The Dream of the Blue Turtles

The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Name	The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Type	studio
Artist	Sting
Released	1985
Recorded	AIR Studios, Montserrat; Record Plant, Los Angeles
Length	40:38
Label	A&M Records
Producer	Sting, Peter Smith

The Dream of the Blue Turtles is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Sting, released in 1985 after his departure from the rock band The Police. The album blends elements of jazz-influenced fusion with pop sensibilities and features collaborations with prominent jazz musicians and session players from New York City and Los Angeles. It marked a transition from Sting's work with The Police to a solo career linked to broader artistic and political concerns.

Background and Recording

Sting began work on the album following the commercial peak of Synchronicity and amid the breakup of The Police; sessions took place at AIR Studios, Montserrat, Record Plant, Los Angeles, and various studios associated with producers who had worked with Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Kate Bush. He recruited jazz figures from New York City's scene, including saxophonists associated with Miles Davis and A Tribe Called Quest-era crossovers, and rhythm section players with credits alongside Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Joni Mitchell. The production team involved engineers and mixers who had collaborated with Todd Rundgren, Brian Eno, and Chris Blackwell.

Composition and Themes

Musically, the album incorporates melodic structures and harmonic progressions reminiscent of Sting's earlier songwriting for The Police while foregrounding arrangements linked to jazz traditions practiced by artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, and Herbie Hancock. Lyrically, songs reference political and cultural subjects comparable to those addressed by Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell, with narratives invoking figures and locations like Easter Island, War, and the urban milieus associated with New York City and London. The album explores spirituality and social critique in ways that invite comparison with works by Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, and Neil Young.

Release and Promotion

Released on A&M Records in 1985, the album was promoted through music videos aired on MTV, live television appearances including programs produced by BBC Television and American Bandstand, and a solo world tour staged in arenas and theaters across venues in Europe, North America, and Japan. Singles were serviced to radio formats ranging from Top 40 to adult contemporary playlists, and press coverage appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone, NME, and Melody Maker. Promotional strategies echoed campaigns used by contemporaries like Michael Jackson, Prince, and David Bowie.

Critical Reception and Commercial Performance

Contemporary reviews compared the album's ambition to solo debuts by members of prominent groups, citing parallels with releases from Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, and George Harrison. Critics in outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, and Los Angeles Times noted the jazz influences and mature songwriting, while other reviewers referenced precedents set by Sting's peers in the 1980s such as Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel. Commercially, the album reached high chart positions in markets like the United Kingdom, the United States Billboard 200, and Australia, and produced successful singles that entered charts curated by organizations like Billboard and Official Charts Company.

Track Listing and Formats

The album was issued on vinyl LP, cassette, and Compact Disc formats under A&M Records with a standard sequence of tracks that included songs later anthologized on compilations alongside hits from The Police and other solo artists like Sting's contemporaries. Special editions and international pressings varied by territory, reflecting promotional practices similar to those used for albums by Madonna, George Michael, and Paul Simon.

Personnel and Production

The recording featured Sting on lead vocals and bass, supported by jazz and session musicians associated with New York City and Los Angeles scenes, including saxophonists with credits alongside Miles Davis and pianists who had worked with Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Production staff included engineers and mixers who had collaborated with figures such as Brian Eno, Todd Rundgren, and Chris Blackwell, and the album's visual presentation involved photographers and designers whose clients included Warner Bros. Records and Virgin Records artists.

Legacy and Influence

The album is often cited as an influential moment in the crossover between mainstream pop and contemporary jazz, inspiring later projects by artists who bridged genres, including Stacey Kent, Norah Jones, and crossover works by Paul Simon. It informed Sting's subsequent releases and live collaborations with musicians from jazz and world music circuits, paralleling exploratory phases undertaken by artists like Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and David Byrne. The record's fusion of literate lyricism with jazz-inflected arrangements contributed to debates about artistic identity in the post-punk rock and post-new wave era and remains a reference point in studies of 1980s popular music.

Category:1985 albums Category:Sting albums