SADE

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[01/16/08]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You briefly resurfaced with the Voices For Darfur tribute and we had hope of seeing you again. Alas, it was not to be. Continue to enjoy life and a very, very happy birthday to you.

[01/16/07]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

We still miss you terribly. I heard that you wrote a song for some cause last year but I am having trouble finding any details. If you did, hopefully it will get your creative juices going again and you will come back to us. Regardless, hope you have a great birthday and many, many more.

[01/16/06]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Best wishes to The Lady. We certainly hope you had a fabulous day and are truly enjoying life to the fullest. We miss you and would love to see you again. Enjoy.

[01/16/05]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Best wishes to The Lady. Even though we have no idea if we will ever hear from you again, know that there are those of us fans of yours who will forever remained touched by the wonderful songs that you have given to us. All the best and many, many more.

[06/20/04]

Cottonbelly takes the stage

As most if not all of you know, Stuart has an alter ego known as Cottonbelly. He's been promising us an album of the great work that he does under that moniker. Well it is finally here. On June 29th you will be able to pick up NYC Sessions 1993-2004: X Amounts of Niceness. Track listing is:

1. Edge Test 1 - Cottonbelly
2. The Only Redeemer - Noiseshaper Remix
3. Night Nurse - Gregory Issacs Remix
4. Take Me Away - Sky-Fi feat. Manjit Remix
5. Don't Move - Cottonbelly
6. By Your Side - Sade Remix
7. Real Inspiration - Cottonbelly
8. Luxury - Maxwell Remix
9. The Story of Us - Seek Remix
10. Africa - Cirque Du Soleil Remix
11. I Hear You Dreaming - Ananda Project Remix
12. Intense Dub - Cottonbelly
13. Speechless - Cottonbelly
14. Give Thanks And Praise - Cottonbelly



Also, the Sweetback Stage 2 release is finally hitting stores this week on June 22nd.

[01/16/04]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Its come around again with still no signs of The Lady. Not a biggie. We serious Sade fans are a patient bunch. She turns forty five today. Of course we sincerely wish The Lady an amazing day and hope that she is having a wonderful time.

Also don't forget to check out Sweetback's relaunched site here for more info about their upcoming new release and track snippets. The complete track listing will be as follows:

1 Voodoo Breath (Master's Love)
2 Lover
3 Circles
4 All My Days With You
5 Mountain
6 Things You'll Never Know
7 Blue Heights
8 Love Is The Word
9 Jesus Girl
10 Circus Waltz
11 Round And Round
12 Sing To Be Safe
13 Shining Hour

[01/14/04]

SWEETBACK STAGE 2

I just got my hands on a promo for the forthcoming Sweetback release. It is going to be called Stage 2. The promo has four songs on it with most of them having lead vocals by Aya. The four songs are very different from the tracks on the first Sweetback CD. The immediate standout to me is Love is the Word with a serious thumping bass line and some interpolations from Grease and What You Won't Do For Love. I'm looking forward to hearing the entire album which should be out this Spring.



[12/03/03]

SWEETBACK UPDATE!

Just got word that both the Cottonbelly and Sweetback CDs will definitely both be out in March 2004. Once the albums hit, Sweetback will be doing some live shows and Cottonbelly will do some club guest DJ gigs. Looks like we will have to hang in there a bit longer but next Spring should finally provide some relief to those of us who have been having serious withdrawal pains in the absence of new releases. A new Sweetback web site will also be launched in the new year.

[03/06/03]

SWEETBACK NEWS

SWEETBACK is finally back in the studio recording their 2nd CD!

Working with them at the moment are ..Chocolate Genius and a new artist called AYA, as well as other guest artists dropping in now and again!

They have a new more dynamic sound with drummer Bruce Smith who has played with (among others) P.I.L ,The Slits , The Pop Group and Sweetback on their last live gigs. They are going to try and get it released in OCT.

They are just starting to work on a new website that should be up in a few weeks with clips from the studio and rare tracks.

STUART has a new music score in the movie NORTHFORK. It was written and directed by the Polish Brothers and stars Nick Nolte and James Woods. It made its debut at the Sundance film festival and will be released in early Summer with an accompanying CD release.

ANDREW recently composed the music for the new No. 1 Playstation game GETAWAY.

PAUL has spent most of the last year managing his son Joe's band ORANGE.

COTTONBELLY is having a hard time getting his compilation CD released as various Record companies are collapsing, but will get it out somehow by fall. (He promises, honest)


[02/01/03]

I recently received a preview copy of the first solo release from long time Sade producer Robin Millar. I've been grooving to it for a few days now and I'm not quite sure how to indicate my reaction to it. I love parts of it and I don't like other parts of it. There is no question that Millar is a master producer of music. This album makes that abundantly clear. My only complaint is with the vocals. I'm not sure however, if as I said in my Sweetback review a few years back, I am just longing to hear The Lady up front. Millar's vocals don't really do it for me. However the album is strangely inviting to me with a series of well produced and sonically pleasing tracks that just draw me in and keep me facinated. A remake of the Sade hit Sweetest Taboo is included and Millar definitely puts his own stamp on it. Outstanding tracks to me include Sing It Brother which opens the album very strongly. In addition the Bossa Nova tinged A New Wave is superb, and the instrumental tracks 98% and Crocodile are standouts. The album is due to be released on April 28th, 2003 on the NuJaz label. For more information on this release or on Robin Millar you can check www.robinmillar.info.



[01/16/03]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

All the best to The Lady. Even though she has disappeared again, we all eagerly await her re-surfacing to spend some more time with us. Have a really great birthday.

