Monday, February 18, 2002

Sting: A Retrospective (1985-2002)

Sting

A Retrospective: 1985-2002

Overview:

Rock singer and bassist born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner on 10/2/51 in Wallsend, England. With Last Exit, Strontium 90 (77), Nuclear Waste (77), The Police (77-86, 07-08). Solo artist since 1981. Nicknamed "Sting" because of a yellow and black jersey he used to wear. In movies Quadrophenia, Dune, The Bride, Plenty, and others. Married actress/producer Trudie Styler in 1992.

Awards

Studio Albums

Compilations

^FU Fields of Gold (U.S. edition) (Sting; covers 1985-1994, released 1994)
^FI Fields of Gold (international edition) (Sting; covers 1985-1994, released 1994)
⁹⁷ Very Best of (A&M) (Sting & the Police; covers 1978-97, released 1997)
⁹⁸ Very Best of (PolyGram International) (Sting & the Police; covers 1978-97, released 1998)
⁰² Very Best of (Universal) (Sting & the Police; covers 1978-99, released 2002)

Live Albums:

^BN Bring on the Night (Sting: recorded and released 1986)

Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the above compilations/live albums are noted.

The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)

If You Love Somebody Set Them Free [4:14] (6/8/85, 3 US, 2 CB, 3 RR, 1 AR, 39 AC, 17 RB, 26 UK, 18 AU) ^{FU, FI, 97, 98}
Fortress Around Your Heart [4:48] (7/6/85, 8 US, 10 CB, 6 RR, 1 AR, 32 AC, 49 UK, 72 AU) ^FU
Love Is the Seventh Wave [3:30] (8/1/85, 17 US, 20 CB, 16 RR, 19 AR, 20 AC, 41 UK, 57 AU) ^{BN, FI}
Russians (Prokofiev/Sting) [3:57] (12/7/85, 16 US, 16 CB, 13 RR, 34 AR, 12 UK, 11 AU) ^{FU, FI, 97}
Moon Over Bourbon Street [3:59] (2/15/86, 44 UK) ^{BN, FI}
Children’s Crusade [5:00] ^BN
We Work the Black Seam [5:40] ^BN
Consider Me Gone [4:21] ^BN
The Dream of the Blue Turtles [1:15] ^BN

About the Album:

During the tour for Synchronicity, tensions arose between the band members and they “privately…shared the uneasy feeling that they had peaked…Their fragile group chemistry – which had always thrived on a certain amount of friction – was causing them to splinter.” ^RH They dcided to take a sabbatical.

Sting went to work with jazz musicians Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, and Omar Hakim to record his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. “The move wasn’t entirely unexpected, since Sting had played with jazz and progressive rock bands in his youth, but the result was considerably more mature and diverse than any Police record.” ^A-S

Sting became a star in his own right with the album reaching #2 in the United States, supported by top-ten hits If You Love Somebody Set Them Free and Fortress Around Your Heart. Meanwhile, Copeland recorded The Rhythmatist, a world music album, in 1985. He would also do further work scoring films and television.

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album.

Bring on the Night

Sting

Released: July 1, 1986

Recorded: May 29 – December 23, 1985

Peak: -- US, 16 UK, 9 AU

Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK, 1.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: jazz-rock

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Bring on the Night / When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around (2) Consider Me Gone (3) Low Life (4) We Work the Black Seam (5) Driven to Tears (6) Dream of the Blue Turtles (7) Demolition Man

Tracks, Disc 2: (1) One World (Not Three) / Love Is the Seventh Wave (2) Moon Over Bourbon Street (3) I Burn for You (4) Another Day (5) Children’s Crusade (6) Down So Long (7) Tea in the Sahara

Total Running Time: 83:04

Rating:

3.855 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Bring on the Night:

With the Police on uncertain footing, a live album would have been a logical release. However, it was Sting who put together a live release after touring to support his Dream of the Blue Turtles album. The album included Police songs as well as cuts from Sting’s album.

