Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Džez, Fank i Soul, Pop, Rok
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

Original, made in UK

Knjizica od 4 str.

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knjizica 5 Cd 5-

Studio album by Sade
Released 16 July 1984
Recorded October–November 1983
Studio Power Plant (London)
Genre
Smooth soulsophisti-pop[1]
Length 44:31
Label Epic
Producer Robin Millar
Sade chronology
Diamond Life
(1984) Promise
(1985)

Diamond Life is the debut studio album by English band Sade, released in the United Kingdom on 16 July 1984 by Epic Records and in the United States on 27 February 1985 by Portrait Records. After studying fashion design, and later modelling, Sade Adu began backup-singing with British band Pride. During this time Adu and three of the original members of `Pride`—Paul Anthony Cook, Paul Denman and Stuart Matthewman—left the group to form their own band called Sade. After various demos and performances, Sade received interest from record labels and signed to Epic.

Recording for the album began in 1983 at Power Plant Studios in London and took six weeks to complete. The album`s content was written by the group Sade and the production was handled by Robin Millar. Fifteen songs were recorded. The album contained a variety of musical elements including soul, jazz and sophisti-pop, mostly with love lyrics. The album spawned four singles, including `Your Love Is King` and `Smooth Operator`.

Diamond Life received widespread acclaim from music critics and it was also a commercial success, winning the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Album. The album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and number five on the US Billboard 200, and has been certified multi-platinum in both countries. Diamond Life sold over 10 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the top-selling debut recordings of the era and the best-selling debut album by a British female vocalist, a record that stood for 24 years.

Background
After studying fashion design, and later modeling briefly, Sade began backup singing with British band Pride, during this time she formed a songwriting partnership with Pride`s guitarist/saxophonist Stewart Matthewman; together, backed by Pride`s rhythm section Paul Anthony Cook and Paul Denman, they began doing their own sets at Pride gigs.[5] Her solo performances of the song `Smooth Operator` attracted the attention of record companies, and in 1983, Adu and Matthewman split from Pride, along with bassist Paul Denman and drummer Paul Anthony Cook to form the band Sade.[5][6] In May 1983, Sade performed for the first time in the United States, at Danceteria Club in New York. On 18 October 1983 Sade Adu signed with Epic Records, while the rest of the band signed to her as contractors in 1984.[7][unreliable source]

Recording
Prior to signing the record deal, the group recorded Diamond Life in six weeks. It was recorded at Power Plant Studios in London. After cutting the proposed singles `Smooth Operator` and `Your Love Is King`, the first album track recorded was `Sally`, a song about the Salvation Army.[8] During recording the band worked collectively on the musical direction, rehearsing each song in detail and then recording it.[8] The song `When Am I Going to Make a Living` was started by Sade on the back of a cleaning ticket after she picked her clothes up from the cleaners. She had no money and she wrote down, `When Am I Going to Make a Living`.[8]

Producer Robin Millar met the band in 1983, and the band members had never worked in a professional studio and only had demos and recordings from the BBC studios and EMI publishing studios. Millar booked a week`s worth of studio time and noted that the limitations of recording before computers had an impact upon the sound. `We used a real piano and a Fender Rhodes piano, painstakingly synching them up.` They recorded 15 songs,[9] all written by Adu and members of the group, except `Smooth Operator` written exclusively by Adu and Ray St. John. They also recorded a cover version of `Why Can`t We Live Together` (1972) by Timmy Thomas.[10]

For the recording of `Cherry Pie`, the band had no mixing desks with automation; each member had their job of putting a bit of echo, delay, or changing a level.[8] Millar would then edit between the different mixes. Speaking about this Stuart Matthewman said, `Very often, we would have six people at the mixing desk at the same time.`[8]

Content
Lyrically, the album revolves around themes of love, discussing both the positives and the negatives of relationships. The music features jazzy textures built over prominent basslines, smooth drums and subtle guitar. The album also features heavy use of brass instruments and keyboards.[11] According to Paul Lester of BBC Music, the album is `sufficiently soulful and jazzy yet poppy, funky and easy listening`, Lester described the album as being predominantly a quiet storm album with elements of mellifluous R&B.[12] Sade`s vocals on the album were described as `deliberately icy, her delivery and voice aloof, deadpan, and cold` while Ron Wynn of AllMusic stated that the album contained `slick production and quasi-jazz backing`.[13]

In a contemporary review, Stephen Holden of The New York Times said Diamond Life `eschews the synthesizers that dominate British pop to make music that resembles a cross between the rock-jazz of Steely Dan and the West Indian-flavored folk-pop of Joan Armatrading. Smoldering Brazilian rhythms blend with terse pop-soul melodies and jazzy harmonies to create a sultry, timeless nightclub ambiance.`[14] Rolling Stone called it soul music with `self-possessed sophistication`, and described Sade`s vocal as `thick and rich`.[15]

The album opens with the single `Smooth Operator`, which combines elements of R&B, jazz, adult contemporary, pop, and dance music.[16] `Your Love Is King` is a smooth ballad that contains a saxophone solo performed by Stuart Matthewman. The album closes with a cover version of Timmy Thomas` 1972 song `Why Can`t We Live Together`.[17]

Track listing
CD and LP
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. `Smooth Operator`
Sade AduRay St. John
4:58
2. `Your Love Is King`
AduStuart Matthewman
3:41
3. `Hang On to Your Love`
AduMatthewman
5:55
4. `Frankie`s First Affair`
AduMatthewman
4:39
5. `When Am I Going to Make a Living`
AduMatthewman
3:27
6. `Cherry Pie`
AduMatthewmanAndrew HalePaul Denman
6:20
7. `Sally`
AduMatthewman
5:23
8. `I Will Be Your Friend`
AduMatthewman
4:45
9. `Why Can`t We Live Together` Timmy Thomas 5:28
Total length: 44:31

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Diamond Life.[10]

Sade
Sade Adu – vocals
Stuart Matthewman – saxophone, guitar
Andrew Hale – keyboards
Paul S. Denman – bass
Additional musicians
Dave Early – drums, percussion
Martin Ditcham – percussion
Paul Cooke – drums
Terry Bailey – trumpet
Gordon Matthewman – trumpet
Technical
Robin Millar – production
Mike Pela – production engineering
Ben Rogan – engineering
Artwork
Chris Roberts – photos
Graham Smith – sleeve design