[05/01/02]

Well as you have probably noticed the site has moved. I've been planning on a fairly simple re-design for some time now but just haven't found the time to sit down and get it done. I was planning to move the site and launch the re-design at the same time but it was dragging on and on. Anyway, the site is safely ensconced in its new home and the re-design (if I ever get to it) should follow at some point.

Now for some news. Two items were spotted on the Cottonbelly web site. First, Cottonbelly (Stuart) will release a compilation of remixes and rare tracks (including the full remix of By Your Side) in the fall of 2002. Secondly, and finally, Sweetback will also start recording a new CD in the fall of 2002 as well. Cool.

[03/05/02]

Second update today. I got home and like many Sade fans today I popped in the new DVD and prepared to relive the concert. While the concert is awesome, I was struck (well bowled over is more like it) by the music playing under the video footage of The Band Walking. Thankfully the info about what it was is listed at the end of the segment. It is By Your Side - Cottonbelly Remix. It absolutely rocks. I've been listening to pretty much nothing else for the last hour or so. I guess I'll eventually get to see the whole concert but for now I continue to groove to this. The nice thing is the song plays against a silent background over the footage so you can really hear the music. Awesome. The master knocks another one out of the park. Get this as soon as possible.

The DVD of Lovers Live finally hit stores today after being pushed back a bit. In addition to the concert we get the video to King of Sorrow and a backstage glimpse of The Lady and the band. Very cool. Be sure to check it out.

On a different note, delayed congratulations to Sade for taking home a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for Lovers Live. How's that for a welcome back?

[02/07/02]

My own thoughts on this is that it is getting a little ridiculous and I am unhappy with the marketing choice that was made. It has been brought to my attention that there are even more "exclusive" release versions of Lovers Live (Thanks Bob). Borders has a version that contains King of Sorrow and Wherehouse has a version that contains Lovers Rock. I'll say it again, I think this will frustrate and annoy fans. Big fans like myself will feel exploited by having to buy several copies of a release to get all the music from a particular artist whose work we may adore. This ploy may have been viewed by the marketing department as a good way to increase revenue, but ultimately I think that it will have the opposite effect. A few diehard fans may attempt to accumulate all the different versions but I believe that most fans won't care to. In fact, I believe that fans will ultimately be more cautious in rushing out to purchase new releases. With this type of marketing how can a fan be sure that the version he or she might first purchase is in fact the version that they might want. For example, if a person was to rush out to buy a new release and find it had a bonus track, they might at first be quite pleased. However, if a couple days later they find out that another version exists with a different bonus track that they actually prefer, their pleasure might turn to something else. A big fan might buy both. A more casual fan might simply be annoyed and adopt the old adage of "burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice, shame on me". To then find out about a third, fourth, or even more versions might be viewed as unforgiveable. I guess there is no other way to say it but I resent having to buy the Lovers Live release four times over to get all the released tracks (that I know about so far). As a matter of fact, as I write this I am not sure if I am going to pick up the second, third and fourth versions that I have found out about.

There is no other artist who I follow as closely as I follow Sade so I am not sure if the music industry has been doing this for some time and I just wasn't aware of it. I know that I have seen releases with muliple versions of different cover artwork. I've also seen releases with bonus tracks exclusive to a specific retailer before. However I've never seen this many releases with different sets of bonus tracks. With music sales down across the industry one would think that the music labels would be doing things to court the music buying public rather than things to alienate them.

[02/05/02]

Well it's here. I can never get enough of Sade. The CD of Lovers Live is in stores and it sounds great. Mike Pela is once again behind the audio mix and it sounds awesome. Stuart comes alive and rocks on the guitar and (most welcomed) on the sax as well. Paul simply rips it to shreds on the bass, and Andrew dazzles on the keyboards as usual. The audiences (the tracks were culled from shows in Anaheim and Inglewood, CA) are obviously having a really good time. You must pick this up. It does not disappoint.

The marketing however, gives pause for thought. I picked up my first copy at Circuit City. They advertised the version that they are carrying as having two additional tracks that are exclusive to them. Their version includes a second disc that has the additional tracks Immigrant and It's Only Love That Get's You Through. Also, as mentioned yesterday, Best Buy has a version with bonus tracks as well. Their version has the extra tracks Cherry Pie and Every Word. Of course any avid fan and Sade completist (like myself) will want to acquire both versions. At this point I am not aware of any other stores that have additional versions that might have any other bonus tracks. I'm not sure if I like where this is headed. Back when Lovers Rock was released Target stores had a bonus disc with their version but it was the only additional version that was released to the best of my knowledge. That being the case, fans didn't have to shell out funds to get multiple versions and then end up with multiple copies of the main disc. The additional tracks are all also going to be on the DVD which has the complete 22 song set list that was played on the Lovers Rock tour. My own suggestion would have been to do a double CD release with all 22 tracks. I know that double CDs don't usually sell as many copies as single disc releases and the opportunities for stores to talk about having "exclusive" versions wouldn't have been there, but fans would have been less frustrated. The additional tracks could have also been held and released with future single or album releases. Anyway, what's done is done.

[02/04/02]

Just a reminder that the Lovers Live CD drops tomorrow. In the U.S. there are two stores that are offering versions with extra tracks. Circuit City's ad says they have a version with two bonus tracks that is exclusive to them. Best Buy's ad says they have a version that includes a second CD with two additional tracks (Cherry Pie and Every Word). At this point I do not know if both releases have the same bonus tracks or not. We'll see tomorrow. Of course I expect that even if they are different, the extra tracks are all culled from the the Lovers Rock tour and are included on the Lovers Live DVD. Enjoy.

