Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Džez, Pop
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

Original, made in Austria

Knjizica od 8 str.

knjizica 5 Cd sa vidljivim tragovima upotrebe, veci broj povrsinskih linijica bez uticaja na reprodukciju

Studio album by Sade
Released 16 July 1984
Recorded October–November 1983
Studio Power Plant (London)
Genre
Smooth soul[1]sophisti-pop[2][3][4]quiet storm[5]smooth jazz[4]
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 demo recordings 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 members of Sade, and the production was handled by Robin Millar. Fifteen songs were recorded. The album contains a variety of musical styles, including soul, jazz, and sophisti-pop, while its lyrics mostly discuss love. 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 multiplatinum 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 and recording
After studying fashion design, and later modelling briefly, Sade Adu began singing backup vocals for the British band Pride. During this time, she formed a songwriting partnership with Pride`s guitarist and saxophonist Stuart Matthewman; together, backed by Pride`s rhythm section of drummer Paul Anthony Cook and bassist Paul Denman, they began performing their own sets at Pride gigs.[8] Adu`s solo performances of the song `Smooth Operator` attracted the attention of record companies, and in 1983, Adu, Matthewman, Cook, and Denman split from Pride to form the band Sade.[8][9] In May 1983, Sade performed for the first time in the United States, at the Danceteria club in New York City. On 18 October 1983, Adu signed with Epic Records, while the rest of the band signed to her as contractors in 1984.[10][unreliable source]

Prior to signing their record deal, Sade 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.[11] The band worked collectively on the album`s musical direction, rehearsing each song in detail and then recording it.[11] Adu started writing `When Am I Going to Make a Living` on the back of a cleaning ticket after she picked her clothes up from the cleaners. She had no money and she wrote down the song`s title.[11]

Producer Robin Millar met the band in 1983, when the band members had never worked in a professional studio and only had demo recordings from the BBC studios and EMI publishing studios. Millar booked a week`s worth of studio time and later 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,[12] all written by Adu and members of the group, except `Smooth Operator`, which was 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.[13]

For the recording of `Cherry Pie`, the band had no mixing desks with automation; each member had the job of putting a bit of echo or delay, or changing a level.[11] Millar would then edit between the different mixes. Speaking about this, Matthewman said, `Very often, we would have six people at the mixing desk at the same time.`[11]

Composition
Lyrically, Diamond Life 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.[14] Writing for AllMusic, Ron Wynn noted the album`s `slick production and quasi-jazz backing` and characterised Adu`s singing as `deliberately icy, her delivery and voice aloof, deadpan, and cold`.[15]

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.`[16] Rolling Stone`s Danyel Smith called it soul music with `self-possessed sophistication`, and described Adu`s vocal as `thick and rich`.[17] Paul Lester of BBC Music stated that Diamond Life exemplified the `mellifluous` quiet storm style of R&B.[5]

The album opens with the single `Smooth Operator`, which combines elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, adult contemporary music, pop, and dance music.[18] `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`.[19]

Promotion and release
`Your Love Is King` was released as the album`s lead single on 25 February 1984. The song was a success in European territories, peaking at number seven on the Irish Singles Chart and number six on the UK Singles Chart.[20][21] It was less successful in the United States, where it was released in June 1985 as the album`s third single, peaking at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[22] `When Am I Going to Make a Living` was released as the album`s second single in the UK on 26 May 1984; the single was less successful than its predecessor, charting at number 28 in Ireland[20] and number 36 in the UK.[21] However, the song did fare well elsewhere, peaking at number 12 on the Dutch Top 40.[23]

`Smooth Operator` was released on 15 September 1984 as the album`s third single. It peaked at number 19 in the UK,[21] while reaching the top 20 in Austria, Switzerland, France, and Germany.[24] In the US, the song was released in February 1985 and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard`s Hot Black Singles chart, as well as topping the Billboard`s Adult Contemporary chart.[22] `Hang On to Your Love` was released in September 1984 as the album`s fourth single overall and Sade`s first US single.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Sade Adu and Stuart Matthewman, except where noted.

CD and LP
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. `Smooth Operator`
AduRay St. John
4:58
2. `Your Love Is King` 3:41
3. `Hang On to Your Love` 5:55
4. `Frankie`s First Affair` 4:39
5. `When Am I Going to Make a Living` 3:27
6. `Cherry Pie`
AduMatthewmanAndrew HalePaul Denman
6:20
7. `Sally` 5:23
8. `I Will Be Your Friend` 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.[13]

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