One of my first celebrity crushes was for Gordon Sumner, AKA Sting. The frontman of the British New Wave group “The Police,” Sting broke out as a solo artist in 1985 after the band decided to “go on a break.” Both “The Police” and Sting were major fixtures on MTV, as they produced a string of groundbreaking and influential music videos.
“We’ll Be Together” is an excellent showcase for Sting, both musically and in video form. The song was the lead single off his second solo album “…Nothing Like the Sun,” released in 1987. The tune was an instant hit, especially here in the U.S., and shows Sting leaning more into a pop-rock sound. In fact, “…Nothing Like the Sun” is Sting’s most experimental album, as he mixes rock, pop, jazz, and classical, creating a variety of unique sounding tunes. It’s miles away from the sparer ska rock vibe of his earlier “The Police” days.
The video was directed by…drumroll…Mary Lambert. Ms. Lambert seemed to be directing half the videos on MTV at this point in her career. She had helmed videos for Madonna (Borderline, Like A Prayer), Janet Jackson (Nasty, Control), Eurythmics (Would I Lie to You), Sheila E (The Glamorous Life), and many more. Loosely based on the 1950 feature film “Orpheus,” the clip features Sting in dual roles, playing a cool bohemian poet hanging out at a Paris Café. He soon notices a wealthy socialite played by the lovely Trudie Styler (Sting’s real-life wife) accompanied by a drunk, handsy scoundrel (also played by Sting.) After the scoundrel starts a brawl at the café, the socialite ducks out and invites bohemian Sting into her fancy limousine. There are a few lusty stares as Sting sings the final verses, and the video fades to black.
This is easily Sting’s best music video and allows the musician to indulge his acting ambition. While Sting was a decent thespian, he was never able to crack the Hollywood code, appearing in a handful of forgettable films (although his small role in David Lynch’s “Dune” must be seen to be believed). He’s pretty good here, and director Lambert films the clip in a visually striking black & white tone with some creative choreography.
Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
I do agree it was his best video. I remember when this song first came out how a) far it was removed from The Police and b) how unique it sounded period. I think it was miles away from what would even be considered for Top 40 music beforehand. I forgot Mary Lambert’s name – she has quite the resume, doesn’t she? I liked seeing Sting stretching his acting muscles as well. Remember seeing him in a couple of movies in addition to Dune. Great entertainer.
He was one of the rare musicians with acting talent, but Hollywood didn’t know what to do with him, and he never found that big screen breakthrough hit. As for Mary Lambert, she did graduate to film directing with the 1989 version of Pet Sematary. But sadly, major Hollywood success also eluded her.
I saw Mary directed a Netflix Christmas movie last year, so at least she’s still working. That Sting post made me recall a song of his I hadn’t heard in awhile which I absolutely love: “Fortress Around Your Heart.” Been listening to various versions since. Thanks for that post.
Remember this song and video very well. Both are fantastic.