the band

Vocals

sade has quite simply rewritten the music industry rule book. her albums aren't products that come around with punctuality of trains, they are individual pieces of work that require both a purpose and a reason. and if those creative forces don't dovetail snugly into the established music business format, so be it

Guitars, Sax

a consummate musician, switching freely between brass, guitars and programming, stuart is the restless one. those long sabbaticals between sade albums proved difficult for a man who is only at his happiest when playing. he is also one of the least compromising men you are ever likely to meet

Keyboards

he may have started out as the baby of the band, yet his role and influence, in both songwriting, playing and production, grew swiftly over the years. from one songwriting credit on diamond life ('cherry pie'), to all but one on love deluxe (including the stark and apocalyptic 'pearls'). his influence is such that it is impossible today to imagine the sade sound without his lush, ambient flushes of languid keyboards

Bass

paul's function within the band is twofold: firstly as chief engineer underpinning the rhythm of the band, and secondly front of house, attending to the style details of what has arguably been the best - and most exotically - dressed band of the past two decades