The Police - Peel Session 1979

The complete session recorded by The Police on 23 July 1979 for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and broadcast on the 30th of that month.
Tracklist:
1. Next To You (0:32)
2. Can't Stand Losing You (The Bit We Left Out) (3:15)
3. The Bed's Too Big Without You (5:42)
4. Message In A Bottle (10:55)

[@nateforest4936]

1977 -1987 was the best decade in music history

[@_6079SMITH]

77-99 was

[@guilhermevideira1]

More like 1967-1977

[@Fogon59]

What a fucking immense drummer Stewart Copeland is.

[@sbouchard69]

awesome!

[@Teeb2023]

Yep, very uncelebrated and very, very good indeed.

[@pierretissot6391]

Had a drummer that said he was influenced by him. We fired him because of his messy way to play drums, wish he had the half of the talent of this drummer...

[@Laurent75017]

Stewart Copeland is one of the most influencial drummers of the 80's. And recognized as such, fortunately.

[@oliveroneill1388]

whan of mine true heros .

[@idonthavealoginname]

Still listening to this in 2024. . .Legends.

[@ToryTerminator]

Whenever I have my frequent bouts of technofear, I go back to the Peel Sessions.

[@pkel2003]

Real musicians, playing real instruments and performing great original songs with no auto-tuners... ah, those were the days.

[@fantasticmrghetto1]

Nobody cares fam

[@sirclip]

Hear how good they are live and at a "Budget BBC recording" Thanks to the late & great John Peel!

[@johnnyriggs1024]

I saw them in a tiny club in South Charleston WV in 1979. No stage. Just playing on the floor in front of about 50 or less people, separated from the audience by a couple of cafeteria tables like we have in schools all over the USA.

[@scottmathis4372]

Johnny Riggs I was a student at Marshall. I drove to Charleston and was at that show. Great memories.

[@scottharrison3391]

wow

[@robk.6591]

I envy you :)

[@jackquarantillo5192]

Funny, I saw them in Charleston toward the end of the Synchronicity tour. What a difference!

[@raythomas7744]

From this to synchronicity was only 4 years........

[@ukok8177]

There will never be another band like the police ..!

[@c.s.4428]

The Police of the 80s and beyond will never be anything as fresh or exciting as The Police of the 70s!!

[@WimCalis-sl6tm]

I never knew they had done a Peel session. Great stuff.

[@65alphonso]

Police fans need to hear this once in a lifetime! Great Band!!!

[@JETJOOBOY]

Everybody needs to here it

[@ukok8177]

The police are unique and untouchable , great sound..

[@adrianbrowne7962]

" As Ever " An " Excellent Peel Session " Which Allowed The Police To Demonstrate Their Versatility !! And " Unsurprisingly " It Was Only A Matter Of Time Before That " All Important Breakthrough Came About " !! The Police Remain One Of " The Greatest And Most Significant Of Musical Trio's " !!! From Adrian Browne 1965

[@vinto34]

What a great session this was...my favourite being bed's too big.

[@Branny123100]

One of the best drummers I've seen

[@Brewzerr]

Definitely. For me, Stewart *WAS* the show every time I saw them live.

[@brazillionairemma1373]

Since Neil Peart passed (rip), Stewart is the greatest living drummer atm

[@chiefobeef]

@@brazillionairemma1373 comparing apples to oranges there, but both definitely the best of all time.

[@jackhakken]

Nah Stephen Morris was better.

[@ruairijohnston5718]

Not only that they had one of the best guitarists around at that time or any time

[@waycnf7229]

Holy shit. Message in a Bottle is my favorite song of all time and I think I found the best version.

[@charliebath1462]

I found a great May 1979 version from a gig in Minneapolis recently that must be one of the earliest recordings of them playing it live- it has a slightly different intro

[@jayrox40]

@@charliebath1462 The played it at Hatfield Polytechnic Feb 79, Its on the BBC Rock goes to college concert.

[@jamesheath7601]

Greatest band ever

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

"The Bit We Left Out" would make a killer title for a career-spanning boxed-set (ftg.: unpublished b-sides; demos; outtakes; alternate takes/mixes of published singles; instrumentals; alternate lyrics/vocals; covers; and live tracks)!!

[@gootsy]

I want that. It even could includes the pre-FM version of this

[@josephletts1093]

When you find your mums tape collection at 10, and it has "Zenyatta Mondatta", "Dark Of the Moon", "St Pepper" and "The Pleasure Principal by Gary Numan" You end up with a great taste in music. Great post, not heard this before, thanks very much indeed!

[@frankgoodall329]

Regatta De Blanc & Oulandos D'amour are essential listening.

