{"id":5422,"date":"2010-11-10T00:00:04","date_gmt":"2010-11-10T04:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=5422"},"modified":"2010-12-01T10:54:01","modified_gmt":"2010-12-01T15:54:01","slug":"gonzo%e2%80%99s-gems-sade-%e2%80%9csoldier-of-love%e2%80%9d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=5422","title":{"rendered":"Gonzo\u2019s Gems: Sade \u201cSoldier Of Love\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Sam \u201cGonzo\u201d Gonzales<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had fallen asleep on the living room couch while watching countless hours of \u201cLive Aid\u201c.\u00a0 \u201cLive Aid\u201d was the multi-venue concert which simultaneously aired in the United States and United Kingdom on July 13, 1985.\u00a0 The mega-concert had been billed as the \u201cGlobal Jukebox\u201d.\u00a0 I remember being awaken gently by the soulful sound of Sade singing \u201cIs It A Crime\u201d.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Her sultry, easy vocals were gorgeous!\u00a0 Fully awake now, I watched and listened to the rest of her performance.\u00a0 She was a stunning beauty whose looks and voice were both sophisticated and cool.\u00a0 I was deeply impressed to say the least and \u201cIs It A Crime\u201d became and remains my favorite Sade song to this very day.<\/p>\n

Sade was born Helen Folsade Adu on January 16, 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria.\u00a0 At the age of 18 she completed school and moved to London where she began studying at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.\u00a0 It was while she was there that she joined and sang backing vocals for a funk band named Pride.\u00a0\u00a0 Eventually, her solo performances attracted the attention of record companies and in 1983 she signed a solo deal with Epic Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiamond Life\u201d, released in 1984, proved to be a very strong debut for Sade.\u00a0 For the first time, the world was hearing Sade\u2019s distinctive voice over a band playing a Jazz\/R&B hybrid sound with a pop feel.\u00a0 The album was packed with superb songs such as \u201cSmooth Operator\u201d, \u201dYour Love Is King\u201d and \u201cWhy Can\u2018t We Live Together\u201c.\u00a0 The album kicks off with \u201cSmooth Operator\u201d.\u00a0 The song opens with tom-toms, bass and sax layered in before we hear Sade sing about a smooth operator\u2026\u00a0 a gigolo.\u00a0 Next is the beautiful love song, \u201cYour Love Is King\u201d.\u00a0 Sade sings, \u201cYour love is king\u2026\u00a0 Crown you with my heart\u2026\u00a0 Your love is king\u2026\u00a0 You\u2019re the ruler of my heart\u2026\u201d.\u00a0 Great songs, but the Gem of the album is the beautiful \u201cWhy Can\u2019t We Live Together\u201d.\u00a0 With the instrumentation easing in a layered fashion, first tom-toms, then bass, keyboard and guitar, a smooth rhythm plays for a full 2 minutes before we hear Sade sing a lyrical plea for peace and unity.\u00a0 \u201cDiamond Life\u201d went on to sell 2 million copies.<\/p>\n

Sade\u2019s sophomore album, \u201cPromise\u201d, released on December 21, 1985, continued in the same vein as its predecessor with a set of equally strong Quasi-jazz songs, such as the big hit, \u201cSweetest Taboo\u201d and the beautiful sounding \u201cNever As Good As The First Time\u201d and \u201cIs It A Crime\u201d.\u00a0 The first track, \u201cIs It A Crime\u201d, is the song that started my love for Sade\u2019s music.\u00a0 I am immediately transported back to 1985 whenever I hear this beautiful song about unrequited love.\u00a0 It\u2018s soothing piano and seductive sax sounding just as exciting as when I first heard it on \u201cLive Aid\u201c.\u00a0 Next, \u201cThe Sweetest Taboo\u201d opens and ends with the sound of falling rain and add to the feel of the song and the lyrics, \u201cI\u2019d do anything for you\u2026\u00a0 I\u2019d stand out in the rain\u2026\u00a0 Anything you want me to do\u2026\u201d\u00a0 \u201cNever As Good As The First Time\u201d sounds tropical and fresh.\u00a0 Sade was on a roll and \u201cPromise\u201d eventually went triple platinum.<\/p>\n

Now for a lost Gem, 1986\u2019s \u201cKiller Blow\u201d, from the movie, \u201cAbsolute Beginners\u201d.\u00a0 What a great song!\u00a0 I\u2019m still amazed that it has not seen the light of day on any of\u00a0 Sade\u2019s albums.\u00a0 \u201cKiller Blow\u201c is probably the most jazziest sounding song in the Sade catalogue.\u00a0 In the movie, Sade and the band make a cameo appearance, playing \u201cKiller Blow\u201d in a jazzy, nightclub setting.\u00a0 The bass pumps, the ivories tinkle, the sax sounds out in key and appropriate places and Sade sings, \u201cNever thought she\u2019d have to go\u2026\u00a0 Never thought she\u2019d leave\u2026\u00a0 It came like a killer blow\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStronger Than Pride\u201d, released on June 4, 1988, found Sade and the band switching its songwriting approach.\u00a0 The songs were simpler, using only 3 to 4 chords on a majority of the songs.\u00a0 It\u2018s stripped down and sparse approach left the album sounding a little bit edgier than her two previous outings.\u00a0 The hits here were \u201cLove Is Stronger Than Pride\u201d and \u201cParadise\u201d, but the Gem was \u201cClean Heart\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cClean Heart\u201d is breezy, clean and crisp.\u00a0 Be aware though, the sound and feel of the song is in direct contrast to the dark lyrics and theme of a man enmeshed in a life of crime.\u00a0 \u201cAnd then he straightened his belt\u2026\u00a0 With a lover\u2019s touch\u2026\u00a0 And he said I\u2019m gonna bring home\u2026\u00a0 The things that are out of your clutch\u2026\u201d\u00a0 \u201cStronger Than Pride\u201d became Sade\u2019s third consecutive multi-platinum album.<\/p>\n

