Sacred Love

Infobox Album |
Name=Sacred Love
Type=studio
Artist=Sting


Released=start date|2003|9|30
Recorded=2002—2003
Genre=Electronic, pop, rock
Label=A&M
0001141-02
Length=57:38
Producer=Sting, Kipper
Reviews=*Allmusic rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ta9gs35wa3zg]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/sting/albums/album/298865/review/5944510/sacred_love link]
Last album="...All This Time"
(2001)
This album="Sacred Love"
(2003)
Next album="Songs from the Labyrinth"
(2006)

"Sacred Love" is the seventh studio album by Sting. The album was released on 30 September 2003. The album featured racier beats and experiments collaborating with hip-hop artist Mary J. Blige and sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Some songs like "Inside" and "Dead Man's Rope" were well received; and Sting had experimented with new sounds, in particular the more rock-influenced "This War".

Sting adapted the first quatrain of William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" for the first four sung lines of "Send Your Love".

The music also bears huge relevance to Sting's autobiography "Broken Music".

Sting's collaboration with Blige, "Whenever I Say Your Name", won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.

Track listing

All songs were written by Sting.
#"Inside" – 4:46
#"Send Your Love" (featuring Vicente Amigo) – 4:38
#"Whenever I Say Your Name" (featuring Mary J. Blige) – 5:25
#"Dead Man's Rope" – 5:43
#"Never Coming Home" – 4:58
#"Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)" – 3:56
#"Forget About the Future" – 5:12
#"This War" – 5:29
#"The Book of My Life" (featuring Anoushka Shankar) – 6:15
#"Sacred Love" – 5:43

Bonus tracks

There have been multiple editions of this album. Some of them, such as the Japanese edition, feature various extra songs and remixes. Although the tracklist on the official [http://www.sting.com Sting website] includes a remix of "Send Your Love" and a live version of "Shape of My Heart", these are not always available.

Depending on the edition, the following bonus tracks may be included:
*"Send Your Love (Dave Audé Remix)" – 3:15
*"Shape of My Heart" (Live) – 2:18
*"Like a Beautiful Smile"
*"Moon Over Bourbon Street (Cornelius Mix)"

Personnel

*Sting: Vocals, bass, Guitar, Keyboards
*Kipper: Keyboards, programming
*Dominic Miller: Guitars (Courtesy of BBC Music)
*Jason Rebello: Piano, Rhodes
*Manu Katché: Drums
*Vinnie Colaiuta: Drums
*Mary J. Blige: Lead Vocals on "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Courtesy of Geffen Records)
*Vicente Amigo: Flamenco Guitar on "Send Your Love" (Courtesy of BMG Music Spain)
*Anoushka Shankar: Sitar on "The Book of My Life" (Courtesy of Angel Records)
*Rhani Krija: Percussion
*Jeff Young: Hammond (Courtesy of Malibu Sound)
*Chris Botti: Trumpet (Courtesy of Columbia Records)
*Clark Gayton: Trombone
*Christian McBride: Double Bass (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records)
*Dave Hartley: Piano & Choir Arrangements
*Joy Rose: Featured & Backing Vocals
*Donna Gardier: Backing Vocals
*Katreese Barnes: Backing Vocals
*Ada Dyer: Backing Vocals
*Aref Durvesh: Tablas
*Jacqueline Thomas: Cello
*Levon Minassian: Duduk
*Valerie Denys: Castanets
*Bahija Rhapl: Ethnic Vocals
*Choeur de Radio France (Associate Chorus Master Philip White): Vocals

Chart performance