When We Dance

---

title: "When We Dance" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1994-singles", "1994-songs", "a&m-records-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-howard-greenhalgh", "polydor-records-singles", "songs-written-by-sting-(musician)", "sting-(musician)-songs"] description: "1994 single by Sting" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_We_Dance" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1994 single by Sting ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
title	When We Dance
type	single
cover	Sting_When_We_Dance_CD1.jpeg
artist	Sting
album	Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994
released
studio	Lake House (Wiltshire)
length	5:59
label	A&M
writer	Sting
prev_title	Nothing 'Bout Me
prev_year	1994
next_title	This Cowboy Song
next_year	1995
misc
::

| title = When We Dance | type = single | cover = Sting_When_We_Dance_CD1.jpeg | artist = Sting | album = Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 | released = | recorded = | studio = Lake House (Wiltshire) | length = 5:59 | label = A&M | writer = Sting | producer =

• Hugh Padgham
• Sting | prev_title = Nothing 'Bout Me | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = This Cowboy Song | next_year = 1995 | misc =

"When We Dance" is a song by English musician Sting. It was released as a single on 17 October 1994 by A&M Records and is one of two new tracks included on his first greatest hits album, Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 (1994), alongside "This Cowboy Song". The song was co-produced by Sting with Hugh Padgham, and became his only solo top 10 hit in his native UK and reached the top 40 in five other countries. It was promoted with a music video directed by Howard Greenhalgh.

Background

Described by Sting as a "generic ballad", "When We Dance" was written specifically to be included as a new track for the Fields of Gold compilation. The song reportedly took a year to write: "I had the melody around for a whole year before I thought of what to do with it... Then it just fell in place. It wasn't one of those songs written in five minutes."

Upon its release, "When We Dance" peaked at number 9 in the UK, becoming Sting's only top ten solo single in his home country. It also reached the top ten in Canada (number 10) and Ireland (number 9). The song was less successful in the US, peaking at number 38.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine complimented the song as a "lovely pop ballad, which rides a wonderful contrast between poignance and romance. Sting has rarely sounded so warm and engaging, swirling around lilting keyboards and delicate acoustic strumming. Comfortably deep in the pocket of current radio trends without sounding contrived, richly produced single will likely meet with instant and ardent approval at several formats." Cashbox felt that the single "lacked the punch his earliest solo material had" and expressed disappointment over Sting's perceived pivot toward adult contemporary music. They also identified a "pleasant peacefulness" to the song they anticipated would become endearing to listeners.

Track listing

All tracks written by Sting.

• CD1

1. "When We Dance" (Edit) – 4:55
2. "Fortress Around Your Heart" (Hugh Padgham Remix) – 4:10
3. "When We Dance" (Album Version) – 5:59
4. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Soulpower Mix) – 7:00

• CD2

1. "When We Dance" (Edit) – 4:55
2. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Soulpower Radio Mix) – 4:34
3. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Soulpower Deep Dub) – 8:19
4. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Soulpower Hip Hop Mix) – 5:37

• Maxi–single (Europe)

1. "When We Dance" (Edit) – 4:55
2. "Fortress Around Your Heart" (Hugh Padgham Remix) – 4:10
3. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Soulpower Mix) – 7:00
4. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (Soulpower Deep Dub) – 8:19

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1994) | Peak position | Europe (European AC Radio) | Europe (European Hit Radio) | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | Italy (Musica e dischi) | UK Airplay (Music Week) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | | | 11 | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1994)	Position	UK Singles (OCC)
139
::

Release history

::data[format=table]

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.	United Kingdom	Australia	Japan
17 October 1994		A&M
31 October 1994
2 November 1994	Mini-CD	A&M
1 January 1995	Maxi-CD
::

References

References

1. Barber, Nicholas. (November 1994). "Interview: The Independent on Sunday (1994)".
2. Borzillo, Carrie. (October 1994). "Hits Set Mines Sting's Gold".
3. Flick, Larry. (22 October 1994). "Single Reviews: Pop".
4. (22 October 1994). "Pop Singles".
5. (17 December 1994). "Adult Contemporary Europe Top 25".
6. (10 December 1994). "EHR Top 40".
7. Pennanen, Timo (2021). ""Sting". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960-30.6.21 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 247".
8. (24 November 1994). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 Vikan 24.-29.11 '94". [[DV (newspaper).
9. "Classifiche". [[Musica e dischi]].
10. (12 November 1994). "The Airplay Chart".
11. (7 January 1995). "1994 – Singles".
12. (15 October 1994). "Single Releases".
13. (30 October 1994). "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 31/10/94: Singles".
14. "スティング {{!}} ホエン・ウイ・ダンス". [[Oricon]].
15. "スティング {{!}} ホエン・ウイ・ダンス". Oricon.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::