Tea In The Sahara

"Tea In The Sahara"
LP cover
Recorded by The Police
Released:	1983
Recorded:	December 1982 - January 1983
Length:	4:11
Album(s):	Synchronicity
Label(s):	A&M
Writer(s):	Sting
Producer(s):	The Police, Hugh Padgham
Studio(s):	AIR Studios, Montserrat
Released as single?	B-SIDE (live version)

"Tea In The Sahara" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1982/1983.

About the song

Writing

Sting probably wrote this song in mid-1982.

Utopia demo

Sting recorded a 4:23 minute demo at Utopia Studios on October 8, 1982. This version features a drum machine pattern and doesn't have the reggae-ish feeling of the LP version. The bass line in the chorus is different and played an octave higher. The open chords guitar is also different. In the chorus Sting added a guitar arpeggio reminiscent of Bring On The Night.

After the second chorus Sting improvised an Arabic sounding guitar solo - which both Sting and Pete Smith made fun of.

The instrumental demo had the working title I Don't Know.

Alternate Mix

There's an early version of this song mixed by Hugh Padgham at AIR Studios on 1983-01-10. It can be found on the Synchronicity box set that was released on 2024-07-26 and lasts 4:13 minutes.

It features a few more bars at the intro. There are less guitar layers, especially in the chorus and the instrumental middle section. There's also no oboe yet.

Picture disc version

The version on the picture disc that was released on 2024-07-26 also features a few more bars at the intro. Sadly it fades out a few seconds sooner than the usual LP mix.

LP version

The LP version lasts 4:12 minutes.

Derangement

For his movie Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out Stewart Copeland created a few derangements using unused parts from studio and live recordings. A 3:35 minute derangement of this song can be found on the Synchronicity box set.

Personnel

• Sting
• Stewart Copeland
• Andy Summers

Release History

Albums

Tea In The Sahara appears on the following album releases:

Cover art	Album title	Release date	Release country
	Synchronicity	1983-06-17	USA

Singles

CD Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	Songs	Release date	Release country
	Catalog no.	"Song"(s)	YYYY-MM-DD	Country

7" Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	A-side song/B-side song	Release date	Release country
	Catalog no.	"A-side song"/"B-side song"	YYYY-MM-DD	Country

12" Singles

Cover art	Catalog no.	A-side song(s)/B-side song(s)	Release date	Release country
	Catalog no.	"A-side song"/"B-side song" (add more songs as necessary)	YYYY-MM-DD	Country

Video

"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:

Cover art	Video title	Release date	Release country
	Video or dvd title	YYYY-MM-DD	Country

Awards, nominations, and certifications

Awards

This section needs more information.

Year	Winner	Award	Category
YYYY	WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.)	AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)	CATEGORY

Nominations

This section needs more information.

Year	Nominee	Award	Category
YYYY	NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.)	AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)	CATEGORY

Certifications

This section needs more information.

Country	Certifier	Classification	Certification
COUNTRY	CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...)	CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...)	CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)

Lyrics

Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.

My sisters and I
Have this wish before we die
And it may sound strange
As if our minds are deranged
Please don't ask us why
Beneath the sheltering sky
We have this strange obsession
You have the means in your possession

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

The young man agreed
He would satisfy their need
So they danced for his pleasure
With a joy you could not measure
They would wait for him here
The same place every year
Beneath the sheltering sky
Across the desert he would fly

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

The sky turned to black
Would he ever come back
They would climb a high dune
They would pray to the moon
But he'd never return
So the sisters would burn
As their eyes searched the land
With their cups full of sand

Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you
Tea in the Sahara with you

Quotations and trivia

In 1983-06 Musician Andy Summers explains the "wobbling cloud" sound in this song: "The basic technique consists of playing through an Echoplex with echo volume set to about three-quarter maximum and a volume pedal with a compressor; the movement of the chord position between swells and the choice of harmonies are crucial. Wearing a long-sleeved shirt is also helpful as the right arm can pivot as a long-handled brush on the strings above the twelfth fret - sea island cotton produces a pleasing tone. The effect is that of a shuddering, trembling cloud of sound which teeters on the brink of collapse at every second."

Alternative and cover versions

• a live version was released as the b-side for King Of Pain in the UK and on Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings

See also

This section needs more information.

External links

This section needs more information.

References

• Police, The. Synchronicity. (1983) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
• Fabio Trentini (demo info after listening to Pete Smith's tapes)