SELECT SADE

When Sade’s debut album, Diamond Life, came out in 1984 it was a breath of fresh air. Cool, faintly scented air with a murmur of mystery and a caress of sensuality. Everyone was singing along to "Smooth Operator", wafting the single high into the charts. At a time when the giants of synth pop were thumping across the airwaves and filling stadia, Sade Adu and her versatile musical group presented a new version of soul-pop that was as refreshing as a chilled tequila sunrise at sunset. During the eight years from 1984 until 1992 the band released four albums of carefully arranged, beautifully produced ultra-modern lounge soul music that still sounds cool and beguiling today.

The Best Of Sade was released in 1994 and has been a popular introduction to the band’s music ever since. The version on Discrepancy’s turntable today is Sony Music’s 2016 re-issue, which boasts half-speed mastering and is pressed on 180 gram vinyl. It gathers fifteen tracks across two LPs and is a satisfying journey across the first four albums. Astonishingly, it makes you want to have all the originals too.

How does the music manage to be so timeless?

Central to the Sade sound is the liquid silver of Sade Adu’s voice. Melodic yet chilled, the vocalist never gets in a lather about anything… or so it seems. Appearances can be deceiving, as part of the persistent allure of these songs is the the passion simmering under a lush, well-manicured surface. Is the singer a disembodied soul, searching for earthly connection? Perhaps just another bewildered searcher lost amongst the empty trappings of style and opulence, all the while craving substance? This collection is the ultimate example of music that can gently groove along behind cocktail party chatter yet works very well indeed when the volume is stroked upwards and the clean, clear layers fill the space. Listen and the substance is revealed.

Whether it is the wafting sax in "Your Love Is King" (Diamond Life) or the bubbling bass percolating through "No Ordinary Love" (Love Deluxe), these arrangements are spare yet engaging. The atmospheres are carefully assembled, adding an elegance well-suited to Sade’s almost blank vocal style. When the arrangements are bigger (mostly the earlier tracks) they still show finesse and style. "Is It A Crime" (Promise) is a good example. The horn chart that opens the song is pure big band soul, a muted blast that pulls back respectfully when the singer’s breathy vocals enter. The keyboard solo evokes happy hour at the piano bar, but works as a perfect counterpoint to the brass. It’s a fine example of how much there is to enjoy between the notes in the Sade songbook.

The spread of songs from the albums is pretty even; three from Diamond Life and the same from Stronger Than Pride, four from Promise and a generous five from Love Deluxe. There is also a bonus track, a fine rendition of the 1950 Percy Mayfield classic "Please Send Me Someone To Love". This last was lifted from the soundtrack of the film Philadelphia (1993) and is placed amongst the Love Deluxe tracks so as not to finish with a cover version. I appreciate that kind of thoughtfulness, also reflected in a clean layout of the inner gatefold where the musician credits are listed. The thumbnail portraits of the band—Andrew Hale (keyboards), Stuart Matthewman (guitars; sax), and Paul S. Denman (bass)—are welcome too. Because what we tend to remember most is the sound and image of the woman who gave the band their name and its defining feature. The voice belongs to Ms Sade Adu, the band is Sade, and this is indeed some of their best work.

© Bruce Jenkins—August 2023