[@OutlandishAsh]

Message in the bottle an incredible version, the guitar work towards the end is just another level.

[@guillermoortega4119]

AWESOME

[@paddycampbell576]

Awesome! Flashback to when I was a 12-year-old Police nut :-)

[@arjanteeuwen1184]

Same for me!

[@deanrane1961]

Me Two😉

[@hedgefundshyster..3241]

I was in Miami in 1979.....thin Lizzy on tour were playing to audiences of thousands.....the police were playing to 50 people...

[@stormbringercoming8105]

Love these vintage BBC, OGWT, Peel Sessions. There is/was a certain magic in them. Must have been a thrill for the artists to do them. A reminder that they finally "made it".

[@matthawes4395]

Amazing

[@chathamabs2011]

Tony Wilson producing this got a more natural live sound out of the band in this session. Great stuff 👌

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

If the UK has an equivalent to the US' Library Of Congress, these Peel Session reels ought to be preserved there for historical posterity purposes for future generations to appreciate what material was documented by Mr. Peel of Western pop music of the late 20th and early 21st centuries!

[@WillfulSoul143]

Love the Police and Peel recordings. Can’t believe the similarities I hear between Sting’s vocal stylings and those of Thin Lizzy’s frontman, Phil Lynott. Especially in the 1st song.

[@gustavmarie]

Crap..never noticed that.

[@krisscanlon4051]

I'd say it's definitely in that rough and ready Philo style...Sting voice is raspy when need be

[@markshorter76]

4:44 - what an interesting chordal explosion, very different from the album version. Sting always had an ear for extended jazzy harmonies.

[@jasonlefler3456]

Thank you very much for the upload!

[@MrJonno85]

I'm surprised that they did a Peel session as late as 1979.

[@Sitosifux]

The Police's great session!!!

[@martinfitzgerald1605]

Impossible to beat Peelie and the Police, 'kin amazing

[@akisasimakopoulos7639]

The Police in top 7 in the history of rockopop bands!!

[@jayseabie215]

"the bit they left out of Can't Stand Losing You". Otherwise known as Reggatta de Blanc!

[@Chris-rr5jq]

Not the first Time with Henri Padovani French guiarist who play Punk sound. The real Police band.

[@nuwavegurl]

This is a great piece of music history.the 'bit we left out' wasn't named Regatta De Blanc yet . How cool is that? Thanks for this channel.

[@miksmith41]

Well I am glad someone noticed what it was - thought it was just me with people on here saying what a shame it was that it wasn't used somewhere LOL

[@jorgepina7451]

Reggatta de blanc killing in this version,The police my favorite band !!!

[@Albrecht777]

Thank you for posting all of these wonderful Peel sessions. Adam and the Ants. Bauhaus, X-Mal Deutschland, The Police and to many others to mention. Much gratitude!

[@murielmottet]

thank. you Vibracobra :-)

[@choudharynasir6007]

Listening at 7:20, I saw this image of 3 pakistnai marasees (generational musicians) singing "bed's too big" on Lahore's streets...busking. I am telling you, those marasees can do equally good if not better on this one.

[@Theofish]

thanx for sharing these great session !

[@Tredegarfilm]

Thank you, made my night :-)

[@35sixer]

Never heard these .. Love the R.D. tracks..

[@sueharding111]

" Beds too big " has always been one of my faves from The Police and this session version may well be the best ive ever heard of it, and then straight into " Message " what memories these 2 tunes bring back.. tvm for the upload .

[@ImpartiallySpeaking]

Thanks for sharing. 2020 and their legacy lives on 👍

[@cortical1]

Thanks for this!

[@crazyhorse6649]

... love that Sting has no reflection in the back mirror... !

[@Stakleni148]

Woww creepy nice catch

[@chocomanger6873]

Yeah he does. You can see the towel.

[@rosmanao]

This is music in the “Bottle” !

[@harzkind1895]

Ich liebe die Stimme von John!

[@3093DaNieLe3093]

I don't know why i love reggata de blanc so much...

[@right-hand1388]

Did you listen cant stand louisng you with reggata da blanc version, concert of my father palace 1979?

[@right-hand1388]

Or listen part of c.s.l you on this concert kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4aQdnR8ecxnns0 time

[@3093DaNieLe3093]

@@right-hand1388 ive got that concert already in my favorites tab,listen to this one tho i like it even more. Its around 1:05:23 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipLOanabqLNsqqM

[@3093DaNieLe3093]

i dont think i ever listened to a better harmonic part by andy like in this one.Im actually tring to learn that on the guitar failing badly,cant find a tutorial

[@charliebath1462]

Would have been great for these to have been released as part of the new 2019 album reissues on CD- they all sound interesting in their own way compared to the studio versions and the recording quality is brilliant with the overdubs etc! Message in a Bottle is brilliant!

