2007-02-08
Turn Of The 80s - The Hull Connection: Sade
Labels: Boy George, Carnival of Souls, Herk Hervey, Jayne Wilson, LA band Orange, Lee Barrett, Ozark Mansion Cellars, Paul Denman, Pride, Sade, Stan Getz, Stuart Matthewman, The Beat Route, The Wag Club 29 commentsUnless otherwise stated, all the photographs in this blog entry were taken by me. If you want to use any of them, see the copyright notice at the top of the blog, ta.If anyone knows the name of the photographer of the gorgeous shot of Sade in the white dress on stage, please let me know so I can credit them!
Above, Steven and Kenny, both wearing Vivienne Westwood.
After one of the coldest Winters on record, the Summer of '82 was hot. My boyfriend Steven, his mate Kenny and I spent the whole of Saturday, June 5th, sunbathing in the back garden of my squat, Ozark Mansion Cellars, listening to Radio Invicta, the best radio station at the time for groovy jazz funk.
Ozark was situated in the basement of 86 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, which is twenty minutes walk from the now famous Notting Hill Gate. At the time, Kensal Rise was definitely not fashionable; it was a bit of a dump, but I liked it, because it was near Queens Park tube station, and near the park.
A couple of months before the picture above was taken, I was round the front of Ozark, lolling on the stone steps leading up to the ground floor entrance, rather like people do in New York in the movies, just sitting there, watching the world go by. They didn't tend to do that in Kensal Rise, so I probably looked a little eccentric, but that's something that by now I'd grown to live with.
About an hour into my sunny Spring day reverie, two lads walked past on the street just below me, stopped, and started to talk to me. They not only looked pretty damned hot, but it turned out they were fellow musicians, and fellow northerners. I remember us being really excited to make one anothers' aquaintance.
Me and Stewy at Kensal Rise shops, 1982
Their names were Stuart Matthewman and Paul Denman, and they invited me to go round to their flat that night, where I was introduced to the rest of the Hull contingent: Paul Cooke, Jayne Wilson, Little Louis and Jonathan Rose.
L to R: Paul Denman, Little Louis and Paul Cooke in the front room of Ozark Mansion Cellars.
The group of friends had all recently moved to London from Hull; I remember Paul Denman and Stuart being full of excitement because they had just joined an unknown eight piece jazz funk outfit called Pride.
It wasn't the lads' first band; With Paul Cooke on drums and Paul Denman on vocals and bass, Hull new wave band The Posers had already supported Roland Gift's The Acryliks, whilst Stuart Mathewman had recently left Hull band The Odds.
Stuart at the turn of the 80s (unknown photographer.)
When a new bird joins a group of friends, her approval by the group is dependent on one thing: acceptance by the alpha female. The alpha female of this group of mates from Hull was Jayne Wilson, and despite her first (mistaken, natch) impression of me as a bolshy little madam, we quickly became best friends, and are still to this day, twenty five years later.
Above, Jayne Wilson in my bedroom.
For a while, we all hung out together in Kensal Rise, and went to clubs, gigs and parties in a gang. Jonathan would do all the organisation, catering for all our needs, for example taxis (he was the first person I heard use the phrase "Joe" for a taxi, as in "Joe Baxi.") You can see Jonathan playing the drums in the video for Hang On To Your Love as well. He was standing in as no-one else was available.
Jonathan Rose, the facilitator.
Before iPods and computers, we used to make compilations of our favourite vinyl on cassette tape, copy them and lend them to one another. As a sax player, Stewy was crazy about quality sax music. The legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker had once dubbed the saxophone "The Killer of Women" and Stuart put together the hottest, sexiest compilation I have ever heard before or since, which he called his "Killer of Women" tape.
Stewy on the tube, Spring 1982. Of all the portraits I've ever taken this is one of my favourites, and Stewy told me on the phone today that it's one of his too.
Every track was on tenor sax, and every one by some legendary sax player or other, like Stan Getz, John Coltrane or Charlie Parker. Stan Getz's "O Grande Amor" was one of the tracks, I remember. So lads, if you ever want to seduce a woman, maybe you need a copy of Stewy's Killer of Women tape. It's effective. It will transport a gal all the way to the shores of love, I can vouch for that personally.
