Ten Summoner's Tales

Ten Summoner's Tales
Studio album by Sting
Publication (s)	February 1993
Label (s)	AT THE
Genre (s)	Pop music , rock music
Title (number)	12
running time	52:33
occupation	see cast
production	Hugh Padgham , Sting
chronology The Soul Cages Ten Summoner's Tales Mercury Falling

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

Ten Summoner's Tales   DE 2 03/08/1993 (70 weeks)   AT 1 03/14/1993 (16 weeks)   CH 3 03/14/1993 (17 weeks)   UK 2 03/13/1993 (60 weeks)   US 2 03/27/1993 (68 weeks)

Singles

It's Probably Me (with Eric Clapton )   DE 22nd 09/28/1992 (15 weeks)   CH 16 08/23/1992 (12 weeks)   UK 30th 08/29/1992 (5 weeks) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You   DE 31 02/22/1993 (20 weeks)   CH 16 02/21/1993 (16 weeks)   UK 14th 02/13/1993 (6 weeks)   US 17th 02/20/1993 (20 weeks) Seven Days   UK 25th 04/24/1993 (4 weeks) Fields of Gold   DE 52 07/26/1993 (10 weeks)   CH 25th 08/08/1993 (4 weeks)   UK 16 06/19/1993 (6 weeks)   US 23 06/05/1993 (20 weeks) Shape of My Heart   UK 57 09/04/1993 (1 week) Nothing 'Bout Me   UK 32 02/26/1994 (3 weeks)   US 57 10/02/1993 (11 weeks) Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven)   DE 75 11/15/1993 (5 weeks)

Ten Summoner's Tales (German Ten Tales of the Messenger ) is Sting's fourth studio album without The Police . The title is a play on words between his real name Gordon Sumner and the character of the messenger in the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer .

The album was nominated for the 1993 Mercury Music Prize and the 1994 Grammy Awards for best album of the year.

Cinematic use

The song It's Probably Me , which Sting recorded with Eric Clapton , was used in a different version in the film Lethal Weapon 3 than on the album. This recording was sold as a single and used at the beginning of the film. The resumption on the album was made without the involvement of Clapton.

Furthermore, the song Shape of My Heart was used at the end of the film Léon - The Professional .

Track list

1. Prologue (If I Ever Lose My Faith in You) - 4:29
2. Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven) - 5:09
3. Fields of Gold - 3:40
4. Heavy Cloud No Rain - 3:46
5. She's Too Good for Me - 2:30
6. Seven Days - 4:39
7. Saint Augustine in Hell - 5:17 am
8. It's Probably Me (Sting, Eric Clapton , Michael Kamen ) - 5:08
9. Everybody Laughed but You - 3:52
10. Shape of My Heart ( Dominic Miller , Sting) - 4:38
11. Something the Boy Said - 5:28
12. Epilogue (Nothing 'Bout Me) - 3:41

occupation

• Larry Adler - harmonica
• Brendan Power - Harmonica
• John Barclay - trumpet
• Guy Barker - Trumpet
• Sian Bell - cello
• James Boyd - viola
• Vinnie Colaiuta - drums
• Richard Edwards - trombone
• Simon Fischer - violin
• David Foxxe - short story
• Paul Franklin - pedal steel guitar
• Kathryn Greeley - violin
• Dave Heath - flute
• Dominic Miller - guitar
• Mark Nightingale - trombone
• David Sancious - keyboard instruments
• Sting - vocals, bass, harmonica, saxophone
• Kathryn Tickell - bagpipes, fiddle

Reviews

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album was Sting's first unmistakable pop album since the days of Police ; as an album it is more satisfying in its similarity than anything else in his catalog of works. He gave the album four and a half out of five.

Single releases

• It's Probably Me (with Eric Clapton , 1992)
• If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (1993)
• Nothing 'Bout Me (1993)
• Fields of Gold (1993)
• Love Is Stronger Than Justice (1993)
• Seven Days (1993)

Sales figures and awards

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Germany (BVMI)	gold	250,000
Finland (IFPI)	gold	28,537
France (SNEP)	2 × gold	200,000
Japan (RIAJ)	gold	100,000
Canada (MC)	platinum	100,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)	gold	7,500
Netherlands (NVPI)	gold	50,000
Switzerland (IFPI)	platinum	50,000
Spain (Promusicae)	platinum	100,000
United States (RIAA)	3 × platinum	3,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	2 × platinum	600,000
All in all	7 × gold 8 × platinum	4,475,587

Main article: Sting / Awards for Music Sales

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Release date
2. ↑ US albums: The Billboard Albums by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7
3. ↑ It's probably Me in the Official UK Charts (English)
4. ↑ ^{a b} Chart sources: UK - DE1 - AT - CH - DE2

Web links

• Album review at Allmusic (English)
• stingoop.com
• At Sting.com