"Message in a Box" by The Police (1993)

[Benjamin Edge]

I've heard numerous stories about tape speed-related fluctuations regarding "Roxanne" on nearly every CD version of The Police's catalog, among them the 1993 box set, Message in a Box.

"Can't Stand Losing You," the second single this group released in 1978 and which also failed to chart on its original release in the group's homeland, was said to have been "needle-dropped" due to a master tape issue when the time came to put it on CD in 1988 as well as 1995.

In addition to the tape speed problems, MIAB is also missing certain other unique versions of well-known songs such as:
"Roxanne" (backing track)
"Truth Hits Everybody" (1983 remix)
"De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (Spanish version)
"De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" (Japanese version)
"Every Breath You Take" (backing track)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" (appeared on Every Breath You Take: The Singles and its 1995 replacement, Every Breath You Take: The Classics, alongside the 1980 original)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" (extended version)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me (Live)" (B-side of "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" single)
Some info on missing versions of singles is taken from this thread:
http://www.amcorner.com/forum/threads/message-in-a-box-the-missing-tracks.1788/

The remastered MIAB set should, among others, include the following singles:
"Message in a Bottle" (New Classic Rock Mix) (appeared on Every Breath You Take: The Classics, 1995)
"Roxanne '97" (Puff Daddy Mix, f/Pras) (appeared on The Very Best of Sting & the Police, 1997)

~Ben

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Couldn't disagree more. I'm very happy with that box set. I have no interest in hearing songs in another language, and certainly wanted no part of that awful "Don't Stand So Close To me '86". That was just about as bad as Chicago's remake of "25 or 6 to 4". In other words, there's a reason those other tracks weren't included - they sucked big time.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Benjamin Edge]

Couldn't disagree more. I'm very happy with that box set. I have no interest in hearing songs in another language, and certainly wanted no part of that awful "Don't Stand So Close To me '86". That was just about as bad as Chicago's remake of "25 or 6 to 4". In other words, there's a reason those other tracks weren't included - they sucked big time.



Capt. Bacardi

And the 1983 version of "Truth Hits Everybody" was actually a Sting solo demo.

~Ben

 

[Rudy]

The set is fine as-is for me--just enough of a mix of B-sides to keep things interesting. For the rarer tracks listed, those would make sense in a future box set which perhaps might be devoted more to rarities.

For my Zune portables and the music server, I split the albums from the set and made a "sixth" album that contains the B-sides. It plays nicely that way. Playback through my main system is either by vinyl or the SACDs.