Sade was formed in 1982, when members of Latin soul band Pride — Sade Adu, (real name Helen Folasade Adu - born 16 January 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria) Stuart Matthewman and Paul Spencer Denman — together with Paul Cook formed a splinter group and began to write their own material. Sade made their debut in December 1982 at Ronnie Scott's Club in London, England, in support of Pride. Later, in 1983, Andrew Hale joined Sade. In 1984 Paul Cook left the band.
Sade Adu, the band's singer, is the daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother. After her mother returned to England, Sade grew up on the North End of London. Developing a good singing voice in her teens, Sade worked part-time jobs in and outside of the music business. She listened to Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Billie Holliday. Sade studied fashion design at St. Martin’s School of Art in London while also doing some modeling on the side.
Around 1980, Adu started singing harmony with a Latin funk group called Arriva. One of the more popular numbers that the group would perform was a Sade original co-written with bandmember Ray St. John, “Smooth Operator,” that would later become Sade’s first stateside hit. The following year Adu joined the eight-piece funk band Pride as a background singer. The band included future Sade band members guitarist/saxophonist Stuart Matthewman (a key player in ’90s urban soul singer Maxwell’s success) and bassist Paul Denman. The concept of the group was that there could shoot-offs. In essence, a few members within the main group Pride formed mini-groups that would be the opening act. Pride did a lot of shows around London, stirring up record company interest. Initially, the labels wanted to only sign Adu, while the group members wanted a deal for the whole band. After a year, the other band members told Adu, Matthewman, and Denman to go ahead and sign a deal. Adding keyboardist Andrew Hale, the group signed to the U.K. division of Epic Records.
In May 1983, Sade performed at Danceteria Club in New York, NY, United States. It was the first US Sade show. They received more attention from the media and record companies and separated finally. On 18 October 1983 Sade Adu signed with Epic Records. The rest of the band signed in 1984. All Sade albums were released through this label.
Their debut album, Diamond Life (with overall production by Robin Millar), went Top Ten in the U.K. in late 1984. January 1985 saw the album released on CBS’ Portrait label and by spring it went platinum off the strength of the Top Ten singles “Smooth Operator” and “Hang on to Your Love.” The second album, Promise (November 1985), featured “Never As Good As the First Time” and arguably her signature song, “The Sweetest Taboo,” which stayed on the U.S. pop charts for six months. Sade was so popular that some radio stations reinstated the ’70s practice of playing album tracks, adding “Is It a Crime” and “Tar Baby” to their play lists. In 1986, Sade won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
Sade’s third album was 1988’s Stronger Than Pride and featured their first number one soul single “Paradise,” “Nothing Can Come Between Us,” and “Keep Looking.” A new Sade album didn’t appear for four years. 1992’s Love Deluxe continued the unbroken streak of multi-platinum Sade albums, spinning off the hits “No Ordinary Love,” “Feel No Pain,” and “Pearls.” While the album’s producer Mike Pela, Matthewman, Denman, and Hale have gone on to other projects, the new millennium did spark a new scene for Sade. She issued Lovers Rock in fall 2000 and incoporated more mainstream elements than ever before. Debut single “By Your Side” was also a hit among radio and adult-contemporary listerners. The following summer, Sade embarked on their first tour in more than a decade, selling out countless dates across America. In early 2002, Sade celebrated their success of the tour by releasing their first ever live album and DVD, Lovers Live.
Sade made a great contribution to development of modern music. They dismantled many of the old music business ways and quite promptly became a fully functioning autonomous unit with a firm grip on every aspect of the recording process.
Sade is first and foremost a live act. Sade Adu said in one of her interviews: "When we play I know that the people love the music. I can feel it." Throughout their history, Sade have always attracted a diverse, multi-racial audience who are drawn by the band's open-minded approach to music. "And that's the best thing we've achieved."
Soldier of Love, Sade's first official studio album since the multi-platinum release of Lovers Rock in 2000, was released on 8th February, 2010.