Also there is going to be 24 hour webcast starting at 8:00pm tonight and running for 24 hours of the Lovers Live CD. Check here. (Thanks Michele).

[01/21/02]

Here's a look at the artwork for the upcoming Lovers Live releases



[01/17/02]

Well some more info has come to light regarding the soon to be released album and concert video from the Lovers Rock tour. The album will hit first on February 5th in the U.S. It will have 13 tracks. The concert video (DVD and VHS) will follow on February 19th again in the U.S. It will have the full 22 song set that was performed on the tour and will also include some behind the scenes footage and also the video for King of Sorrow. Unfortunately we will still not get a DVD release of the only Sade video that hasn't been released on DVD so far (When am I Going to Make Living).

Some people have asked and unfortunately I am not aware of any further tour plans. Of course if I hear anything about plans for more U.S. dates or for any dates in other countries I will post that information here.

I also recently stumbled upon a web site for Cottonbelly. Cottonbelly as most of you should know is Stuart's thing outside of Sade. Cool site with lots of info on his various non-Sade projects. My he's been a busy boy.

[01/16/02]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The best to The Lady who I assume is taking some well deserved rest after the U.S. tour. Here's hoping that she has a fantastic day and that she rests up and graces the rest of the world with the opportunity to see her on tour in 2002.

[01/10/02]

Sade took home an American Music Award last night for Favorite Artist in the category of Adult Contemporary. Congratulations.

[01/08/02]

The 44th Annual Grammy nominations have been announced and Sade is up for two: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: "BY YOUR SIDE" and Best Pop Vocal Album: LOVERS ROCK. The Grammy's will be held on Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The awards will be broadcast on CBS at 8PM (ET). Be sure and tune in!

[01/02/02]

It has been a while and I know some of you must be wondering if I have fallen off the face of the planet. I assure you that I have not. Thanks for sticking in there. Hopefully I have some news that will somewhat make up for it. As most of you may know, the tour has wrapped (in the U.S. anyway). It was a very well received nine week tour and it concluded in September. It has been captured for posterity on both video and audio and is scheduled to be released as a CD and a video (DVD and VHS) on February 5th. (Thanks Gregg). It is to be called Lovers Live. When I saw the show it was just about two hours long with two encores. Hopefully we will get the entire set. I also am personally hoping that Sony will take this opportunity to include the missing video for When Am I Going To Make A Living that was left off of the first video compilation DVD, and also the video for King of Sorrow which was released after the DVD was. We can only hope.

On a different note, Sade was awarded the OBE. The Order of the Britsh Empire is a very prestigeous award given by the royal family in Great Britain and our Lady was deemed worthy. I wholeheartedly agree. (Thanks Nick)

Our Lady was also nominated for an American Music Award in the category of Favorite Artist - Adult Contemporary Music. The ceremony will be held on January 9th. Good luck to her.

[08/07/01]

There hasn't really been much to report. The shows are getting excellent reviews. I haven't seen it yet. I don't get the pleasure until August 21st. However some additional dates have been added with more to come. The newly added dates are:

Sep 5 St. Louis, MO / Savvis Center
Sep 7 Indianapolis, IN / Verizon Wireless Music Center
Sep 8 Cincinnati, OH / Riverbend
Sep 10 Columbus, OH / Polaris Amphitheater

More as I know more.


[05/11/01]

Below are new, revised, firm and onsale dates on Sade's North American tour. Indie Arie will be the opening act for all dates except the new Hollywood Bowl/Los Angeles date on the August 22. Youssou N'Dour will open that evening.

Jul 14 Vancouver, BC / GM Place on sale 5/14
Jul 15 Seattle, WA / Key Arena on sale 5/12
Jul 17 Concord, CA / Chronicle Pavilion on sale now
Jul 18 San Francisco, CA / Shoreline Amp on sale now
Jul 20 Irvine, CA / Verizon Wireless Amp on sale now
Jul 22 Los Angeles, CA / Hollywood Bowl on sale 5/14
Jul 23 Los Angeles, CA / Hollywood Bowl on sale now
Jul 26 San Diego, CA / Coors Amphitheater on sale 5/12
Jul 27 Las Vegas, NV / MGM Grand Garden Arena on sale 5/12
Jul 29 San Antonio, TX / Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on sale 5/19
Jul 30 Dallas, TX / American Airlines Center on sale now

Aug 4 Minneapolis / Target Center on sale now
Aug 5 Chicago, IL / Allstate Arena on sale now
Aug 7 Chicago, IL / Allstate Arena on sale now
Aug 8 Toronto, ONT / Air Canada Center on sale 5/25
Aug 10 Holmdale, NJ / PNC Bank Center on sale now
Aug 11 Camden / Tweeter Center on sale 6/11
Aug 13 NYC / Madison Square Garden on sale now
Aug 15 NYC / Madison Square Garden on sale now
Aug 16 Wantagh, NY / Jones Beach on sale 5/12
Aug 18 Cleveland, OH / Cleveland State University on sale 6/9
Aug 19 Detroit, MI / Palace Of Auburn Hills on sale now
Aug 21 Baltimore, MD / Baltimore Arena on sale 6/1
Aug 22 Boston, MA / Fleet Center on sale now
Aug 24 Wash, DC / Nissan Pavilion @ Stone Ridge on sale 6/1
Aug 25 Raleigh, NC / Alltel Pavilion @ Walnut Creek on sale 6/30
Aug 27 Atlanta, GA / Philips Arena on sale 6/16
Aug 29 Ft. Lauderdale / National Car Rental Center on sale 6/2
Aug 30 Tampa, FL / Ice Palace [information pending]

