 items I really want but dont even have yet

Perhaps you could get a good deal buying all three together from a store or website. Its Christmas time, tis the season for releasing albums and DVD's.

 

[MsMofoGone]

I just bought this as one of the many Christmas presents for my Love.
The only thing is now I'm kinda wondering if I can wait 'til Christmas before
watching it myself !!

 

[deltau922]

Soooo ... any ripped mp3s of this baby?