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Mercury Falling

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Mercury Falling
Studio album by
Sting
Released8 March 1996[1]
Recorded1995
Studio
Genre
Length52:24
Language
  • English
  • French ("La Belle Dame Sans Regrets")
LabelA&M
Producer
Sting chronology
Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994
(1994) 		Mercury Falling
(1996) 		Brand New Day
(1999)
Singles from Mercury Falling
  1. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"
    Released: 19 February 1996[3]
  2. "You Still Touch Me"
    Released: 1 April 1996
  3. "I Was Brought to My Senses"
    Released: 2 September 1996[4]
  4. "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying"
    Released: 1 October 1996

Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album by English musician Sting. It was released on 8 March 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.

Mercury Falling was a success, reaching the top 10 in 18 countries, but failed to match the success of its predecessors. None of its four singles—"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot", "You Still Touch Me", "I Was Brought to My Senses", and "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying"—were hits across all regions, although the former two did perform well in the UK and especially Canada, where both reached the top 10. The album has been certified Platinum in three different countries (US, UK and Canada) and Gold in nine others. In 1997, the album earned Sting two Grammy nominations—Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot".

Music and lyrics

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Alongside being used as the album's title, the phrase "mercury falling" appears as the first and last lyrics heard on the album. The lyric was the first written for the album (for "The Hounds of Winter"), and Sting later felt the phrase evoked the mood of the record and its variety of styles: "there are so many styles on this record and it darts around from genre to genre and back again. It's a very mercurial record, and it seemed to be the right thing to call the record."[5]

"I Hung My Head" is one of many songs on the album to be played in an odd time signature, in this case 9
8. Johnny Cash performed a cover of the song on American IV: The Man Comes Around, his final studio album released during his lifetime. "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" displays a significant soul influence; Sting has stated that the music of artists such as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin heavily inspired the track.[6] Expanding on this theme, the Memphis Horns were brought in to play on the track. The lyrics were inspired by a friend who was suffering from AIDS, and how such an event can affect someone's outlook on life. Sting described the song as "a song about death, or dealing with death in a way that offers some sort of hope. I actually think it's quite an uplifting song - the intent is for it to be uplifting."[7]

"I Was Brought to My Senses" is a song about gaining a greater appreciation for nature.[5] It starts off as a folk ballad in 6
8, before transitioning to the main part of the song, which features what Sting called "a Brazilian vibe" and is played in 7
4.[5]

The track "Twenty Five to Midnight" was excluded from the American and Canadian releases. It was included in the CD-Maxi Single of "You Still Touch Me", as the 4th track.[8] "La Belle Dame sans regrets" is sung entirely in French; its title translates to "the beautiful lady with no regrets". The song was co-written with Sting's guitarist Dominic Miller. Miller wrote the song's music as a tribute to Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Jobim, composing it in his hotel room the day he heard about Jobim's death.[9] Sting had guested on Jobim's album Antônio Brasileiro, which was released posthumously in 1994. "Valparaiso" was used during the closing credits of the 1996 film White Squall.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[10]
Entertainment Weekly(A−)[11]
Houston Chronicle[13]
Los Angeles Times[12]
Robert Christgau(dud) (bad record)[14]
Rolling Stone[15]

Mercury Falling was released on 8 March 1996. It reached number four in Sting's native UK and number five in the US, becoming his fifth straight studio album to make the top 5 in both countries.[16][17] The album also achieved top ten placements in 16 other countries in addition to the European Albums Chart (where it topped the chart).

"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" was released as the album's first single on 19 February 1996. It became a top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 15, but stalled at number 86 in the US.[16][17] It did, however, reach number 3 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.[17] The single was most successful in Canada, where it peaked at number 7.[17] "You Still Touch Me", the album's second single, reached number 27 in the UK.[16] In the US, it was more successful than its predecessor, peaking at number 60.[17] The song matched the previous single's chart placement in Canada, giving Sting yet another number 7 hit.[17] A remixed version of "I Was Brought to My Senses", done by Steve Lipson, served at the album's third single. It barely missed the top 30 in the UK and failed to chart in the US.[16] "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" was the album's final single. Toby Keith released a cover of the song as a single from his album Dream Walkin', Sting guested on the track which gave him his only country hit.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Sting, except "La Belle Dame sans regrets" written by Sting and Dominic Miller.

Mercury Falling
No.TitleLength
1."The Hounds of Winter"5:27
2."I Hung My Head"4:40
3."Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"6:41
4."I Was Brought to My Senses"5:48
5."You Still Touch Me"3:46
6."I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying"3:56
7."All Four Seasons"4:28
8."Twenty Five to Midnight"4:09
9."La Belle Dame sans regrets"5:17
10."Valparaiso"5:27
11."Lithium Sunset"2:38
Total length:52:24

Note: "Twenty Five To Midnight" was excluded from the original American and Canadian pressings of the album.

