I completely forgot it was a big milestone-type birthday today, but thankfully the b'day girl's beloved enough that social media is lit up with tributes to remind me.
I blogged her 56th four years ago, but someone like this I'd do one for every year.
There isn't really much to say about her. She's been one of the world's most revered vocalists ever since people first heard her open her mouth in public in the early 1980s.
There's some artists that as soon as they hit, they are indelible, forever superstars invulnerable to the sophomore jinx.
Back 35 years ago when she initially hit the airwaves, it was if she was not there and then suddenly she was everywhere. Some folks' talent just blows up the world and for them there is no racing up the charts... they are born up there.
Sade Adu is surely one. I was thinking that she could announce a concert five minutes from now at a baseball stadium sized venue anywhere on Earth, and within the hour the whole 55,000 seats would be sold straight out.
Speaking of concerts, what about this one right here? How this has never seen any official release I really cannot say, but no matter.
This was apparently taped for Japanese radio back 30-something years ago, and when I look at the spectral analysis here it does get over 20,000 kHz. Sounds like a pre-FM source too, indistinguishable from a real live release.
Sade
Promise In Tokyo
Nakano Sun Plaza
Tokyo, Japan
5.11.1986
CD1
01 Why Can't We Live Together
02 Cherry Pie
03 Smooth Operator
04 Be Thankful for What You Got
05 Hang On to Your Love
06 Fear
07 Never As Good As the First Time
CD2
01 Your Love Is King
02 Mr. Wrong
03 Punch Drunk
04 It's a Crime
05 The Sweetest Taboo
06 Jezebel
Total time: 1:27:00
Sade Adu - vocals
Paul Denman - bass
Andrew Hale - keyboards
Stuart Matthewman - guitar & saxophone
Martin Ditcham - drums & percussion
Gordon Matthewman - trumpet
Jake Jacas - trombone & vocals
Leroy Osbourne - vocals
Gordon Hunte - guitar
spectral looks like a pre-FM capture
sourced from the 2016 boot 2CD "Promise In Tokyo" on the Wardour label
541 MB FLAC/January 2019 archive link
If you love her, you'll be all over this show. Nothing else needs to be said, really.
Nothing except Happy 60th birthday to Sade Adu, born this day in 1959 and timelessly showing no signs of age whatsoever.--J.
