Brand New Day is the sixth solo studio album by English musician Sting, released by A&M Records on 27 September 1999. Promoted heavily by the success of the album's second single, "Desert Rose" (featuring popular Algerian Raï singer Cheb Mami), the album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 and sold over 3.5 million copies in the United States. Upon its release, Brand New Day was a critical and commercial success, and was hailed as a commercial comeback for Sting.
The album earned Sting a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and his third Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the title track.
Contents
Background
Originally, Sting's usual producer Hugh Padgham was to produce the album, but Sting decided to co-produce the album with Kipper, and Padgham was not required. The album was recorded in various studios around Europe.
The (6:36) full version of "The End of the Game" was included on the single for "Brand New Day" and the DTS and DVD-Audio releases of the album. The music video for the title track is a parody of bleach commercials, and advertises "Brand new 'Day Ultra'" brand. The song "Brand New Day" features Stevie Wonder on harmonica.
On September 27, 2024, an Expanded Edition was released as part of the 25th anniversary. The version contains remixes, live versions and the songs "Windmills of Your Mind" as well as a full length version of "The End of the Game".
Personnel
Sting – lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar, Roland VG-8 guitar synthesizer
Kipper – keyboards, drum programming
Jason Rebello – acoustic piano, clavinet
Don Blackman – Hammond organ
David Hartley – Hammond organ, string arrangements and conductor (3, 6)
Dominic Miller – guitars
B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar
Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
Manu Katché – drums
Mino Cinelu – percussion
Ettamri Mustapha – darbouka
Branford Marsalis – clarinet
Chris Botti – trumpet
Kathryn Tickell – Northumbrian pipes, fiddle
Stevie Wonder – harmonica (10)
Farhat Bouallagui – string arrangements, conductor and leader (2)
Isobel Griffiths – orchestral contractor (2, 3, 6)
Gavyn Wright – string leader (3, 6)
Moulay Ahmed – strings (2, 3, 6)
Kouider Berkan – strings (2, 3, 6)
Salem Bnouni – strings (2, 3, 6)
Production
Sting – producer
Kipper – producer
Neil Dorfsman – engineer
Simon Osborne – engineer, mixing
Geoff Foster – strings engineer (2, 3, 6)
Etienne Colin – assistant engineer
Nicholas Duport – assistant engineer
Andrew Fellus – assistant engineer
Brian Garten – assistant engineer
Ricky Graham – assistant engineer
Ben Kape – assistant engineer
Stephanie Levy-B – assistant engineer
Peter "Hopps" Lorimer – assistant engineer
Aya Takemura – assistant engineer
Chris Blair – mastering
Abbey Road Studios (London, UK) – mastering location
Joe Mama-Nitzberg – art direction
Jodi Peckman – art direction
Richard Frankel – package design
Olaf Heine – photography
Carter Smith – photography