1. Sade Torrent

Collection of Sade When singer Sade and her band of the same name were establishing themselves, their record company, Epic, made a point of printing 'Pronounced Shar-day' on the record labels of their releases. Soon enough, the music had no problem with the correct pronunciation. With the breakthrough Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten single 'Smooth Operator' propelling the debut Sade album, Diamond Life, to the same spot on the Billboard 200 chart in 1985, the band fast came to epitomize soulful, adult-oriented, sophisti-pop. Though only five more studio albums would follow during the next 25 years, the band's following abated only slightly, and each release was treated like a long-awaited public return of a mysterious yet beloved diva. Born Helen Folasade Adu in Ibadan, Nigeria, about 50 miles from Lagos, Sade was the daughter of an African father and an English mother.

After her mother returned to England, Adu grew up on the North End of London. Developing a good singing voice in her teens, Adu worked part-time jobs in and outside of the music business. She listened to Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Billie Holiday, and studied fashion design at St. Martin's School of Art in London while also doing some modeling on the side. Around 1980, she started singing harmony with a Latin funk group called Arriva. One of the more popular numbers that the group performed was an Adu original co-written with bandmember Ray St. John, 'Smooth Operator.'

The following year, she joined the eight-piece funk band Pride as a background singer. Pride's opening acts often featured members of the band in different combinations. Pride and their off-shoots performed often around London and stirred up record company interest. Initially, the labels wanted to sign only Sade - technically a trio featuring Adu, Stuart Matthewman, and Paul Denman - while the whole of Pride wanted a deal. The members of Pride not involved in the Sade trio eventually told Adu, Matthewman, and Denman to go ahead and sign a deal. Adding keyboardist Andrew Hale, Sade signed to the U.K. Division of Epic Records.

The band's debut album, Diamond Life (with overall production by Robin Millar), went Top Ten in the U.K. In late 1984. January 1985 saw the album released on CBS' Portrait label, and by spring, it had gone platinum on the strength of the Top Ten singles 'Smooth Operator' and 'Hang on to Your Love.'

The second album, Promise (1985), featured 'Never as Good as the First Time' and 'The Sweetest Taboo,' the latter of which stayed on the U.S. Hot 100 for six months. Sade was so popular that some radio stations reinstated the '70s practice of playing album tracks, adding 'Is It a Crime' and 'Tar Baby' to their playlists. In 1986, Sade won a Grammy for Best New Artist.

Sade's third album was 1988's Stronger Than Pride, and featured their first number one single on the U.S. R&B chart, 'Paradise,' as well as 'Nothing Can Come Between Us' and 'Keep Looking.' The fourth Sade album didn't appear for four years: 1992's Love Deluxe continued the unbroken streak of multi-platinum Sade albums, spinning off the hits 'No Ordinary Love,' 'Feel No Pain,' and 'Pearls.' Matthewman, Denman, and Hale went on to other projects, including the low-key Sweetback, which released a self-titled album in 1996. Matthewman also played a major role in the development of Maxwell's career, providing instrumentation and production work for the R&B singer's first two albums. Sade eventually reconvened to issue Lovers Rock in 2000. The lead single 'By Your Side' was a moderate hit, peaking at number 18 on the adult contemporary chart; the following summer, Sade embarked on their first tour in more than a decade and sold out many dates across America.

In early 2002, they celebrated the tour's success by releasing a live album and DVD, Lovers Live. The mostly somber Soldier of Love was released in 2010. Allmusic by Ed Hogan Album: Diamond Life 01. Smooth Operator 02.

Your Love Is King 03. Hang on to Your Love 04.

'Frankie's First Affair 05. When Am I Going to Make a Living 06.

Cherry Pie 07. I Will Be Your Friend 09. Why Can't We Live Together Album: Promise 01. Is It a Crime 02. The Sweetest Taboo 03. War of the Hearts 04.

You're Not the Man 05. Punch Drunk 08.

Never As Good As the First Time 09. Maureen Album: Stronger Than Pride 01. Love Is Stronger Than Pride 02. Nothing Can Come Between Us 04. Turn My Back on You 06. Keep Looking 07. Clean Heart 08.

Sade Torrent

Give It Up 09. I Never Thought I'd See the Day 10. Siempre Hay Esperanza Album: Love Deluxe 01.

No Ordinary Love 02. Feel No Pain 03. I Couldn't Love You More 04. Like a Tattoo 05. Kiss of Life 06. Cherish the Day 07.

Bullet Proof Soul 09. Mermaid Album: The Best of Sade 01. Your Love Is King 02. Hang on to Your Love 03. Smooth Operator 04.

The Sweetest Taboo 06. Is It a Crime 07.

Never As Good As the First Time 08. Love Is Stronger Than Pride 09. Nothing Can Come Between Us 11. No Ordinary Love 12.

Like a Tattoo 13. Kiss of Life 14. Please Send Me Someone to Love 15. Cherish the Day 16. Pearls Album: Lovers Rock 01. By Your Side 02.

King of Sorrow 04. Somebody Already Broke My Heart 05. All About Our Love 06.

Slave Song 07. The Sweetest Gift 08. Every Word 09. Immigrant 10. Lovers Rock 11. It's Only Love That Gets You Through Album: Lovers Live 01. Cherish the Day 02.

Somebody Already Broke My Heart 03. Smooth Operator 04. Kiss of Life 06. Slave Song 07. Sweetest Gift 08.

The Sweetest Taboo 09. No Ordinary Love 11. By Your Side 12. Is It A Crime Album: Soldier of Love (2010) 01.

The Moon and The Sky 02. Solider of Love 03. Morning Bird 04. Babyfather 05. Long Hard Road 06.

Be That Easy 07. Bring Me Home 08. In Another Time 09. The Safest Place Album: The Ultimate Collection (2011) CD1 01. Your Love Is King 02.

Smooth Operator 03. Hang On To Your Love 04. The Sweetest Taboo 05. Is It A Crime 06. Never As Good As The First Time 07. Love Is Stronger Than Pride 09.

Nothing Can Come Between Us 11. No Ordinary Love 12.

Kiss Of Life 13. Feel No Pain 14. Bullet Proof Soul CD2 01. Cherish The Day 02. By Your Side 04. Immigrant 05. King Of Sorrow 07.

The Sweetest Gift 08. Solider Of Love 09. The Moon And The Sky 10. Babyfather 11. Still In Love With You 12. Love Is Found 13. I Would Never Have Guessed 14.

The Moon And The Sky 15. By Your Side Album: Bring Me Home Live (2012) 01. Soldier of Love 02.

Kiss of Life 04. Love Is Found 05. In Another Time 06. All About Our Love 08. Paradise Nothing Can Come Between Us 09. Morning Bird 10. The Moon and the Sky 11.

No Ordinary Love 12. By Your Side 13. Cherish the Day Enjoy!!!!