Above, Jo, (Paul Cooke's girlfriend), Lee Barrett (Sade's manager) and me,
The Wag Club 1982
Whilst grooving down to the Beat Route and the Wag Clubs, getting down to hot jazz and attempting to avoid becoming too entangled in the sheer madness of swimming rather than sinking in the cesspool of egos that London is wont to be for young people trying to make it, things were cooking.
Roddy Frame, with whom I was by now no longer in touch, had just moved to London from East Kilbride, and was writing what were to become Aztec Camera's two biggest hits, Walk Out To Winter and Oblivious, based on our time together.
Meanwhile in Kensal Rise, my new found mates were like a shimmering streak of gold hitting the earth after a dark winter; we were young, we were happy, it seemed like the summer would last forever, and nothing would ever change.
Me and Paul Denman before a gig in Southend. May 1982. Pic by Stewy.
But Pride were not like your average band. For a start, guitarist Ray St John had a beast of a song in the band's repertoire, Diamond Life, which he had co-written with Sade, a song later to be renamed Smooth Operator.
Stewy, Paul Cooke and Paul Denman on the beach in Southend, May 1982
After playing gigs on the south coast, in Canvey Island and Southend, and around London at hip and happening clubs like The Wag, Pride quickly made a name for themselves on the underground circuit.
Pride playing an impromptu set outside The Beat Route. Summer 1982
Boy George waiting for Pride to start playing.
Pride, May 1982. L to R Stuart Matthewman, Barbara Robinson, Paul Denman, Sade.
Despite one of Pride's singers, Barbera Robinson being really sweet and gorgeous, with a lovely voice, it was obvious right from the off that it was the other female vocalist, Sade, who possessed an almost mythical star quality, a hypnotic, enchanting beauty that was absolutely symbolic of the zeitgeist of the times; zoot suits and smoky jazz lounges, elegant, sharp, smooth and sultry all rolled into one heady cocktail of cool. And behind the scenes she was charming, intelligent, down to earth and wickedly funny.
May 1982. Sade pre-scraped back hair, with "The Poodle", a hairdo I had started sporting in 1977 ;) (Come on, I've got to get one over on Sade somehow in this article!)
Me with my poodle, doing my nails. Sheffield 1977. Pic Peter Care.
Oh yah boo sucks, OK then, I admit defeat!
Well, after that we saw less and less of the lads. Mothers of young children aside, I have never, before or since, known anyone work harder than the members of that band. Sure, the band by now had connections, but more importantly they had talent, total dedication, killer songs and a stellar singer. The chemical components were there, like phosphorous kept under water, just waiting to ignite on surfacing into the air.
Sade, Southend, 1982
Andrew Hale joined the band in 1983, with Paul Cooke subsequently leaving the band. In 1984 the first single was released, Your Love is King, which instantly became a top ten hit. Their debut album Diamond Life sold 3 million copies and won a Grammy for best new artist. It is still the best-selling debut album in the USA by a British female artist.Sade's seven albums, Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, Love Deluxe, Best of Sade, Lovers Rock and Lovers Live have collectively sold over 50 million albums worldwide, with each selling at least 3.5 million in the States alone.
The music industry (as with many other industries, creative or not) is littered with the corpses of those who don't make it, financially speaking. Irk The Purists, who writes one of the most interesting blogs about music that I've come across (his blog has a permanent purple jelly button link entitled "music" on the sidebar of my blog) discusss, in his most recent blog entry, Ed Jones' book "This is Pop" about those who don't make it in the industry.
L to R: Stewy Matthewman, Barbara Robinson, Paul Denman, Sade, Paul Cooke, Nick Moxom, Ray St John.
When you're young and naive, you think that money and success are the golden ticket to happiness, but once you're older, you realise that everyone's life has pain in it, no matter how much their lives may seem charmed on the outside. The true artist learns to recognise the little beams of light dancing on the dark pools threatening to swallow them up, and to turn those beams into vessels which will transport them back down into the darkness, to retell the story of that journey through their art.
So, what is everyone up to now?
Stewy, Paul Denman and Andrew Hale have continued to work with one another both in Sade the band, and independently with their own band Sweetback, and Stewart continues to release his own work through the name Cottonbelly, as well as writing film scores.
