"Love Is the Seventh Wave" is a hit single from Sting's 1985 solo debut album ''

The Dream of the Blue Turtles ''The Dream of the Blue Turtles'' is the first solo album by English musician Sting, released in June 1985. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200. Five singles were released from the ...

''. It was released as the album's second single in the UK, and the third single in the US.

Song information

The song concludes with a brief, self-mocking reference to Sting's biggest hit song with

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...

, "

Every Breath You Take "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 ei ...

", which is about the dark side of love that leads to sexual jealousy and obsession.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "the lilting rhythmic push and tropical melodic line...recalls

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

-like efforts, but

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...

’

soprano sax The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

coloring and the overall blending of instruments make this another appealing Sting solo success." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' said that it integrates "

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

influence" with "

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

chops."

Music video

The music video portrays Sting as a primary school teacher (in fact, his day job before he became a rock star), who performs amidst his students' artwork. The artwork was supplied by students at Latchmere Junior School, Kingston-upon-Thames, in the United Kingdom.

Single release

The single contains a different mix of the song from the album. It also features a live version of "Consider Me Gone", which was recorded at the Mogador Theatre in Paris in May 1985.

Track listings

7" US single (AM-2787) # "Love Is the Seventh Wave" (Single Version) – 3:45 # "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" – 1:15 12" UK single (AMY 272) # "Love Is the Seventh Wave" (New Mix) – 4:05 # "Consider Me Gone" (Live) – 4:45 12" US single (SP-12153) # "Love Is the Seventh Wave" (New Mix) – 4:05 # "Fortress Around your heart" (Album Version) – 4:48 # "Dream of the blue turtles" – 1:15

Personnel

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

– vocals, guitars, arrangements *

Darryl Jones Darryl Jones (born December 11, 1961) is an American bass guitarist. He has been recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993. He has also played in bands with Miles Davis and Sting, among others. Career Darryl Jones was born on ...

– bass guitar *

Kenny Kirkland Kenneth David Kirkland (September 28, 1955 – November 12, 1998) was an American pianist and keyboardist. Biography Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Kirkland was six when he first sat down at a piano keyboard. After years ...

– keyboards *

– soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, percussion * Dolette McDonald, Janice Pendarvis – backing vocals *

Omar Hakim Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959) is an American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer, producer, arranger and composer. He has worked with Weather Report, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits, Bryan Ferry, Journey, Kate B ...

– drums

Additional personnel

* Danny Quatrochi –

Synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the early 1 ...

, backing vocals * Frank Opolko – trombone * Pete Smith – backing vocals * Elliot Jones – backing vocals * Jane Alexander – backing vocals * Vic Garbarini – backing vocals * Pamela Quinlan – backing vocals * The Nannies Chorus – backing vocals * Rosemary Purt – backing vocals * Stephanie Crewdson – backing vocals *

Joe Sumner Joseph Sumner (born 23 November 1976) is an English singer-songwriter and bassist for the rock band Fiction Plane, and co-founder of the company Vyclone, which made an app for recording video from multiple angles. Personal life Joe Sumner i ...

– backing vocals * Kate Sumner – backing vocals * Michael Sumner – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Cover versions

The song was covered by

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

band,

The Duhks The Duhks are a Canadian folk fusion band, formed in 2002 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Featuring banjo, fiddle, guitar, percussion, and vocals, The Duhks blend folk music together with various Canadian and American traditional styles, includin ...

. It is a bonus track on their eponymous album, released in 2005.

References

Love Is the Seventh Wave
Sting (musician) songs 1985 singles Songs written by Sting (musician) A&M Records singles 1985 songs {{1980s-pop-song-stub