By Your Side

Song: By Your Side
Artist: Sade
Album: Lovers Rock






When I was younger the modern jazz of Sade was a bit too… well, boring for me. Sure “Smooth Operator” was okay, but her sexy music was lost on me as a kid. I suppose for good reason. I caught up, in a big way, with the release of Sade’s last album, 2000’s “Lovers Rock.” For this record she incorporated more modern electronic flourishes to her music and I fell hard. This is one of the sexiest records I own and is great from start to finish and both as mood music and if you listen to each song separately.

Sade was born in a tiny village miles from Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. Her father was African and mother was English. Sade moved with her mother to London where she grew up listening to classic soul records and formed her musical influences. “Smooth Operator” was one of the first songs she wrote, and has consistently had at least one solid hit off each album she’s released. Most notably, “The Sweetest Taboo” from 1985’s “Promise” and “No Ordinary Love” from 1992’s “Love Deluxe.”

I don’t have any of these older albums so can’t speak on them, but I without a doubt think “Lovers Rock’ is essential for any modern music fan. While the entire album is filled with great songs, the touchstone still remains the first track, “By Your Side.” Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl” did an amazing piano based dance mix of the song that I highly recommend. My cousin used the original as the song for her wedding and I am hard pressed to think of a more perfect song or moment. I cried like a baby.

Thank you Sade!

Enjoy.