Promise

Performer: Sade
Engineer: Mike Pela
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Also available in a 3-pack with DIAMOND LIFE and LOVE DELUXE. Sade: Sade Adu (vocals); Stuart Matthewman (guitar, saxophone); Andrew Hale (keyboards); Paul S. Denman (bass). Additional personnel: Carlos Bonnell (guitar); Terry Bailey (trumpet); Dave Early (drums, percussion); Martin Ditcham (percussion); Jake Jacas (background vocals). Producers: Robin Miller, Ben Rogan, Mike Pela, Sade. Recorded at the Power Plant, Willesden, Germany and Studio Miraval, France. Digitally remastered by Tom Coyne (Sterling Sound, New York, New York). Personnel: Jake Jacas, Sade Adu (vocals); Stuart Matthewman (guitar, saxophone); Carlos Bonnell (guitar); Mike Pela (strings); Terry Bailey (trumpet, trombone); Pete Beachill (trombone); Andrew Hale (keyboards); Paul S. Denman (bass guitar); Dave Early (drums, percussion); Martin Ditcham (percussion). Audio Mixer: Mike Pela. Audio Remasterer: Tom Coyne. Recording information: Power Plant Willesden; Power Plant, Willesden and Studio Miraval, France; Studio Miraval, France. Photographer: Toshi Yajima. Arrangers: Sade; Sade Adu; Nick Ingman. PROMISE, Sade's 1985 follow-up to her phenomenally successful debut, has the same breezy, sophisticated R&B approach as DIAMOND LIFE, sounding like a cross between light jazz and a low-key nightclub set of torch songs. Sade's detached, understated vocals are the epitome of cool, and while her technical range is limited--her performances are never about pyrotechnics--her elegant style creates a seductive mood. PROMISE heightens these effects with crisp production, gently interlocking keyboard and guitar lines, and washes of percolating rhythm, creating a textured landscape for Sade's vocals to soar over. PROMISE contains the gently grooving "The Sweetest Taboo," one of Sade's most instantly recognizable songs, and "Never As Good as the First Time," another pop and R&B chart hit. There is rarely a misstep on the album, as it alternates between subdued grooves and chilly ballads (most notably the melancholic, minor-key "Jezebel"), keeping the musical vibe varied but quiet, and the overall atmosphere low-lit and intimate. Even more successful than its predecessor, PROMISE went triple platinum, and secured Sade's place as a pop sensation.

A singer whose music is as exotic and elegant as her image, Sade utilized sultry, jazz-tinged vocals and smooth pop arrangements to become, deservedly, one of the most successful international stars of the 1980s. Her voice is a subtle thing, breathy and intimate, and her music mostly reflects that. She prefers a whisper to a scream, and most of her hits tend to simmer and percolate. She's also demonstrated real songwriting ability ("No Ordinary Love," "The Sweetest Taboo") and great taste in covers (Percy Mayfield's classic blues "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and Timmy Thomas's 1973 minimalist proto-disco hit "Why Can't We Live Together").

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