Police Deranged For Orchestra

Description

Stewart Copeland of The Police returns with a special new project revisiting the classics he made with Sting and Andy Summers - in typical Copeland fashion, 'Police Deranged for Orchestra' aims to transform the cult band's tunes into something even more visionary, fresh and exciting. Stewart Copeland, influential founding drummer of 80's foundational band, The Police and acclaimed composer of film, opera and orchestral works, continues his musical journey with 'Police Deranged for Orchestra', a new album slated for release on June 23, 2023 (via Shelter-BMG). With his latest album, Copeland explores the band's best-known tunes through a fresh lens, inspired by his recent forays into expansive musical forms and instrumentation. Beginning in 2021, Copeland created his new project, 'Stewart Copeland: The Police Deranged for Orchestra,' which focused on the epic arc of his career. The concert was an evening filled with The Police's greatest hits, including "Roxanne," "Don't Stand Too Close To Me" and "Message in a Bottle" arranged for full symphony orchestra along with hand-picked excerpts from Copeland's compositions. The project has toured to sold-out audiences in the US and Europe and will continue through the summer. The resulting album revisits Police hits newly arranged for full orchestra alongside bassist Armand Sabal Lecco (Paul Simon), guitarist Rusty Anderson (Paul McCartney), and vocalists Amy Keys, Carmel Helene and Ashley Támar. The percussion and drums were arranged, orchestrated, and co-produced by Copeland. The music was conducted and co-produced by Edwin Outwater and produced and mixed by Craig Stuart Garfinkle. Police Deranged for Orchestra kicks off today with a fresh take on the Grammy Record of the Year winning track "Every Breath You Take." Stream "Every Breath You Take" here. In a departure from his previous compositional work, Copeland explains that the "derangement" of The Police's music began as a score for a film he made from Super8 footage of the band he'd shot during their ascent to fame. In his own words, Copeland says: "Filmmaking places capricious demands on music, so I had to carve up the songs to serve the scenes in the movie, and once the scalpel was out, a whole new frenzy of Police music inspiration began." He continues. "Digging into the multitracks of our original recordings and live performances, we revealed lost guitar solos, bass lines, and vocal improvisations that were just too cool to be left in obscurity... that discovery is what brings us to this performance: Sting's songs, Andy's inventions, and my impunity; all on the page for a wild ride with an orchestra and unique musicians from around the world to adapt some of The Police's most beloved hits for old and new audiences." This year also brings the fall release of Stewart Copeland's Police Diaries, published by Rocket 88 Books. The book is based on and includes entries from Copeland's personal pocket diary from 1976-1979. With scans of the original pages and Copeland's new, insightful commentary, its pages are illustrated with classic and previously unseen photographs from the early "hungry years" of a band on its way to global success. More information about Stewart Copeland's Police Diaries can be found here. In parallel with his early work with The Police, Copeland developed a solo recording alter-ego, Klark Kent, releasing singles and a self-titled 1980 album on which he played all instruments, even vocals.