The Police ‘Synchronicity’ Gets 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe

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Synchronicity, the fifth and final studio album from The Police has received lavish expanded editions for its 40th anniversary. The album, originally released in 1983, was the group’s most successful release, topping the Billboard chart for a whopping 17 non-consecutive weeks thanks to the success of the #1 single, “Every Breath You Take” and such popular tracks as “Wrapped Around Your Finger” and “King of Pain.” The Synchronicity 40 expanded editions, which arrived July 26, 2024, via Interscope/Geffen/A&M, feature a wealth of bonus material including dozens of previously unreleased alternate takes, out-takes, instrumentals and Sting’s never-before-heard original demos, as well as dozens of live concert recordings from 1983. A 6-CD set is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here. A 4-LP collection is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here. [A 2-CD set is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here. There’s a picture disc as well: U.S. and U.K.]

In their brief career, The Police—Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland—released just five studio albums. Signed to A&M Records, the British group, formed in 1977, released their 1978 debut album, Outlandos d’Amour, which featured the single, “Roxanne.” They recorded three more albums over the next three years and thanks to incessant touring and such hits as “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” and “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” the trio became one of the music world’s biggest acts. Their timing was also perfectly synchronized with the launch of MTV and on June 17, 1983, when Synchronicity was released, The Police were on top of the music world.

The album received five Grammy Award nominations in 1984 and won three (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). It ultimately sold 15 million copies worldwide, with 8x certified Platinum in the U.S.

Listen to the “Every Breath You Take” demo

The limited edition Synchronicity 40 Super Deluxe 6-CD set includes a 60-page, lavish hardback color book featuring new liner notes and interviews, unseen visual material and archival memorabilia, rare and unseen photos, printed inner wallets and four art print photographs, all housed in a hardback slipcase.

Copeland talks about the album’s photo shoot.

Listen to Sting’s demo of “King of Pain”

Listen to many previously unreleased demo recordings, alternate versions and live performances below.

The Police Synchronicity 40 Super Deluxe 6-CD Edition Track Listing

CD 1 (Original Album Remastered)
1. Synchronicity I
2. Walking In Your Footsteps
3. O My God
4. Mother
5. Miss Gradenko
6. Synchronicity II
7. Every Breath You Take
8. King Of Pain
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Tea In The Sahara
11. Murder By Numbers

CD 2 (B-Sides / Bonus Tracks)
1. Truth Hits Everybody (Remix)
2. Man In A Suitcase (Live At The Variety Theatre, Los Angeles, USA / 16th January 1981)
3. Someone To Talk To
4. Message In A Bottle (Live At The Gusman Cultural Center, Miami, USA / 26th October 1979)
5. I Burn For You
6. Once Upon A Daydream
7. Tea In The Sahara (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
8. Every Breathe You Take (Backing Track)
9. Roxanne (Backing Track)
10. Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
11. Every Bomb You Make
12. Walking On The Moon (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
13. Hole In My Life (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
14. One World (Not Three) (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
15. Invisible Sun (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
16. Murder By Numbers (Live At The Omni, Atlanta, USA / 3rd November 1983)
17. Walking In Your Footsteps (Derangement)
18. Tea In The Sahara (Derangement)

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 (Out-Take)
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 (Out-Take)
15. Synchronicity II (Extended Version)
16. Synchronicity II (Alternate Mix)
17. Synchronicity II (Instrumental)

CD 4 (Unreleased – Part 2)
1. Every Breathe You Take (Demo)
2. Every Breathe You Take (Out-Take)
3. Every Breathe 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 / Out-Take)
18. Three Steps To Heaven
19. Rock And Roll Music

“We used to fight like cat and dog in the studio,” says Copeland. “The Police was a band that exploded on stage and imploded in the studio.”

CD 5 (Live Pt. 1 – Unreleased)
1. Synchronicity I (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
2. Synchronicity II (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
3. Walking In Your Footsteps (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
4. Message In A Bottle (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
5. Walking On The Moon (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
6. O My God (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)

CD 6 (Live Pt. 2 – Unreleased)
1. Hole In My Life (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
2. Invisible Sun (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
3. One World (Not Three) (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
4. King Of Pain (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
5. Don’t Stand So Close To Me (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
6. Murder By Numbers (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
7. Every Breathe You Take (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
8. Roxanne (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)
9. Can’t Stand Losing You (Live At The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA / 10th September 1983)