Sep 1 New Orleans, LA / New Orleans Arena on sale 6/2


[04/26/01]

EVEN MORE DATES

On sale 4/28: Jul 20 Irvine, CA / Verizon Wireless Amp
On sale 4/28: Jul 23 Los Angeles, CA / Hollywood Bowl
On sale 4/28: Aug 10 Holmdale, NJ / PNC Bank Center

[04/19/01]

MORE TOUR DATES

Onsale 4/21: Jul 30 Dallas, TX / American Airlines Center
Onsale 4/22: Aug 4 Minneapolis, MN / Target Center
Onsale 4/22: Aug 5 Chicago, IL / Allstate Arena
Onsale 4/23: Aug 13 NY, NY / Madison Square Garden
Onsale 4/23: Aug 22 Boston, MA / Fleet Center


[04/13/01]

TOUR DATES

It looks like the tour is finally a reality. Below are the first batch of dates. More to come.

July, 2001

DATE	CITY	LOCATION
Sat, 14	Vancouver, BC	GM Place
Sun, 15	Seattle, WA	Key Arena
Tue, 17	San Francisco, CA	Shoreline Amp
Wed, 18	Concord, CA	Chronicle Pavilion
Fri, 20	Irvine, CA	Verizon Wireless Amp
Sat, 21	Las Vegas, NV	MGM Grand
Mon, 23	Los Angeles, CA	Hollywood Bowl

Nothing on the east coast so far but remember this is only the beginning.

[04/10/01]

Got to check out the video for King of Sorrow last night. Is this a gorgeous woman or what? The video tells a story of single mother trying to make it as a lounge singer. Sophie makes her look amazing in this video. Check it out if you haven't seen it.

I also got to really dig into the King of Sorrow remixes last night. Even better on the big speakers. The Lady has said that her music is made to be listened to loud and sounds better when you turn it up. I certainly agree. You can much more clearly hear all the amazing things they do inside of the arrangements to their songs.

Cottonbelly rules!

[04/09/01]

I finally got my hands on the King of Sorrow CD single. The version I got is an import from Holland. I ordered it from amazon.com for $10.99 and it came quite quickly. As detailed on the CD Singles page it contains three remixes and the music video. Good stuff all around (and I have a particular spot for the Fun Lovin' Criminals mix) but as far as I am concerned the killer track is the Cottonbelly (Stuart) mix. Highly recommended.

By Your Side has sold over 3 million copies and is still going strong. I guess quite a few of us were waiting for The Lady to return.

[03/05/01]

Check this out:

BET Testimony: Sade's Sweet Story
Superstar songstress Sade tells the tale of her life through videos and exclusive interviews on BET Testimony, airing on BET at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, March 6th and again on Friday, March 9th.

Looks like this should be very interesting. It is supposed to really offer us a glimpse into the life and career of The Lady. I'm really looking forward to it. Don't miss.

[02/26/01]

Just a little late but it looks like a single for By Your Side has finally been released in the U.S. It is similar to the U.K. version but does not include the video of the song and the cover artwork has been tweaked a bit.

[02/22/01]

The DVDs are out. I've held them in my hand but I haven't seen them yet. I ordered my copies online and they haven't arrived as yet. I'm looking forward to seeing them to see the improvements in the picture (especially the improvement I expect from the Sade: Live DVD).

[02/15/01]

The single for King of Sorrow is scheduled for release on March 12th. The CD single for it contains three remixes and a radio edit. We can only hope that the single will be made easier to find in the U.S. than the one for By Your Side was. One of the remixes is a Cottonbelly remix. Cottonbelly, for those who might not know, is Stuart's thing outside of Sade. I'm really looking forward to hearing them.

Also, The Lady graces the cover of the March issue of Essence magazine. I've been told that an interview is included in the issue but I haven't received my copy as yet. (Thanks Stalin)

[01/31/01]

The new video for the next single King of Sorrow has been released. It was filmed on the island of Puerto Rico in the cities of Rio Piedras and San Juan. It should begin to hit airwaves all over shortly. (Thanks Jónathan)

Also the DVD releases of Sade Live and Life, Promise, Pride, Love have been pushed back to February 20th.

[01/16/01]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Absolutely all the best to The Lady. Let me express our thanks again to her for finally dropping the fabulous Lovers Rock on us. Here's hoping she takes some time from her busy schedule to enjoy her day and rest up for the tour that we are looking forward to. Thanks so much and again, Happy Birthday!

[01/13/01]

I was finally able to get my hands on the remix CD single for By Your Side today. I got it at Media Play for $12.99 as an import since it was not officially released in the U.S. If you are a Sade fan you owe it to yourself to run out and grab this up ASAP. The Neptunes Remix version is stunning and the Reggae Mix 1 version is most "ital". Both the Reggae Mix 1 and the Yard Mix 1 versions were co-produced by Bobby Morgan who I believe is the man in The Lady's life. Great stuff.

Rumor also has it that King of Sorrow will be the second single and will be released in early February. Hopefully we'll get some more remixes and even more hopefully, a non-album track.

[01/12/01]

Sorry for the lack of updates for a bit. I was off to the sunny Caribbean for a couple weeks on vacation. I'm back and rearing to go.

To that end, check out a great interview with The Lady in The FADER magazine. It is issue No. 6 Winter 2000 and The Lady in on the cover in a striking black and white photo. The cover photo and the two inside the magazine were taken by Patrick Demarchelier. He also did the photo in Harper's Bazaar. He is making her look almost as good as Albert Watson has all these years. Great stuff.

