A SWIK Soldier of Love

It’s been a while since the the last SWIK post. My iMac finally has a new hard drive. This past week, I caught Olympic fever as well as a bad cold. Both kept me on the couch and unmotivated to write. I’ve also been struggling with ‘makin' it happen‘ (see related post). Figuring out what’s next, in my career as well as in my love life, has been a challenge. Luckily there’s a new album from Sade to help me through. Sade has been a staple in my music collection since I first saw “Smooth Operator” on Friday Night Videos circa 1984. Although Sade’s albums are released infrequently, the last one was 10 years ago, the music is always relevant and captures my mood. This time it’s the title track to her new album, Soldier of Love. The song evokes the feeling of marching through a battlefield, albeit with a slow, funky groove. The past few years of my life have felt like a bit of a battlefield. Not just in love, but also in finding a new direction and passion for my career. Yet, despite the struggles, I’m ready to jump back into the fray, getting out there, believing again. Leading me to feel like, yes, some sort of soldier of love.

“I’ve lost the use of my heart, but I’m still alive, still looking for the light...
I’m a soldier of love, every day and every night, I’m a soldier of love, all the days of my life.”



Before going further, it’s important to note that Sade (pronounced shah-DAY) is the name of the entire band of which Nigerian born Brit, Helen Folasade (Sade) Adu is the lead singer. In the early 1980‘s Adu sang with a seven piece latin soul band, Pride. Record labels took an interest in the song “Smooth Operator,” co-written by Adu. When she finally signed on with Epic records as a solo artist, she took three band members with her, Stuart Colin Matthewman (guitar/sax), Paul Spencer Denman (bass), and Andrew Hale (keyboards). Together they are Sade and have released only six studio albums in 25 years. Yet, Sade has sold more than 50 million albums and Adu is considered by some to be the most successful female artist in British history. In 2002 she became a member of the Order of the British Empire. In other words, she is a knight. She is Dame Sade Adu.



When I first saw the video for “Smooth Operator,” I was drawn in by the smooth sultry voice. After seeing Sade on Friday Night Videos, a few years later I saw her in the movie Absolute Beginners, which starred David Bowie and Patsy Kensit. Adu played a night club singer and sang “Killer Blow.” I was hooked. There is no voice like Adu’s. She cannot be compared to anyone. Like the iconic voices that came before her, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, or Sarah Vaughn, others may sound like her, but she sounds only like Sade.

Her music combines elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and funk. Every album sticks to a consistent sound that is easily identifiable as Sade, yet each album captures something entirely unique. While the music is always solid, it’s Adu’s lyrics and vocals that attract me to these albums. At times listening to Sade, one almost thinks that this could be elevator ‘muzak’ if it took a wrong turn. Yet, it never does. The sound is soothing, but layered and thoughtful with an aloof sexiness. I have a friend who thinks that Sade’s music is too depressing and sad, but I disagree. While they may be melancholy and have an ethereal soul quality, Sade albums don’t depress me. They have a refined, sultry, and almost secretive sound. The music overtakes you like a quiet storm rather than a raging thunderstorm. Her lyrics are honest, sometimes raw and painful, but also hopeful and soothing.



I could go through each of Sade’s albums and reminisce about a particular man or relationship from that period of my life. But I won’t. I’m moving on. I’m a soldier of love. I will, however, mention a few stand out songs from each album. I recommend picking up all six albums. If that seems like too much Sade, the Best Of includes songs from every album up to Love Deluxe. It’s an excellent collection, but you’ll still need to pick up Lovers Rock and the new album, Soldier of Love. I also suggest checking out Sade's videos, links are included here. Before she became a singer-song writer, Adu was a fashion designer. She creates all of her own clothes and the videos have their own style and taste, perfectly suited to the music.

Sade’s first album, Diamond Life, is a fairly straight ahead jazz vocal album. “Smooth Operator” is the most well-known track and pulls you in with a bit of a samba in the background. “Your Love Is King” has a warm catchy groove and a sexy saxophone. It makes you want to slowly sway your hips. Lyrics like “you’re making me dance, inside” and “it’s making my soul sing,” capture that sly smile of someone in love. Another favorite on this album is “I Will Be Your Friend.” It’s a simple and honest song about being there for a friend, to pick up the pieces, until the end of time. Diamond Life was a departure from my musical tastes at the time. It felt like adult music compared to the Go-Go’s and all the 80’s new wave pop I listened to. Her music also struck something deeper emotionally. I had the cassette and played it over and over again. I also had a video with all the songs from Diamond Life and an interview with Adu.



