Sylvia (Focus song) on the "Old Grey Whistle Test", along with a number of UK gigs in late 1972, has been crediting with exposing the band and helping the single reach number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. The programme's presenter, Bob Harris, is quoted as saying that the band's appearance was so well received by the audience that the pressing plant for the single was overwhelmed and only produced copies of "Sylvia" for the following week to cater for the demand. Dave Thompson, writing for AllMusic, said that aside from the studio recording, the band's best version of the song was the
The Police BBC's playlist, which the band attributed to the song's depiction of prostitution. A&M consequently promoted the single with posters claiming "Banned by the BBC," though it was never really banned, just not play-listed. Copeland later admitted, "We got a lot of mileage out of it being supposedly banned by the BBC." The Police made their first television appearance a few months later, in October 1978, on BBC2's "The Old Grey Whistle Test" to promote the release of "Outlandos d'Amour". Though "Roxanne" was never banned, the BBC did ban the second single from "Outlandos d'Amour", "Can't Stand Losing You". This was