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Sade - Diamond Life

Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies Class of 84
Episode 3 of 6

Trevor Nelson goes track-by-track through this globally successful debut album by a British group, recalling the era through archive material and interviews and personal memories.

Of the four albums selected as the Class Of '84, only Diamond Life by Sade was a debut album. It's also the only British album of the four, but it appealed far beyond the UK, achieving success across Europe and then in America. Trevor Nelson takes us through the album track-by-track and shares his memories.

In 1984, there was no shortage of depressing and worrying domestic and international stories making headlines, but Diamond Life felt like an escape from them, even though one of its songs struck a chord with the rising unemployment that Trevor remembers well amongst his friends and community.

Archive recordings of Sade being interviewed on Radio 1 provide context of the media鈥檚 questions about the group and their album in 1984, while producer Robin Millar describes his highly unusual method for recording Sade鈥檚 vocals.

Being long before the internet and music-streaming, there are reminders of a magazine and the must-have audio equipment of the era鈥� The Face was a hugely influential monthly publication, which the group's music and the look and style of singer/songwriter Sade Adu was perfect for it. And as you鈥檇 expect from music-obsessed Trevor, he wouldn鈥檛 go anywhere without his Walkman, and he reminds us how the cassette-buying public found their copy of Diamond Life had two bonus tracks that weren鈥檛 included on the LP or new-fangled compact disc releases.

28 minutes

Last on

Wed 24 Jul 2024 03:30
鲍鱼tv Radio 2

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Prince - Purple RainClass of 84

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Bruce Springsteen 鈥� Born In The USAClass of 84

See all episodes from Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies

Music Played

  • Sade

    Your Love Is King

  • Sade

    Smooth Operator

  • Sade

    Cherry Pie

  • Sade

    Frankie's First Affair

  • Gil Scott鈥怘eron

    Lady Day And John Coltrane

    • Global Television.

  • Sade

    Sally

  • Sade

    When Am I Going To Make A Living

  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood

    Two Tribes (Hibakusha)

  • Visage

    Fade To Grey

  • Sade

    I Will Be Your Friend

  • Sade

    Snake Bite

  • Sade

    Love Affair With Life

  • Sade

    Why Can't We Live Together

  • Prince & The Revolution

    Purple Rain

  • Wham!

    Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

    • Fantastic 80's Disc 1 (Various Artis.
    • Columbia.

  • Culture Club

    Church Of The Poison Mind

    • More Greatest Hits Of 80's (Various).
    • Disky.

  • Eurythmics

    Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

    • Our Friends Electric (Various Artists.
    • Telstar.

  • The Police

    Every Breath You Take

    • The Ivor Novello Winners.
    • EMI.

  • Bananarama

    Cruel Summer

    • Now 1983 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.

  • Sade

    Hang On To Your Love

    • Diamond Life.
    • Epic.
    • 3.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 16 Jun 2024 00:30
    鲍鱼tv Radio 2
  • Wed 24 Jul 2024 03:30
    鲍鱼tv Radio 2