If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is the first single by English musician Sting from his solo debut album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985). It is also the opening track of the album, and is featured on Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 as well as The Very Best of Sting & The Police.

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free"
7-inch vinyl single
Single by Sting
from the album The Dream of the Blue Turtles
B-side"Another Day"
ReleasedMay 1985[1]
Recorded1984
GenrePop rock, jazz fusion, R&B
Length4:14
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Sting
Producer(s)Sting and Peter Smith
Sting singles chronology
"Spread a Little Happiness"
(1982)		 "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free"
(1985)		 "Love Is the Seventh Wave"
(1985)
Music video
"Sting - If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" on YouTube

Song information

Like much of the album, the song has heavy jazz influences, and was a major hit, peaking at number one on the US Album Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. On the US pop chart, it peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 17 on the US R&B chart,[2] number 26 on the UK Singles Chart,[3] and number 18 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart.[4]

A demo version of this song was recorded with Phil Collins as session musician.[5]

Live performances of the song are featured on the DVD edition of Bring On the Night and on the CD and DVD editions of ...All This Time.

A portion of the song was later used for Sting's 1987 hit "We'll Be Together" from ...Nothing Like the Sun.

The single launched a long string of singles (stretching over three albums) where Sting collaborated with New Orleans saxophonist and one-time Tonight Show bandleader Branford Marsalis.

The song was also performed at The Brits in February 1995 with M People. He duetted on the song with the band's lead singer, Heather Small and this track was given the dance treatment by the band who were also backed by a 100-strong Gospel Choir at the Earls Court Arena during the annual music awards show.

Sting said that he wrote the song as an "antidote" to the Police's 1983 song, "Every Breath You Take", which he also wrote.[6] The song was also lampooned by The Dead Milkmen in the song "If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire", from their 1990 album Metaphysical Graffiti.

In 2019, Sting rerecorded a new Dance-centric version of the single, one of six songs produced by Dave Aude for Sting's My Songs set, which was remixed by Tom Stephan, among others.[7]

Reception

Cash Box called the song "a satisfying jazz/R&B/R&R exercise" with "sophisticated production and poignant lyric."[8]

Single release

The single's b-side is a studio recording of the song "Another Day" which would appear the following year in a live version on Sting's live album Bring On the Night.

The US and French 12" singles also contain two remixes of "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free": the "Jellybean Mix" by John "Jellybean" Benitez and the "Torch Mix" by William Orbit of Torch Song.

Music video

The music video was directed by Godley and Creme in 1985. It was shot in Paris on a soundstage, with each of the musicians performing separately and the footage then overlaid onto the final version.

Track listings
  • 7" US and Canada single (AM-2738)
  1. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
  2. "Another Day" – 3:59
  • 12" US single (SP-12132)
  1. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Extended Remix by John "Jellybean" Benitez) – 8:00
  2. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
  3. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Torch Song Mix, Produced by William Orbit) – 4:52
  4. "Another Day" – 3:59
  • 12" US promotional single (SP-17324)
  1. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
  2. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
  • 12" France single (392 018-1)
  1. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Torch Song Mix, Produced by William Orbit) – 4:52
  2. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Remix by John "Jellybean" Benitez) – 8:00
  3. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – 4:14
  4. "Another Day" – 3:59

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 791. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 552.
  3. Sting in the UK Charts Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Official Charts.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 295. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
  5. Phil Collins official forum Q&A
  6. "sting.com official site". Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  7. "Gorgon City & Kaskade 'Go' to No. 1 on Dance Club Songs Chart" from Billboard (10 September 2019)
  8. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 June 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  9. "Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. "RPM Magazine, Volume 42, No. 22" (PDF). RPM Archive, Library and Archives Canada. RPM Magazine. 10 August 1985. p. 6. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  11. "Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (in French). Les classement single.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". Irish Singles Chart.
  13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sting" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  14. "Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. "Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". Top 40 Singles.
  16. "Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". Singles Top 100.
  17. "Sting – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. "Sting: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  19. "Sting Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. "Sting Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  21. "Sting Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  22. "Sting Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  23. "Sting Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  24. "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 29 October 1994. p. 6. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  25. "Sting Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  26. "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. 28 December 1985. p. T-21.
  27. "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  28. "Canadian single certifications – Sting – If You Love Somebod Set Them Free". Music Canada. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
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