Promise is the second studio album by English band Sade, first released in the United Kingdom on 4 November 1985 by Epic Records and in the United States on 15 November 1985 by Portrait Records. Following the release of their highly successful debut album Diamond Life, the band began planning its follow up. Recording for Promise began in February and lasted until August 1985. The band enlisted the same team of producers they worked with on their debut, including Robin Millar, Mike Pela, Ben Rogan, and lead singer Sade Adu. Upon release Promise was met with acclaim from music critics. Commercially the album was a success, becoming the band’s first album to top the album charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The album spawned three singles, including the highly charting single “The Sweetest Taboo”, which became a success worldwide. (More from Wikipedia)
When thinking about Black Russian, I am reminded of a review of one of Sade’s albums in the Village Voice (maybe Promise) that I have been unable to find online. The reviewer noted that the album sounds like music that you have heard before, but you actually haven’t. I can imagine that one or two casual listens to Black Russian could lead to the opinions given above – particularly if one is predisposed to dissing anything that even hints of disco – but to these ears, this music represents brilliant songmaking that combines an appreciation of older R&B music with what was happening in the modern scene. It might be my imagination, but sonically, Black Russian seems louder than most of the other albums that I have been playing recently.
(April 2015/1)
