The Best of Sade explained

The Best of Sade
Type:	greatest hits
Artist:	Sade
Cover:	Sade - The Best of Sade.png
Recorded:	1983–1993
Studio:	The Power Plant (London) Miraval (Le Val, France) Compass Point (Nassau, Bahamas) Marcadet (Paris) Condulmer (Venice) Ridge Farm (Surrey, England) The Hit Factory (London) Conway (Los Angeles) Ameraycan (Los Angeles)
Length:	74:03
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Hein Hoven Robin Millar Mike Pela Ben Rogan Sade
Prev Title:	Love Deluxe
Prev Year:	1992
Next Title:	Lovers Rock
Next Year:	2000

The Best of Sade is the first greatest hits album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1994 and in the United States on 4 November 1994. The compilation chronicles Sade's first four studio 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 to the film Philadelphia. The album was digitally remastered in 2000.

The singles from Diamond Life, as well as Stronger Than Prides "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 album's 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." Robert Christgau called the album "another loungecore alternative".

Track listing

Notes

• signifies a co-producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Best of Sade.^[1]

Sade

• Sade Adu – vocals
• Andrew Hale – keyboards
• Stuart Matthewman – guitar, saxophone
• Paul S. Denman – bass

Additional musicians

• Dave Early – drums, percussion
• Martin Ditcham – percussion ; drums
• Paul Cooke – drums
• Terry Bailey – trumpet
• Gordon Matthewman – trumpet
• Pete Beachill – trombone
• Leroy Osbourne – vocals
• Jake Jacas – vocals
• Gordon Hunte – guitar
• Nick Ingman – string arrangements
• Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
• Tony Pleeth – solo cello
• Karl Van Den Bossche – percussion
• Trevor Murrell – drums

Technical

• Robin Millar – production
• Mike Pela – production engineering ; production ; engineering, co-production
• Pete Brown – engineering assistance
• Simon Driscoll – engineering assistance
• Ben Rogan – production ; engineering, co-production
• Sade – production, arrangement
• Phil Legg – engineering assistance
• Melanie West – engineering assistance
• Vince McCartney – engineering assistance
• Franck Segarra – engineering assistance
• Olivier de Bosson – engineering assistance
• Alain Lubrano – engineering assistance
• Jean-Christophe Vareille – engineering assistance
• Sandro Franchin – engineering assistance
• Adrian Moore – engineering assistance
• Marc Williams – engineering assistance
• Hein Hoven – production, mixing
• Ian Cooper – mastering

Artwork

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

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994–1995)! scope="col"

Peak position
Belgian Albums (IFPI)^[2]	3
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)^[3]	9
European Albums (Music & Media)^[4]	5
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[5]	12
French Compilation Albums (SNEP)^[6]	8
Irish Albums (IFPI)	6
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)^[7]	5
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[8]	27
Portuguese Albums (AFP)	4
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)^[9]	10

Chart (2022)! scope="col"

Peak position
Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)^[10]	2

Chart (2022)! scope="col"

Peak position
US Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)! scope="col"

Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[11]	63
UK Albums (OCC)^[12]	40

Chart (1995)! scope="col"

Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[13]	83
European Albums (Music & Media)^[14]	52
US Billboard 200^[15]	45
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[16]	19

Notes and References

1. The Best of Sade . liner notes . . . 1994 . 477793 2.
2. Hits of the World . . 106 . 49 . 3 December 1994 . 51 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
3. Hits of the World . Billboard . 106 . 50 . 10 December 1994 . 51 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
4. Hits of the World . Billboard . 106 . 52 . 24 December 1994 . 55 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
5. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . fi . 1st . Helsinki . . 2006 . 978-951-1-21053-5.
6. Web site: Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste . InfoDisc . fr . 16 April 2022. Select "EURYTHMICS" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".
7. Hits of the World . Billboard . 106 . 52 . 24 December 1994 . 54 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
8. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/76816/ranking/cd_album/ . ja:シャーデーのアルバム売り上げランキング . Sade album sales ranking . ja . . 4 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140331100640/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/76816/ranking/cd_album/ . 31 March 2014.
9. Top National Sellers . . 11 . 6 . 11 February 1995 . 15 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
10. Web site: Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Week: 48/2022. IFPI Greece. 7 December 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221207103233/https://www.ifpi.gr/charts_en.html. 7 December 2022.
11. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1994 . nl . . 4 April 2014.
12. Top 100 Albums 1994 . . 14 January 1995 . 11 . 0265-1548 . World Radio History.
13. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1995 . nl . Dutch Charts . 4 April 2014.
14. Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995 . Music & Media . 12 . 51/52 . 23 December 1995 . 14 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
15. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995 . Billboard . 5 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180506060832/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-billboard-200-albums . 6 May 2018.
16. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995 . Billboard . 5 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180506060954/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums . 6 May 2018.