‘Astronaut Farmer’ the new feature featuring Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen, for which Stuart wrote the score, will be released on the 23rd February, and Stuart has also just finished work on the new Nelson George movie ‘Life Support’ Starring Queen Latifah, which was the closing movie in the Sundance film festival. Stuart's MySpace is here. I've been checking it for a few months and there is always some great music on there.
Stewy rang me this afternoon from his studio in Upstate New York, and spent a couple of hours regaling me with stories, so (most of) the contents of that telephone call will comprise part two of the The Hull Connection / Sade.
Stuart in our local shop at Kensal Rise. 1982
Sade went on to spend time living in Madrid and then Jamaica, before returning to London. Wise moves, both, in my opinion. If you've never lived in another country rather than your native one, nor mixed extensively with people who speak another language rather than your own, you've missed out on one of the greatest riches life can offer in terms of experience. The band are still together; their last album, Lovers Rock in 2001, went triple platinum and lead to a sell out tour of the States, and a new album is planned for this year.
Paul Denman, seriously awesome bassist....
and general dreamboat...
Southend, 14th May 1982
Paul Denman's son, Joe Dexter Denman, has taken after his dad, playing bass and also singing with LA punk band Orange. I'm just listening to "No rest for the weekend" on their MySpace. Fucking hell, ROCKING! :) Paul definitely sowed his seeds in the right place! :) Their Space has had over a million views, which puts the nearly 20K of my blog bang in its tiny little place, doesn't it? :) However my Mucky Landlady pics (see spinning cube bottom left) have had nearly fifteen thousand views on their hosting site this week alone (rolls eyes. How predictable.)
Jack and Joe performing in Orange.
Another picture of Paul just so Joe doesn't get too cocky. Yes, son, this is the level of cooldom to which you're aspiring ;)
Some more facts about the band for those who love fact lists:
No Ordinary Love, from the 1992 Sade album Love Deluxe, featured on the movie Indecent Proposal.
In 1994 the band won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal for No Ordinary Love.
In 2005, Sade recorded a new track, "Mum", specially for the Voices of Darfur DVD, made to raise awareness and funding for the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.
Sade's boyfriend Bob Elms went on to marry Andrew Hale's ex, a beautiful oriental gal called Christina, who succeeded me as the girlfriend of my first true love, Mick Paterson, later to become manager of one of the grooviest bands ever to come out of Manchester, A Certain Ratio. This was before MySpace and emails. It was hard to find quality fish in the sea in those days so the good catches kind of stood out.
Here's Paul Cooke, Stewy and Paul Denman at the cinema. I can't remember what we went to see, but it wasn't Carnival of Souls, although Stewy looks suitably startled.
Until part two, when I will relay some of Stuart's funny stories, let's finish with Northerners in London.
Stewy, Swedish Anna, Paul Cooke and Jo, round my gaff after a night out down The Beat Route.
What it was like for us northerners living in London, THE TRUTH:
From Newsbiscuit by mattdaniels:
Suspected outbreak of "Northerner" in London Cafe.
A cafe in East London was sealed off this morning after a suspected outbreak of Northerner was reported.
Waitress Pauline Shaw of Chubbies Cafe was approached by a man asking for some brown sauce for his bacon sandwich. She tried to offer one of the many vats of ketchup as an antidote but the man stubbonly refused.
Without panicing, Pauline bravely evacuated the other customers and closed the cafe, leaving her sealed inside with the victim. Police have set up a cordon around the area, and the Health Protection Agency have advised local residents not to make cooked breakfasts until the results of their investigations are known.
Harry Dill of the Master Fryer, two doors down from Chubbies said "A bloke came in here two nights ago for a portion of chips and he asked for some gravy - I wonder if it's the same guy. Thinking back I should have just phoned the authorities straight away but instead I just told him we didn't have any and offered him some mayonnaise instead. This is the sort of thing you read about in the papers but in never happens round here. We're a very small close-knit community where everyone knows everyone, an outbreak of northerner here would be tragic".
