Originally published in the March, 4 1993 issue of the San Diego Union-Tribune.


POP MUSIC | DATEBOOK 



SADE | This sultry singer is back in operation with `Love Deluxe' 


JAMES RYAN 
JAMES RYAN is a writer for Entertainment News Wire. 

Sade 

After a long break from performing, sultry pop star Sade is touring again,
promoting her fourth album, "Love Deluxe," with a stop at Copley Symphony
Hall scheduled tomorrow night. 

In a recent interview, the Grammy Award-winning singer, whose hits include
"Your Love is King," "Smooth Operator" and "Sweetest Taboo," talked about
the smooth operators and sweet taboos in her life. 

What about you is most misunderstood? 

The myth that I'm some sort of a shy, reclusive diva. I'm a diva, of
course. But I'm not shy and I'm not reclusive. I just spend my time with
people rather than journalists. 

So you haven't been hiding out for the last four years? 

No. I've been living a little. I got married. I bought a studio and
traveled around a bit. And I made another album. 

Whom did you get married to? 

Carlos Scola, a man from Madrid. He's a filmmaker. 

How long had you been seeing him? 

About four years before we got married. It was pretty on and off. But we
were together when we were off. We were probably more together when we were
apart than when we were together. It was love at first sight. 

What's your feeling about marriage these days? You said a few years ago you
would . . . 

Never get married. I believe in people being together and you giving
yourself to somebody. But I'm still not the marrying kind. I loved my
husband as much the day before I married him as the day after. He wanted me
to get married. I thought, well, I'll do something that he wants me to do. 
Maybe it will help the situation. He'll feel more secure. But look what
happened. 

What happened? You were married . . . 

In Spain. And then I left, shortly after. We're not divorced. But we're not
together. The marriage is over. 

To quote one of your songs, why is it so hard to hang onto your love? 

First, the notion of being with one person forever is quite an impractical
idea. Especially since so much changes in the way we live our lives. And
it's really difficult to be with somebody. When I'm doing something,
there's nothing else going on in the world in my life. If I'm on the phone
with somebody, I'm on the phone with them. I don't have time for anybody
else. I've got my track, and I can't go off it. Which is a pity. I like
those people who can do lots of things at the same time. I'm not like that,
and I think that can be intimidating. 

"Love Deluxe" seems like kind of a cynical title for your new album. 

Yeah, it's like a luxury item that can't be bought. 

Stylistically, it's a lot like your others. 

Yeah, it's still the same band. That's one of the reasons. You won't hear
it and think, who's that? 

Tell me about your single "No Ordinary Love." 

It's about love that isn't supposed to work. Reason says that the love is
not supposed to work, but faith makes it happen. 

Do you recall what inspired it? 

No, I rarely do. It's weird. They just come. The ideas sort of lodge
themselves over a long period of time. And then they suddenly appear. "Like
a Tattoo" was a song I wanted to write for a long time. I was in an Irish
bar in New York years ago, and this man came and sat next to me and started
telling me things about himself that I didn't particularly want to know. He
had been in Vietnam. It's my translation of what he was saying to me. 

Do you understand how people like Madonna can live their lives so publicly? 

I understand it because it's like maybe a dream that you could have as a
child. It's so innocent in a way, their approach to what they do. But
there's nothing that they do that I would want to do. Madonna's drive is
quite surreal, I think. I don't think an English girl could have the same
approach. It's sort of intrinsically American. 

You're what, 33 now? Was turning 30 difficult for you? 

I was a mere youth when we made the last album. It wasn't a problem, not a
problem at all. I might start doing facial exercises soon, though. I might
start doing exercises, period. Age and gravity. 

You don't exercise now? You look so muscular. 

That's just because I'm black. Do you have anything in mind? 

How about kick-boxing? 

That's not bad. I'd be learning something and wouldn't realize I was
exercising. And I'm very supple. 

If you were an animal, what would you be? 

A pilchard. It's a small fish with quite a big mouth. That's what I am. 

Who's the smoothest operator you've ever met? 

The one who took my appendix out. 

It's Sha-day 

Could you explain the pronunciation of your name? 

The proper pronunciation doesn't have an r in it: Sha-day. But Americans
tend to put an r in it: Shar-day. 

Do you still wear disguises when you go out in public? 

I only do that occasionally. I just remembered something brilliant that
happened one time when I went to Disneyland. I had on my Wendy wig -- my
friends call me Wendy when I'm wearing it -- and these thick glasses that
make me look really sad. Somebody came up to me and said, "Are you
Sharday?" I said, "No, who's Sharday?" And they got really angry with me,
saying, "You don't know who Sharday is? That's ridiculous. What, have you
been living in a cave?" 

What would you have done if you hadn't become a singer? 

I'd quite like to be a taxi driver because you get to meet weird people and
travel. 

Do you remember your first kiss? 

Yeah, I do. He was wearing Brut after-shave. I love the smell of Brut. 

I should have worn some. 

You would have gotten an immediate snog. I would have been like a guppy. 
You'd need a crowbar to get me off. I love Brut. That was my first B-movie
snog. I was about 14, I guess. He was very tall, huge. I can't remember his
name. I met him at a disco, the first disco I ever went to, called the West
Cliff. 

Had any interesting dreams lately? 

I've had a dream of standing on stage and suddenly realizing I've got no
clothes on. It's probably quite common. 

What do you value more, your Grammy or your first platinum record? 

My first platinum record, because it means that people bought the album
because they liked it, not just because it was the thing to buy. 

What would you like your tombstone to say? 

You can dance here if you like. 

DATEBOOK 

Sade, Me Phi Me 

8 p.m. tomorrow. Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., downtown. $25-$35 (sold
out). 278-TIXS.