A deluxe 40th anniversary version of Sting’s 1985 solo debut album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, was released today (July 11) as a digital download and via streaming services. The expanded collection features 16 bonus tracks, 13 of which have never been available via digital service providers.
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The Dream of the Blue Turtles saw the Police frontman launching his solo career shortly before the breakup of his famous band. The album featured Sting accompanied by a collective of accomplished jazz musicians. Among them were saxophonist Branford Marsalis, drummer Omar Hakim, keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, and future Rolling Stones touring bassist Darryl Jones.
[RELATED: Sting’s First US Top 40 Hit Set Him Far Apart from the Music of The Police]
Released on June 17, 1985, The Dream of the Blue Turtles peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album’s lead single was the smash hit “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Three other singles from the 10-track collection also broke into the Top 20 of the chart—“Love Is the Seventh Wave” (No. 17), “Fortress Around Your Heart” (No. 8), and “Russians” (No. 16).
In 1986, The Dream of the Blue Turtles received several Grammy nominations, including nods for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. The album was certified triple platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than 3 million copies in the U.S.
About the Bonus Tracks on the Deluxe Reissue
Among the bonus tracks featured on the expanded reissue are 10 remixes and/or alternate versions of “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.” Eight of those tracks are making their streaming debut, including mixes by William Orbit, Brothers in Rhythm, and Soulpower.
Also getting their first-time release via streaming are the “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” single B-side “Another Day” and alternate mixes of “Love Is the Seventh Wave,” “Moon Over Bourbon Street,” and “Fortress Around Your Heart.”
Sting’s Upcoming Performance Plans
Sting has a busy upcoming performance schedule. He currently in the midst of a European leg of his ongoing Sting 3.0 Tour that is plotted out through a July 25 performance at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, England.
On September 6, Sting will team up with his pal Shaggy for a performance at their 2025 One Fine Day Festival in Philadelphia.
He’ll then visit several Asian countries in September, including Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.
That will be followed by a fall European tour leg, running from an October 8 concert in Cologne, Germany, through an October 26-28 engagement in London.
The 73-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will finish 2025 with a run of U.S. shows. They’re scheduled from a November 7-8 stand in Hollywood, Florida, through a November 24 performance in Chicago.
Sting also is planning to relaunch his musical The Last Ship in 2026. A premiere performance of the revamped production, featuring Sting, will be held in January at the Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam. The show will then have a run of performances in Paris at La Seine Musicale theater scheduled from February 18 through March 7.
The Dream of the Blue Turtles (Expanded Edition) Track List:
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free”
- “Love Is the Seventh Wave”
- “Russians”
- “Children’s Crusade”
- “Shadows in the Rain”
- “We Work the Black Seam”
- “Consider Me Gone”
- “The Dream of the Blue Turtles”
- “Moon Over Bourbon Street”
- “Fortress Around Your Heart”
Bonus Tracks:
- “Another Day” (B-side)*
- “The Ballad of Mac the Knife” – Sting and Dominic Muldowney” (1986)
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Dance Mix)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (William Orbit Mix)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Soulpower Mix)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Soulpower Radio Mix)
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Soulpower Hip Hop Mix)
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Soulpower House Mix)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Soulpower Deep Dub)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Brothers in Rhythm Soundtrack)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Brothers in Rhythm Edit)*
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” (Tom Stephan Vocal Remix)*
- “Love Is the Seventh Wave” (New Mix)*
- “Love Is the Seventh Wave” (Special Single Version)*
- “Moon Over Bourbon Street” (Cornelius Mix)*
- “Fortress Around Your Heart” (Hugh Padgham Remix)*
* = previously unavailable on streaming platforms.
(Courtesy of UMe)
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