Smooth Operator

um presumably at some point throughout 1981 we have the i guess uh info to back this up but A young singer named Sade Adu is playing clubs in the UK with the band Pride, which includes future members of the group Sade, Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale, and Paul Denman.

And at some point, the song Smooth Operator is written around this time.

Oh, interesting.

And Sade's young, right? She's, I think, maybe still a teenager or maybe early 20s.

And then if I look at the rest of this list, does anything pop off at you, Mike, as where we would go next?

Uh, well, I would, I would give, uh, an honorable mention to Stewart Matthewman from, uh, Sade, because a lot of her, or a number of her biggest hits, Smooth Operator, is defined by the sax player.

[sultry music]

Yeah, that's one of those singalong sax parts, and, uh, I know we're, we're probably drifting a little bit.

[laughs]

I wouldn't, I wouldn't have as small an apartment if I was the heir to the Smooth Operator royalty stream.

[laughs]

[laughs]

As do I.

My kid, like one of the big games we would play is like, what Sade song is this? When they were very little and now like, Smooth Operator, first two notes.

It's like a name that- Is it a

crime?

People have been slowly waking up Sade as in I'm seeing a lot more people putting Sade like in their Instagram stories.

More people being like, oh, I was listening to Smooth Operator, you know, Cherish the Day.

Like something's in the air.

It's and I just would like I know she's given us everything.

But the specific image from this article that has stuck in my head for nearly 40 years now, I'm, like, 10 years old when I read this.

It says in Sports Illustrated that Dan Quisenberry, fan favorite Kansas City Royals reliever Dan Quisenberry, a guy perhaps too famous to need to be remembered, it says in Sports Illustrated that during rain delays, Dan Quisenberry has been known to dance in the rain to Sade's Smooth Operator.

No need to ask, he's a smooth operator.

Smooth operator.

Smooth operator.

Smooth Operator, the breakthrough 1984 single by the phenomenal jazz, pop, soul London band Sade, a band led by the phenomenal Nigerian-born singer Sade Adu.

Sade the singer leads Sade the band.

If you're ever dancing or lip-syncing to Smooth Operator, or better yet, if you're ever doing karaoke to Smooth Operator, I advise you to hit that no need to ask as hard as you can just before the chorus.

Stay.

Yes, yes, that was Sandra Rich, Smooth Operator, a cover of Sade's tune, a New York City production.

Next up, I'll be playing Mr. Bongo's, Holly Cook's new album, Shy Girl.

This is a recent release, 2025.

F1 fans would be familiar with this song as the clue we've been giving people.

Becca, what are you covering? I am covering Smooth Operator by Sade.

My goodness.

Now, for those who don't know, you're a big F1 fan.

What's the connection with Smooth Operator?

If anyone knows Carlos Sainz, my favorite driver, which is also kind of part of the reason why I picked this song.

And I was looking for a Carlos Sainz t-shirt before this so I could wear it.

It sounds like this.