Odd One Out, Part 2 (Sting's Music) Quiz

Answer: Russians

"Russians," from Sting's solo debut album "Dream of the Blue Turtles," was released in November of 1985, and the song climbed to number 16 on Billboard's Top 100. The song incorporates an arrangement of the Suite from "Lieutenant Kije" by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and was a perfect song for capturing the 80's Cold War angstrom. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Spirits in the Material World" are both from The Police's fourth album "Ghost in the Machine," and "Driven to Tears" is from The Police's third album "Zenyatta Mondatta."

Answer: The Remains of the Day

In 1982's "Brimstone and Treacle," Sting plays the lead role of Martin Taylor, a twisted young man who tries to take advantage of a guilt-ridden father and his invalid daughter. He acts alongside Denholm Elliot (remember Marcus Brody from the Indiana Jones films?).

The Police performed a few original songs for the soundtrack to the film, and Sting also recorded for the film his first solo "Spread a Little Happiness," a 1930's tune. In 1984's "Dune," Sting plays Feyd-Rautha, Maud-dib's nemesis, from the Frank Herbert science fiction novels.

In 1985's "The Bride," Sting plays the Baron Charles Frankenstein, in yet another retelling of a combination of Mary Shelley's tale and "the Bride of Frankenstein." In all three of these films, he plays a villainous character. "The Remains of the Day" was a 1993 film starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and Christopher Reeve.

Answer: Message in a Bottle

"King of Pain" from 1983's "Synchronicity" contains "rain" in its chorus: "I have stood here before inside the pouring rain." "Fragile" from ". . . Nothing like the Sun" released in 1987 mentions "rain" a few times; the third line of the song speaks of how "Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away," and in the chorus, he mentions "rain" twice: "On and on the rain will fall" and "On and on the rain will say." Then there's the hit from his 1999 album "Brand New Day"--"Desert Rose." Throughout the song he continues to "dream of rain." "Message in a Bottle" from The Police's 1979 "Regatta de Blanc" album never talks about the rain--"just a castaway, an island lost at sea."

Answer: Every night you pray

Not only is "Every Breath You Take" Sting's greatest hit, but it is one of the greatest songs in contemporary music history. In 1983, the song was Number One on The Billboard Music Charts for eight weeks (that's two months), and currently it is #25 on Billboards All Time Top 100. "Rolling Stone" magazine listed "Every Breath You Take" at number 84 on its list of Top 500 Songs of All Time. Furthermore, at the 1984 Grammy Awards, Sting won the Grammy for Best Song with "Every Breath You Take," and The Police won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

The song is infamous for its deception and ambiguity: while sounding like a simple and sweet love song, the words are those of an obsessed if not sinister man who is driven by surveillance and control. Perhaps it is a fitting song for 1983, a year before the setting of Orwell's prophetic novel about government control.

Answer: Wrapped Around Your Finger

"Invisible Sun," a song about violence in Northern Ireland is from 1981's "Ghost in the Machine" recorded by The Police; it contains these words: "I don't want to spend my time in hell / Looking at the walls of a prison cell." "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" from 1985's "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" interestingly follows Sting's divorce from his first wife as well as from his bandmates in The Police. Sting himself claims the song is "an antidote to . . . 'Every Breath You Take.'" Anyway, the following words are found there: "Or a prisoner in the dark / Tied up in chains you just can't see." Finally, "Mad About You" from 1991's "The Soul Cages" mentions "prison" twice: "It would make a prison of my life / If you became another's wife" and "With every prison blown to dust / My enemies walk free." The song is supposed to be an imagining of Kind David's thoughts as he struggles with his lust for Bathsheba. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is from the Police's last album "Synchronicity." While containing the suggestion of imprisoned or trapped lives, it never mentions the word "prison."

Answer: Gwen Steffani (No Doubt)

While Sting did perform with No Doubt on stage for the Half Time Show during the 2003 Super Bowl, he has never recorded or written a song with them or with Steffani. However, Sting provided a significant percentage of the vocals for the Dire Straits masterpiece "Money for Nothing," found on their 1985 album "Brothers in Arms." Furthermore, Mark Knopfler provided guitar for "They Dance Alone," Sting's attack on the practices of Pinochet's government in Chile found on his 1987 album ". . . Nothing like the Sun." Eric Clapton also provided guitar for "They Dance Alone," and Sting would later write the lyrics for an instrumental Clapton had written for the movie "Lethal Weapon III." That song was "It's Probably Me," and Sting would record his own version of it for his 1993 album "Ten Summoner's Tales." Three years ago, Sting performed and recorded a duet--"Always on Your Side"--with Sheryl Crow for a song she wrote for her 2006 album "Wildflower."