[@thy3452]

La Voix de Sting impressionnant

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Wow - the version of "Message in a Bottle" is slightly different in this session. Different guitar intro and riffs.

[@CraigMcTaggart]

I loved Peel back in the day but he could really prat fall . In later life when interviewed he showed great pleasure in sayin he never had in session The Police or U2 . The above proves it wrong and I'm sure Bonehead did a session some where as well . Still I loved the guy and his show back in the early eighties ,

[@bodkinofnurk8898]

Did you see his pratfall into the latrine ditch at Glastonbury, some years ago..?

[@Kelly14UK]

Andy Summers. I'll never forget seeing him on that BBC doc in 87 or 88 and he was showing us his fx rack.

[@Albrecht777]

Channel 4's "Equinox", I believe... unless he showed off his effects rack in another documentary, too.

[@jackquarantillo5192]

I think there's one online with Jools.

[@omargallardo7089]

message in a bottle..the best..!!! song all the time.( omar argentina)..

[@simeonbanner6204]

Beds to big without you.. fucking amazing version. One of the best songs too... just brilliant. The drumming and the echoes. Sting's voice sadly can' t reach his youthful heights. Guessing he was more humble then too.

[@markothwriter]

yeah, this is a great jam. don't worry about the lot of derogatorries

[@rustykuntz94]

Stingo's voice is still great, def has some miles on it now as they say, but he's 60 something. Still has that sexy, raspness to it,

[@WopHound]

You might find it hard to believe, but if anything Sting was exponentially more arrogant and arseholish then than he is today :-) There are some excerpts of arguments and press interviews from their concert films that should substantiate this claim. He has mellowed with time, thank gawd.

[@SwiftSean11]

You try hitting those notes every night on the road night after night & get back to me. C above middle C. Father forgive Simeon for he knows not what the F he is saying...

[@adrianbort2564]

WopHound i agree.,,but he still Is arrogant.A Genius,a Great composer,a Great Singer,a good driving bassist. But...all ruined by his arrogance.,such a pity.

[@patrickcannady2066]

Andy Summers rocking out...

[@josephletts1093]

"I wasn't expecting a great deal from them" - John Peel LOL

[@marksanders1081]

At 11’ , message in a bottle in a very original version -

[@martinfitzgerald1605]

Incidentally I think Deidre and Ken did head to the Lake District😉

[@peterguthrie5018]

😂

[@robertk2007]

Great find

[@georginaelizondo]

Before know The Police nice to ear some amazing tunes

[@paddycampbell576]

First band I ever got properly into & then I got to hear The Damned... ;-)

[@paddycampbell576]

I was 13...

[@christophed.7745]

You win, I was only 11 :-)

[@JETJOOBOY]

Have you heard the Damned's early Peel sessions?

[@Brewzerr]

*HUGE* Damned fan here. Have you ever heard the 1980 Brian James solo single that Stewart Copeland played drums on? Great single.

[@paddycampbell576]

@@Brewzerr Never heard that!

[@claytonvernon8793]

Love the egalitarian harmonies in RdB

[@graemebaird170]

As much as John Peel is 1 of the radio greats. The way he talks.... he's dryer than the Sahara

[@williamseyfried6574]

solo on the live cut FINALLY 😢😢😤😭😆

[@anthonyyoutubefan7567]

Why wasn't this included on any of the Police remasters? The production is good...what's interesting is, Sting's 57th & 9th had sonic qualities similar to these recordings.

[@andreaaltan3982]

The 2nd number is "Regatta de Blanc", not "Can't Stand Losing You"

[@sammencia7945]

Produced by Tony Wilson (!) with an unnamed Reggata de Blanc.

[@conkeroonee]

My friend he was the Ravenscroft . . .

[@DiabIe37]

god. damn.

[@stawmy]

John Peel was forbidden to play at the exclusive school i was sent to. So we all tuned in of coursa, using home-made crystal sets .....

[@westinthewest]

Precious stuff. Shame that someone's got confused with the Dolby setting. Can it be uploaded again without the high frequency expanding/gate effect?

[@OlhOrebOque]

I could swear i heard somewhere John Peel had declined U2, Dire Straits and ...The Police in his sessions!

[@OlhOrebOque]

"He had my undying respect when he confessed that he turned down both U2 & The Police for sessions." I didn't dream after all.

