PC 231-Sade Interviews Loose Talk and DJ Peter Powell 1983 and 1984

The Early Days: Pride and the Birth of a Band Before she was "Sade," Helen Folasade Adu was a fashion design student at St. Martin's College, designing men's clothing and singing backup in the eight-piece funk band Pride . It was in Pride that she met the musicians who would become the core of her band: saxophonist/guitarist Stuart Matthewman and bassist Paul Spencer Denman . Along with drummer Paul Anthony Cook, they formed a splinter group within Pride and began writing their own material . The band Sade made their debut in December 1982 at Ronnie Scott's Club in London, in support of Pride . As one early observer put it, "For us, it was just Sade and three skinny white boys" . The First TV Interview: Loose Talk, 1983 In 1983, Sade gave her first television interview on the Loose Talk programme in London . This broadcast, which has been digitally restored and preserved, offers a rare glimpse of the singer before global fame . During this interview, she made a statement that would become significant: "Three members of the band come from Hull" . This was a direct admission that the band consisted of more than just herself. The three members from Hull were Paul Anthony Cook, Paul Denman, and Stuart Matthewman – the original rhythm section of what would become the Sade band. The RCA Sessions: October 1983 Jack Stevens, an A&R man from RCA, was responsible for pulling Sade out of Pride on the basis that she would be offered a deal . RCA commissioned three recordings to be made by Sade and her band: "Smooth Operator," "Your Love Is King," and "Hang On to Your Love" . The recordings took place in October 1983 at Power Plant Studios in London . The band worked collectively on the musical direction, rehearsing each song in detail before recording it . These sessions would form the foundation of what would become the Diamond Life album. Paul Anthony Cook played on the formative demos and early takes: the slinking shuffle of "Smooth Operator," the tight backbeat of "Your Love Is King," and the dancefloor cool of "Hang On to Your Love" . However, RCA rejected the recordings. The label had been concentrating on the Eurythmics' international launch and didn't think much of the band's songs . But the singer had other plans. The Takeover: October 1983 In October 1983, Sade Adu took control of the band's music. Using her boyfriend at the time, Robert Elms (a TV presenter and journalist), she transferred the rights of the RCA sessions and recordings – including "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love Is King" – to CBS Records without the knowledge of Paul Cook . She signed a solo deal as "Sade" on 19th October 1983 . The company would not sign up the whole band – only the singer . This was the pivotal moment. What had been presented as a band, the singer now controlled as a solo artist. The band PSP named SADE (Paul Cook, Paul Denman, and Stuart Matthewman) had created the music, but the singer had taken the deal for herself. The New Deal and New Producer With the CBS deal in place, the singer brought in producer Robin Millar to rework the recordings . The band had never worked in a professional studio before and only had demos and BBC recordings . Millar booked a week of studio time, and they recorded fifteen songs for the album . The recording process was intensive. Without mixing desks with automation, each band member had a job – putting on echo, delay, or changing levels – while Millar edited between different mixes. Stuart Matthewman recalled: "Very often, we would have six people at the mixing desk at the same time" . The Dismissal: January 1984 Paul Anthony Cook objected to the new sound created by producer Robin Millar and, crucially, to the fact that the singer had signed a solo deal . In January 1984, the manager informed Cook that he was being dismissed. This decision was made at the request of Angel Prop Ltd – the singer's newly formed company that had begun to control her music . The singer had removed the drummer from a band that she had effectively taken control of just months earlier. The TV Appearances: March 1984 Despite his dismissal, Cook rejoined the band for some promotional TV work . The performances were for "Your Love Is King" on BBC's Top of the Pops on 8th and 22nd March 1984, and for the BBC's Oxford Road Show in Manchester . These were the last shows Paul Cook played with the band. He was listed as "Paul Cooke (drums)" – still part of the group, at least on screen . But behind the scenes, the singer had taken control. The Release: July 1984 Diamond Life was released in July 1984. It would go on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling debut by a British female vocalist in the 20th century . The album won the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Album and established Sade as a major force in 1980s music .