Andy Summers

"A disarming, surprising literary memoir by the ex-Police guitarist . . . A rollicking you-are-there history of the 60s–80s rock era."---Entertainment Weekly In this extraordinary memoir, world-renowned guitarist Andy Summers provides the revealing and passionate account of a life dedicated to music. From his first guitar at age thirteen and his early days on the English music scene to the ascendancy of his band, the Police, Summers recounts his relationships and encounters with the Big Roll Band, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the Animals, John Belushi, and others, all the while proving himself a master of telling detail and dramatic anecdote. Andy's account of his role as guitarist for the Police---a gig that was only confirmed by a chance encounter with drummer Stewart Copeland on a London train---has been long-awaited by music fans worldwide. The heights of fame that the Police achieved have rarely been duplicated, and the band's triumphs were rivaled only by the personal chaos that such success brought about, an insight never lost on Summers in the telling. Complete with never-before-published photos from Summers's personal collection, One Train Later is a constantly surprising and poignant memoir, and the work of a world-class musician and a first-class writer.

A Memoir

One Train Later

Throb

The insider: The Police on tour photographed by guitarist Andy Summers Just announced: The Police Reunion Tour starts in Summer 2007! 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 black and 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 and filled with diary-style entries, I?ll Be Watching You is a sumptuous volume beating with musical energy, nostalgia, and atmospheric beauty. A must for photo buffs and Police fans alike. Collector's edition features: ? Limited to 1500 copies, each numbered and signed by the artist ? Packaged in a slipcase ? Contains over 600 photographs personally selected from the photographer's archive of over 25,000 negatives (1980-83) ? Most photos are previously unpublished, and many of them have never even been printed prior to this project Highlights include: ?Rehearsals and recording sessions with band-mates Sting and Stewart Copeland ? Exclusive back-stage and on-stage footage from concerts including Plaza de Toros (Barcelona, 1980), Budokan (Tokyo, 1981), Wembley Stadium (London, 1981), and Shea Stadium (New York, 1983) ? Inside the tour busses, 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, over-capacity stadiums, and thousands of screaming, singing, sobbing, fans Countries covered in the book: America, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom The artist: While Andy Summers is best known as the guitarist of The Police (1977-86), he has since forged a successful and acclaimed solo career with contemporary instrumental music that, like his work with Sting and Stewart Copeland, draws on his love of jazz, world, classical music, and his fascination with creating sonic textures. His post-Police years have produced more than two dozen solo albums, soundtracks, and collaborations, plus hundreds of international concerts, and induction to both the Guitar Player Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Summers's parallel passion for photography has led him to document subjects ranging from rural communities throughout Southeast Asia to timeless noir-style street scenes in cities around the world. His photographs have been shown in galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris and London, and his books include Throb (1983), the Ralph Gibson collaboration Light Strings: Impressions of the Guitar (2004), and the memoir One Train Later (2006).

Inside The Police, 1980-83

I'll be Watching You

Gathers photographs by the popular rock musician that show aspects of touring as well as surreal visions of modern life

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 black and white photos. This talented photographer also happened to be the bands guitarist, Andy Summers. Containing more than 600 photos and filled with diary-style entries, ""Ill Be Watching You"" is a sumptuous volume beating with musical energy, nostalgia, and atmospheric beauty. Taschen

Inside the Police, 1980-83

I'll Be Watching You

Most of these tales are drawn from real life or are things I have heard about in the dark corners of various backstage dressing rooms. It's hard to be a musician, but for some of us there is simply no choice. Meanwhile, there's writing about it.

Fretted and Moaning

"The train jerks to a halt, and as I get out at Oxford Circus, Stewart gets out with me. We look at each other, laugh, and make the standard remark about it being a small world. But this is the brilliant collision, one train later and it might all have turned out differently." In this extraordinary memoir, world-renowned guitarist Andy Summers provides a revealing and passionate account of a life dedicated to music. From his first guitar at age thirteen and his early days on the English music scene to the ascendancy of his band, the Police, Summers recounts his relationships and encounters with the Big Roll Band, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the Animals, John Belushi, and others, all the while proving himself a master of telling detail and dramatic anecdote. But, of course, the early work is only part of the story, and Andy's account of his role as guitarist for the Police---a gig that was only confirmed by a chance encounter with drummer Stewart Copeland on a London train---has been long-awaited by music fans worldwide. The heights of fame that the Police achieved have rarely been duplicated, and the band's triumphs were rivaled only by the personal chaos that such success brought about, an insight never lost on Summers in the telling. Complete with never-before-published photos from Summers's personal collection, One Train Later is a constantly surprising and poignant memoir, and the work of a world-class musician and a first-class writer.

Andy Summers

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