If You Love Somebody Set Them Free - wikipedia If You Love Somebody Set Them Free `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' 7 - inch vinyl single Single by Sting from the album The Dream of the Blue Turtles B - side `` Another Day '' Released 9 July 1985 Format 7 '' 12 '' Genre Pop rock Length 4 : 14 Label A&M Songwriter ( s ) Sting Producer ( s ) Sting and Peter Smith Sting singles chronology `` Spread a Little Happiness '' ( 1982 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' ( 1985 ) `` Love Is the Seventh Wave '' ( 1985 ) `` Spread a Little Happiness '' ( 1982 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' ( 1985 ) `` Love Is the Seventh Wave '' ( 1985 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' is the first single released from Sting 's solo debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. It is also the opening track of the album, and is featured on Fields of Gold : The Best of Sting 1984 -- 1994 as well as The Very Best of Sting & The Police. Contents 1 Song information 2 Single release 3 Music video 4 Track listings 5 References Song information Like much of the album, the song has heavy jazz influences, and was a major hit, peaking at number one on the US Album Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. On the US pop chart, it peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 17 on the US R&B chart, number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 18 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart. Live performances of the song are featured on the DVD edition of Bring On the Night and on the CD and DVD editions of... All This Time. A portion of the song was later used for Sting 's 1987 hit `` We 'll Be Together '' from... Nothing Like the Sun. The song was also performed at The Brits in February 1995 with M People. He duetted on the song with the band 's lead singer, Heather Small and this track was given the dance treatment by the band who were also backed by a 100 - strong Gospel Choir at the Earls Court Arena during the annual music awards show. Sting said that he wrote the song as an `` antidote '' to the Police 's 1983 song, `` Every Breath You Take '', which he also wrote. The song was also lampooned by The Dead Milkmen in the song `` If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire, '' from their 1990 album Metaphysical Graffiti. Single release The single B - side consists of a studio recording of the song `` Another Day '' which would appear the following year in a live version on Sting 's live album Bring On the Night. The US and France 12 '' singles also contains two remixes of `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' : the `` Jellybean Mix '' by John ' Jellybean ' Benitez and the `` Torch Mix '' by William Orbit of Torch Song. Music video The music video was directed by Godley and Creme in 1985. It was shot in Paris on a soundstage, with each of the musicians performing separately and the footage then overlaid onto the final version. Track listings 7 '' US and Canada single ( AM - 2738 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' -- 4 : 14 `` Another Day '' -- 3 : 59 12 '' US single ( SP - 12132 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' ( Extended Remix by John `` Jellybean '' Benitez ) -- 8 : 00 `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' -- 4 : 14 `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' ( Torch Song Mix, Produced by William Orbit ) -- 4 : 52 `` Another Day '' -- 3 : 59 12 '' US Promotional single ( SP - 17324 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' -- 4 : 14 `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' -- 4 : 14 12 '' France single ( 392 018 - 1 ) `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' ( Torch Song Mix, Produced by William Orbit ) -- 4 : 52 `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' ( Remix by John `` Jellybean '' Benitez ) -- 8 : 00 `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' -- 4 : 14 `` Another Day '' -- 3 : 59 References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 552. Jump up ^ Sting in the UK Charts, The Official Charts. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992 ( Illustrated ed. ). St. Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. p. 295. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988. Jump up ^ sting.com official site Sting Studio albums The Dream of the Blue Turtles... Nothing Like the Sun The Soul Cages Ten Summoner 's Tales Mercury Falling Brand New Day Sacred Love Songs from the Labyrinth If on a Winter 's Night... Symphonicities The Last Ship 57th & 9th EPs Nada Como el Sol Demolition Man Still Be Love in the World Live albums Bring on the Night Acoustic Live in Newcastle... All This Time The Journey and the Labyrinth Live in Berlin Compilations Fields of Gold : The Best of Sting 1984 -- 1994 The Very Best of... Sting & The Police The Best of 25 Years Singles `` If You Love Somebody Set Them Free '' `` Love Is the Seventh Wave '' `` Fortress Around Your Heart '' `` Russians '' `` We 'll Be Together '' `` Be Still My Beating Heart '' `` Englishman in New York '' `` Fragile '' `` They Dance Alone '' `` All This Time '' `` It 's Probably Me '' `` If I Ever Lose My Faith in You '' `` Fields of Gold '' `` Shape of My Heart '' `` All for Love '' `` I 'm So Happy I Ca n't Stop Crying '' `` Brand New Day '' `` Desert Rose '' `` Stolen Car ( Take Me Dancing ) '' `` Whenever I Say Your Name '' `` I Ca n't Stop Thinking About You '' `` The Empty Chair '' Guest singles `` Money for Nothing '' `` Take Me Home '' `` On Silent Wings '' `` Rise & Fall '' `` Always on Your Side '' `` Stolen Car '' Tours Symphonicity Tour ( 2010 -- 11 ) Back to Bass Tour ( 2011 -- 13 ) On Stage Together Tour ( 2014 -- 15 ) Summer 2015 ( 2015 ) Rock Paper Scissors North American Tour ( 2016 ) Summer 2016 ( 2016 ) 57th & 9th Tour ( 2017 ) Theatre 3 Penny Opera ( 1989 ) The Last Ship ( 2014 ) Related articles Discography The Police Discography Last Exit Bring on the Night ( film ) The Living Sea : Soundtrack from the IMAX Film Dolphins `` Until... '' Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_You_Love_Somebody_Set_Them_Free&oldid=777277422 '' Categories : Sting ( musician ) songs 1985 singles Debut singles Billboard Mainstream Rock number - one singles Songs written by Sting ( musician ) Music videos directed by Godley and Creme A&M Records singles Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from December 2014 Use British English from December 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano ქართული Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 26 April 2017, at 07 : 15. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote if you love someone set them free
Answer: Sting