Sting’s Nothing Like the Sun was recorded between March and August 1987 at AIR Studios Montserrat and completed at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. The album marked a major step forward in recording technology for Sting, embracing full digital multitrack production while maintaining the warmth and musicianship of live performance. Co-produced by Sting and engineer Neil Dorfsman, with additional input from Bryan Loren and Hugh Padgham, the sessions brought together state-of-the-art studio gear, digital tape machines, and an exceptional cast of musicians to create one of the most refined and sonically detailed albums of the decade.
At AIR Montserrat, Dorfsman recorded the project using two synchronised Mitsubishi X-850 32-track digital tape recorders, providing 64 digital tracks in total. This setup allowed for intricate layering, submixes, and “slave reels” containing alternate takes or overdubs, a huge creative advantage at the time. The Mitsubishi machines, running at 50.4 kHz on ½-inch digital tape, delivered a level of clarity, stability, and noise-free dynamic range that was unmatched by analogue recording. The multitracks were fed through AIR’s SSL 4000E console, chosen for its automation, precision EQ, and dynamics control, giving Dorfsman and Sting the ability to shape dense arrangements without sacrificing definition.
The sessions featured Sting’s touring band augmented by an impressive roster of guests: Manu Katché on drums, Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, Branford Marsalis on saxophone, and bassist Daryl Jones formed the core ensemble, joined by guitarists Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Hiram Bullock, and Andy Summers. The recordings captured these performances in remarkable detail, with Dorfsman using premium microphones throughout, typically Neumann U87s and AKG C414s on overheads, Shure SM57 on snare, AKG D12 on kick, and Neumann U67 for Sting’s vocals. The drums were tracked in AIR’s main live room, with ambient mics set back several metres to capture the natural space of the room and enhanced through AMS RMX16 and EMT 250 digital reverbs. Dorfsman used careful gating and EQ to maintain control without losing dynamics, producing a drum sound that was crisp, full, and deeply musical.
Sting’s vocals were recorded through a Neumann U67 running into Neve preamps and a UREI 1176 compressor. Subtle use of AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay and Lexicon 224 reverb created the sense of space characteristic of the record without masking his tone. Keyboards, played primarily by Kenny Kirkland, came from Yamaha DX7, Kurzweil, and Synclavier systems, recorded directly into the console and treated with Roland Dimension D chorus and AMS digital reverb for depth.
The Synclavier also played a crucial role in the arrangement process, Sting used it for composition, sound design, and as a sequencing hub for programming and layering elements before they were transferred to the Mitsubishi recorders. Guitars from Clapton, Knopfler, and Summers were tracked through analogue compressors such as dbx 160 and LA-2A, often using DI and amp combinations, with additional colour provided by Roland SDE-3000 and Boss CE-1 effects.
Mixing took place at Le Studio on an SSL 4000G console, with Dorfsman applying the same meticulous attention to stereo imaging, EQ, and dynamic control that had characterised his work with Dire Straits and Sting’s earlier solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Analogue outboard gear, including AMS RMX16, EMT 250, Lexicon 480L, and Eventide H910 Harmonizer, was used to create the lush ambience and dimension that defined the album’s sound. The combination of pristine digital multitrack recording and analogue signal processing produced a mix that felt both expansive and intimate. The album was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York, whose transparent approach preserved the full frequency range and spatial clarity of Dorfsman’s mixes.
Released in October 1987, Nothing Like the Sun became one of Sting’s most acclaimed and commercially successful works. Tracks like Englishman in New York, They Dance Alone, and Fragile demonstrated how advanced digital technology could coexist with expressive, organic performance. The album’s sound was pristine yet human, reflecting the best of late-1980s production: Mitsubishi 32-track digital recorders for precision, SSL automation for control, and analogue reverbs and delays for warmth and depth.