The Best of Sade

The Best of Sade is the first greatest hits album by English band Sade. It was released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1994 and in the United States on 4 November 1994 by Epic Records. The Best of Sade chronicles Sade's first four albums, while also including non-single songs "Jezebel", "Like a Tattoo" and "Pearls", as well as "Please Send Me Someone to Love", which appeared in the soundtrack for the film Philadelphia. The album was digitally remastered in 2000.

The Best of Sade
Greatest hits album by Sade
Released	31 October 1994
Recorded	1983–1993
Studio	Various The Power Plant, London[lower-alpha 1] Miraval, Le Val, France[lower-alpha 2] Compass Point, Nassau, Bahamas[lower-alpha 3] Marcadet, Paris[lower-alpha 3] Condulmer, Venice[lower-alpha 4] Ridge Farm, Surrey, England[lower-alpha 4] The Hit Factory, London[lower-alpha 4] Conway, Los Angeles[lower-alpha 5] Ameraycan, Los Angeles[lower-alpha 5]
Length	73:50
Label	Epic
Producer	Hein Hoven Robin Millar Mike Pela Ben Rogan Sade
Sade chronology
Love Deluxe (1992) The Best of Sade (1994) Lovers Rock (2000)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

The singles from Diamond Life, as well as Stronger Than Pride's "Paradise" and "Nothing Can Come Between Us", are presented in their 7″ edit forms; "Never as Good as the First Time" and "Cherish the Day" are remixes produced by Sade, also taken from their respective singles. None of this information is listed within the packaging.

Critical reception

AllMusic's Jason Elias wrote, "By the time this was released in 1994, something unexpected happened. Sade's early work became classic and the later additions boasted even better vocals and songs that nicely improved on the theme. The timeless sound and class always exhibited makes Sade Adu and her band a no-brainer for an appealing compilation. Like Al Green's Greatest Hits, The Best of Sade doesn't detract from the original albums and is a marker of time, not the end of the act... Despite its riches, The Best of Sade doesn't include all of the best, since 'Maureen' and or 'Keep Looking' aren't here. It's a small complaint and The Best of Sade is a great overview."[1] Robert Christgau called the album "another loungecore alternative".[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Your Love Is King"	Sade Adu Stuart Matthewman	Robin Millar	3:41
2.	"Hang On to Your Love" (short version)	Adu Matthewman	Millar	4:29
3.	"Smooth Operator" (7″ edit)	Adu Ray St. John	Millar	4:16
4.	"Jezebel"	Adu Matthewman	Millar	5:23
5.	"The Sweetest Taboo"	Adu Martin Ditcham	Millar	4:38
6.	"Is It a Crime?"	Adu Matthewman Andrew Hale	Millar	6:16
7.	"Never as Good as the First Time" (remix edit)	Adu Matthewman	Millar Ben Rogan Mike Pela Sade	3:58
8.	"Love Is Stronger Than Pride"	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela^[a] Rogan^[a]	4:17
9.	"Paradise" (remix)	Adu Matthewman Hale Paul S. Denman	Sade Pela^[a] Rogan^[a]	3:36
10.	"Nothing Can Come Between Us" (radio edit)	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela^[a] Rogan^[a]	3:52
11.	"No Ordinary Love"	Adu Matthewman	Sade Pela^[a]	7:19
12.	"Like a Tattoo"	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela^[a]	3:36
13.	"Kiss of Life" (radio edit)	Adu Matthewman Hale Denman	Sade Pela^[a]	4:10
14.	"Please Send Me Someone to Love"	Percy Mayfield	Sade Hein Hoven	3:40
15.	"Cherish the Day" (Sade remix)	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela^[a]	6:17
16.	"Pearls"	Adu Hale	Sade Pela^[a]	4:35
Total length:				73:50

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies a co-producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Best of Sade.[5]

Sade

• Sade – arrangement (tracks 8–13, 15, 16)
• Sade Adu – vocals
• Andrew Hale – keyboards
• Stuart Matthewman – guitar, saxophone
• Paul S. Denman – bass

Additional musicians

• Dave Early – drums, percussion (tracks 1–7)
• Martin Ditcham – percussion (tracks 1–11, 13); drums (tracks 8–10, 13)
• Paul Cooke – drums (tracks 1–3)
• Terry Bailey – trumpet (tracks 1–7)
• Gordon Matthewman – trumpet (tracks 1–3)
• Pete Beachill – trombone (tracks 4–7)
• Leroy Osbourne – vocals (tracks 7–13, 15, 16)
• Jake Jacas – vocals (track 7)
• Gordon Hunte – guitar (tracks 9, 14)
• Nick Ingman – string arrangements (tracks 13, 16)
• Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Tony Pleeth – solo cello (track 16)
• Karl Van Den Bossche – percussion (track 14)
• Trevor Murrell – drums (track 14)