1985‘s Promise moved from the straight ahead jazz sounds into a more ethereal realm. This is one of those albums that feels like a part of me. I spent a lot of time listening to it and can probably recite the lyrics to every track. “Is It A Crime” is a six minute song about love and fear. The song begins softly, but the crescendo in the middle of the song makes you feel like a wave is about to crash down upon you. Adu’s voice is powerful. I find it impossible to not get pulled in. “The Sweetest Taboo” is catchier and one of the more upbeat songs on the album. With songs like “You’re Not the Man” and “Never As Good As The First Time” there are no missteps on this album. Even the song “Maureen,” although it’s about a good friend of Adu’s, who died of breast cancer, the music brings sweet nostalgia rather than brooding sadness.

Stronger Than Pride released in 1988 has a Latin feel to it. The title track “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” is an anthem for those of us silly enough to wear our hearts on our sleeves. “Paradise” and “Nothing Can Come Between Us” are catchy love songs. Yet not necessarily about romantic love. These songs, respectively, could easily be about the love for a child and the bond between band members. This album came out when I was in college. I stole her look and went around dressed in all black clothes, hair pulled back, red lipstick, and gold hoop earrings. An attempt to be sophisticated and mysterious, like Sade’s music.



After this album, Sade began to take longer breaks between recordings. Love Deluxe arrived in 1992 and leaned more towards R&B. For me, “No Ordinary Love” is one of the most extraordinary songs ever written. The deep bass line lulls you into the slow groove. The lyrics are simple, and almost excruciatingly painful, but Adu’s voice is somehow smooth and comforting. Hasn’t everyone had a love that was not ordinary? Didn’t you give all of your love and have it taken away? If so, this song is vital to recovery. While most of this album is heartbreaking, it’s possible that this is the best of the six albums. It also includes beautiful love songs like “Kiss of Life” and “Cherish the Day,” both about the restorative power of love.

Lovers Rock arrived in early 2000, shortly after I arrived in NYC. The term ‘lovers rock’ also refers to a style of romantic reggae music. It’s interesting to note that Adu has a daughter with a Jamaican musician, whom she dated in the mid-90’s. Once again, Sade did not stray far from their sound on this album. Yet the album has more underlying rhythm and dubs, making it an all around funkier album. While the album is in no way a reggae album, the influences are there in songs like “Flow” and the title track. This album will always remind me of my close circle of friends from this era of my life. We had all moved to NYC from different places to struggle through graduate school. While the songs meant different things to each of us, the sentiment from the title track about having something to cling to in a storm, be it friends or a lover, resonated for all of us. The song “By Your Side” is also about being there for someone, no matter how difficult things get, with a comforting note that “in no time, you’ll be fine.” They were a tough few years, all bearable because of these incredible friends. (Y’all know who you are, so I don’t need to name names here.)



Now, ten years later, Sade has a new album. Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studio in London as well as at a studio in Spain, Soldier of Love seems a natural progression from the last. There are still a few reggae beats, but the title track “Soldier of Love” is more aggressive and what I would call hip-hop-ish or the slowed down version called trip-hop. Overall the songs are more eclectic, ranging from the piano on “Morning Bird” and acoustic guitar of “The Safest Place” to hymnal-like vocals on “Long Hard Road.” Once again, not a single misstep. It’s an amazing album from start to finish. I will listen to it again and again. My only criticism of this album, and the last one, is the reliance on drum machines for many of the songs.

With these limited releases over the past 20 years, Adu has clearly prioritized her personal life over her career. As she says on her web site, it’s also a matter of integrity and authenticity. "I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I'm not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand.  I'm incredibly proud of it."

I find this refreshing in today’s media and money driven music world. While I love plenty of industry driven pop music, it’s exciting that an artist like Adu can still remain relevant and sell albums. The albums are clearly Adu's brainchildren. All the band members go off and do their own thing until she calls everyone back together to record and tour.

On her website, Adu talks about her love for live performance. "If you just do TV or video then you become a tool of the record industry. All you're doing is selling a product. It's when I get on stage with the band and we play that I know that people love the music. I can feel it. Sometimes I yearn to be on the road. The feeling overwhelms me." 

I saw her in concert on the last tour and she puts on an amazing show. Yes, I also own a live concert CD and DVD. The live recordings have an even fuller sound than the studio albums. Don't miss her on tour for this new album.



As I reflect on all these albums and Sade’s musical progression, each one seems to build on the last, yet brings an entirely new sound. I never tire of Sade. The albums remain as good today as when I first heard them. While her main topic is love, her lyrics and the music never veer off into schmaltzy or sappy. If Sade is a solider of love, I definitely want to be part of her sultry and mysterious army. I think anyone can be part of this army, walking through the desert with a funky groove. It’s not just about weathering the storms of love, it’s the battlefield of life. So whether it’s surviving the ups and downs of relationships or the challenges of creating a life that allows you to pursue a passion, we are all soldiers of love.

“I am love’s soldier
I wait for the sound
I know that love will come
Turn it all around”

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