Answer: Can't Stand Losing You

"De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" from The Police's 1979 "Zenyatta Mondatta" album speaks of how "poets, priests, and politicians / have words to thank for their positions." The jazzy "Moon over Bourbon Street," a song inspired by Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire", is found on Sting's 1985 "Dream of the Blue Turtles." The vampire explains, "I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest." "All This Time" from his 1991 album "The Soul Cages" tells of "two priests on the ferry" who later "came round our house tonight" to "serve the final rite" for the singer's dying father. "Can't Stand Losing You" is from The Police's first album--1978's "Outlandos D'Amour." The suicidal speaker in that song might be in need of some spiritual counseling, but he never makes mention of a priest or any other religious guide.

Answer: If I Ever Lose My Faith In You

In "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" from "Ten Summoner's Tales," Sting says, "You could say I lost my belief in the holy church," but he never mentions the name of Jesus. In "The Soul Cages" song "All This Time," Sting asks, "Father, if Jesus exists, then how come he never lived here?" In "This Cowboy Song," one of the two new songs Sting added to his "Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994," Sting wonders (or at least his cowboy persona does), "Would Jesus strike me down if I should pray?" Finally, "Fill Her Up" from the "Brand New Day" album admonishes: "You gotta fill her up with Jesus," rather than with "sadness" and "shame."

Answer: Fields of Gold

Reggae developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s but has its roots most likely in New Orleans R&B and ska. Sting is most certainly not the first British rocker to incorporate reggae into his music; that genre had been a part of British subculture for several years, especially after the growth of a large Caribbean community in England, and many songs in the British top twenty were already making use of it. Sting has said, "It was probably Bob Marley who was the touchstone between my interest in black American music and jazz. I found in reggae an interest that was bass-oriented; reggae is bass music, where the bass takes a leading role. . . . And Marley's singing had a great effect on me, a very great effect." Of course, Sting's instrument of choice is the bass, so no wonder he feels drawn, as he says, to reggae.

Answer: I'm So Happy That I Can't Stop Crying

"I'm So Happy That I Can't Stop Crying" was written for Sting's 1996 album "Mercury Falling"; thus, the song's appearance on an earlier 1986 recording would be an impossibility. "The Bring on the Night" soundtrack and documentary were supposed to chronicle the beginning of Sting's solo career as well as his assemblage of his new jazz band, whose work appears on this album as well as the earlier "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." Sting convinced many members of Wynton Marsalis's band, including Marsalis's brother Branford, to join.

The album contains songs that did not become hits from 1985's "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" as well as some Police tunes that were re-interpreted as jazz pieces, such as "Bring on the Night / When the World," "Driven to Tears," "Demolition Man," and even a couple of Police B-sides--"Low Life" and "Burn for You" (which before being a B-side was part of the soundtrack to the movie "Brimstone and Treacle").

There are also a cover song "Down So Long" and a B-side recorded on the "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" single called "Another Day," a very rare track to find.

Answer: Why Should I Cry for You?

"Why Should I Cry for You" from 1991's "The Soul Cages" never uses the word "walk." On the other hand, who couldn't remember "Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight, walk the streets for money; you don't care if it's wrong or if it's right" from The Police's first album in 1978--"Outlandos d'Amour." Also, the word "walk" occurs quite a few times in "Englishman in New York" from ". . . Nothing like the Sun." The whole second verse consists of the following: "See me walking down Fifth Avenue / A walking cane here at my side / I take it everywhere I walk / I'm an Englishman in New York." Later, the singer wisely advises, "A gentleman will walk but never run." Finally, in "Fields of Gold" from 1993's "Ten Summoner's Tales," Sting covers the present, future, and the past with "As we walk in fields of gold," "We'll walk in fields of gold," and "We walked in fields of gold." Interestingly, Sting claims that he came up with the chorus for "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" while walking the countryside listening to birds.

He also has a home in England's Lake District, a place where the great Romantic Poet William Wordsworth lived and was inspired tremendously by his walking.

Answer: Don't Stand So Close to Me

In "Consider Me Gone" from "The Dream of the Blue Turtles," Sting borrows some words from Shakespeare to say, "Clouds and eclipses / Stain the moon and the sun." In "Mad About You" from "The Soul Cages," we find the following words: "My heart was lost on a distant planet / That whirls around the April moon." Finally, in "The Hounds of Winter" from "Mercury Falling," Sting sings, "I'm as cold as the man in the moon." Sting tells this story about his lunatic experiences. One night on Highgate Hill he was approached by a drunk who grabbed him by the collar and demanded to know, "How beautiful is the moon?" He seemed to threaten violence if he was not given the right answer. Sting thought quickly and responded, "My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun," a line from one of Shakespeare's sonnets.

