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Japanese CD of the Day: Sting At The Movies / compilation from 1997

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Released only in Japan in 1997, Sting At The Movies (POCM-1553) is a collection of Sting songs that had featured in films over the years.

Actually, it’s not just Sting, because a few Police tracks do make an appearance, including the opener De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (used in The Last American Virgin) and the fantastic I Burn For You, from the soundtrack to the 1982 Dennis Potter film Brimstone and Treacle.

This is a superbly listenable compilation. Someone To Watch Over Me (also from Brimstone and Treacle) is exquisite, and the strength of Mr Sumner’s 1987 album Nothing Like The Sun is apparent by the inclusion of three tracks; Englishman In New York and The Secret Marriage are both the standard album versions but Fragile (from the film The Living Sea) has an unfamiliar cinematic intro.

The Lethal Weapon 3 soundtrack version of It’s Probably Me (actually the single edit) get’s a rare outing, as does This Cowboy Song (mercifully Pato Banton-free).

The only tracks which feel slightly out of place are Sting’s version of Demolition Man, which is, frankly, awful and the bombast of All For Love, which just sounds like a Bryan Adams song circa 1993.

If nothing else, this selection reminds fans what great and diverse music Sting is capable of. Fans are crying out for a intelligently compiled collection of B-sides and Rarities – if that ever happens, no doubt quite a few tracks from here would make the grade.

Track listing

  • De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (The Police) 4:07
  • I Burn For You (The Police) 4:49
  • Need Your Love So Bad 5:12
  • Englishman In New York 4:30
  • Someone To Watch Over Me 4:35
  • Demolition Man 5:27
  • Shape Of My Heart 4:36
  • All For Love (Sting, Bryan Adams And Rod Stewart) 4:41
  • The Secret Marriage 2:04
  • This Cowboy Song 4:56
  • It’s Probably Me 5:04
  • Angel Eyes 4:02
  • Moonlight 5:22
  • My One And Only Love 3:37
  • Fragile 2:53
  • Murder By Numbers (The Police) 4:40
  • Valparaiso 5:24
Japanese CD of the Day / Sting At The Movies
Click to enlarge
Japanese CD of the Day / Sting At The Movies
Click to enlarge

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15 Comments

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Matthias

I highly, highly recommend both the “Living Sea” and “Dolphins” IMAX soundtracks. Brilliant alternate/extended versions of familiar Sting and Police songs, all done by Sting himself.

Márton

There is also an updated version of this, titled “My Funny Valentine – Sting at The Movies”

Royce

Thanks, Roby! Is the version of “Strange Fruit” the same as in the vinyl compilation?

Roby

”Strange Fruit” is available on cd on “I shall be released vol. I” or with Gil Evans “Live in Perugia “

Royce

Although it’s not part of a soundtrack, Sting did a version of Billie Holiday’s ,”Strange Fruit”. I have it on vinyl but I don’t know if it was ever available on CD.

Killian Scott

Wasn’t Russians in Letter To Brezhnev?

Eric

This CD deserved a UK release; it’s madness that compilations like this don’t reach us here, while we keep getting the same old Police/Sting best-ofs….

Tom

I love this collection. Every song is fantastic and it’s very cohesive despite the different genres of the films the songs are associated with.

Disco

“How Stupid Mr Bates” was the best track he did for a movie. I’m guessing that wasn’t a Sting song though.

Don

For a Japan-only CD, this one actually got pretty wide distribution. I used to see it in CD stores here in the USA all the time–for a hefty import price, of course. :)

Roby

Joe, you miss I shall be released vol. 6, At the movies is an excellent collection not to be missed for all Sting fans

Ranasakawa

There are many more great songs from other movies, also a great jazz track he did with Andy Summers – Round About Midnight

Michael Bird
Michael Bird

Isn’t “Someone to Watch Over Me” from the ’86/’87 film of the same name (foggy memory)? It appeared as a b-side on a lot of the NLTS singles from that era.

joe johnston

The thing that has impressed me over the years about Sting is that he has been so prolific over the years, outside of his normal solo albums. This compilation shows this. I have collected these one off performances for soundtracks, guest appearances, duets and collaborations with other artists and you could easily fill 10 cd’s of such tracks. A bootleg series of 5 cd’s was issued about 15 years ago called I Shall Be Released and this only scratched the surface. There are some gems included here – It’s Probably Me, Someone to watch Over Me and I would really recommend any Sting fan to obtain this cd and indeed track down all his other extra curricular activities.