Sting is back! And if you were wondering whether he could return to rock after a Broadway show and learning the lute, there’s very good news. I’ve heard the first single, called “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You,” and I can’t stop thinking about it. Radio friendly with a Police-like propulsive bass driving it, the single has a unique melody that will get stuck in your head the minute you hear it.

All those acts - Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, that other one - that routinely lift the Police sound for new songs will sit up and pay attention when they hear how it’s really done.

The single drops September 2nd. The album, called “57th and 9th”– Sting’s first rock album in 13 years – comes in early November. And there’s a big marketing commitment here from Universal Music. Sting headlines the I Heart Music Festival on September 24th in Las Vegas. By that time “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” should be number 1 on Z100. 

(U2 headlines the other night, which suggests they have new music coming, too. Considering the bleak sales in the music biz right now, Sting and U2 are really needed on the charts.)

I’m told “57th and 9th” - with ten new tracks– was recorded quickly with Sting’s regular band (Dominic Miller, et al) and his new friends, Last Bandoleros from San Antonio, Texas. I heard Sting play with Los Bandoleros at Trudie Styler’s movie company dinner recently, and they rock. 

PS September 30th comes a big boxed set from Sting – “The Studio Collection” consists of all eight essential A&M Records albums across eleven LPs – The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (1985), …Nothing Like The Sun (1987) (double LP), The Soul Cages (1991), Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993), Mercury Falling (1996), Brand New Day (1999) (double LP), Sacred Love (2003) (double LP) and The Last Ship (2013) – with both Brand New Day and Sacred Love available on vinyl for the first time ever.

(c) Showbiz411 by Roger Friedman