Desert Rose (Sting song)
"Desert Rose" is a single by Sting from his album Brand New Day (1999). The song peaked at #3 in Switzerland, #4 Italy, #15 in the UK Singles Chart and #17 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
The song is noted for Sting's duet performance with Algerian raï singer Cheb Mami, creating a distinct world music feel to the song. It also has a popular music video featuring Sting taking a trip through the Mojave Desert in a Jaguar S-Type and then going to a nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform the song with Cheb Mami. After shooting the video, Sting's manager Miles Copeland III approached a music licensing maven, Lloyd Simon, to work with Jaguar on a collaboration, and the auto company featured the video in their prominent television advertisements during the year 2000.
Also included on the single releases were club remixes by Victor Calderone. One remixed version of the song was used in an alternative edit of the video, which included more sexually explicit footage.
The lyrics of the song are inspired by the Frank Herbert novel, Dune, of which Sting is a fan. Sting also played the villainous Feyd Rautha in the 1984 film adaptation. Both the book and the song feature the Arabic language, as well as imagery involving moisture and desert plantlife.
Track listings
- UK CD1 (497 240-2)
- "Desert Rose (radio edit)" – 3:55
- "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles) – 4:27
- "Fragile" (live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles) – 4:10
- "Desert Rose" video (CD-ROM)
- UK CD2 (497 241-2)
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix radio edit)" – 4:47
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)" – 9:21
- "Desert Rose (Filter Dub Mix)" – 5:21
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)" video (CD-ROM)
- UK 12" (497 241-1)
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)"
- "Desert Rose (Filter Dub Mix)"
- "Desert Rose" (original)
- US CD (0694973212)
- "Desert Rose (radio edit)" – 3:54
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix radio edit)" – 4:44
- "Brand New Day (Murlyn Extended Mix)" – 5:01
- "Brand New Day (Murlyn Radio Mix)" – 3:54
- Europe CD (497 233-2)
- "Desert Rose (radio edit)" – 3:54
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)" – 9:20
- "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix radio edit)" – 4:44
- "Brand New Day (Murlyn Mix) – 5:01
- "Brand New Day" video (CD-ROM)
Charts
| End of year chart (2000) |
Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[5] |
50 |
Other versions
In 2007, instrumental group John Tesh Project released their version from the album "A Passionate Life."[6]
Appearances in popular culture
- The song is played on XM Satellite Radio during technical difficulties.
- The song is used in the Brazilian soap opera O Clone. The song is available in the CD O Clone International.
- The song was parodied on a 2001 episode of Saturday Night Live, with Jimmy Fallon as Sting, and Rachel Dratch as Cheb Mami. During the sketch, Sting (Fallon) is trying to introduce a new song, while Mami (Dratch) and the backing band keep interrupting with "Desert Rose".
- In the 2001 Hindi movie Dil Chahta Hai, the character Akash, played by Aamir Khan can be seen listening to the song after falling out with his best friend.
- In Family Guy, Peter buys a "Sounds of the Rainforest" CD that consists of sounds of trees being sawed down. A worker can be heard insulting Sting's environmental activism, saying "That song (Desert Rose) sucks!"
- In 2000, the band Mo'Rockin produced a cover of the song on their album Sands of Time
- The 2000 Japanese television drama Yasha used Desert Rose as their opening theme song.
- The 2000 Iranian Film Party prominently features the song in an underground club scene.
- President Barack Obama switched out "Hail to the Chief" for many other songs, one of which is a version of "Desert Rose" that is played by a pianist.[7]
References
External links
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