[12/19/00]

I've been told that Harper's Bazaar magazine has a nice interview and a great new photo of The Lady in their January 2001 issue. (Thanks Jeffrey)

A nice review of The Best of Sade is available on epinions.com. (Thanks Viola)

[12/15/00]

With regards to the upcoming Sade DVDs I've been told that they should be released on January, 23rd. It will be so nice to have these releases in this new format that I have become quite addicted to. (Thanks Shai)

[12/14/00]

The official Sade website has announced that both Sade: Live and Life, Promise, Pride, Love are available on DVD in Europe. I can only assume that U.S. releases are imminent. See here for details.

The Lady is also on the cover of this week's Jet magazine. The interview inside is similar to the one in Vibe. (Thanks Glen)

[12/13/00]

Time magazine selected Lovers Rock as one of the ten best albums of the year in its December 18th issue. It was selected as the Number 5 album. Way to go Sade. (Thanks Leeva)

Also, Vibe has a fantastic interview with The Lady in its January 2001 issue. So nice to really hear her open up. We don't get many interviews and real insight into The Lady so you might want to take advantage of this. (Thanks Emmitt)

[12/06/00]

Musictoday.com has posted a nice review of the new Lovers Rock release. It can be found here. (Thanks Katie)

[12/05/00]

For our German visitors: Sade will perform By Your Side live on German TV on the show Bambi 2000. It will air on Friday 12/8/00 at 8:15 pm (CET) on channel ARD. (Thanks Jens).

Looks like The Lady is doing a heck of a lot of traveling in support of the new release. We can only continue to hope that a full blown tour will get launched as well.

[11/29/00]

The BBC had an interview with The Lady on November 26th. It is available in Real audio here. (Thanks Bruno)

[11/24/00]

I guess a lot of people missed The Lady. The album hit number 3 on Billoard's charts in its first week. Deservedly so I say. Great album.

[11/22/00]

The appearance by Sade that I originally had listed for BET tonight is in fact supposed to be tomorrow night (11/23) according to BET's website. Sorry for the error. (Thanks Ken)

[11/20/00]

In case you still haven't seen it, VH-1 has a 30 minute special on Sade that is quite good and they will be showing it again today at 12:30pm. I'm not aware that it is scheduled for any more rebroadcasts.

The New York Times has a great review of Lovers Rock posted here. (Thanks Cetchren)

"If someone has to lose, I don't want to play."

"He didn't know what it was to be black 'til they gave him his change but didn't want to touch his hand."

[11/17/00]

USA Today has a nice article on The Lady. Check it here. (Thanks Richard)

[11/14/00]

IT'S OUT

Swung by my local Target and picked it up first thing this morning. U.S. fans may want to pick it up at a Target store since not only do they have a great price on it, they also have it packaged with a second CD with 4 live tracks. The tracks seem to be from the same recording that is on the Sade Live concert video. The tracks are:

The Sweetest Taboo (live)
Smooth Operator (live)
Nothing Can Come Between Us(live)
No Ordinary Love (live)

It's so nice to finally have this new release after so long. Welcome back Sade.

Also Sony's official Sade web site has announced the upcoming release of two DVDs in Europe in December. Hopefully the U.S. releases are not far behind. Both the Concert video Sade Live and the video collection Life, Promise, Pride, Love are slated to be released on December 12th. I've been told that the video collection will include the new video for By Your Side. No word yet on whether it will include the video for When Am I Going To Make A Living which was left off of the initial VHS release of the collection. We'll have to wait and see.

[11/13/00]

It was just brought to my attention that VH-1 had a half hour special on The Lady earlier today called VH-1's Sade. For those of us who missed it, it will be re-broadcast this Friday (the 17th) at 10:30am. Don't forget to set the VCRs. (Thanks William)

[11/09/00]

As we come down to the wire, several reviews of the Lovers Rock release have begun to appear and they're all saying very positive things about it. Here are pointers to some of the reviews:

Billboard (11/11/00 issue) Front page
NME.COM
Time Magazine (11/13/00 issue) Page 102
Vibe (December 2000 issue) Page 195

[11/07/00]

If you're like me (in the U.S.) you may have spent a frustrating morning trying to track down the By Your Side single. I cannot locate it anywhere. Every store I talked to does not even have a single listed as going to be released. Not sure what's happening but we'll have to keep an eye on it. It would be a shame if the single with 5 different mixes that was released in Europe were not also released over here. More as I hear more.

[10/30/00]

Slight change in U.K. release dates. I'd originally been told that the album and single were going to be released earlier than these new dates. The dates now seem to have been pushed back to November, 6th for the By Your Side single and November, 13th for the Lovers Rock album. These dates more closely mirror the U.S. release dates. (Thanks Danny)

[10/28/00]

Lyrics finally

Many fellow fans have written over the years asking for lyrics to Sade songs. In the past Sony has requested that folks not publish the lyrics on various web sites. However, recently the lyrics to all the songs on all of Sade's album releases have been posted on an official Sony website located here. Thanks Sony.

Sade's entire back catalogue has been digitally re-mastered by Tomy Coyne at Sterling Sound in NYC. All five albums Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, Love Deluxe and The Best of Sade will be re-released on November, 13th to coincide with the release of the new album Lovers Rock.

Chat With Sade

Sade will chat live online with fans for the very first time the day Lovers Rock arrives in stores! Mark your calendars for November 14 at 4PM (EST)/1PM (PST) to log on to AOL.com for this very special event.

U.S. Television appearances

Mark your calendars for the following appearances by Sade:
November 21-The Tonight Show
November 23-BET Live from LA
December 20-The Late Show with David Letterman
December 22-The Rosie O’Donnell Show

Looks like we're going to have some serious fun leading up to the end of the year. It's been too long.

