"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Sting | ||||
from the album Mercury Falling | ||||
Released | 13 February 1996 | |||
Studio | Lake House (Wiltshire) | |||
Genre | Adult contemporary [1] | |||
Length | 6:43 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Songwriter(s) | Sting | |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Sting singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Sting - Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" on YouTube |
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" is a song by the English musician Sting. It was released as the lead single from his fifth solo studio album Mercury Falling on 13 February 1996. The soul-influenced track was inspired by a friend suffering from AIDS, and the impact such an event can have on one's outlook on life. [2]
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" reached the top 20 in Sting's native UK. [3] The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards. [4]
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" was inspired by a friend of Sting's who was suffering from AIDS. Sting described it as a "song about death, or dealing with death in a way that offers some sort of hope". [2]
Musically, the song was influenced by Stax artists such as Otis Redding; Percy Sledge and Aretha Franklin were also listed as significant influences. [5] Fitting in with this theme, Sting brought in the Memphis Horns to play on the track. [5]
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" became a top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 15. [3] The single was less successful in the US, reaching number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it did better on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, peaking at number 3. [6] It found its greatest success in Canada, where it entered the top 10, reaching number 7. [6]
All tracks written by Sting, except "Someone to Watch Over Me" written by George and Ira Gershwin.
Standard CD single
CD maxi–single (US and Japan)
Remixes by A & G Division
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [7] | 65 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [8] | 7 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [9] | 14 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [10] | 58 |
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [11] | 17 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [12] | 43 |
UK Singles (OCC) [13] | 15 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] | 86 |
US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [15] | 3 |
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, known professionally as Sting, is an English musician, activist and actor. He was the frontman, principal songwriter and bassist for new wave band the Police from 1977 until their breakup in 1986. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age, and worldbeat in his music.
Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 for the Bill Medley duet "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". Warnes also collaborated closely with Leonard Cohen.
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
"Every Breath You Take" is a song by the English rock band the Police from their album Synchronicity (1983). Written by Sting, the single was the biggest US and Canadian hit of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks, and the Canadian RPM chart for four weeks. Their fifth UK No. 1, it topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. The song also reached the top 10 in numerous other countries.
June Deniece Williams is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs "Free", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". Williams has won four Grammys with twelve nominations altogether. She is also known for recording “Without Us”, the theme song of Family Ties.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's United LP. The first release off the duo's second album: You're All I Need, the song—written and produced by regular Gaye/Terrell collaborators Ashford & Simpson—became a hit within weeks of release eventually peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart, the first of the duo's two number-one R&B hits. In the UK "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" reached number 34.
"Let Me Love You" is a song by American singer Mario, released as a single on October 4, 2004, from his second studio album, Turning Point (2004). The song was written by Ne-Yo, Kameron Houff, and Scott Storch, while the production was handled by Storch. The song garnered Mario a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2006 and became a top-10 hit worldwide, reaching number one in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
"Englishman in New York" is a song by English singer-songwriter Sting, from his second studio album ...Nothing Like the Sun, released in October 1987. Branford Marsalis played soprano saxophone on the track, while the drums were played by Manu Katché and the percussion by Mino Cinélu.
"This Is How We Do It" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Montell Jordan. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on February 6, 1995, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name (1995). The single was Def Jam's first R&B release, and is Jordan's signature song.
Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album by English musician Sting. It was released on 26 February 1996 through A&M Records and was produced by Sting alongside longtime producer Hugh Padgham. The album features many tracks which see elements of soul and country music integrated to a greater extent than on past releases. Supporting musicians on the album include frequent collaborators Dominic Miller on guitar, Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, and Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano saxophone.
The Very Best of... Sting & The Police is a compilation album issued by A&M Records on 3 November 1997, containing a mix of Police songs and Sting's solo works. It originally featured one new track, a remix of the 1978 song "Roxanne" by rap artist Sean "Puffy" Combs. The album was reissued in 1998 by PolyGram International with "Russians" removed and three added tracks: "Seven Days", "Fragile", and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". The original European version issued by A&M Records of this compilation instead included these tracks without removing "Russians".
"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" is a song written and recorded by English rock singer Sting, which featured on his fifth album, Mercury Falling (1996). The song was also released as a single, and reached No. 84 in the US. Sting also recorded the song as a duet with American country music artist Toby Keith for Keith's 1997 album Dream Walkin'; this version reached No. 2 in the US Hot Country Songs charts and No. 84 in the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, giving Sting his only country hit.
"Let Her Cry" is a song by American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It was released in December 1994 as the second single from their debut album, Cracked Rear View (1994), and became a top-10 hit in Australia, Canada, Iceland, and the United States. The song received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1996.
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She has won two Grammy Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, and two BET Awards over the course of her career. In 2022, Time placed her on their list of the 100 Most Influential People.
The discography of British singer Sting. Born Gordon Sumner in 1951, he was a member of the jazz group Last Exit, who released a cassette album in 1975. With the Police, Sting sold over 100 million records and singles. As a solo performer, he has released 15 albums between 1985 and 2021, most of which have sold millions of copies worldwide.
"Brand New Day" is a song by British musician Sting, the title track of his sixth studio album (1999). The song features Stevie Wonder on harmonica. It was released as a single on 13 September 1999, peaking at number 13 in the United Kingdom and reaching the top 40 on two Canadian charts. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2000.
"Anniversary" is a song by American R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!. It was released on September 14, 1993 by Mercury and Polygram, as the second single from their third studio album, Sons of Soul (1993). The song was produced by Tony! Toni! Toné! and written by group member Raphael Wiggins and keyboardist Carl Wheeler. It became a hit for Tony! Toni! Toné!, peaking at numbers ten and seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and number two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. "Anniversary" was well received by music critics, including Robert Christgau, who named it the 13th best song of 1993. It earned the group Grammy Award nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1994.
Workin' Together is a studio album released by Ike & Tina Turner on Liberty Records on November 9, 1970. This was their second album with Liberty and their most successful studio album. The album contains their Grammy Award-winning single "Proud Mary."
"You Still Touch Me" is a song by the English musician Sting, released as the second single from his fifth studio album Mercury Falling. Featuring a distinct soul influence, the song reached number 27 in Sting's native UK, becoming the second of three singles from the album to reach the top 40.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)