Sting’s ‘Tales’: Marking a Million

The Scene: The party Saturday at Spago after Sting’s opening-night concert at the Greek Theatre. The restaurant was also where the British musician received a platinum record award for a million U.S. sales of his latest album, “Ten Summoner’s Tales.”

“Parties like this are part of the job,” said Sting. “But that’s not to say they’re not fun.”

*

Who Was There: Sting and his wife, documentary filmmaker Trudie Styler; A&M; Records CEO Al Cafaro and 250 guests, including Jodie Foster, Don Henley, Jonathan Demme, Branford Marsalis, Christian Slater, Kelly Lynch, Mario Van Peebles and Pierce Brosnan. The majority of guests were record store owners, radio execs and trade press, whom one woman described as “socially challenged.”

“They’re as inadept at working a crowd as we are,” said her friend.

*

Literary Footnote: “Ten Summoner’s Tales” takes its name from a character in Chaucer’s 14th-Century classic, “The Canterbury Tales.” Sting’s name at birth was Gordon Sumner, which is what Summoner evolved into over six centuries. Chaucer’s description of the roguish Summoner--”hot he was and lecherous as a sparrow”--could easily have applied to more than one of the music industry execs at the party.

*

Overheard: A woman telling her friend she was “in that L.A. state where I recognize people I think I know, but I’m going through that existential media thing about whether they’re famous or not.”

*

Dress Mode: Sting’s uniquely wide spectrum of fans was reflected in their dress. Clothes ran the gamut from Donna Karen chic to down-and-out grunge. A microcosm was in the footwear. It ranged from outdoorsy Teva sandals worn with gray wool socks to licentious black spike heels with fishnet stockings.

*

Quoted: Asked about the concert Friday, where he opens for the Grateful Dead in Las Vegas, Sting said he was doing it because “it’s a strange idea that just appeals to me in lots of illogical ways.”

*

Sign of the Times: A middle-age former rock ‘n’ roller said one of his favorite parts of the evening was the post-concert cruise down the Sunset Strip. “Once you procreate and move to the Valley, you don’t get to do things like that anymore.”