Stewart Copeland, influential drummer/founder of seminal 80s band The Police and acclaimed film, opera, and orchestral composer, continues his musical journey with Police Deranged for Orchestra, a new album set for release on June 23 (Shelter/BMG). With his latest album Copeland explores the band’s best-known tracks through a new lens, inspired by his recent forays into expansive musical forms and instrumentation.
Beginning originally in 2021, Copeland created his newest project, Stewart Copeland: The Police Deranged for Orchestra, which focused on the epic rise of his career. The concert was an evening bursting with The Police’s biggest hits including ”Roxanne,” “Don’t Stand Too Close To Me” and “Message in a Bottle” arranged for full symphony orchestra as well as hand-picked highlights from Copeland’s compositions. The project has toured with sold-out dates across the US and Europe, and will continue through the summer.
Read more here in an exclusive interview with Grammy.com.
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. 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 new rendition of the Grammy Record of the Year-winning track “Every Breath You Take.” Stream “Every Breath You Take” here.
Unlike his earlier compositional work, Copeland explains that the “derangement” of The Police’s music began as a score for a movie he made out of Super8 footage of the band that he had shot during their rise to glory.
In his own words Copeland says, “Film puts 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 inspiration from Police music began.”
He continues. “delving into the multi-tracks of our original recordings and live performances revealed lost guitar solos, bass lines, and vocal improvisations that were just too cool to leave in obscurity… this 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 orchestra and unique musicians from around the world to adapt some of the most loved The Police hits for old and new audiences alike.
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 Copeland’s personal pocket diary entries from 1976-79. With scans of original pages and Copeland’s new background commentary, its pages are illustrated with classic and previously unseen photos from the early “starving years” of a band poised for global success. More information on Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries can be found here.
Concurrent 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 the instruments, - even vocals. The cult album is also scheduled for re-release on April 14th (Record Store Day) on BMG. Klark Kent was credited with inspiring Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) among many others.
The Police Deranged for Orchestra Live tour, with U.S. and international dates, features performances by locally based symphony orchestras along with the core six-member band/ vocal ensemble. The tour, now underway, will soon announce additional dates.
See updated information at www.stewartcopeland.net/716/events-and-tours and a full list of tour dates below. Stay tuned for more to come from Stewart Copeland soon.
PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE POLICE DERANGED
POLICE DERANGED TRACKLIST
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
King of Pain
Demolition Man
Murder by Numbers
Roxanne
Tea in the Sahara
Can’t Stand Losing You / Regatta de Blanc
Every Breath You Take
POLICE DERANGED WITH ORCHESTRA LIVE
April 28: London, England – London Coliseum
May 19: Waukegan, IL – Genesee Theatre
July 12: Udine, Italy – Piazzale del Castello
July 14: Umbria, Italy – Umbria Jazz Festival, Arena S. Guilana
July 16: Trento, Italy – Parco dei Tre Castagni
July 24: Gardone Riviera, Italy – Vittoriale
July 25: Florence, Italy – Piazza S. Annunziata
July 27: Taormina (Sicily), Italy – Teatro Antico
