...Nothing Like the Sun

...Nothing Like the Sun
source
Name	...Nothing Like the Sun
Type	studio
Artist	Sting
Released	5 October 1987
Recorded	1986–1987
Studio	AIR Studios, Studio 54, The Hit Factory, Abbey Road
Genre	Pop rock, jazz pop, new wave
Length	44:54
Label	A&M Records
Producer	Hugh Padgham, Sting
Prev title	The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Prev year	1985
Next title	Ten Summoner's Tales
Next year	1993

...Nothing Like the Sun

...Nothing Like the Sun is the second solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Sting, released in October 1987. The record followed his work with The Police and continued collaborations with jazz and rock musicians from projects connected to Miles Davis, Weather Report, and Steely Dan alumni. The album blends influences from jazz, pop, and rock traditions and features songs addressing subjects linked to figures and locations such as Nelson Mandela, Kurt Cobain, and urban scenes like New York City and London.

Background and recording

Sting recorded ...Nothing Like the Sun after leaving The Police to pursue a solo career, building on the modal jazz approaches of his prior album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Sessions took place at AIR Studios, Abbey Road Studios, The Hit Factory and the disco-era site Studio 54, with production overseen by Hugh Padgham and Sting himself. Musicians contributing came from diverse backgrounds: jazz players connected to Branford Marsalis and Jonah Jones-style ensembles, rock sidemen linked to Dire Straits and Steely Dan, and session artists associated with Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck. Engineering teams included personnel who had worked with Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Genesis on contemporaneous recordings. The political climate of the 1980s—tensions involving South African Border War, sanctions debates tied to Commonwealth meetings, and activism around figures like Desmond Tutu—informed thematic choices during recording.

Composition and lyrics

The album's songwriting draws on literary and historical references, echoing influences from William Shakespeare, John Keats, and modern chroniclers such as Truman Capote. Sting's compositional approach invoked melodic structures reminiscent of Paul Simon and harmonic palettes comparable to Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. Lyrically, tracks address global and personal topics including incarceration and exile linked to Nelson Mandela, urban alienation associated with scenes in New York City and London, and interpersonal narratives evoking performers like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Brass and string arrangements reference orchestral practitioners similar to those who worked with George Martin and Quincy Jones, while rhythmic choices nod to percussionists in the lineage of Ginger Baker and Tony Williams.

Release and commercial performance

Released by A&M Records, the album entered charts in multiple territories, competing with contemporaneous releases by U2, Michael Jackson, and Madonna. Singles from the album achieved airplay on stations that also featured artists like Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Paul McCartney. Chart placements reflected strong showings on national listings such as the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200, and certifications were awarded in markets dominated by acts including Bon Jovi and George Michael. The tour supporting the album visited venues in Europe, North America, and Japan, sharing festival bills with artists who toured arenas alongside David Bowie and Prince.

Critical reception and legacy

Contemporary reviews compared Sting's writing to that of Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell while critiquing tendencies reminiscent of The Police and adult-pop peers like Peter Gabriel. Retrospectives situated the album within a trajectory linking The Police's breakup to Sting's later successes, including work that would follow on albums such as Ten Summoner's Tales. The record has been discussed in scholarship concerning celebrity activism tied to anti-apartheid movements and popular responses to incarceration narratives associated with figures like Nelson Mandela. Musicians from subsequent generations—ranging from Radiohead-adjacent artists to singer-songwriters influenced by Elvis Costello and Tom Waits—have cited Sting's solo period as context for hybrid pop-jazz arrangements. The album's ballads have endured in live repertoires of performers who also interpret catalogs of Carole King and Stevie Wonder.

Track listing and formats

Standard LP and CD formats included compositions sequenced to balance uptempo and ballad material, with extended 12" singles and promotional edits issued to radio outlets alongside picture-disc editions marketed in the same era as collector releases from Prince and Madonna. Certain territories received bonus tracks similar to practices employed by Sony Music and Warner Music Group for contemporaneous artists like Billy Joel and Whitney Houston.

Personnel and production credits

Credits for the album enumerate Sting as vocalist, bassist and songwriter; production by Hugh Padgham and Sting; session musicians comprising jazz and rock figures who had associations with Branford Marsalis, Jeff Beck, Dire Straits, and Steely Dan-linked players; engineers from teams who also worked with Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel; mastering and mixing professionals from studios such as Abbey Road Studios and The Hit Factory. Arrangement credits include contributors versed in orchestration traditions associated with George Martin and Quincy Jones.

Category:1987 albums Category:Sting albums