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October/November 1985 (probably)
Edinburgh Playhouse (probably)
I cannot, rather embarrassingly, actually remember for sure
when it was I saw Sade (or Sadie as she was invariably referred to up here) in
concert. I can, however, narrow it down
to 1984 or 1985 i.e. the Diamond Life or Promise tours.
Up until a few months ago, I should have sworn it was the
former, and that I had gone along to see Sade before the singer’s Live
Aid appearance had raised her profile considerably. But digging around in the net, I came across
a set-list from the 1984 Edinburgh gig which did not quite equate with the humiliatingly
few scraps of memory I have retained. So
have plumped for listing this as a gig during 1985’s Promise Tour.
I do recall the lady being confident enough to begin the set
with two of her best known songs: Why Can’t We Live Together followed
immediately by Smooth Operator, which I recall thinking at the time was really rather
brave. Sade then introduced the next
song as being autobiographical, concerning her relationship as a mixed race
child, with her grandmother. I have
often wondered since if she would get away with the title Tar Baby in these
rather more PC times. Although I never
believed the word tar in the title referred to skin colour but rather, in some
way, to the Brer Rabbit tale.
Towards the end of the set we enjoyed an emotive rendition
of Sally, one of my favourite songs from that first album; even though I could
never (indeed, still cannot) work out if the lady of the title was a particularly
hard-working social worker, or the proverbial Hooker with the Heart of Gold. I guess the lyrics were deliberately
ambiguous.
Setlist – from Birmingham concert on the same tour
Why Can’t We Live Together
Cherry Pie
Tar Baby
Smooth Operator
Red Eye
War of the Hearts
Hang on to Your Love
Fear
Your Love is King
Mr Wrong
Never as Good as the First Time
Maureen
Sally
Snake Bite
Is it a Crime
Encores
The Sweetest Taboo
Jezebel
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