Studio Album · No. 4

Ten Summoner's Tales Songwriting Credits by Sting

1993 A&M Records 12 tracks 53 min

Produced by Sting, Hugh Padgham  ·  Engineered by Hugh Padgham, Simon Osborne, Andrew Bradfield

A&M Records Pop RockSoft rockJazz rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Sting carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
12 trackswritten by Sting 0 tracksoutside writers
Sting's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
1
Lyricists
2
Producers
1993
Released

Awards & Recognition 5

Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (for "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You") (1994)
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (1994)
Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video (1994)
Grammy Award for Album of the Year (1994, Nominated)
Mercury Prize shortlist (1993, Nominated)
Data Insight

Ten of the twelve tracks are Sting's alone. 'It's Probably Me' adds Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen, and 'Shape of My Heart' adds his guitarist Dominic Miller, whose figure the song is built on. Hugh Padgham produced again, and the writing is looser and more playful than the record before it: 'Love Is Stronger Than Justice' sits in 7/4 and 'Seven Days' in 5/4, jokes only a band this comfortable would try.

Ten Summoner's Tales was recorded at Lake House in Wiltshire and released on 1 March 1993, a deliberately lighter record after the grief of The Soul Cages. The title puns on Sting's family name, Sumner, and the summoner in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You' reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 'Fields of Gold' number 23. The album was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize and drew six Grammy nominations including Album of the Year, winning three. Sting wrote it alone apart from 'It's Probably Me,' with Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen, and 'Shape of My Heart,' with Dominic Miller.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Prologue (If I Ever Lose My Faith in You)
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
2
Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven)
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
3
Fields of Gold #23
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
4
Heavy Cloud No Rain
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
5
She's Too Good for Me
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
6
Seven Days
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
7
Saint Augustine in Hell
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
8
It's Probably Me
Sting StingEric ClaptonMichael Kamen StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
9
Everybody Laughed but You
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
10
Shape of My Heart
Sting StingDominic Miller StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
11
Something the Boy Said
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)
12
Epilogue (Nothing 'Bout Me)
Sting Sting StingHugh Padgham Sting (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 5 contributors

S
Sting
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album12 written
DM
Dominic Miller
Writer
On this album1 written
EC
Eric Clapton
Writer
On this album1 written
MK
Michael Kamen
Writer
On this album1 written
HP
Hugh Padgham
Producer
On this album12 produced

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Frequently Asked Questions Ten Summoner's Tales

Did Sting write Ten Summoner's Tales himself?
Yes. Ten Summoner's Tales is fully self-written, with every song an original Sting composition. The title puns on his birth surname, Sumner.
Who wrote "Fields of Gold" by Sting?
"Fields of Gold" was written by Sting, inspired by the barley fields near his English home. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of his signature songs.
Who wrote "Shape of My Heart" by Sting?
"Shape of My Heart" was written by Sting with guitarist Dominic Miller. The song later became widely known through its use in film and through samples by other artists.
Did Ten Summoner's Tales by Sting win a Grammy?
Yes. The album won three Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male for "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You." It was also nominated for Album of the Year.
What genre is Ten Summoner's Tales by Sting?
Ten Summoner's Tales is a pop rock album with soft rock and jazz rock elements. It is lighter and more upbeat than the grief-themed Soul Cages that preceded it.
How well did Ten Summoner's Tales by Sting sell?
Ten Summoner's Tales was certified 3x Platinum in the United States and multi-Platinum internationally. It is among Sting's best-selling solo albums.

Sources

Wikipedia: Ten Summoner's Tales MusicBrainz: Ten Summoner's Tales release group (Sting) Cover Art Archive: Ten Summoner's Tales front cover Cover Art Archive: Ten Summoner's Tales by Sting