Sting, artificial intelligence, and that time the world almost ended
In June 1985, Sting released his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. The third track on the record is one of my favorite tracks of all time, the song “Russians”:
Sting went on to earn a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and one for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for that record. And the backing music on the song is so typically Russian. In fact, Sting claims that he borrowed it directly from Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Interestingly, and although I’m not sure when it was originally recorded, there is audio of a concert, posted on YouTube back in 2010, where Sting explains that the song originated from watching pirated Soviet TV with his friend Kenny:
For so many reasons this song resonates with me, it reminds me of my childhood, it has a connection to…
