Sade



Sade (pronounce "shah-DAY") is an English group which achieved success in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In 1984, Sade was created from the ashes of funk band Pride. The band consisted of singer Sade and three musicians: saxophonist/guitarist Stewart Mathewman, bassist Paul Denman and drummer Paul Cooke, who were all originally from Hull. Cooke was sacked, however, before the release of "Diamond Life", which was one of the biggest-selling albums of the 1980s. The band's music features elements of soul, jazz, R&B, quiet storm, soft rock, funk, easy listening and adult contemporary.

The lead vocalist, Sade Adu, is the only woman in the band and is the only one to appear on their album and single covers. Sade's 2000 release, "Lovers Rock", sold 3,881,000 copies in the United States and the prior album, 1992's "Love Deluxe", sold 3,407,000. Since 1984's "Diamond Life" debut, Sade has sold nearly 17 million units in the United States alone, according to Nielsen Sound Scan, and has sold more than 50 million units worldwide to date.

Discography:

 * Diamond Life (1984)
 * Promise (1985)
 * Stronger than Pride (1989)
 * Love Deluxe (1992)
 * Lovers Rock (2000)
 * Soldier of Love (2010)

Notable Songs:

 * No Ordinary Love
 * Cherish the Day
 * Kiss of Life
 * Smooth Operator
 * Paradise
 * Never as Good as the First Time
 * Feel No Pain
 * Nothing Can Come Between Us
 * Is It a Crime
 * Your Love Is King
 * The Sweetest Taboo
 * Keep Looking
 * I Never Thought I'd See the Day-- Some probably remember this song from the beginning part of the strip tease Jamie Lee Curtis gave in True Lies.
 * Bullet Proof Soul
 * Hang on to Your Love

Provides the following tropes:

 * Development Hell: Subverted. The gaps between albums get longer with each new release, but Sade has gone on record saying that they will only record when they feel they have something to say. Only one year (2009) out of the ten between Lovers Rock (2000) and Soldier of Love (2010) was used for recording the latter.
 * Genre Roulette: Mostly Quiet Storm contemporary R&B. But has also done easy listening, Soft Rock, and contemporary Jazz.
 * It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": It's "Sha-DAY" not "Sayde" or "Sad".
 * Kiss of Life: The title of one of Sade's songs.
 * Long Runner Lineup: The same members since 1984.
 * Magnum Opus: Many say Love Deluxe is this.
 * Reclusive Artist: Sade herself. Not much is known about her personal life other than the fact that she has a daughter.
 * In a Vibe magazine interview she denies this. Claiming that she just doesn't hang around celebrity hotspots.
 * Sade Is a Band: It doesn't help that the band was named after the lead singer, and that she's the only one who appears in promotional material.