Andy Summers. I’ll Be Watching You. Inside The Police 1980-83

In the early 1980s, The Police went on tour accompanied by a photographer who documented the band behind the scenes in a series of candid and striking blackand-white photos. This talented photographer also happened to be the band’s guitarist, Andy Summers. Yes, it’s true—the man responsible for the guitar lick from “Every Breath You Take” was not only the backbone of one of the most popular bands of all time, he also possessed a visual gift for composition and mood that allowed him to capture the spirit of The Police better than anyone else could have.

This book, somewhere between photojournalism and an illustrated diary, follows The Police around the globe between 1980 and 1983. From the American West to Australia to Japan, Summers recorded not only the band members rehearsing and partying—the proverbial sex, drugs, and rock and roll—he also photographed fans, landscapes, still lifes, and passersby in a reportage style reminiscent of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank. Containing over 600 photos—most of them previously unpublished—and filled with diary-style entries, I’ll Be Watching You is a sumptuous volume beating with musical energy, nostalgia, and atmospheric beauty.

Highlights include:

• Rehearsals and recording sessions with bandmates Sting and Stewart Copeland
• Exclusive backstage and onstage scenes from concerts including Plaza de Toros (Barcelona, 1980), Budokan (Tokyo, 1981), Wembley Stadium (London, 1981), and Shea Stadium (New York, 1983)
• Inside the tour buses, limousines, helicopters, private planes, parties, and hotel rooms
• Behind the scenes on music video shoots, at press conferences, and in-store appearances
• Life on the road with other bands including The Go-Go’s, XTC, and The B-52’s
• Rain-soaked train windows, trashed hotel rooms, island retreats, overcrowded stadiums, and thousands of screaming, singing, sobbing fans

Limited Collector’s Edition of 1,500 signed copies