The Police - De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

What this video is

Released in October 1980 as the lead US single and second UK single from Zenyattà Mondatta, this video arrived at the precise moment The Police were completing their transformation from scrappy post-punk band to transatlantic superstars. Shot guerrilla-style during a North American tour stop, the video embodies the era's DIY promo ethos — no budget, no set, no crew beyond the essentials — yet its stark winter…

Why it matters

A landmark artifact of British new wave's commercial peak, this video demonstrates how the genre's anti-spectacle aesthetic translated into compelling visual media. The Police's reggae-inflected rhythmic attack, Andy Summers's signature flanged guitar texture, and the snow-blasted outdoor setting…

The director

Derek Burbidge is a British music video director and producer who served as the primary visual chronicler of The Police across their entire career, directing virtually all of the band's canonical promo videos from 1978 onward. His credits include 'Roxanne,'…