Discography:
Studioalbums:
1984 - Diamond Life
1985 - Promise
1988 - Stronger Than Pride
1992 - Love Deluxe
2000 - Lovers Rock
2010 - Soldier of Love
Livealbums:
2002 - Lovers Live
2012 - Bring Me Home - Live 2011
Compilations:
1994 - The Best Of Sade
2011 - The Ultimate Collection
Kiss of Life
Sade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something heavenly led me to you
Look at the sky
It's the color of love
There must have been an angel by my side
Something heavenly came down from above
He led me to you
He led me to you
He built a bridge to your heart
All the way
How many tons of love inside?
I can't say
When I was led to you
I knew you were the one for me
I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat
When I lay eyes on you
I
You wrap me up in
The color of love
You gave me the kiss of life
Kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
The kiss of life
Wasn't it clear from the start?
Look the sky is full of love
Yeah, the sky is full of love
You gave me the kiss of life
Kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
The kiss of life
You gave me the kiss of life
Kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
The kiss of life
You wrapped me up in the color of love
In the moonlight, baby
It must have been an angel came down from above
Giving me love, yeah
Giving me love, yeah
You gave me the kiss of life
Kiss of life
In Sade's "Kiss of Life," the lyrics tell the story of a love that was seemingly touched by the heavens. The singer sings about how she must have had an angel by her side, leading her to the one she loves. She describes this force as "something heavenly" that built a bridge to her lover's heart. The color of the sky is used as a symbol of the love that brought them together. The singer also talks about how she knew from the moment she laid eyes on her lover that he was the one for her. She sings about the kiss of life that he gave her, which could symbolize a second chance at love, or the start of something new and beautiful.
The song is filled with romantic imagery that paints a picture of a love that is meant to be. The use of the angel and heavenly imagery suggests that the love between the two people is divinely ordained. The bridge to the heart can also suggest that this love is a journey that was worth taking. The color of the sky is a powerful visual that represents the beauty and joy of love.
Overall, "Kiss of Life" is a song about the power of love and the idea that it can come from unexpected places. It is a reminder that there is always hope for love, even in the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
There must have been an angel by my side
I believe fate or destiny played a role in leading me to you
Something heavenly led me to you
There was a divine intervention that guided me towards you
Look at the sky
The natural world around us is a reflection of the love we share
It's the color of love
The beauty of love can be seen in the colors of the sky and nature
He built a bridge to your heart
We were able to connect on a deep and emotional level
All the way
Our connection was strong and unwavering
How many tons of love inside?
Our love is immeasurable and cannot be quantified
I can't say
Words cannot express the depth of feelings I have for you
When I was led to you
I knew instinctively that you were my soulmate
I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat
My love for you was so intense that everyone could sense it
When I lay eyes on you
From the moment I saw you, I knew we were meant to be
You wrap me up in
With you, I feel safe and protected
The color of love
Our love is a beautiful and radiant thing that is reflected in everything around us
You gave me the kiss of life
Your love has given me a newfound sense of purpose and vitality
Wasn't it clear from the start?
Our connection was so strong that it was evident from the very beginning
Yeah, the sky is full of love
Love is omnipresent and all around us
In the moonlight, baby
Our love is so strong that even the night sky radiates with its beauty
It must have been an angel came down from above
Our love is so pure and divine that it feels like it was destined to happen
Giving me love, yeah
The love we share has transformed my life in ways I could never have imagined
You gave me the kiss of life
Your love has given me new purpose and vitality, and I will be forever grateful
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Denman, Stuart Matthewman, Helen Adu, Andrew Hale
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnbruno7614
If you're listening to SADE in 2023 and 2024 then you really have excellent taste in music.
@x-vic-x4168
Amen to that homie
@johnbruno7614
@@x-vic-x4168
👍😊✌
@msergio0293
I already know that, but thanks
@johnbruno7614
@@msergio0293
Funny how I already knew you knew that.
👍💓😊
@Cvg44
Too sexy
@peterkiwanuka5405
"There must have been an angel by my side" what an intro!!!!!!!
@robertothompson1265
Sade know what she says
@narlynarwhals27
@@peterkiwanuka5405 you were right the first time, the intro says “must have been”
@just_cade
So good