We are still live for pledges from the general public in my 2024 case against Sade and Sony at Crowdjustice https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/sade-and-sony-legal-action/ Please support my case so that justice can be served in the courts and I can regain the rights to my music performances stolen from me in 1983 by all concerned. This is the first ever studio recording of Smooth Operator at EMI STUDIOS 1983. EMI Publishing requested that we demo some songs for them in 1983 a later deal was done with the band members of Sade in 1984 or 1985 for at least a 500K advance on the basis of what we did in the studios in 1983 and further to what we produced as PSP and Sade for the Diamond Life Album released in May in 1984. This is a video of that actual EMI Smooth Operator recording plus archive pictures from the time when we created the song Smooth Operator at the Solid Light Studios in Camden London. Music produced at EMI Studios in early 1983, many months before recording the album Diamond Life in October 1983 with Robin Millar at PowerPlant Studios paid by RCA Records at that time.. The original band at the time comprised of myself, Paul Denman, Stuart Mathewman and Helen Adu. The actual music royalty split for this song should have been COOKE/DENMAN/ST JOHN/ADU as myself and Paul Denman wrote the bass line and the drum parts, Ray the original song called 'Diamond Life' that we adpated and called Smooth Operator. The singer demanded from Ray St John in October 1983 that she wanted 50% of the song credit even though she wasn't a musician and only wrote a lyric intro for the song? This is the first ever studio recording of the song Smooth Operator along with 'Should I love you' and 'Spirit' also recorded at EMI Studios at the same time.. Helen Fola Sade Adu or Sade was orignal a fashion designer and had no musical backround at all she founded a fashion company called Lubell and Adu but this went bust very early into its launch. She then auditioned for Pride after she had worked for the earlier band called Arriva a Latin Jazz band from Clacton Essex the singers home town. She was actually rejected by the band as her vocals were not good enough and she was then asked back by the manager Lee Barrett a few weeks later. The singer took her revenge when she formed a smaller band within Pride called Sade and she was courted by RCA who paid for the bands recordings of Smooth Operator and Your Love is King and Hang onto Your Love in 1983. Jack Stevens from RCA suggested that Helen Adu be pulled out of Pride and they would commision the recordings. The groups manager chose this option with Paul Anthony Cooke, Paul Denman on the bass and drums and the bands sax player Stuart Mathewman. RCA actually rejected the singer because they had been concentrating on the Eurythmics international launch at that time and they also didnt think much to the songs. The manager then found a deal for Sade with CBS later in the year, but the company wouldnt sign up the whole band only the singer. Paul Anthony Cooke objected to the new sound and change of the old songs created by the bands new producer and also the fact that the singer signed a solo deal. Paul was forced out of the band in January 1984 but rejoined the band in 1984 to perform some promotional TV work for Your Love is King on BBC Top of The Pops and the BBC's Oxford Road Show in Manchester.