The Dream of the Blue Turtles

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The Dream of the Blue Turtles
The Dream of the Blue Turtles cover
Studio album by Sting
Released June 1st 1985
Recorded November 1984 - April 1985
Genre Rock, Jazz
Length 41:40
Label A&M
Producer Sting, Peter Smith
Professional reviews
Sting chronology
— The Dream of the Blue Turtles
(1985)		 Bring on the Night
(1986)

The Dream of the Blue Turtles is the first solo album released by Sting. It includes ten tracks and was released in 1985, only a year after The Police had unofficially broken up. This album showcases Sting's abilities as a musician in the jazz and classical genres. There are also hints of Sting wanting fans to view him as more than just a member of The Police, as evidenced by the intentional and sudden contrast of musical style from his former band. The album includes some of the strongest political songs from Sting, including "Russians" (about Cold War nuclear anxiety), "Children's Crusade" (comparing the devastation of the younger generation in World War I to devastation brought about by heroin addiction in modern-day London), and "We Work the Black Seam" (about the recent U.K. Miners' Strike).

It also includes Sting's first hit after The Police, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free"; a jazzed-up reworking of The Police song, "Shadows in the Rain"; and a song inspired by Anne Rice's book Interview With A Vampire, "Moon over Bourbon Street".

The movie Bring on the Night documents some of the recording work that produced this album, as well as the subsequent tour.

"Russians" uses a theme (Suite from Lieutenant Kije, Op. 60) by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Sting subsequently served as narrator for Peter and the Wolf: A Prokofiev Fantasy, one of the many versions of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. In the official VHS release of the Synchronicity Tour, at the very beginning just before the performance, Sting can be heard playing ad-lib tunes on his bass, and the Cat Tune from Peter and the Wolf can be clearly recognised.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Sting except as noted.

[edit] Side one

  1. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
  2. "Love Is the Seventh Wave" – 3:30
  3. "Russians" (Prokofiev, Sting) – 3:57
  4. "Children's Crusade" – 5:00
  5. "Shadows in the Rain" – 4:56

[edit] Side two

  1. "We Work the Black Seam" – 5:40
  2. "Consider Me Gone" – 4:21
  3. "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" – 1:15
  4. "Moon over Bourbon Street" – 3:59
  5. "Fortress Around Your Heart" – 4:48

[edit] Singles

  • "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (1985) #3 US Hot 100, #26 UK Singles Chart
  • "Russians" (1985) #16 US Hot 100, #12 UK Singles Chart
  • "Fortress Around Your Heart" (1985) #8 US Hot 100
  • "Love Is the Seventh Wave" (1985) #17 US Hot 100

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Additional personnel

  • Pete Smith - additional background vocals
  • Danny Quatrochi - additional background vocals, synclavier
  • Elliot Jones - additional background vocals
  • Jane Alexander - additional background vocals
  • Vic Garbarini - additional background vocals
  • The Nannies Chorus - additional background vocals
  • Rosemary Purt - additional background vocals
  • Stephanie Crewdson - additional background vocals
  • Joe Sumner - additional background vocals
  • Kate Sumner - additional background vocals
  • Michael Sumner - additional background vocals
  • Eddy Grant - congas (track 7)
  • Frank Opolko - trombone (track 2)

[edit] Production details

  • Engineers - Pete Smith and Jim Scott
  • Producers - Pete Smith and Sting
  • Photography - Max Vadukul and Danny Quatrochi
  • Art direction and design - Michael Ross and Richard Frankel