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

Low Life (The Police, 12/11/81, B-side) ^BN
Another Day (6/30/85, B-side of “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free”) ^BN
Down So Long (5/17/86, 14 AR, 26 CO) ^BN

Nothing Like the Sun (1987)

We’ll Be Together [4:53] (10/9/87, 7 US, 7 CB, 8 RR, 20 AR, 4 CO, 41 UK, 13 AU) ^{FU, FI}
Be Still My Beating Heart [5:34] (12/31/87, 15 US, 20 CB, 13 RR, 37 AC, 2 AR, 4 CO, 94 AU) ^FU
Englishman in New York [4:27] (2/20/88, 84 US, 80 CB, 48 AC, 32 AR, 7 CO, 15 UK) ^{FU, FI, 97, 98}
Fragile [3:58] (4/9/88, 18 AA, 22 CO, 70 UK) ^{FU, FI, 98}
They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo) [6:48] (8/31/88, 16 CO) ^{FU, FI}

About the Album:

Sting’s second solo album, Nothing Like the Sun, was dedicated to his mother, who had recently passed away. He leaned again on jazz legends, working again with Branford Marsalis but also with Gil Evans. He also brought in guest musicians like Eric Clapton and Annie Lennox – and Andy Summers. Meanwhile, Summers released his own solo album, XYZ. It was a more pop-oriented affair with him singing, but he would continue work with art rock and jazz fusion experimentation, working occasionally with Robert Fripp and John Etheridge. ^A-P

Nothing Like the Sun was another top-10 album in the U.S. and reached #1 in the UK. We'll Be Together was a top-10 hit in the United States, followed into the top-20 by Be Still My Beating Heart. The album’s biggest hit in the UK was Englishman in New York, peaking at #15.

“Sting began actively campaigning for Amnesty International and environmentalism, establishing the Rainforest Foundation, which was designed to raise awareness about preserving the Brazilian rainforest.” ^A-S

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album.

The Soul Cages (1991)

All This Time [4:54] (12/31/90, 5 US, 5 CB, 9 RR, 9 AC, 1 AR, 1 MR, 22 UK, 1 CN, 26 AU) ^{FU, FI}
Mad about You [3:53] (2/28/91, 56 UK) ^FI
Why Should I Cry for You? [4:46] (5/4/91, 24 CB, 32 AR) ^{FU, FI}

About the Album:

In 1989, Sting appeared in a failed Broadway revival of The Threepenny Opera. The loss of his father inspired 1991’s The Soul Cages, “a dense, dark, and complex album” ^A-S that reached #2 in the U.S. and #1 in the UK. All This Time was a top-5 hit in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Police drummer Stewart Copeland formed Animal Logic, a pop/rock/jazz trio with bassist Stanley Clarke and singer/songwriter Deborah Holland. They released their self-titled debut in 1989 and a follow-up in 1991.

The Police performed a very impromptu set together at Sting’s wedding to Trudie Styler in 1992, but dismissed rumors of any reunion. ^A-P

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album.

Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993)

It’s Probably Me * (Sting, Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen) [4:57] (6/13/92, 47 AC, 20 AR, 30 UK, 23 AU) ^FI
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You [4:30] (2/13/93, 17 US, 5 CB, 5 RR, 8 AC, 5 AR, 4 MR, 14 UK, 1 CN, 41 AU) ^{FU, FI, 97, 98}
Fields of Gold [3:42] (5/15/93, 23 US, 16 CB, 11 RR, 2 AC, 24 AR, 12 MR, 16 UK, 2 CN, 85 AU) ^{FU, FI, 97, 98}
Seven Days [4:40] (4/24/93, 25 UK) ⁹⁸

About the Album:

Sting’s next release was “a light, pop-oriented record that became a hit on the strength of…If I Ever Lose My Faith in You and Fields of Gold.” ^A-S The album reached #2 in the UK and U.S.

That same year, Sting recorded All for Love with Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams. The song was featured in The Three MusketeersA-S

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album.

