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No Ordinary Love

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For the song by Jennifer Love Hewitt, see Jennifer Love Hewitt (album).

"No Ordinary Love"
Single by Sade
from the album Love Deluxe
B-side"Paradise" (remix)
Released28 September 1992 (1992-09-28)
StudioThe Hit Factory, New York City
Genre
Length
  • 7:20 (album version)
  • 5:22 (single version)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Sade
Sade singles chronology
"Haunt Me"
(1989) 		"No Ordinary Love"
(1992) 		"Feel No Pain"
(1992)
Music video
"No Ordinary Love" on YouTube

"No Ordinary Love" is a song by English band Sade, released in September 1992 by Epic Records as the lead single and opening track from their fourth studio album, Love Deluxe (1992). The song is written by lead singer Sade Adu and Stuart Matthewman, and was a success in Europe and New Zealand. It reached number four in Italy, number 17 in New Zealand, number 19 in Finland and the Netherlands, number 20 in France and number 26 in the UK. In January 1993, the song peaked at number 15 in Canada and number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100. When re-released in May 1993, "No Ordinary Love" reached a new peak of number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 in Australia. In the accompanying music video, directed by Sophie Muller, Adu plays a mermaid who wants to be a bride.

American magazine Rolling Stone included "No Ordinary Love" in their list of "500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2024.[3]

Chart performance

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"No Ordinary Love" was a sizeable hit on the charts across several continents. It was most successful in Europe, entering the top 10 in Greece (5) and Italy (4), as well as on the Music & Media European Dance Radio Chart,[4] where it peaked at number nine in November 1992. Additionally, the song entered the top 20 in Finland (19), France (20), the Netherlands (19), and the UK, where it reached number 14 in its second run on the UK Singles Chart on 5 June 1993, making it Sade's second most successful single in the UK after "Your Love Is King" (6) in 1984. "No Ordinary Love" was also a top 30 hit in Switzerland (23) and on the Eurochart Hot 100 (26),[5] a top 40 hit in Belgium (37) and Sweden (33), and a top 50 hit in Germany (43). Outside Europe, it peaked at numbers 21 and 17 in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. In the US, the single charted on four different Billboard charts, reaching number 28 on the Hot 100, number 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart, number 29 on the Rhythmic chart and number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "No Ordinary Love" also peaked at number 21 on the US Cash Box Top 100 and number 11 on the Cash Box Top R&B Singles chart.

The single received a silver record in the UK, after 200 000 units were sold.

Critical reception

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The song received positive reviews from music critics. Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard stated that it shows Sade and band "in fine form, sounding, as always, cool and sexy." He also said that her "famously smoky voice is the highlight of a spare arrangement, supported by percussive guitar and even a ghostly metal solo."[6] Amy Linden from Entertainment Weekly found that Sade, "the high priestess of understated cool, heats up on the fabulous "No Ordinary Love", which surges with emotion."[7] Dave Sholin of the Gavin Report felt that "her extraordinary songstyling is hotter than ever."[8] Another Gavin Report editor, John Martinucci, said, "At last, the sensual vocals of Sade return with a hypnotic beat underlined by an occasional, crunching guitar."[9]

Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian felt that the singer's "sleepy croon doesn't waver" as she's "purring a breathless poem" about her mister.[10] David Stubbs from Melody Maker viewed it as "another syrupy ladling".[11] Pan-European magazine Music & Media remarked that "the grande dame of sophisticated soul has updated her beats a little bit and added a more wiggly guitar sound."[12] A reviewer from Music Week called it "a stylish, sophisticated, subdued and superior song", adding, "It's also extremely subtle".[13] Jeff Silberman from The Network Forty complimented its "languid beat and the cool, cool melody"[14] A writer for People Magazine viewed the song as "a baby-making slow jam that comes on like musical Viagra."[15]

Retrospective response

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In a 2017 retrospective review, Justin Chadwick from Albumism described the song as "insistent and intimate", adding that it's "evoking the desperation of trying to secure an elusive love". He also noted that the song begins with "one of the most devastating intros ever".[16] In 2012, Sophie Heawood of The Guardian commented, "The band reached their peak of opulent sound design on the aptly titled album Love Deluxe; its seven-minute epic of a lead single is as bleak as it is sensual, casting heartbreak as the greatest luxury of all."[17] In 2010, the Daily Vault's Mark Millan declared it as "intoxicating". He added that it "is Adu's lament of a one-sided love affair", noting that it "harbors a serious groove, but the underlying anger of love gone bad is represented with a subtle but powerful guitar riff that helps get the job done."[18]

Frank Guan of Vulture ranked "No Ordinary Love" number two in a ranking of all of Sade's songs, writing, "'There's nothing like you and I,' she sings; the emphasis falls on 'nothing' no less than on 'you' or 'I.' Sade songs, at their very best, ignore the distinction between songs about flawless love and love betrayed; the promise of the first and the inevitability of the other are contained in one another. The softly puncturing bass, the deep-sea synths, the chugging, almost accusatory guitar that kicks in during the pre-chorus – even among other perfect songs, this one stands out. It's the longest song on any of her albums; it's also one you wish would last forever, but can't, just like the love in the title."[19]

Music video

[edit]

A music video produced to promote the single, directed by English music video director Sophie Muller,[20] features Sade as a mermaid and a bride.

