Hi all

found this on VH1 today. the URL is  http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1472009/05212003/blige_mary_j.jhtml

He's already done the jazz and world music thing, so now Sting is going for some R&B flavor. On his upcoming album, Sacred Love, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer duets with Mary J. Blige on the song "Whenever I Say Your Name."



The dynamic duo first hooked up at the 2001 My VH1 Awards, where they brought down the house with a version of Sting's "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free." Sting was so enamored of Blige's gospel throwdown at the end of the performance that he knew he wanted her on his next album, according to a Blige spokesperson.

The album, due September 23, also features a guest performance from sitar player Anoushka Shankar on the song "Book of My Life."

The former Police frontman's seventh solo album, co-produced by Sting and his longtime keyboardist/producer, Kipper, is the follow-up to 1999's slow-burn hit Brand New Day, which got a kick-start when the song "Desert Rose" was used in a Jaguar commercial. The first single from Sacred Love is "Send Your Love," which is expected to debut at radio in late July.

After completing recording sessions in Paris, Sting and his band filmed material for a live DVD at the singer's Malibu, California, home and at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles last week. The DVD will feature a mixture of new material and a few oldies, as well as surprise guests, commentary, and behind-the-scenes and documentary footage, according to a spokesperson for Sting. Blige filmed a performance for the DVD during the Mayan Theater sessions. A documentary on the making of the album will air on the A&E channel in early October, and the DVD will follow on October 7.

Sting's official Web site will soon begin posting a wealth of "making of" footage, outtakes and behind-the-scenes photos, as well as a preview of the DVD and early snippets of "Send Your Love." A world tour is slated to begin in early 2004.

The collabo with Blige won't be the first recorded R&B hookup for the 51-year-old rocker. He can currently be heard singing with British star Craig David on his hit "Rise and Fall." The pair performed the song together at L.A.'s Wango Tango Festival on Saturday.

Sting is tentatively slated to contribute a song to the soundtrack of the Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Jude Law film "Cold Mountain," which features an acting cameo from Jack White of the White Stripes.