Technical

• Robin Millar – production (tracks 1–7)
• Mike Pela – production engineering (tracks 1–7); production (track 7); engineering, co-production (tracks 8–13, 15, 16)
• Pete Brown – engineering assistance (tracks 1–7)
• Simon Driscoll – engineering assistance (tracks 1–7)
• Ben Rogan – production (track 7); engineering, co-production (tracks 8–10)
• Sade – production (tracks 7–13, 15, 16)
• Phil Legg – engineering assistance (tracks 4–7)
• Melanie West – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Vince McCartney – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Franck Segarra – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Olivier de Bosson – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Alain Lubrano – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Jean-Christophe Vareille – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Sandro Franchin – engineering assistance (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Adrian Moore – engineering assistance (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Marc Williams – engineering assistance (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Hein Hoven – production, mixing (track 14)
• Ian Cooper – mastering

Artwork

• Albert Watson – photography
• Jo Strettel – photography
• Peter Brawne – design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994–95) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 23 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] 9 Belgian Albums (IFPI)[8] 3 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[9] 22 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[10] 9 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 21 European Albums (Music & Media)[12] 5 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 12 French Compilation Albums (SNEP)[14] 8 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 15 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[16] 12 Irish Albums (IFPI)[10] 6 Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[17] 5 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18] 27 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] 5 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 12 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[8] 4 Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 26 Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[22] 10 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 7 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 11 UK Albums (OCC)[25] 6 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[26] 1 US Billboard 200[27] 9 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[28] 7 Chart (1999) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] 38 Chart (2005) Peak position UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[30] 4 Chart (2010) Peak position Polish Albums (ZPAV)[31] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] 63 Chart (1995) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[33] 83 European Albums (Music & Media)[34] 52 US Billboard 200[35] 45 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[36] 19

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[37]	Platinum	60,000^^
Australia (ARIA)[38]	3× Platinum	210,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[39]	Gold	25,000^*
Belgium (BEA)[40]	Platinum	50,000^*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[41]	Gold	100,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[42]	Platinum	100,000^^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[43]	Gold	34,474[43]
France (SNEP)[44]	2× Gold	200,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[45]	Gold	250,000^^
Italy (FIMI)[46]	Platinum	50,000^*
Japan (RIAJ)[47]	Gold	100,000^^
Netherlands (NVPI)[48]	Platinum	100,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[49]	Platinum	15,000^^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[50]	Platinum	100,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[51]	2× Platinum	600,000^^
United States (RIAA)[52]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[53]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^*
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Notes

1. Tracks 1–7
2. Tracks 4–10
3. Tracks 8–10
4. Tracks 11–13, 15 and 16
5. Track 14

References

1. Elias, Jason. "The Best of Sade – Sade". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
2. Christgau, Robert (2000). "CG Book '90s: S". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. ISBN 0-3122-4560-2. Retrieved 30 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
3. Jones, Anderson (18 November 1994). "Music Review: 'The Best of Sade' (1994)". Entertainment Weekly. No. 249. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
4. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Sade". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 712. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
5. The Best of Sade (liner notes). Sade. Epic Records. 1994. 477793 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
6. "Australiancharts.com – Sade – The Best of Sade". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
7. "Austriancharts.at – Sade – The Best of Sade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
8. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 106 no. 49. 3 December 1994. p. 51. ISSN 0006-2510.
9. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2681". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
10. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 106 no. 50. 10 December 1994. p. 51. ISSN 0006-2510.
11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Sade – The Best of Sade" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
12. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 106 no. 52. 24 December 1994. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510.
13. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
14. "Les Albums (CD) de 1994 par InfoDisc". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sade – The Best of Sade" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
16. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1995. 2. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
17. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 106 no. 52. 24 December 1994. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510.
18. シャーデーのアルバム売り上げランキング [Sade album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
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21. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
22. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11 no. 6. 11 February 1995. p. 10. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 5 December 2019 – via American Radio History.
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24. "Swisscharts.com – Sade – The Best of Sade". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
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26. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
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28. "Sade Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
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30. "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
31. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
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33. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1995". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 April 2014.
34. "Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12 no. 51/52. 23 December 1995. p. 14. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 5 December 2019 – via American Radio History.
35. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
36. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
37. "Discos de Oro y Platino" (in Spanish). Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
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39. "Austrian album certifications – Sade – The Best Of" (in German). IFPI Austria. 6 April 1998. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
40. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 20 February 2002. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
41. "Brazilian album certifications – Sade – The Best of Sade" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
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45. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Sade; 'The Best of Sade')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
46. "Italian album certifications – Sade – The Best Of" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 January 2019. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "The Best Of" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
47. "Japanese album certifications – Sade – The Best of Sade" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 17 October 2018. Select 1994年12月 on the drop-down menu
48. "Dutch album certifications – Sade – The Best of Sade" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 29 January 2019. Enter The Best of Sade in the "Artiest of titel" box.
49. "New Zealand album certifications – Sade – The Best of Sade". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
50. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 940. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
51. "British album certifications – Sade – The Best Of". British Phonographic Industry. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2014. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Best Of in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
52. "American album certifications – Sade – Best of Sade". Recording Industry Association of America. 1 April 1999. Retrieved 5 May 2011. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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