Lovers Live

Performer: Sade
Engineer: Howard Page; Charlie Bouis
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel includes: Sade (vocals); Leroy Osbourne (vocals, guitar, flute); Tony Momrelle (vocals); Stuart Mattewman (guitar, saxophone); Ryan Waters (guitar); Andrew Hale (keyboards); Paul S. Denman (bass); Pete Lewinson (drums); Karl Vanden Bossche (percussion). Recorded live at Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California and Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California in September 2001. Personnel: Leroy Osbourne (vocals, guitar, flute); Sade Adu, Tony Momrelle (vocals); Stuart Matthewman (guitar, saxophone); Ryan Waters (guitar); Andrew Hale (keyboards); Paul S. Denman (bass guitar); Peter Lewinson (drums); Karl Van Den Bossche (percussion). Audio Mixer: Mike Pela. Recording information: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA (2001); Deliverance Studios, London, England (2001); Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA (2001); Sony Music Studios, London, England (2001). Having spent most of the mid-'90s taking a break from the music industry to start a family and recharge her creative batteries, Sade returned in 2000 with the stellar LOVERS ROCK. Bridging the gap between the Quiet Storm sophistication of her earlier work and the edgier, groove-driven efforts of her younger brethren, the Nigerian chanteuse took her sensual sound out on the road for the Lovers Live 2001 Tour. The in-concert document LOVERS LIVE (which also has an accompanying DVD) has a clear, organic sound that brings to life every musical pit stop made throughout this career-spanning set. Recent fare like the atmospheric "Slave Song" (with its dubby excerpt from The Abyssinians reggae classic "African Race") and the hip-hop flavored "Flow" mix effortlessly with the jazzy cool of "Smooth Operator" and infectious, funked-up vibe of "The Sweetest Taboo." Best of all are the lullaby-like "The Sweetest Gift," written for Sade's little girl and featuring accompaniment by a sole acoustic guitar, and the straightforward sweetness of "By Your Side" dedicated to her fans who "kept the flame burning."

Q (3/02, p.127) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A perfectly respectable effort..."

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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