Desert Rose (Sting song)

"Desert Rose" is a song co-authored by British musician Sting and Algerian songwriter Cheb Rabah (Rabah Zarradine), featuring Algerian raï singer Cheb Mami, from Sting's sixth solo studio album, Brand New Day (1999). According to Sting, the lyrics have to do with "lost love and longing". Riding a wave of pre-9/11 interest in Latin and Arabic cultures,  "Desert Rose" peaked at No. 2 in Canada, No. 3 in Switzerland, No. 4 in Italy, No. 15 in the United Kingdom, and No. 17 in the United States.

Reception
Brand New Day received moderate to positive reviews, with one critic calling it "world-beat". Sting took issue with the classification of Brand New Day as "world music", although he acknowledged the North African feel of "Desert Rose". Reviewers noted that the "exotic" song differed from the rest of the album, and cited it as one of Brand New Day's highlights.

Music video
The music video was directed by Paul Boyd, and features Sting taking a trip through the Mojave Desert in a Jaguar S-Type driven by a masked female chauffeur while recording himself on a JVC GR-DVX4 video camera, and then going to a nightclub in Las Vegas to perform the song with Cheb Mami. Scenes also feature Sting walking alone in the desert holding the camera up. It ends with a shot of Sting with his eyes shut (possibly asleep) in the back seat of the Jaguar, which is then seen driving off into the distance. After shooting the video, Sting's manager Miles Copeland III approached a music licensing maven, Lloyd Simon, to work with Jaguar on a collaboration, and the auto company featured the video in their prominent television advertisements during the year 2000.

Remixes
Also included on the single releases were club remixes by Victor Calderone. One remixed version of the song was used in an alternative edit of the video, which included more sexually explicit footage. The song was later re-released on Sting's later album Duets.

Track listings
UK CD1 (497 240-2)
 * 1) "Desert Rose (radio edit)" – 3:55
 * 2) "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles) – 4:27
 * 3) "Fragile" (live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles) – 4:10
 * 4) "Desert Rose" video (CD-ROM)

UK CD2 (497 241-2)
 * 1) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix radio edit)" – 4:47
 * 2) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)" – 9:21
 * 3) "Desert Rose (Filter Dub Mix)" – 5:21
 * 4) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)" video (CD-ROM)

UK 12-inch (497 241-1)
 * 1) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)"
 * 2) "Desert Rose (Filter Dub Mix)"
 * 3) "Desert Rose" (original)

US CD (0694973212)
 * 1) "Desert Rose (radio edit)" – 3:54
 * 2) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix radio edit)" – 4:44
 * 3) "Brand New Day (Murlyn Extended Mix)" – 5:01
 * 4) "Brand New Day (Murlyn Radio Mix)" – 3:54

Europe CD (497 233-2)
 * 1) "Desert Rose (radio edit)" – 3:54
 * 2) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix)" – 9:20
 * 3) "Desert Rose (Melodic Club Mix radio edit)" – 4:44
 * 4) "Brand New Day (Murlyn Mix)" – 5:01
 * 5) "Brand New Day" video (CD-ROM)