© Jude Calvert-Toulmin 2009
If you have been involved in a fatal road crash and would like to tell your story for CRASH, a forthcoming non-fiction book, please contact Jude at Fleur De Lys Publishing. 29 commentsWhat next?
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Posts
Mon Feb 12, 08:51:00 AM GMT
...some really nice things have happened as a result of writing this blog entry, but the funniest has to be when i downloaded a free one hour friend bot trial for myspace, and invited about 200 people with the word "sade" in their profile. i got back loads of really nice gals called sade, and dozens of people into the mar-key du saaaad. i've deliberately spelt it like that because i don't particularly want the googlebot picking it up. i've virtually lived (sic) on the net for the past 6 years and nothing has ever freaked me out as much as some of these myspace profiles, i am not kidding they are fookin sinister. i suppose, like anywhere else in the world, the net is populated by a complete spectrum of people. i just don't particularly want to hang out with say-dists, ta very much.
actually that reminds me. according to my web stats, some people have been arriving onto my blog having typed some really weird things into google.
the other day some got here by googling "kylie leg amputation."
i mean, who the FUCK types "kylie leg amputation" into google?!!!
i get about 3 "jude calvert toulmin tits" a week, but hey, i guess i've got no-one else to blame but myself for attempting to reclaim the organs of my body that kept my babies alive, from their position in the media of "something fake on dim women purely for the entertainment of men above the age of 12."
Fri Feb 16, 12:07:00 AM GMT
I know I must get tedious with my "have you ever read..." comments, but have you ever read Robert Elms' last book The Way We Wore? It does contain a good story about Elms and Sade, when she and he were living in a squat, and she was just about to be picked up in a limo for her first TOTP appearance. The limo has to wait, though, as Sade needs the loo. Unfortunately, said squat doesn't have a working loo, so she has to use a bucket. I've had a lot of mileage out of this image, I can tell you...
I did meet Sade briefly a few years ago at a party, and was able to chat about Steiner schools, as her daughter and my kids both attended such institutions. I'm guessing her daughter is still there, though my sprogs are now being educated by the state. But that's another story.
Thanks for the mention BTW!
Fri Feb 16, 04:27:00 AM GMT
Hey Jude
You magically transported me back to a time I had managed, remarkably, to almost forget! and they were definatly some of the most exciting times of my life....its terrible what age can do to you isnt it?
Cant wait for part 2!
Just so you know Jon Rose played drums in the video for "Hang on to your Love" and not "Your love is King"
love ya
Paul S. Denman
Fri Feb 16, 08:17:00 AM GMT
mr denman! :) thanks for the proofing check, ive changed it now, doh! :)
i will answer your lovely email as soon as ive posted a screenshot of my latest flash exercise for irk the purists!
Fri Feb 16, 08:22:00 AM GMT
> I did meet Sade briefly a few years ago at a party, and was able to chat about Steiner schools, as her daughter and my kids both attended such institutions.
OMG! fantastic! im gonna ask sade for some goss about you! ha! that'll teach you to venture out into the big bad world of the internet trying to lead a secret life, mr purists!
> Thanks for the mention BTW!
your blog is the most interesting blog about music ive found yet; it is informative, witty and unpretentious, i really respect that (for those who havent read irks blog yet there is a purple jelly button link on the left sidebar of the blog saying "music".)
Fri Feb 16, 12:32:00 PM GMT
Soz Jude. I just wanted to see what would come up if I Googled 'Jude Calvert-Toulmin tits'.
Sat Feb 24, 12:36:00 AM GMT
hi...love this post. is there anyway you could send me the track list of the mix you were talking about. the one with all the good sax songs..if you ever wanna seduce a women. email me at sonicsuperslide@webtv.net thanks!
Sat Feb 24, 12:39:00 AM GMT
hi..great post. is there anyways you can email me the track list of "killer of women" mix?? sonicsuperslide@webtv.net
Mon Feb 26, 04:59:00 PM GMT
sorry, the tape was only lent to me, i never had a copy!
Thu Mar 01, 01:38:00 AM GMT
thanks...it's sonicsuperslide. i would have loved the songlist but i understand. great blog!~ sonicsuperslide
Thu Mar 01, 11:09:00 AM GMT
> great blog!
thanks :) i guessed it was you, sonicsuperslide. ive answered your email now. i try to answer all my mails but sometimes it takes a week or so!
