Class of '84

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Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies

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Music: Classic Pop & Rock

Gary Davies has the best 1980s music - hits, classics, album tracks, 12" singles and more.

Gary Davies takes you back to the best decade in music, with a diverse mix of classic pop, dance, rock, hip-hop and alternative pop

Gary Davies takes you back to the best decade in music, with a diverse mix of classic pop, dance, rock, hip-hop and alternative pop. Each week, celebs and listeners choose their favourite 80s tracks on My 80s, and a fresh Mastermix is served.

Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies: Class of 84: Sade - Diamond Life

Class Of '84: Sade - Diamond Life

Sade - Diamond Life

Class of 84

BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies, Class of 84, Sade - Diamond Life

Trevor Nelson remembers this debut album by a British group that achieved global success.

Trevor Nelson goes track-by-track through this globally successful debut album by a British group, recalling the era through archive material and interviews and personal memories.

Of the four albums selected as the Class Of '84, only Diamond Life by Sade was a debut album. It's also the only British album of the four, but it appealed far beyond the UK, achieving success across Europe and then in America. Trevor Nelson takes us through the album track-by-track and shares his memories.

In 1984, there was no shortage of depressing and worrying domestic and international stories making headlines, but Diamond Life felt like an escape from them, even though one of its songs struck a chord with the rising unemployment that Trevor remembers well amongst his friends and community.

Archive recordings of Sade being interviewed on Radio 1 provide context of the media’s questions about the group and their album in 1984, while producer Robin Millar describes his highly unusual method for recording Sade’s vocals.

Being long before the internet and music-streaming, there are reminders of a magazine and the must-have audio equipment of the era… The Face was a hugely influential monthly publication, which the group's music and the look and style of singer/songwriter Sade Adu was perfect for it. And as you’d expect from music-obsessed Trevor, he wouldn’t go anywhere without his Walkman, and he reminds us how the cassette-buying public found their copy of Diamond Life had two bonus tracks that weren’t included on the LP or new-fangled compact disc releases.

Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies: Class of 84

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

Celebrating classic albums by Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Sade and Prince.

Class of 84: Celebrating classic albums by Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Sade and Prince, all released in the early summer of 1984

Class of 84: Celebrating classic albums by Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Sade and Prince, all released in the early summer of 1984.

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Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies

Class of 84

Sade - Diamond Life

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