At the beginning, Sade sits on the bottom of the ocean as a mermaid. Flashbacks reveal a young sailor, who has fallen into the water, meeting the mermaid in a kiss and embrace. Back in the present, the mermaid browses in an old weekly magazine and sews a white wedding dress. She swims up to shore in the finished dress with human legs, reaching land and throwing rice on herself like a newlywed bride. Obviously looking for the young man, she walks into a bar and drinks water with salt for survival. Devastated at not finding the sailor, she runs through the busy city streets, with a bottle of water, down to the quay. Again there are flashbacks of the mermaid with her sailor on the sea floor. As the video ends, she sits alone on the dock in her wedding dress looking down and waiting for her tail to reappear.[21]

Awards

[edit]

Sade won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1994.

Same year, "No Ordinary Love" was also awarded one of BMI's Pop Songs Awards, honoring the songwriters, composers, and music publishers of the song.[22]

Impact and legacy

[edit]

In 2012, Complex placed "No Ordinary Love" at number 43 in their ranking of "The Best 90s R&B Songs".[23] In 2017, Spin ranked the song at number 15 on their list of "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs".[24]

In 2024, Rolling Stone included "No Ordinary Love" in their list of the "500 Best Songs of All Time" at No. 459.[3] In 2022, Pitchfork ranked it at number 42 in their list of "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s".[25]

Track listings

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications and sales for "No Ordinary Love"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[50] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for "No Ordinary Love"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 28 September 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Epic [51]
Japan 21 October 1992 Mini-CD [52]
United Kingdom (re-release) 24 May 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [53]
[edit]

Media

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Cover versions

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References

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  1. ^ Harvey, Eric (19 May 2012). "The Quiet Storm". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  2. ^ Sarig, Roni (2004). "Sade". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 712–713. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  3. ^ a b "500 Best Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Adult Contemporary Europe / European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 45. 7 November 1992. p. 48. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  5. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 48. 28 November 1992. p. 27. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  6. ^ Flick, Larry (31 October 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 95. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. ^ Linden, Amy (13 November 1992). "Love Deluxe". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  8. ^ Sholin, Dave (6 November 1992). "Gavin Picks: Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1930. p. 48 – via World Radio History.
  9. ^ Martinucci, John (9 October 1992). "Urban: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 14.
  10. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (18 November 1994). "Music: Pop - Your essential guide to the new CDs". The Guardian.
  11. ^ Stubbs, David (26 September 1992). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 32. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  12. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 41. 10 October 1992. p. 8. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  13. ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 19 September 1992. p. 7. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  14. ^ Silberman, Jeff (6 November 1992). "Top 40: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. No. 137. p. 24 – via World Radio History.
  15. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: The Ultimate Love Mix". People. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  16. ^ Chadwick, Justin (24 October 2017). "Sade's 'Love Deluxe' Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  17. ^ Heawood, Sophie (13 March 2012). "Why Sade is bigger in the US than Adele". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  18. ^ Millan, Mark (30 December 2010). "Sade - Love Deluxe". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  19. ^ Guan, Frank (26 October 2017). "All 73 Sade Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  20. ^ "No Ordinary Love (1992) by Sade". IMVDb. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  21. ^ "Sade - No Ordinary Love (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 12 December 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  22. ^ "BMI Salutes the PRS Writers and Publishers of BMI's Most Performed Works in the United States of 1993" (PDF). Music & Media. 5 November 1994. p. 2. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  23. ^ "The Best 90s R&B Songs". Complex. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  24. ^ Johnston, Maura; Reeves, Mosi (8 August 2017). "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs". Spin. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  25. ^ "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s". Pitchfork. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  26. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  27. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  28. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1839." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  29. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1729." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  30. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  31. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  32. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  33. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 44. 31 October 1992. p. 22. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  34. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 49. 5 December 1992. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  35. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  36. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  37. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  38. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  39. ^ "Sade – No Ordinary Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  40. ^ "Sade: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  41. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 3 July 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  42. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 5 June 1993. p. 20. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  43. ^ "Sade Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  44. ^ "Sade Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  45. ^ "Sade Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  46. ^ "Sade Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  47. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles – Week ending February 6, 1993". Cash Box. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  48. ^ "Cash Box Top R&B Singles – Week ending February 6, 1993". Cash Box. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  49. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  50. ^ "British single certifications – Sade – No Ordinary Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  51. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 26 September 1992. p. 25. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  52. ^ "ノー・オーディナリー・ラブ | シャーデー" [No Ordinary Love | Sade] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  53. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 22 May 1993. p. 21.
  54. ^ "EMI Philippines – Urbandub". EMI Music Philippines. Retrieved 11 January 2008.
  55. ^ "When I Fall in Love overview". AllMusic.
  56. ^ "Chris Botti dating Katie Couric". SmoothVibes.com.
  57. ^ "No Ordinary Love (Walden Vs Havana Brown) – Single". iTunes Store. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
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