B-sides

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Title Source
"The Bed's Too Big Without You" "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"
"Lullaby to An Anxious Child" "You Still Touch Me"
"Beneath a Desert Moon"
"Twenty Five to Midnight"
"This Was Never Meant to Be" "I Was Brought to My Senses"
"The Pirate's Bride"
"Giacomo's Blues" "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying"
"Moonlight"

Personnel

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Production

[edit]
  • Sting – producer
  • Hugh Padgham – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Simon Osborne – engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering[18]
  • Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine) – mastering location
  • Danny Quatrochi – personal technical assistant
  • Jeri Heiden – art direction, design
  • William Claxton – photography
  • Fabrizio Ferri – photography
  • Miles Copeland III – management
  • Kim Turner – management

Accolades

[edit]

Grammy Awards

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1997
[19]		 Mercury Falling Best Pop Vocal Album Nominated
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Nominated

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[47] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[48] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[49] Platinum 100,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[50] Gold 24,617[50]
Germany (BVMI)[51] Gold 250,000^
Italy — 210,000[52]
Japan (RIAJ)[53] Gold 193,600[43]
Netherlands (NVPI)[54] Gold 50,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[55] Gold 20,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[56] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[57] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[59] Platinum 1,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[60] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Official Sting website".
  2. ^ a b c https://www.allmusic.com/album/r232868
  3. ^ "Sting singles".
  4. ^ "Sting singles".
  5. ^ a b c Sting (1996). "Mercury Falling Promotional Interview Disc". sting.com. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  6. ^ Sting (1996). "Mercury Falling Tour Programme". sting.com. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Q – Sting Interview". sting.com. May 1996. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Mercury falling releases".
  9. ^ Edwards, Andy (3 December 2024). "The Dominic Miller Interview: 35 Years with Sting!". YouTube. Retrieved 11 December 2024. Relevant content occurs at 1:29:08-1:29:59.
  10. ^ Kot, Greg (14 March 1996). "Dour Delivery". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  11. ^ Scherman, Tony (15 March 1996). "Mercury Falling Review". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  12. ^ Hilburn, Robert (10 March 1996). "Sting Rises to New Level of Accessibility". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  13. ^ Westbrook, Bruce (10 March 1996). "Feeling Sting without the pain". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  14. ^ Robert Christgau review
  15. ^ Elysa Gardner (2 February 1998). "Mercury Falling | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d e "The Official Charts Company – Sting – Mercury Falling" (PHP). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g "allmusic ((( Mercury Falling > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  18. ^ Mercury Falling (booklet). Sting. Hollywood: A&M Records. 1996. p. 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ Kot, Greg (8 January 1997). "Pumpkins A Smash With 7 Grammy Nominations". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  20. ^ "australian-charts.com Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  21. ^ "austriancharts.at Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  22. ^ "ultratop.be Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  23. ^ "ultratop.be Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  24. ^ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 16 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 4 February 2012
  25. ^ a b Nielsen Business Media, Inc (22 April 1995). Billboard – 13 April – 1995. Retrieved 4 April 2012. {{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  26. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  27. ^ a b Nielsen Business Media, Inc (6 April 1996). Billboard – 6 April – 1996. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 4 April 2012. mercury falling. {{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  28. ^ "finnishcharts.com Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  29. ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  30. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  31. ^ スティング-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Mercury Falling by Sting". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 4 February 2012. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  32. ^ "charts.nz Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  33. ^ "norwegiancharts.com Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  35. ^ "swedishcharts.com Sting – Mercury Falling" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  36. ^ "Sting – Mercury Falling – hitparade.ch" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  37. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 1996". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  38. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Albums of 1996". RPM. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  39. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1996" (in German). Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  40. ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1996 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  41. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  42. ^ "Chart Watch - Top Selling Albums of 1996". Billboard. 14 June 1997. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  43. ^ a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  44. ^ "Hitparade.ch – Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1996". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  45. ^ "UNITED KINGDOM (CIN) BEST ALBUMS OF 1996". Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  46. ^ "Billboard.BIZ – Year-end Charts – Billboard 200 – 1996". billboard.biz. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  47. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  48. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Sting – Mercury Falling" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  49. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Sting – Mercury Falling". Music Canada. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  50. ^ a b "Sting" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  51. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Sting; 'Mercury Falling')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  52. ^ "MUSICA: EROS RAMAZZOTTI TRIONFA NELLE VENDITE DEL '96 (2)" (in Italian). Adnkronos. 1 August 1997. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  53. ^ "Japanese album certifications – スティング – マーキュリー・フォーリング" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 21 July 2022. Select 1996年4月 on the drop-down menu
  54. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Sting – Mercury Falling" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 29 October 2011. Enter Mercury Falling in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  55. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2012 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  56. ^ Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 1995–1999. Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
  57. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Mercury Falling')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  58. ^ "British album certifications – Sting – Mercury Falling". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  59. ^ "American album certifications – Sting – Mercury Falling". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  60. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
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