[@OlhOrebOque]

24:23

[@markye1872]

"I didn't expect very much from them........." One of those rare examples of Peely being a bit too snobby for his own good as this Group were about the strongest live-unit in and out of the Country in 1979 and only The Ruts could come close on stage for just how tight they were. Sometimes Groups sell-out - in the best sense- because they are just damned good and deserve to.

[@skabuoy]

I remember an article piece about the Specials, from when they were touring the US late seventies, and at one show, where they supported the Police, Mr. Sumner entered their dressing room requesting they'd 'tone it down' a bit, else the Police would have a hard time topping the Specials' set. Musically, the Police is, and probably will always be, my #1 Pop/Rock-band ever (I do apologize, John, Paul, George & Ringo), but the intensity of the Specials' early live shows is of another order of magnitude.

[@lenatelle8105]

"Produced by Tony Wilson" As in, the Factory Records Tony Wilson?

[@kkeelty64]

I think so! One degree of separation between Joy Division and The Police.

[@psychofish3405]

it sounds great & not like the records because every band for peel had to set up & all play live as you would live etc.

[@HiVizCamo]

They were obviously able to to post-production preening, you can hear multiple Andies here and there. Sounds awesome that is to say, but not a live to tape onezie take.

[@wbertie2604]

As noted, either they had extra musicians, or overdubs. There are also some vocal overdubs that sound like Sting, not Summers' vocals live.

[@JETJOOBOY]

@@HiVizCamo there are live mistakes on some of their early studio recordings.

[@jackarnold9524]

Does anyone know if this was pressed onto record? Got a few John Peel Session records but I can’t find this one anywhere

[@nononononono1387]

Who is playing second (harmony) guitar part on message on this recording?

[@keesvandenbos758]

Overdub by Andy Summers.

[@jaimeriquelmec6519]

Santiago de Chile :...

[@sbouchard69]

thcah thcah thcah hiéyo hiéyo hiéyo hiéyo...

[@jeffreygrove]

The vocal overdubs are... weird. Kind of ruins things, since they were such a white-hot, top-notch live act at the time. Still, sounds great and captures what an awesome trio they were at the time.

[@kjohnstin]

J Grove yeah I was thinking the backup vocals sound too good and full.

[@anoymous7653]

めちゃパンクなポリス

[@bb-of3qz]

They where a good tight three piece if not a little to Reggae-ish.

[@mariocosta7966]

Hello! I am looking for a decent Madder Rose Peel Session. Have you? Mario from Genoa

[@Vibracobra23_Original]

Hi Mario. Am still looking, but will track both of them down at some point I would hope.

[@mariocosta7966]

Vibracobra23 because on you tube exist, a split with Come... but is awful for bad quality of the tape

[@Vibracobra23_Original]

I'll try to track down a better copy if I can

[@JETJOOBOY]

@@Vibracobra23_Original you are a diamond

[@Vibracobra23Ennui]

Hi Mario...I've just uploaded the 1993 Madder Rose session on this channel...will try to do the 94 session also some time soon

[@belloalterno4695]

i keep getting surprised by the police

[@Laurent75017]

Those of you who had the six pack remember that there's a single of the Bed's too big, that's supposed to be recorded for a Peel Session. I can't recognize this supposed version. What happened ?

[@darrenhenderson3]

Laurent75017 it’s the mono version

[@MEMOFROMPENNA18469]

The Six Pack version was recorded for the Kenny Everett Video Show in 1980kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKmsY6WLf7Sjlbs

[@mef1975]

lol i forgot about the chas and eeeoos.

[@arnolddalby5552]

Good drummer nearly as good as me in 1979. Hahaha.

[@ferroxglideh5621]

Perhaps, good enough for Peels?

[@srdjanjapanmusic5817]

Reggatta de blanc,,))

[@hedgefundshyster..3241]

I knew it .....sting the undead..... no reflection in the mirror... fangs for some great songs.....

[@americotomaz7513]

515

[@harzkind1895]

Was ist danach bloß mit Sting's Stimme passiert? Schnipp-Schnapp...?

[@mkyansky491]

Rien d'original pour ce groupe en 1979 .

[@twopinerecords6445]

yep

[@jonathansutcliffe3401]

na then you said peel wouldnt adhere to the police... i loved the band. no doubt peel had his arm twisted. cant say i am of a mind to thumb sting's personal individual outpourings of pap but the police weren't that bad, as i keep reiterating. only me an dave pissy p liked these... what a motley fucker he was... or is...

[@16addam]

They were amazing in their pomp, before it turned to garbage.

[@Albrecht777]

The Police never turned to garbage, unlike Sting (in places).

[@areaboy777]

Copland needs to leave the reggae drumming alone.