I Burn For You (The Police)

From PoliceWiki
"I Burn For You"
LP cover
Recorded by The Police
Released: 1982-09-03
Recorded: 1981
Length: 4:45
Album(s): Brimstone & Treacle
Label(s): A&M
Writer(s): Sting
Producer(s): PRODUCER NAME(S)
Studio(s): AIR Studios
Released as single? B-SIDE (12")

"I Burn For You" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1981.

About the song

Sting already recorded this song with Last Exit. Their recording features a verse that's not on The Police's version, and is also not featured on Sting's demo which he recorded in Dublin in the summer of 1980 (which is closer in style to The Police's version).

Just like Demolition Man this song was not used for Zenyatta Mondatta, as it was considered too sentimental. As Sting didn't want to waste his material he let Grace Jones record Demolition Man, while Hot Gossip did their interpretation of I Burn For You.

Strangely enough Last Exit's additional verse can also be heard on Hot Gossip's cover version - which was released in 1981 before The Police even recorded their version.

The Police's recording took place during the Ghost In The Machine recording sessions at AIR Studios. Photos from this period show the band with crew and personnel standing around the microphones - these were taken while recording the chant at the end of The Police's version. Stewart Copeland captured a similar scene on video - it can be seen in his movie Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out.

Andy played an old Gibson ES-335 lefthand combined with a Bolt amplifier from Roland.

The fade in features atmospheric sounds which actually were local tree frogs from Montserrat. The same sounds can be heard on The Tourists' "From The Middle Room" which was recorded at the same studio a few years earlier.

The song was again shelved for another year until it finally saw the light of day on the Brimstone & Treacle soundtrack LP. The movie featured a different version - in 2022 the movie's version was released in full length on the Ghost In The Machine picture disc.

Personnel

  • tree frogs - backing vocals in the fade in


Release History

Albums

I Burn For You appears on the following album releases:

Cover art Album title Release date Release country
Brimstone LP.jpg Brimstone & Treacle 1982-07-01 UK
40px At The Movies 1997-MM-DD Japan
Ghost picture disc.jpg Ghost In The Machine (picture disc) 2022-11-04 worldwide

Singles

CD Singles

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

7" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song/B-side song Release date Release country
Stub.gif 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
Wrapped 12inch.jpg AMX 127 "Wrapped Around Your Finger"/"Someone To Talk To"/"Message In A Bottle" (live)/"I Burn For You" 1983-07-15 UK

Video

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

Cover art Video title Release date Release country
Stub.gif 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.

Now that I have found you
In the coolth of your evening smile
The shade of your parasol
And your love flows through me
Though I drink at your pool
I burn for you
I burn for you

You and I are lovers
And nighttime falls around our bed
In peace we sleep entwined
And your love flows through me
Though an ocean soothes my head
I burn for you
I burn for you

Stars will fall from dark skies
As ancient rocks are turning
Quiet fills the room
And your love flows through me

Though I lie here so still
I burn for you
I burn for you
...

Quotations and trivia

Sting wrote this song in 1975 during a maths lesson when he was still working as a teacher.

Alternative and cover versions

See also

External links

References

sources: Rolling Stone - February 18, 1982 (guitar / amp); Bring On The Night liner notes; Message In A Box liner notes