Sade returned four years later with 1992\u2018s \u201cLove Deluxe\u201d.\u00a0 Less jazzy than her previous efforts, we find minimal sax and an insistent drum beat that sets the tone for the songs.\u00a0 \u201cLove Deluxe\u201d fared very well, immediately spawning the hit \u201cNo Ordinary Love\u201d.\u00a0 The song is hauntingly beautiful as Sade yearns and sings, \u201cI keep crying\u2026\u00a0 I keep trying for you baby\u2026\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing like you and I baby\u2026\u00a0 This is no ordinary love.\u201d\u00a0 All the while an ominous sounding guitar lingers threateningly in the background.\u00a0 \u201cLove Deluxe\u201d also included the hit \u201cCherish The Day\u201d.\u00a0 Tastefully restrained guitar accents are found throughout the song.\u00a0 And quite the impact some fella made to inspire the following lyrics:\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re ruling the way that I move\u2026\u00a0 You take my air\u2026\u00a0 You show me how deep love can be\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Dazzling song!\u00a0 I\u2019d like to shake that man\u2019s hand.\u00a0 The Gem from this release is \u201cKiss Of Love\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s a beautiful love song that sounds meaningful.\u00a0 It has to be heard to be appreciated fully.\u00a0 \u201cLove Deluxe\u201d went on to sell over a million copies in the first months of it\u2019s release.\u00a0 It remained on the Billboard Charts for 90 weeks and the single, \u201cNo Ordinary Love\u201d earned the Grammy for Best R&B Duo or Group Performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Best Of Sade\u201d, released on November 26, 1994, contained all of Sade\u2019s hits and one previously unreleased song, the outstanding, \u201cPlease Send Me Someone To Love\u201d.\u00a0 What a Gem!\u00a0 Originally written and recorded by Percy Mayfield in 1950, Sade covers this slow, blues ballad about world conflict and a personal plea for love.\u00a0 The lyric is sung as a prayer:\u00a0 \u201cHeaven please send to all mankind\u2026\u00a0 Understanding and peace of mind\u2026\u00a0 And if it\u2018s not asking too much\u2026\u00a0 Please send me someone to love\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLover\u2019s Rock\u201d, released on November 14, 2000, picks up where \u201cLove Deluxe\u201d left off.\u00a0 This album continues in the urban mode with Sade\u2018s restrained and haunting vocals over smooth, magnificent tracks.\u00a0 On her first single, \u201cBy Your Side\u201d, we find her singing about the redemptive powers of love.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you\u2019re lost and you\u2019re all alone\u2026\u00a0 And you can\u2019t get back again\u2026\u00a0 I will find you darling\u2026\u00a0 And I will bring you home\u2026\u201d\u00a0 And the standout song, \u201cAll About Our Love\u201d is a reggae-pop love song of the finest order.\u00a0 \u201cLovers Rock\u201d earned Sade a Grammy Award and an American Music Award in 2002.<\/p>\n

This year, eight years after her last studio album, Sade released her sixth album, \u201cSoldier Of Love\u201d.\u00a0 We find her pushing the envelope as the band uses sounds not familiar to most fans of the band.\u00a0 The album flows evenly from song to song.\u00a0 When asked about the long gaps of time between albums, Sade had this to say, \u201cI only make records when I feel I have something to say.\u00a0 I\u2019m not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something.\u201d\u00a0 Over the years, Sade has been heavily criticized for not showing a wider range in voice and style.\u00a0 The truth is Sade\u2019s understated elegance, melancholy approach and subtle restrained style distinguish her from other singers.\u00a0 Sade has created extraordinary music and an impressive body of work.\u00a0 The lyrics to \u201cThe Moon And The Sky\u201d from her latest CD says it all.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll always know the reason why the song you heard will stay in your mind.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t gonna let you go.\u00a0 No, cos you were the moon and I the endless sky.\u201d\u00a0 Sade is a soldier of love.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>(DVD)\u00a0 \u201cLovers Live\u201c
\n(CDs)\u00a0 \u201cPromise\u201c\u00a0 and \u201cLove Deluxe\u201d
\n(Songs)\u00a0 Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King, Why Can\u2019t We Live Together, Is It A Crime, The Sweetest Taboo, Never As Good As The First Time, Killer Blow, Love Is Stronger Than Pride, Paradise, Clean Heart, No Ordinary Love, Cherish The Day, Kiss Of Love, Please Send Me Someone To Love, By Your Side, All About Our Love, and The Moon And The Sky<\/strong>
\n[youtube v\/NYz8xs163YU?fs]<\/p>\n

To Send \u201cGonzo\u201d A Suggestion For An Article On Your Favorite Musician or Group<\/a><\/p>\n

Advertise Now On RSR<\/a><\/p>\n

Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sam \u201cGonzo\u201d Gonzales I had fallen asleep on the living room couch while watching countless hours of \u201cLive Aid\u201c.\u00a0 \u201cLive Aid\u201d was the multi-venue concert which simultaneously aired in the United States and United Kingdom on July 13, 1985.\u00a0 The mega-concert had been billed as the \u201cGlobal Jukebox\u201d.\u00a0 I remember being awaken gently by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1883,2030,2031,2032,2028,2029],"class_list":["post-5422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boxing-news","tag-gonzos-gems","tag-is-it-a-crime","tag-no-ordinary-love","tag-r-b","tag-sade","tag-smooth-operator"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5422"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5799,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5422\/revisions\/5799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}