Sun Mar 04, 11:16:00 AM GMT
Hello Jude,
I am a big SADE fan living in Italy and through a penpal in Texas I came across your fabulous article about the PRIDE days...Great way to write, great details and great photos...it was a pleasure to read and cannot wait for the second instalment!
Wanted to ask you whether the Sade's photos with the poodle hairstyle came from Southend and if you can remember the name of the venue or the date. Were the 2 Sade's photos wearing denim and the hair scraped back also from Southend?
I hope you can find a minute to write back when you can and keep up the GREAT work!!!!!!!!!
big CIAO from Italy
Adriano
Thu Mar 29, 12:45:00 PM BST
JUDE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you ever get yor head out of your computer ?????
Anyway, bumped into my cousin, Sammy, t'other day. She mentioned something about you contacting old friends and aquaintances. So here goes....
jayenrose(at sign)mac.com
Congratulations regarding your book incidently. Not sure if you have found a publisher yet but heres wishing you every success sweetstuff.
Fondest,
Jon Rose
Thu Mar 29, 12:46:00 PM BST
jonathan! i don't know whether you wanted me to publish your email address or not, but i have done as youve sent it as a comment - LOTS of people have been asking about you after the Sade blog entry. i will mail you privately this avo.
> Do you ever get yor head out of your computer ?????
i studied printoffs sitting on a chesterfield in the sunshine for two hours yesterday, does that count? ;P
> Not sure if you have found a publisher yet but heres wishing you every success sweetstuff.
well...the agent sells the novel to the publisher...and the hunt for the agent is going better than i could have dreamt of...
Fri Mar 30, 08:31:00 PM BST
Jude, you are the best!!!!
Fri Oct 26, 04:23:00 AM BST
Please Please post the 2nd part to the Sade Stuart Blog sooooon! You have know idea how happy I was to see photos of Stuart Matthewman as a young man! Thank You Thank You.
Eagerly Awaiting more stories from this crew!
Best Regards
Fri Oct 26, 09:44:00 AM BST
...stewy has rung me a few times and weve had some interesting chats about the old days - im not sure what i want to put in the public domain - but i do have more pics of him as, indeed, a gorgeous young man. i dont have any naked ones though. much to my regret, because im telling you, anonymous, stewy was hot stuff, wink.
Fri Oct 26, 09:45:00 AM BST
...btw i have a few other blog entries to post first but i'll get round to more about sade and stewy ok? :)
Wed Nov 07, 02:49:00 AM GMT
Wassup Jude. Damn thats an interesting universe you live in I say and think. Yo I have this theory. And I want to run it by you because you seem the type to enjoy a good theory and I should warn you now I must say its not a worst theory I've ever had you nah'msayin? The whole scene that the Sade band was dipped in seemed to really freak out Sade Helen. Like not necessarily in a shocking way but it seemed to turn her off. I think this caused her to dull herself down or dress herself down in an attempt to escape the excessive in-your-face type scene and people. It reflects in the general evolution of the music. And ultimately the Sade Helen herself.
I don't know maybe it was because she was constantly being watched, monitored, surveyed. By everything and everyone. She was supposed to be some kind of a super-woman. On all the time. Don't mess up. Because we watching kid.
For an already self conscious person as she is, this must have really compounded or snowballed the problemo. It began to hurt instead of reward. So she rejected it. And began to rejoice in the more simple things or at least, more seemingly real things in life. It kind of shows in her music. I imagine she burps without shame or regret.
Oh and thanks for those pictures kid i like i like. She looks like OJ simpsons murder glove in that one picture with the band. Killer.
Wed Nov 07, 08:48:00 AM GMT
hi thomas. although i was, and remain, very close to stewy, i didnt know sade well enough to call her a close friend, although i really liked her; i met her just as stewy and the pauls teamed up with her, and from then on they were grafting in the studio 24/7 so...not a lot of time for socialising.
what i saw, and still see, is a down to earth woman who was blessed with extraordinary beauty and common sense (an unusual combination!) and worked her balls off to carve a career for herself in what is still a male dominated industry. although she did have, and still has, the support of two extremely sound, strong, loving, perceptive and giving blokes around her in the form of stewy and paul denman, and i believe their support and faith in her talent cannot be underestimated.
