SHAGGY AND STING ARE WORKING ON A REGGAE ALBUM!

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Sting is scheduled to perform in Jamaica for the first time at the Shaggy & Friends concert on January 6 at King’s House in St Andrew. The 66-year-old British artist has been affiliated with reggae since the mid-1970’s when he formed The Police.

Shaggy and Sting are working on an album of reggae songs. Shaggy confirmed the project on Wednesday at the launch of Shaggy and Friends.

“We have something working on, but I can’t say anything right now,” Shaggy told Jamaica Observer. “We recently did a song that I had written. His manager heard the song and he played it. Afterwards Sting walked in and began to sing the hook.”

In 1998, Sting came to Jamaica and lay tracks for Another Pyramid, a song he recorded with Sly and Robbie at Anchor Studio in St Andrew. It is part of the Grammy-winning album, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, which also has songs by Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, Tina Turner, Boyz II Men and James Taylor.

The Police’s 1978 album, Outlands d’Armour, contained reggae-inspired tracks such as So Lonely (which was inspired by Bob Marley and The Wailers’ No Woman, No Cry), and Next to You.

Other reggae-influenced tracks from the group include Wrapped Around Your Finger(from their 1983 album Synchronicity), Every Little Thing She Does is Magic and De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da, both of which were Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom.

In 1981, Jamaican singer Sheila Hylton covered the group’s 1979 reggae hit, Bed’s Too Big Without You, which is from their album, Regatta de Blanc.

Hylton’s version, which was released by Island Records, was produced by Harry “Harry J” Johnson and produced by Sly and Robbie. It reached number 35 on the UK chart.

In 1997, American independent company Ark 21 Records released the album Reggatta Mondatta: Reggae Tribute Album to The Police. The 12-track collection featured cover versions of songs by Sting and The Police including Jamaican in New York by Shinehead, Message in A Bottle by Maxi Priest, Can’t Stand Losing You from Steel Pulse, Roxanne by Aswad and Every Breath You Take by Betty Wright.