Shaggy’s New Album To Put Reggae Spin On Ten Iconic Frank Sinatra Songs, Produced By Sting
Following the Grammy Award for their collaborative album, 44/876, rock icon Sting and dancehall/reggae legend Shaggy have joined forces again for Com Fly Wid Mi. The new album, produced by 17-time Grammy Award winner Sting, features Shaggy singing the Frank Sinatra songbook in a reggae style and will be released May 25 on all digital platforms.
Com Fly Wid Mi was born out of a “crazy idea” Sting had while on tour with Shaggy a few years ago. The new album boasts reggae interpretations of some of ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ most beloved songs, kicking off with the uplifting ode to resilience “That’s Life,” followed by “Come Fly with Me.”
The album also includes the sultry, “That Old Black Magic,” the metaphoric euphoria of being in love embodied on “Fly Me to the Moon,” and the misery of lost love on “Angel Eyes.” “Luck Be a Lady,” “Witchcraft,” and “Under My Skin,” among other fan favorites, are also featured with the album’s full tracklisting:
COM FLY WID MI TRACKLIST
- That’s Life
- Come Fly with Me
- That Old Black Magic
- Fly Me to the Moon
- Luck Be a Lady
- You Make Me Feel So Young
- Under My Skin
- Saturday Night
- Witchcraft
- Angel Eyes
- Witchcraft (guitar/voice) *BONUS TRACK
Sting explained in a release, “This idea of getting my friend to sing ten iconic songs from the Frank Sinatra songbook in a reggae style had been brewing for a while…I know, it sounds crazy! But every time the idea crossed my mind, it made me smile. And what does the world need now, more than anything else…something to smile about!”
“I’ve always been a Sinatra fan,” said Shaggy. “As a child, Frank’s music was often playing in our house and on Sundays, all of the Jamaican radio stations would play the greats – Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, et cetera.” He continues, “It’s great to be working with Sting again. He’s the brother I never knew I needed!”
Sting added, “The reason reggae may work here is because there’s a joy and energy about it which is similar to the energy that Frank’s music had at its summit. You know the songs, you know the voice, you just never expected this. He’s not trying to be Frank, he’s Shaggy. So, relax and let that smile soothe the cares of the world away.”
To celebrate the album’s release, a special limited access, one night only performance will take place at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City on May 26.
For the new album, the pair – both managed by The Cherrytree Music Company – hand-picked a group of revered reggae, jazz and mainstream musicians and enlisted musical director, Rob Mathes (Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Fall Out Boy, Luciano Pavarotti, Celine Dion) and producer/musician, Steven “Lenky” Marsden (Sean Paul, Sly & Robbie, Smash Mouth, Jimmy Cliff, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer) to arrange the songs. Recorded in Miami and Jamaica, Com Fly Wid Mi was engineered by Grant Valentine, Earl Smith Jr. & Garfield McDonald and mixed by Robert “Hitmixer” Orton.