Every Breath You Take: The Singles

Background

After wrapping up the Synchronicity Tour in 1984, the Police decided to take a break before making another album. That same year, Andy Summers put out a second instrumental record with Robert Fripp called Bewitched. Stewart Copeland contributed to the soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola’s film Rumble Fish, and his track “Don’t Box Me In” reached number 91 on the UK singles chart. In 1985, Sting’s first solo effort, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, earned strong reviews and sales, and he followed it with a tour that led to the double live album Bring on the Night.

Copeland then started The Rhythmatist, a project that involved extensive recording and filming in the Congo. About a year later, Summers composed the score for the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills. When the three musicians got back together for three shows on the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in June 1986, things were strained. Sting later called it a symbolic moment, explaining that the band had split up, then reunited for the tour, and at the end they passed their instruments to U2 as a gesture of passing the torch.

Every Breath You Take: The Classics {{anchor|classics}}

In 1995, A&M released Every Breath You Take: The Classics to replace the original album; it was reissued in some European countries as The Police Greatest Hits (digitally remastered) in 1996. The track listing differs: the original version of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" replaces the 1986 recording at track 5, with the '86 version appearing at track 13, and a "New Classic Rock Mix" of "Message in a Bottle" is included as track 14. The album was reissued on DTS format in 2000 and on hybrid CD/SACD in 2003, both including a previously unreleased version of "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da", though the DTS version lacks "So Lonely." The 2003 CD/SACD release coincided with the DVD release of Every Breath You Take: The Videos as Every Breath You Take: The DVD. The DTS version features a different intro for "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and The Classics replaces the shortened "Can't Stand Losing You" from The Singles with the full-length version.