NOTHING LIKE STING

NOTHING LIKE STING

Ever since Sting first gained popularity as the enigmatic frontman for the Police in the late 70s, he has been anything but predictable. The handsome, 37-year-old singer led the trio through five highly acclaimed (and highly-addicting) albums that mixed elements of punk, reggae and rock to create a great new sound. When the Police broke up, Sting shifted gears and, in 1985, released a solo album backed by jazz musicians. Between all of this, he established himself as an actor with a handful of major film releases and managed to participate in a few charity projects. What next?

The answer is... Nothing Like The Sun, Sting’s follow-up to the oddly-titled The Dream Of The Blue Turtles. Like the first album, .. .Nothing Like The Sun, and its first single, “We’ll Be Together” is pop with a distinctly jazzy feel. But this time out, Sting has served up a double helping of his unique jazz-rock hybrid—Sun is a two record set! The album features nearly a dozen Sting originals, as well as an unlikely cover of Jimi Hendrix’s moving ballad, “Little Wing.”

For this record, Sting has brought back saxophonist Branford Marsalis (younger brother of noted jazz trumpet player Wynton Marsalis) and keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, plus he secured the services of several stellar guest musicians. Mark Knopfler (who recruited Sting for vocal assistance on Dire Straits’ smash hit “Money For Nothing”) and Eric Clapton play guitar on “They Dance Alone,” a sobering number about political prisoners. And none other than Sting’s former Policemate Andy Summers provides some fancy fingerwork on two songs: “Lazarus Heart” and “Be Still My Beating Heart.”

Sting has been proving his eclectic, varied musical prowess for almost 10 years now, and more recently, he’s been proving his abilities on the silver screen as well. His chiseled features made him a natural for films like Quadrophenia, Dune and The Bride, but the ultimate test of his acting talent came when he played opposite Academy-award winner Meryl Streep in Plenty—a far cry from the days when the Police first bleached their naturally-dark locks to appear in an English television commercial! But his part in Plenty garnered him plenty of critical accolades, as did his role in Bring On The Night, a 1986 documentary centered around a series of live Paris shows in which Sting played himself.

He also keeps busy by contributing his talents to charity projects. In 1982, Sting appeared on the album The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball (proceeds from the record, and the concert it was taken from, went to Amnesty International, an organization that helps political prisoners and their families), and in 1984 joined some of Britain’s top musical stars to record “Do They Know It’s Christmas?", a single released to help the starving in Ethiopia.

This Christmas, Sting is involved with yet another special project—A Very Special Christmas. This album, released to raise money for the Special Olympics, features a veritable who’s who of today’s top rock and pop acts, including Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Run-D.M.C., U2, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Whitney Houston, and many others. Sting sings the uplifting “Gabriel’s Message” on the record.

Some rock stars record an album, then relax in a steaming jacuzzi and count their money. Sting’s willingness to experiment and branch out into other fields keeps him on his toes, and no one could ever accuse him of being lazy. His contributions to rock ’n’ roll in the 1980s have made him one of the most appreciated and respected men in the music business, and a worthy example of the positive aspects of pop music.

Steve Peters