Sade Promise

After two LPs with little or no energy, Sade demonstrated some intensity and fire on her third release. Whether that was just an attempt to change the pace a bit or a genuine new direction, she had more animation in her delivery on such songs as "Haunt Me," "Give It Up," and the hit "Paradise." Not that she was suddenly singing in a soulful or bluesy manner; rather, Sade's dry and introspective tone now had a little more edge, and the lyrics were ironic as well as reflective. This was her third consecutive multi-platinum album, and it matched the two-million-plus sales level of her debut. ~ Ron Wynn

After two LPs with little or no energy, Sade demonstrated some intensity and fire on her third release. Whether that was just an attempt to change the pace a bit or a genuine new direction, she had more animation in her delivery on such songs as "Haunt Me," "Give It Up," and the hit "Paradise." Not that she was suddenly singing in a soulful or bluesy manner; rather, Sade's dry and introspective tone now had a little more edge, and the lyrics were ironic as well as reflective. This was her third consecutive multi-platinum album, and it matched the two-million-plus sales level of her debut. ~ Ron Wynn

Sade's studio recordings are so pristine that plans for a concert album at first sounded more like a way to dig deeper into the gold mine. But rather than simply rehashing a tall stack of romantic pop-R&B hits, Lovers Live documents a surprisingly vibrant live group and its warm namesake (but hardly spotlight-hogging) singer. Taken from two California dates on 2001's Lovers Rock tour, the disc reflects an obvious enthusiasm for returning to the stage after a seven-year break. "The Sweetest Taboo" especially benefits from an infusion of energy, performed at a noticeably faster pace than the already assured original version. That's not the only surprise, as the dubwise "Slave Song" acquires another dimension in this setting. In the end, Live proves much more than a cash-in on an outfit that might drop into another long hiatus at any moment. ~ Rickey Wright

LIFE PROMISE PRIDE LOVE reissues the popular videoclips collection by SADE that was originally released in 1993. On DVD, the viewer now has the option of excellent-sounding, remastered 5.1 sound, plus there are other minor extras (a discography, a biography, chapter access, and an option to display the lyrics on the screen in several languages as the videoclips play)…

Limited double vinyl LP pressing. The Best of Sade is the first greatest hits album by vocalist Sade Adu and her band. It was originally released in November 1994. By Epic Records. Sade formed in London in 1982. However, three of their members were originally from Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Their music features elements of soul, R&B, jazz, soft rock, and funk. Sade's 1984 debut studio album Diamond Life, was a hit internationally, reaching # 1 in several countries and the Top Ten in the US where it has sold in excess of 4 million copies.

When singer Sade and her band of the same name were establishing themselves, their record company, Epic, made a point of printing "Pronounced Shar-day" on the record labels of their releases. Soon enough, the music had no problem with the correct pronunciation. With the breakthrough Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten single "Smooth Operator" propelling the debut Sade album, Diamond Life, to the same spot on the Billboard 200 chart in 1985, the band fast came to epitomize soulful, adult-oriented, sophisti-pop…