Sade - The Sweetest Taboo (Epic)

If 1985 is the year of Madonna then, in Britain, 1984 was Sade's patch. Having reaped maximum mileage from the excellent Diamond Life set, Ms. Adu's long awaited follow up 45 sounds safe. It's a fair helping of more of the same. Not really taboo, more a love song addressed directly to its subject and wrapped around a light jazz arrangement in which all the ingredients fall into place on second or third listening. You can't expect Sade to suddenly metamorphose into Miriam Makeba (famous South African jazz singer) or someone, but her music tends to conjure up a being somewhere-else feeling. Still, what would the hairdressing profession have done without her? (Max Bell, No 1, October 12, 1985)

The habitual, luxuriant warble over a snappy backing. Doesn't appear to have much of a hook, though. Ambles along aimlessly and evidently gets lost at the crossroads. Ah well, it's easy on the ears. (Lesley O'Toole, Record Mirror, October 5, 1985)