> I don't know maybe it was because she was constantly being watched, monitored, surveyed.
yeah well, luv, only narcissistic freaks like me enjoy that ;)
and finally, one can theorise as much as one likes about someone in the public eye, but remember, the theories are all yours, they are clothes you design and fashion which you hang on the cardboard cutout celeb. your clothes, not theirs. one cant judge someone when one has never met them. one cant judge someone when one knows them. one cant even judge oneself most of the time.
thanks for your very thoughtful and thought provoking contribution, thomas, it is most appreciated :)
jude
Wed Nov 07, 08:50:00 AM GMT
ps i forgot to say for all you sade watchers out there...when i posted my early blog entries i had a crap monitor which displayed way too dark, hence many of the pics from old articles are too light. i will remedy that when i have time, then you'll have better copies, ok? :)
Sun Feb 03, 03:15:00 AM GMT
You are so cool! And so lucky to know a man that makes my heart skip a beat (that is Mr. Matthewman of course) I don't know what it is about him but Wow! Maybe it's the saxaphone?
Gosh sorry to babble on and on...but I'm so happy to have found your blog and I never write on blogs or anything else online, so you had me at the first Stuart photo and now I'm hooked.
So where are the rest of the Stuart Matthewman photos?
Look forward to more from you
Ms Judy
Warmest Regards
Sun Feb 03, 09:12:00 AM GMT
> you had me at the first Stuart photo and now I'm hooked.
thanks anonymous. regarding the rest of the pics. im completely immersed in working on my book and trying to find an agent atm, so the blog comes second to that. i realise people are waiting for these pics and i'll do my best to get them sorted asap. i don't have prints to scan in only the negs so it's not just a question of bunging a few prints in the scanner. just be patient!
thanks for your comment :)
jude
Mon Jun 30, 02:29:00 PM BST
Well well.....Jude. It's years since I've seen your face. I think you had just spurned a youthful and completely improper suggestion outside Dobcroft youth club......sorry.
What an interesting time you've had and what a cracking site, well done! If you remember me - yay! If not, I'm glad I stopped by.
Good things to you.
bigfatdave@lavabit.com
Mon Jun 30, 03:31:00 PM BST
i remember your name but i'd need to see a face. i don't remember spurning you i'm afraid! no-one ever asked me out so it must have been an exceptional occasion! i ended up decades later marrying someone else from dobcroft youth club and it was a complete fucking nightmare from start to finish. i did get one gorgeous superstar son out of it though so, no regrets.
can you post a link to a pic of you then maybe i'll remember you more, dave!
Mon Jun 30, 04:41:00 PM BST
OK - I'll ask my mum for an old nice one. The ones we have are a bit....well.......wide!:-) I'm the one who disappeared for a long time - think Simon Holyoake, Nick Gummer, Paul Stanyer etc.
Mon Jul 07, 10:43:00 AM BST
now i'm really confused, dave. are you the tall geordie who went out with the pretty blonde called anna something? regarding the others - i was involved in organising the silverdale school reunion in 98, before the days of friends reunited, so it was all done by telephone and letters and took a group of 5 of us 2 years of planning and detective work! over 120 people attended in the end from all over the world; it was amazing.
paul stanyer came along and hadn't changed one bit. simon holyoake was on my list of people to contact so i wrote him a nice letter telling him not to worry about the past and inviting him to come along to the reunion as all his old mates were going. (the past was him two timing me and then dumping me after trying and failing to take my virginity back in 77, thus totally humiliating me and breaking my heart in the process.) anyway, fast forward to 98 and his girlfriend of the time replied with a very terse letter saying he didn't want to attend. some things never change...
nick gummer, he went to high storrs, right?
Mon Aug 11, 12:07:00 AM BST
Hi Jude!
What great info. Good enough to keep me wanting to read more if you keep on dishing it out. Please add me to your blanket email list: tizzasho2 at hotmail.com
thanks
tasha
Mon Aug 11, 08:42:00 AM BST
hi tasha, thanks for your kind comments, i will add you to a mailing list, just in the process of setting one up actually :)