[10/15/00]

Here is the track listing for Lovers Rock:

By Your Side
Flow
King Of Sorrow
Somebody Already Broke My Heart
All About Our Love
Slave Song
The Sweetest Gift (dedicated to her daughter Ila)
Every Word
Immigrant
Lovers Rock
It's Only Love That Gets You Through

[10/14/00]

We've been getting a lot of news on the Sade front but we don't want to forget that the boys in the band also have lives outside of it. To that end, a reminder that Stuart Matthewman contributed to the Absolute Ego release by the artist Aco. His work is featured on the track Intensity (You Are). Also while we're on the topic of Stuart, his score for the movie Twin Falls, Idaho will be released on 10/24. Fans can grab $2 off by ordering it from whatarerecords.com and using the code "cottonbelly". (Thanks Kevin and Jonathan)

[10/13/00]

Finally folks in the U.S. will get to see new performances from The Lady and the band. According to HBO's web site, Sade will be on The Chris Rock Show next Friday night (October 20th). HBO rebroadcasts the show a couple times after the initial showing so folks can have multiple opportunities to catch it. Really looking forward to seeing her. (Thanks Chris)

Virgin.net has some terrific info on The Lady and the band. Click over there to see new interview clips of The Lady talking about the band getting back together for the Lovers Rock release, a remix of By Your Side by Ben Watts which is exclusive to virgin.net and which won't be released commercially, and more. Very cool site.

Also check out dotmusic.com to see the video for By Your Side. (Thanks Kunal)

Anyone know where I can get a downloadable MPEG copy of the video? Even a RealPlayer version would do. The video looks very nice. Thanks.

[10/11/00]

Here is a look at the cover art for the upcoming Lovers Rock release. Less than three weeks to the U.K. release and five weeks to the U.S. release. I don't think I could possibly be more psyched.

Also the video has been released. A couple of fellow fans have reported that the video for By Your Side was recently shown on BET in the U.S. I haven't seen it yet but I'm hearing good things.

[10/10/00]

The web site crossed 200,000 hits today. Thanks everybody, but especially those who have hung in there with me for the last four years. When the site first launched there wasn't much new info about The Lady or the band. We did have some rise in interest when Sweetback put out their album but again not much since then until now. I don't know how long she's back for, but I will continue to try to be the site for info on The Lady, Her Music, The Band. Thanks.

[10/05/00]

There has been a change in the contest that Sony is running to win a trip to Paris. The prize had been a trip to see Sade in Paris. Now it is just a trip to Paris. I had hoped that the "to see Sade" part meant that the band was planning a tour, but now I'm even less sure. Hopefully we will still get a tour though. Oh well.

[10/04/00]

WOW!

Sony is not playing around with their promotion of The Lady's return. Head on over to www.sadeonline.com and see what I mean. Great job by the folks at Sony. They keep putting up this much stuff about The Lady and I might have to take my site down.
Just Kidding!

[10/02/00]

Great news for folks who won't get to attend the MOBO Awards or get to see them when they're shown on TV in the U.K. We can listen in to a live webcast of the show on Wednesday, October 4th. Details on when and where can be gotten on the MOBO web site. Enjoy. (Thanks Danny)

More details about the album continue to trickle in. The album is supposed to have 11 cuts including By Your Side, Lovers Rock and the tantalizingly named King of Sorrow. I'm chomping at the bit.

[10/01/00]

Here is a look at the artwork for the By Your Side single. This is the U.K. cover art so I am not sure if the U.S. artwork will be the same or not. The album will drop in the U.K. on October 30th (one month to go) some two weeks before we get it over in the U.S. Oh well.

Also for you lucky souls over in the U.K., Sade will be performing at the MOBO Awards on Wednesday, 4th October. This will be her first UK TV performance in eight years! The show will be broadcast on Channel Four at 10.00pm on Thursday, 5th October.

[9/23/00]

Well I must say it really looks like Sony is pulling out all the stops. Click on the banner below to not only listen to the new single By Your Side but also to be entered into a contest to win a trip to Paris.

SHE'S BACK!!

[9/15/00]

The following e-mail was sent out from Sony:

You remember...

"Smooth Operator"
"Sweetest Taboo"
"No Ordinary Love"

From Sade.
She's back.
With her first studio album in over eight years.
Lovers Rock
In stores November 14, 2000

The first single is "By Your Side"
Listen:
PC
MAC

Find out more: here


So it looks like Sony is putting some serious effort into doing a decent marketing job of the new release. We'll just have to keep waiting to see what they do.


[09/14/00]

I LOVE IT!

Thanks to a fellow fan who shall remain nameless (but who knows who he is), I have finally heard the single. The Lady is back. The boys are back. Things are right in the world again. While we do not have any wailing sax solo from Stuart on this track, he does treat us to some great guitar slide work (I am assuming since I don't have a credit listing to go by as yet). Paul's slamming bass work has also returned to us in full force. Since I am only going by a rip of a cassette copy of a radio broadcast, I can't quite pick up all the instrumentation. I'm having a hard time picking up Andrew's keyboard work. It sort of sounds like there is some organ-like work going on in there somewhere. I can't wait to get a proper copy to really get into the single. Anyway, for those who haven't heard it as yet, "keep looking........" A minute+ long snippet of the single has been posted (at least it is there as of 9/14) on radio station WPGC's web site. I'm not sure how long they will have it up. Enjoy.