Fields of Gold

Sting

Released: November 8, 1994

Covers: 1985-1994

Peak: 7 US, 2 UK, 14 CN, 20 AU

Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.9 UK, 10.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: rock

Tracks (U.S. edition): (1) When We Dance (2) If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (3) Fields of Gold (4) All This Time (5) Fortress Around Your Heart (6) Be Still My Beating Heart (7) They Dance Alone (8) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (9) Fragile (10) Why Should I Cry for You? (11) Englishman in New York (12) We’ll Be Together (13) Russians (14) This Cowboy Song

Tracks (international edition): (1) When We Dance (2) If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (3) Fields of Gold (4) All This Time (5) Englishman in New York (6) Mad About You (7) It’s Probably Me (with Eric Clapton) (8) They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo) (9) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (10) Fragile (11) We’ll Be Together (12) Moon Over Bourbon Street (13) Love Is the Seventh Wave (14) Russians (15) Why Should I Cry for You? (16) This Cowboy Song (17) Fragillidad (18) Take Me to the Sunshine

Rating:

4.283 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Fields of Gold:

The U.S. and international editions of Sting’s first compilation differed some in their track listing, but shared 12 songs. Both editions included an alternate version of “We’ll Be Together.” The version of “It’s Probably Me” on the international edition is the original recording with Eric Clapton as released on the Lethal Weapon soundtrack.

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

Fragillad (originally on EP Nada Como el Sol, 1988) ^FI
When We Dance (10/29/94, 38 US, 37 CB, 37 RR, 12 AC, 9 UK) ^{FU, FI, 97, 98}
This Cowboy Song (2/11/95, 15 UK, 88 AU) ^{FU, FI}
Take Me to the Sunshine (2/11/95, B-side of “This Cowboy Song”) ^FI

Mercury Falling (1996)

Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot [6:41] (2/24/96, 86 US, 3 AA, 15 UK, 65 AU) ^{97, 98}

About the Album:

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album.

Brand New Day (1999)

Brand New Day (with Stevie Wonder on harmonica) [6:19] (9/25/99, 8 A40, 2 AA, 13 UK) ⁰²
Desert Rose (with Cheb Mami) [4:45] (1/29/00, 17 US, 19 RR, 22 AC, 3 A40, 1 AA, 15 UK, 67 AU) ⁰²

About the Album:

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album.

The Very Best of

Sting & the Police

Released: 11/17/1997, 2/18/2002

Covers: 1978-1997

Peak: 46 US, 1² UK, -- CN, 22 AU *

Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.3 UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: rock

* highest peak for any of the versions

Tracks (1997 version): (1) Message in a Bottle (2) Can’t Stand Losing You (3) Englishman in New York (4) a href="http://davesmusicdatabase.blogspot.com/2012/07/police-hit-1-with-every-breath-you-take.html">Every Breath You Take (5) Walking on the Moon (6) Fields of Gold (7) Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (8) If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (9) Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (10) Russians (11) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (12) When We Dance (13) Don’t Stand So Close to Me (14) Roxanne (15) Roxanne ’97 (Puff Daddy Remix)

Tracks (1998 version): (1) Message in a Bottle (2) Can’t Stand Losing You (3) Englishman in New York (4) a href="http://davesmusicdatabase.blogspot.com/2012/07/police-hit-1-with-every-breath-you-take.html">Every Breath You Take (5) Seven Days (6) Walking on the Moon (7) Fields of Gold (8) Fragile (9) Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (10) De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (11) If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (12) Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (13) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (14) When We Dance (15) Don’t Stand So Close to Me (16) Roxanne (17) Roxanne ’97 (Puff Daddy Remix)

Tracks (2002 version): (1) Message in a Bottle (2) Can’t Stand Losing You (3) Englishman in New York (4) a href="http://davesmusicdatabase.blogspot.com/2012/07/police-hit-1-with-every-breath-you-take.html">Every Breath You Take (5) Seven Days (6) Walking on the Moon (7) Fields of Gold (8) Fragile (9) Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (10) De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (11) If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (12) Brand New Day (13) Desert Rose (14) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (15) When We Dance (16) Don’t Stand So Close to Me (17) Roxanne (18) So Lonely

Rating:

4.304 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings)

About The Very Best of:

This title was confusingly released by three different record companies in three different years with three different track listings. The 1998 version subtracted “Russians” from the 1997 version and added “Seven Days,” “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,” and “Fragile.” The 2002 version bumped “Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot” and “Roxanne ’97” from the 1998 version and added “Brand Nes Day” and “Desert Rose” from the 1999 album Brand New Day.

Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: