Police / Hatfield 1979: BBC Transcription LP / 1CD / Wardour
Live at Hatfield Polytechnic, Hatfield, UK 21st February 1979
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THE POLICE made a shocking debut with “OUTLANDOS D’AMOUR”. The highest quality board in history of the sound board album that symbolizes that time is born! Of course, it will be released as a permanent preservation press CD.
Engraved on this work is “February 21, 1979, University of Hertfordshire”. It is a stereo sound board recording recorded at a special performance held for the prestigious BBC program “Rock Goes To College”. Speaking of “Rock Goes To College”, it was rebroadcast many times as a representative video of the time, and in 2002 it was also made into an official DVD. It is a symbol live that will be a big classic in the classic.
“This work is the audio dropout.” . . . No, then. In fact, this live will be broadcast not only on TV but also on the radio program “IN CONCERT”. It was longer than the TV version and sounded and mixed much better. This work is the ultimate product digitized directly from such a radio broadcast version of the transcription disc.
Before the quality that bothers me, first of all is the position of the show. Let’s take a look back at the activity summary at that time.
“OUTLANDOS D’AMOUR Tour”
・January 9-February 21: Europe #1 (24 performances) ← Coco
・ March 1-April 9: North America # 1 (30 performances) ← * BERKELEY 1979
・ April 12-25: Europe #2 (3 performances)
・ April 27-May 25: North America # 2 (23 performances) ← * CHICAGO 1979 etc.
・ May 31-June 24: Europe # 3 (22 performances) ← * PARADISO 1979 etc.
《Completion of “REGGATTA DE BLANC” in August》
《September 21: Single “Message In A Bottle” released》
“REGGATTA DE BLANC Tour”
・ August 17-September 23: Europe # 4 (17 performances)
・ September 27-December 1: North America # 3 (45 performances) ← * PALLADIUM 1979
・December 3-22: Europe #5 (15 performances) ← ※ HAMMERSMITH PALAIS 1979
This is THE POLICE in 1979. Two tours “OUTLANDOS D’AMOUR Tour” / “REGGATTA DE BLANC Tour” are mixed, and this work is the former. In our shop, we have introduced numerous press masterpieces such as “BERKELEY 1979 PRE-FM (Wardour-527)” and “CHICAGO 1979 PRE-FM (Wardour-512)”, but this work is the very early stage among them ” It is the record of Europe #1.
Well, the sound that conveys such a show can only be described in one word as “completely official”. At our shop, we have been supervised by a THE POLICE researcher overseas and have given you the best standard sound board, but the researcher also discovered the transcription disc that is the origin of this work. The lustrous and natural sound without a single needle is like an official high-quality CD such as “Mobile Fidelity” or “Nimbus Supercut”.
And even more vivid is the stereo mix. The audio of the “Rock Goes To College” broadcast version was also of official quality, but there was only a TV broadcast at that time and it was a mono mix. Not only the spread of sound, but also the fine nuances and dynamism are vivid as if it were another concert.
In addition to such an upgraded sound, this work has more songs than the TV broadcast version. Let’s organize the set here, including that side.
● Outlands Damour
・Can’t Stand Losing You/So Lonely/Hole in My Life/Truth Hits Everybody/Peanuts/Roxanne/Next to You/Can’t Stand Losing You (★)
●Others
・Fall Out/Message In A Bottle
*Note: “★” marks are songs that were cut in the TV broadcast version of “ROCK GOES TO COLLEGE”.
… and it looks like this. Since it is a special performance that is premised on broadcasting, it is a short set of about 46 minutes, but this is a full set. The TV broadcast version had a big denouement at “Next to You”, but this work has been completely recorded until the second time “Can not Stand Losing You” played in the encore. Also, surprisingly the point is “Message In A Bottle”, and in fact this day is the world premiere. You can enjoy the one and only live performance with the ultimate sound of the official masterpiece class.
The video is so famous that it tends to be overlooked, but the FM broadcast version of the stereo mix actually surpasses the quality of TV broadcasts. It is the best sound board ever reprinted from the super rare transcription. That is the symbolic live album of the early THE POLICE that boasts the same value as “OUTLANDOS D’AMOUR”. Please enjoy it fully with a press CD that will never lose its shine.
★ Stereo sound board recording of the performance of “February 21, 1979 University of Hertfordshire”. Although it is a special performance for the famous program “Rock Goes To College”, it is an FM broadcast version that is different from the monaural TV broadcast version. It is the ultimate product directly digitized from the transcription disc of “IN CONCERT”, and its sound is completely official grade … that’s all. You can enjoy the symbolic live of the debut era with a super sound like a high-quality CD of Mobile Fidelity or Nimbus Supercut.
(46:06)
01. Can’t Stand Losing You
02. So Lonely
03. Fall Out
04. Hole In My Life
05. Truth Hits Everybody
06. Message In A Bottle
07. Peanuts
08. Roxanne
09. Next To You
10. Can’t Stand Losing You (Reprise)
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