[09/13/00]

As the release comes closer it seems like a few sites are popping up across the web. I'm working on an updated list of sites that I think you all might be interested in. However this one I found is of particular interest to us who haven't heard the single as yet. On this site there is a snippet of what I believe is the single. No vocals on it but I like what I've heard of it. There isn't much to it yet but might be worth checking back with. Can someone who has heard the single confirm that this is from the single for me? Thanks.

[08/31/00]

Okay looks like the single dropped a bit early to some radio stations. Reports have come in that By Your Side was heard on the air in Washington D.C. (WHUR and WJZW), San Francisco (KKSF), and a far flung neighbor over in Europe reports having heard it as well. I hope to hear it soon but I have not been so smiled upon as yet. This is all very exciting after waiting for so long for a new release. Also word has come from a source that the Life Promise Pride Love video collection is being prepped for a DVD release. It should drop sometime after the new album hits. Hopefully Sony will include the missing video for When Am I Going To Make A Living and maybe even also include the first video from Lovers Rock. We can only wait and hope.

[08/18/00]

FINALLY!

The new album has been given an"official" release date. It will be called Lovers Rock and should drop on November 14th. The first single By Your Side should hit airplay on October 3rd. Less than two months to go folks until we are once again graced with the wonderful vocal stylings of The Lady. More info as it comes in. Additional details can be found here in an article from USA Today.

[07/07/00]

Just in case anyone from Sony swings by the site who can do something about this, I'd like to make a serious request for the release of the concert video of Sade Live and the music video collection Life Promise Pride Love to be released on DVD. The music video collection could be very nicely supplemented with the one video that is missing from the collection. The video for When Am I Going To Make A Living is included on the Diamond Life Video collection but not on Life Promise Pride Love. Additional extras would be nice like maybe the group's performances from their appearances at Live Aid and Saturday Night Live. The interview segments Sade did for VH-1 when Stronger Than Pride came out or the band's grammy acceptance speech. Their fans have been waiting for new material for a long, long time. I think Sony should take the opportunity of this new release (if in fact it is happening), and blanket us with more Sade stuff than we can handle.

[07/07/00]

As we all eagerly await the possible arrival of a new release from Sade, here is a bit of news on what Stuart Matthewman has been up to. This may have escaped some folks but Stuart produced nine of the songs on the album Delirium by the artist Santessa. It was released on the Disco Volante label earlier this year. Her vocal style has been described as mysterious and wispy-voiced. Thanks to Danny Phillips for reminding me that I had not put that info on here.

[05/25/00]

The new image on the main page was provided by Camille at http://www.geocities.com/camille_archive. Thanks for the great image.

[05/04/00]

The rumormill is buzzing very, very loudly with news of a new Sade release that is supposedly going to happen later this year. Many readers of the site have written to me asking why I haven't announced that "fact". I have continued to sit by on the sidelines so to speak since I've heard rumors of a new Sade release every year for the last four years or so. We all hope that this will be the year that we really get a brand new Sade release. I certainly do as much as anyone out there. However, my sources at Sony have not confirmed the new release so I have not said anything up to this point. The second I have something concrete I will post the info immediately.

[01/16/00]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

All the best to The Lady. Here's hoping she had a wonderful day and that 2000 bears out all the rumors and really provides us with a fantastic new release (and tour).

[08/23/99]

As we all patiently (or should that be impatiently) wait for Sade to drop their next release, other things are happening with members of the band. I was told that Stuart Matthewman recently scored his first film. It is called "Twin Falls, Idaho". I haven't seen the film but I wish Stuart great success with this endeavor. Info on the film can be found here. The soundtrack in MP3 format can be downloaded here. As for some other news, Stuart has just finished producing a new artist named Santessa for Sony and he executive produced Olu on Gee Street/V2 which is out now. And some news that is of most interest to visitors to this site, Sade is currently writing material for a new album. That's all the info I have at this point. As soon as I hear anything about a release date, etc., I will post it here.

[01/21/99]

I've been hearing a buzz from a few different sources that Sade (the band) is back in the studio. Supposedly they are working on a release for the spring or summer of this year. I have not been able to confirm this so I haven't said anything up to this point. However with the hope that someone from Sony or someone affliated with the band reads this, any sort of confirmation or denial of this information would be very much appreciated by me and the visitors to this site.

[01/16/99]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Lady turned the big four oh (40) today. Here's hoping she had a wonderful day and that 1999 brings us a fabulous new release.

[01/16/98]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Lady turned 39 today. Here's hoping she had a wonderful day.

[01/14/98]

This is more to let everyone know that I am not ignoring the site and I have not forgotten about it. I try to be THE source for Sade news and updates but I just haven't heard much to report. I have heard unconfirmed reports that The Lady and her band are working on a new album for release later this year but I have not been able to pry any info from Sony or anywhere else to confirm it. Take from it what you will. Anyway, thanks for the continued support of the site and let's hope there is much new info to report on The Lady in 1998.

[8/02/97]

The web site is one year old today. Thanks for all the many, many e-mails of support and thanks. I look forward to a second year filled with many new things to report (including hopefully a new album and tour). We'll just have to wait and see but hopefully 1997 will still turn out to be the year that The Lady graces us with the new release that we have been dying for. Thank you again.

(Story from Reuters/Variety)

Arrest Warrant Issued For Singer Sade In Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuter) - A Jamaican court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for pop singer Sade when she failed to appear in court in Montego Bay to face charges of dangerous driving and disobeying a police officer. Sade's attorney, Victor Robinson, told the court he had not spoken to his client for several months. The court stayed the execution of the warrant until June 30, 1997 when the case will be called again. The singer, whose real name is Helen Folasade, has been in Britain with her Jamaican friend for the past several months, a source close to the entertainer said. The charges stem from a Feb. 27, 1997 incident in which police confronted the singer while she was driving along the main thoroughfare in Montego Bay. Police alleged that she failed to obey an officer who signaled her to stop, and another officer gave chase and pulled her over. She was taken to the police station, where she reportedly cursed the arresting officers. She appeared in court March 10, 1997 and was released on $142 bail. The Nigerian-born singer, best known for the song ``Smooth Operator,'' had been living in Ocho Rios, where she now owns property.

