Category: The Police

September 7, 2018

The Police – Message In A Bottle (US 7″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1979

“Message in a Bottle” is a song by English band The Police. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979). Written by the band’s lead singer and bassist Sting, the song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. A year later, he has not received any sort of response, and despairs, thinking he is destined to be alone. The next day, he sees “a hundred billion bottles” on the shore, finding out that there are more people like him out there.

The song was the first of their five UK number one singles. Rolling Stone ranked it number 65 on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”. The song also reached #1 in Spain and Ireland and top five in several other European countries and Australia. In the United States “Message In A Bottle” only peaked at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

The “Edit” has yet to appear on CD.

SIDE A:
Message In A Bottle (Edit) 3:48
Producer – Nigel Gray, The Police
Written-By – Sting

SIDE B:
Landlord 3:08
Producer – The Police
Written-By – S. Copeland*, Sting

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	Message In A Bottle	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#74

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– 2190-S, A&M Records ‎– AM-2190
Format: Vinyl, 7″, Single, Poster sleeve, Pitman pressing
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Illustration [Cover], Design – David Allen Artrouble

NOTES:
Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman pressing, in a fold-out 6 panel poster sleeve. Disk housed in a company sleeve within the poster sleeve.

A: From the A&M album “Reggatta De Blanc” SP-3713
B: From the A&M album “Propaganda” SP-4786

Printed in U.S.A.

The B-side is listed as being the live version from the ‘Propaganda’ album but the version that plays on the record is the studio version, originally released on the UK Message In A Bottle single.

Find the 7″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Mullard 12AX7 Preamp Vacuum Tube Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

March 8, 2018

Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” is the first single released from Sting’s solo debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. It is also the opening track of the album and is featured on Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 as well as The Very Best of Sting & The Police.

Like much of the album, the song has heavy jazz influences, and was a major hit, peaking at number one on the US Album Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. On the US pop chart, it peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 17 on the US R&B chart, number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 18 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart.

A portion of the song was later used for Sting’s 1987 hit “We’ll Be Together” from …Nothing Like the Sun.

The single launched a long string of singles(stretching over three albums) where Sting collaborated with New Orleans saxophonist and one-time Tonight Show bandleader Branford Marsalis.

The song was also performed at The Brits in February 1995 with M People. He duetted on the song with the band’s lead singer, Heather Small and this track was given the dance treatment by the band who was also backed by a 100-strong Gospel Choir at the Earls Court Arena during the annual music awards show.

Sting said that he wrote the song as an “antidote” to the Police’s 1983 song, “Every Breath You Take”, which he also wrote. The song was also lampooned by The Dead Milkmen in the song “If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire,” from their 1990 album Metaphysical Graffiti.

The single B-side consists of a studio recording of the song “Another Day” which would appear the following year in a live version on Sting’s live album Bring On the Night.

SIDE A:
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (“Jellybean” Dance Mix) 8:00
Percussion – Paulinho da Costa
Engineer [Remix] – Michael Hutchinson
Producer – Pete Smith
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez

If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (Album Version) 4:13
Producer – Pete Smith

SIDE B
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (Torch Song Mix) 4:52
Producer – William Orbit
Remix – Rico Conning

Another Day 3:58
Producer – Pete Smith

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	If You Love Somebody Set Them Free	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#3
1985	If You Love Somebody Set Them Free	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#1
1985	If You Love Somebody Set Them Free	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles	#17

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– SP-12132
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, B
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Backing Vocals – Dolette McDonald, Janice Pendarvis
Bass – Darryl Jones
Drums – Omar Hakim
Keyboards – Kenny Kirkland
Photography By – Max Vadukul
Producer – Pete Smith (tracks: A1, A2, B2), Sting (tracks: A1, A2, B2)
Saxophone, Percussion [Miscellaneous] – Branford Marsalis
Written-By, Vocals, Guitar – Sting

NOTES:
“If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” from the LP “The Dream of the Blue Turtles”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

April 2, 2015

The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86 (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Don’t Stand So Close to Me” is a 1980 song and hit single by the British rock band The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl’s crush on her young teacher which leads to an affair, which in turn is discovered. The Police won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.

In 1986, a re-recorded version of the song was released as “Don’t Stand So Close to Me ’86”. The song was re-recorded in 1986 with a new, brooding arrangement, a different chorus and a more opulent production. The new version appeared as “Don’t Stand So Close to Me ’86” on the album Every Breath You Take: The Singles, and was released as a single, reaching number 24 in the British charts. It also reached number 11 in Ireland, number 14 in New Zealand, number 19 on the Netherlands MegaCharts Singles Chart (number 20 on Dutch Top 40), number 27 in Canada and number 46 on Billboard Hot 100 (number 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks).

Because of the decrease in tempo, a slight lyric change is found in the line “Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov” (the word ‘famous’ was added). A new music video was produced for the reworked song by Godley and Creme, notable for its early use of animated computer graphics.

Because drummer Stewart Copeland had broken his collarbone and was unable to drum, he opted to use his Fairlight CMI to program the drum track for the single. While singer/bassist Sting pushed to utilize the drums on his Synclavier instead, the group’s engineer found the Synclavier’s programming interface difficult—and it ended up taking him two days to complete the task. Copeland ultimately finished the drum programming and claimed that the Fairlight’s then-legendary “Page R” (the device’s sequencing page) saved his life and put him on the map as a composer. In a Qantas inflight radio program named “Reeling in the Years”, Copeland was quoted as saying that the argument over Synclavier versus Fairlight drums was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” and that this led to the group’s unraveling.

As the Police had already disbanded by the time the 1986 single was released, this, aside from the then-unreleased “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da ’86,” was the last recording before the band’s reunion and the most recent studio recording the band has released.

SIDE A:
Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86 (Dance Mix) 6:24
Producer – Laurie Latham, Police, The

Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86 4:51
Producer – Laurie Latham, Police, The

SUDE B:
Don’t Stand So Close To Me (Original Version) 4:00
Producer – Nigel Gray, Police, The

Don’t Stand So Close To Me (Live) 4:01
Mixed By – Kim Turner

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#46
1986	Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– AMY 354
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Mastered By – Timtom*
Photography By – Peter Mountain
Written-By – Sting

NOTES:
Track A2 taken from the forthcoming compilation album
“Every Breath You Take – The Singles”

Find the 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi