The Ultimate Collection (Sade album)

The Ultimate Collection is the second greatest hits album by English band Sade, released on 29 April 2011 by RCA Records. The album includes several singles from the band's career, including "Your Love Is King", "Smooth Operator", "By Your Side", "No Ordinary Love" and "Soldier of Love". It also contains four previously unreleased tracks—a cover of Thin Lizzy's 1974 song "Still in Love with You", a remix of "The Moon and the Sky" featuring Jay-Z, and the songs "I Would Never Have Guessed" and "Love Is Found". The band promoted the album with their first concert tour in 10 years, Sade Live.[5] In March 2014, the album was re-released as The Essential Sade under the Sony Legacy umbrella.[6]

The Ultimate Collection
Greatest hits album by
Released29 April 2011 (2011-04-29)
Recorded1983–2011
Length133:03
LabelRCA
Producer
Sade chronology
Soldier of Love
(2010)
The Ultimate Collection
(2011)
Singles from The Ultimate Collection
  1. "Still in Love with You"
    Released: 5 April 2011
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[1]
AllMusic[2]
Contactmusic.com[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

Critical reception

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Will Hermes of Rolling Stone stated, "Few singers have the consistency of vision to produce a career retrospective that doubles as a seamless 'let's make out on the carpet' mixtape. From 1985's jazzy 'Smooth Operator' to tracks from last year's excellent Soldier of Love, it's all state-of-the-art slow-jams all the time, driven by Sade Adu's touch-me-now contralto."[4] Lloyd Bradley of BBC Music commented, "The best thing about this set is it'll allow anybody who didn't quite get the band first time around to catch up."[7] In a mixed review, Jeff Winbush of All About Jazz wrote, "No such luck. As things stand, a more accurate title would be The Adequate Collection because there's little ultimate about this bare bones piece of product."[1]

Commercial performance

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The Ultimate Collection debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 15,184 copies, becoming Sade's seventh top-10 album in the United Kingdom.[8] In the United States, the album entered the Billboard 200 at number seven with 38,000 copies sold in its first week, earning the band their ninth consecutive top-10 album on the chart.[9] As of August 2011, the set had sold 127,000 copies in the United States.[10]

Track listing

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Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Your Love Is King" (from Diamond Life, 1984)Robin Millar3:42
2."Smooth Operator" (from Diamond Life)Millar4:18
3."Hang On to Your Love" (from Diamond Life)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
Millar4:32
4."The Sweetest Taboo" (from Promise, 1985)
  • Adu
  • Martin Ditcham
Millar4:27
5."Is It a Crime?" (from Promise)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Andrew Hale
Millar6:22
6."Never as Good as the First Time" (from Promise)
3:58
7."Jezebel" (from Promise)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
Millar5:27
8."Love Is Stronger Than Pride" (from Stronger Than Pride, 1988)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Matthewman
4:20
9."Paradise" (from Stronger Than Pride)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Matthewman
  • Denman
3:38
10."Nothing Can Come Between Us" (from Stronger Than Pride)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
3:54
11."No Ordinary Love" (from Love Deluxe, 1992)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
7:21
12."Kiss of Life" (from Love Deluxe)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
  • Denman
4:14
13."Feel No Pain" (from Love Deluxe)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Matthewman
5:11
14."Bullet Proof Soul" (from Love Deluxe)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
5:25
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Cherish the Day" (from Love Deluxe)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Matthewman
6:20
2."Pearls" (from Love Deluxe)
  • Adu
  • Hale
4:34
3."By Your Side" (from Lovers Rock, 2000)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
  • Denman
4:41
4."Immigrant" (from Lovers Rock)
  • Adu
  • Janusz Podrazik
3:50
5."Flow" (from Lovers Rock)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
  • Denman
4:34
6."King of Sorrow" (from Lovers Rock)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
  • Denman
4:47
7."The Sweetest Gift" (from Lovers Rock)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
2:21
8."Soldier of Love" (from Soldier of Love, 2010)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Matthewman
  • Denman
5:58
9."The Moon and the Sky" (from Soldier of Love)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
4:29
10."Babyfather" (from Soldier of Love)
  • Adu
  • Juan Janes
  • Andrew Nichols
  • Matthewman
4:40
11."Still in Love with You" (previously unreleased)
4:26
12."Love Is Found" (previously unreleased)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Matthewman
  • Denman
4:11
13."I Would Never Have Guessed" (previously unreleased)
2:57
14."The Moon and the Sky" (Remix featuring Jay-Z) (previously unreleased)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
Noah "40" Shebib4:27
15."By Your Side" (Neptunes Remix) (from "By Your Side" single, 2000)
  • Adu
  • Matthewman
  • Hale
  • Denman
3:59
Box set bonus DVD[11]
No.TitleDirector[12]Length
1."Hang on to Your Love"Brian Ward3:59
2."The Sweetest Taboo"Ward5:02
3."Is It a Crime"Ward7:03
4."Never as Good as the First Time"Ward3:55
5."Love Is Stronger Than Pride"Sophie Muller4:24
6."Paradise"Alex McDowell3:35
7."Turn My Back on You"Muller4:05
8."Nothing Can Come Between Us"Muller3:52
9."No Ordinary Love"Muller4:01
10."Feel No Pain"Albert Watson3:48
11."Kiss of Life"Watson4:12
12."Cherish the Day"Watson4:23
13."By Your Side"Muller4:27
14."King of Sorrow"Muller4:42
15."Soldier of Love"Muller5:01
16."Babyfather"Muller4:01
Total length:70:30

Notes

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  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Ultimate Collection.[13]

Sade

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  • Sade – arrangement (disc 1: tracks 8–14; disc 2: tracks 1–7, 15); strings, horns (disc 2: track 14)
  • Sade Adu – vocals, programming
  • Andrew Hale – keyboards, programming
  • Stuart Matthewman – guitars, saxophone, programming
  • Paul S. Denman – bass

Additional musicians

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  • Dave Early – drums, percussion (disc 1: tracks 1–7)
  • Martin Ditcham – percussion (disc 1: tracks 1–6, 8–12, 14; disc 2: tracks 8–10); drums (disc 1: tracks 8–10, 12; disc 2: track 10)
  • Paul Cooke – drums (disc 1: tracks 1, 3)
  • Gordon Matthewman – trumpet (disc 1: track 1; disc 2: track 10)
  • Terry Bailey – trumpet (disc 1: tracks 4, 5)
  • Pete Beachill – trombone (disc 1: tracks 4, 5)
  • Leroy Osbourne – vocals (disc 1: tracks 6, 8–14; disc 2: tracks 1–6, 8–11); guitar (disc 2: track 11)
  • Jake Jacas – vocals (disc 1: track 6)
  • Gordon Hunte – guitar (disc 1: track 9)
  • Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader (disc 1: track 12; disc 2: track 2)
  • Tony Pleeth – solo cello (disc 2: track 2)
  • Karl Van Den Bossche – percussion (disc 2: tracks 3–6, 11)
  • Tony Momrelle – vocals (disc 2: tracks 8–11)
  • Ian Burdge – cello (disc 2: tracks 8, 9)
  • Noel Langley – trumpet (disc 2: track 8)
  • Everton Nelson – violin (disc 2: track 9)
  • Pete Lewinson – drums (disc 2: tracks 10, 11)
  • Ryan Waters – guitar (disc 2: track 11)
  • Ben Travers – guitar (disc 2: track 12)
  • Simon Hale – orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting (disc 2: track 12)
  • Jay-Z – featured artist (disc 2: track 14)
  • 40 – all instruments except strings and horns (disc 2: track 14)

Technical

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  • Robin Millar – production (disc 1: tracks 1–7)
  • Mike Pela – production engineering (disc 1: tracks 1–7); engineering (disc 1: tracks 8–14; disc two: tracks 1, 2, 8–13); production (disc 1: track 6); co-production (disc 1: tracks 8–14; disc 2: tracks 1–13, 15); recording (disc 2: tracks 3–7, 15); mixing (disc 2: tracks 8, 11–13)
  • Pete Brown – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 1–7)
  • Simon Driscoll – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 1–7)
  • Phil Legg – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 4–7)
  • Ben Rogan – production (disc 1: track 6); engineering, co-production (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Sade – production (disc 1: tracks 8–14; disc 2: tracks 1–13, 15)
  • Melanie West – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Vince McCartney – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Franck Segarra – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Olivier de Bosson – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Alain Lubrano – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Jean-Christophe Vareille – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 8–10)
  • Sandro Franchin – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 11–14; disc 2: tracks 1, 2)
  • Adrian Moore – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 11–14; disc 2: tracks 1, 2)
  • Marc Williams – engineering assistance (disc 1: tracks 11–14; disc 2: tracks 1, 2)
  • Andy "Nipper" Davies – engineering assistance (disc 2: tracks 3–6)
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (disc 2: tracks 9, 10)
  • Mat Arnold – engineering assistance (disc 2: track 11)
  • Jamie Brownlow – engineering assistance (disc 2: track 11)
  • Owen Shiers – engineering assistance (disc 2: track 11)
  • Nick Poortman – engineering assistance (disc 2: tracks 12, 13)
  • Brendan Davies – engineering assistance (disc 2: tracks 12, 13)
  • Mike Nyandoro – engineering assistance (disc 2: tracks 12, 13)
  • Gary Thomas – engineering (disc 2: track 12)
  • Isobel Griffiths – contractor (disc 2: track 12)
  • Noah "40" Shebib – production, engineering (disc 2: track 14)
  • Noel Cadastre – engineering (disc 2: track 14)
  • Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – recording (Jay-Z's verse) (disc 2: track 14)
  • Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing (disc 2: track 14)
  • David Strickland – mix assistance (disc 2: track 14)
  • Greg Morrison – mix assistance (disc 2: track 14)
  • The Neptunes – mixing (disc 2: track 15)
  • Lynn Jeffrey – band assistance
  • John Davis – mastering
  • Adam Brown – tape transfer
  • Kevin Vanbergen – tape transfer
  • Richard Bowe – archiving

Artwork

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Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for The Ultimate Collection
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[55] Gold 10,000
Hungary (MAHASZ)[56] Gold 3,000^
Italy (FIMI)[57] Gold 25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[58] 4× Platinum 80,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Gold 100,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for The Ultimate Collection
Region Date Format Label Ref(s)
Australia 29 April 2011 Sony [60][61]
Germany
  • CD
  • CD + DVD
  • digital download
[62][63][64]
France 2 May 2011 [65][66][67]
United States 3 May 2011
  • CD
  • digital download
Epic [68][69]
United Kingdom 9 May 2011
  • CD
  • CD + DVD
  • digital download
RCA [70][71][72]
Germany 20 May 2011 LP Sony [73]
United Kingdom 23 May 2011 RCA [74]
United States 24 May 2011 Epic [75]
Japan 22 June 2011 CD Sony [76]

References

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  1. ^ a b Winbush, Jeff (29 May 2011). "Sade: The Ultimate Collection". All About Jazz. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. ^ Kellman, Andy. "The Ultimate Collection – Sade". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  3. ^ Ghoneim, Tareck (22 September 2011). "Sade The Ultimate Collection Album Review". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b Hermes, Will (3 May 2011). "The Ultimate Collection". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Sade Embarks on First Global Tour in Ten Years Kicking Off North American Leg on June 16th, 2011 in Baltimore, MD" (Press release). Los Angeles: Live Nation. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2011 – via PR Newswire.
  6. ^ Kellman, Andy. "The Essential Sade – Sade". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  7. ^ Bradley, Lloyd (2011). "Review of Sade – The Ultimate Collection". BBC Music. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  8. ^ Jones, Alan (16 May 2011). "Laurie fails to knock Adele from top". Music Week. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  9. ^ Caulfield, Keith (11 May 2011). "Lucky Seventh Week at No. 1 For Adele's '21'". Billboard. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  10. ^ Peters, Mitchell (27 August 2011). "The Love Movement". Billboard. Vol. 123, no. 34. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
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  12. ^ The Ultimate Collection (box set liner notes). Sade. RCA Records. 2011. 88697899392.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ The Ultimate Collection (liner notes). Sade. RCA Records. 2011. 88697899382.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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