(Story from Reuters/Variety)

Pop Singer Sade Faces Disorderly Conduct Charges In Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuter) - Pop singer Sade has appeared in a Montego Bay court to face charges of dangerous driving, disobeying a police officer and disorderly conduct, police said on Tuesday. She is scheduled to be tried June 25. Police alleged that the Nigerian-born singer, whose full name is Helen Folasade, was driving in Montego Bay on Feb. 27, 1997 when she disobeyed a policeman's signal for her to stop at a busy intersection. She was detained after another officer chased her. She was released on bail and appeared in court on Monday. Local newspapers said Sade had been living near the resort town of Ocho Rios since last year.

I know that the news reports have been few and far between. However those of us who follow The Lady know that is quite normal. The rumor mill is working overtime with talk of a new album in 1997. We can only wait and see. The following item however is the best lead I've had so far.

(Item submitted by Ed Alexander)
Sweetback was in Washington D.C. on Thursday (2/20/97) on their promo tour at the 9:30 Club. The morning of the show, they were on the radio (WPGC) promoting the show with Amel Larrieux. They mentioned how one of the band members... I think they were talking about Andrew, had a healthy little baby boy the previous night. He was talking about it and I couldn't tell who was talking. But I'm guessing Andrew because Stuart had one not too long ago and Paul already has two. Paul's kids are around 9 - 12 years old. They also mentioned that they'd probably be back in the studio with The Lady before the year is out. However no release dates on any albums had been determined. They said she was chilling being a mom.

It's out!

The Sweetback release is now in stores (in the U.S. that I know for sure). Grab your copy immediately. Why is this significant to us Sade lovers? Well just maybe because Sade (the band) - Sade (the lead singer) = Sweetback. See Sony's Sweetback web site for more details. The entire album is available in Real Audio format on the web site. Fans of Sade's music will not be disappointed. Matthewman's astounding sax and guitar work, Hale's masterful keyboarding, and Denman's kicking bass lines are all present. We are treated to Denman's beautiful acoustic work on a cover of Bill Whithers' Hope You'll Be Happier which brings to mind the great live acoustic work he did on Jezebel during the Love Deluxe tour. I am very impressed. Fans of Sade's vocals will unfortunately find themselves as I did, longing for The Lady to be out front. However if you have enjoyed tracks like Punch Drunk, Siempre Hay Esperanza, Super Bien Total and Room 55, you are going to love this album. Sitting on top of all this remarkable musicianship are several guest vocalists including Leroy Osbourne, Bahamadia (a rap artist who appears on the slamming track Au Naturel with bass programming by Stuart I presume), and Groove Theory's Amel Larrieux. Although for me (with no disrespect intended) listening to Amel on the track You Will Rise only makes me long even more for The Lady. Pick this up, you will love it.

Anybody know where I can get tour programs for the Stronger Than Pride and Love Deluxe tours? I have the programs for the first two tours but am having a heck of a time trying to locate these two. I would like to do a section with something about these so any help would be greatly appreciated.

The site is now listed in Yahoo. Other search engines to follow.

According to Sony's Sade web site, The Lady welcomed her first child into the world on July 21st, 1996. The little lady's name is Ila. The father is purported to be one Bob Morgan of Jamaica. Congratulations to the new mummy and daddy. Have a figgy pudding and a pattie and a cocoa bread for me.

The rumours of a CD-ROM about the band have turned out to be true. I have gotten my hands on one. It is fairly good but not very deep in scope. If contains MPEG videos for some songs (not new ones). There is a halfway decent trivia game but it does not have very many questions in it and does not provide correct answers for the ones you get wrong. There are quite a few photos and a nice timeline of Sade's (The Lady) professional career up to 1994. I picked it up for $20 and being a huge fan of The Lady I had to have it. If you are really into The Lady by all means get a copy. However if you have less of an interest in her and her work you will probably be disappointed. (Update: This product was discontinued and the company seems to be out of business.)

Stuart Matthewman was recently sighted wailing away on his sax on the new album by Maxwell. The album is called Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. Stuart wrote and co-produced three cuts and is sounding as awesome as ever. He is also credited on the release with helping out on the bass and the drums/beatmachine. The ever versatile Mr. Matthewman strikes again. Long-time Sade production engineer Mike Pela also co-engineered the release and mixed several of the cuts. Funky stuff. Check it out.

Speaking of Stuart, a greeting to him and his wife Michelle and their "new" little one was seen in the liner notes of Groove Theory's self-titled released. Amel Larrieux, the lead singer of Groove Theory credits Sade as one of her biggest influences. I have no idea how new the little one might be but congratulations all the same.

Paul S. Denman and Leroy Osbourne (the black gentleman who does co-lead and backing vocals on many Sade releases) contributed to Rick Braun's album Nightwalk. Rick Braun was the guest trumpeter on the Love Deluxe Tour who did the very mellow, muted trumpet solos on Like a Tattoo and Is it a Crime?

Leroy Osbourne also apparently co-wrote and sang a cut on the Eric Marienthal release Street Dance.

No really other new news at this time. The Lady has dropped from sight again. No new release info has been heard since the release of the greatest hits album in 1994.

Please forward any news items you have to me and I will get them posted. Thanks.