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.