The drunk responded, "A goodly answer" and walked away.

Answer: Voices Inside My Head

"Voices Inside My Head" from "Zenyatta Mondatta" may be predominantly instrumental, but the middle of the song consists of Sting repeating "Voices inside my head, / Echoes of things that you've said." "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" is found on the album of the same name, Sting's first solo album, and "St. Agnes and the Burning Train" is found on "The Soul Cages." "Giacomo's Blues" can be found on the "I'm So Happy That I Can't Stop Crying" Maxi Single.

It appears to be a dedication to Sting's son Giacomo.

Interestingly, the 50-1 longshot winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby was the horse Giacomo, named after Sting's son.

Answer: After the Rain Has Fallen

"After the Rain Has Fallen" is from 1999's "Brand New Day." The "Sacred Love" album was dedicated to, among other things, inspiring us to see our shared humanity despite our cultural differences, especially following the events of September 11 and its aftermath. Such thinking can certainly be found in the song "Send Your Love." "Whenever I Say Your Name" was a duet by Sting and Mary J. Blige, who interestingly sings lead vocals.

The song won a Grammy in 2004 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. One mix of "Stolen Car" made it to Number One on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Answer: Vladimir Nabokov

Sting makes an allusion to Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" in the Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me," but nothing of his works is used for the songs of this album. On the other hand, almost all of the lyrics and tunes from "Songs from the Labyrinth" were composed by John Dowland, an English poet and songwriter who lived from 1563 to 1626. The music was meant to be played on a lute, so Edin Karamazov, the famous Bosnian lutist or lutenist, appears as the only other musician performing on the album. Sting, of course, is the other. He sings, occasionally accompanies Karamazov on a second lute, and reads or narrates at various points.

Answer: Under the ruins of a walled city

"Under the ruins of a walled city" is from "Fortress Around Your Heart" from "The Dream of the Blue Turtles," Sting's first solo album, thus not a Police album. "Another suburban family morning" begins "Synchronicity II" from the obvious album. "Giant steps are what you take" is the first line from "Walking on the Moon," which is found on "Regatta de Blanc." Finally, "I've called you so many times today" starts the song "Can't Stand Losing You" from "Outlandos d'Amour."

Answer: Fortress Around Your Heart

"Fortress Around Your Heart" was a hit from the 1985 album "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." The other three all come from 1987's ". . . Nothing like the Sun." Sting commented about these three songs inside the album cover: "Why does tradition locate our emotional center at the heart and not somewhere in the brain? Why is the most common image in popular music the broken heart?" "The Lazarus Heart" was written about Sting's attempts to accept his mother's death; its source was a nightmare he had after his mother's passing.

Answer: Kenny Kirkland

Kenny Kirkland was a pianist and keyboardist who played on many of Sting's earlier solo albums; however, he passed away in 1998 at the untimely age of 43. The song "Dienda" that appears on Sting's "All This Time" live album was composed by Kirkland with Sting supplying the lyrics. Stewart Copeland is, of course, the founding member of The Police and its drummer, one of the greatest rock and roll percussionists ever. Omar Hakim, a former member of the jazz band Weather Report, played drums on Sting's "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" album and on the "Bring on the Night" soundtrack and tour. Manu Katche has played drums on a number of Sting's solo career albums: ". . . Nothing like the Sun," "The Soul Cages," "Brand New Day," "Sacred Love," and "All This Time."

Answer: Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot

"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" from the "Mercury Falling" album contains no initials or acronyms. "Born in the 50's" from "Outlandos D'Amour" makes references to TV and to G.C.E.'s (General Certificates of Education). "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around" from "Zenyatta Mondatta" refers to a VCR, the T.A.M.I. Show (Teenage Awards Music International or Teen Age Music International--a collection of performances of American and British rock 'n' rollers, most famously of James Brown and his dance moves), and an MCI (not quite certain what the letters stand for, but the device was a multi-track recording device manufactured by a company with the same three initials). Finally, in "Nothing 'Bout Me" from "Ten Summoner's Tales," Sting mentions his C.V. (curriculum vitae--a summary of one's life's accomplishments, particularly in school and work).

Answer: All This Time

"All This Time" from "The Soul Cages" is actually the second song sequenced on that album. "Fortress Around Your Heart" is the final song on "The Dream of the Blue Turtles," an interesting spot for a single. "Nothing 'Bout Me" is the final song on "Ten Summoner's Tales," again another interesting spot for a single. "Lithium Sunset" is the final song on "Mercury Falling," perhaps an appropriate place for a song about a sunset.