By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
Fans of Sade are about to be rewarded with Sony Music’s announcement of an incredibly special box set, elegantly entitled “This Far” to be released worldwide Oct. 9.
All six of the band’s acclaimed albums: “Diamond Life” (1984), “Promise” (1985), “Stronger Than Pride” (1988), “Love Deluxe” (1992), “Lovers Rock” (2000), and “Soldier Of Love” (2010) have been remastered on pure 180-gram heavyweight black vinyl and are packaged into a beautifully finished, white case bound box, which is available by pre-order now.
The close band of four — Sade (vocals), Stuart Matthewman (saxophone/guitar), Andrew Hale (keyboards), and Paul Spencer Denman (bass) — were intimately involved in the process, spending time at the famed Abbey Road Studios alongside acclaimed mastering engineer Miles Showell, and the band’s longtime co-producer Mike Pela.
The six album sleeves have been meticulously reproduced in exact detail with authentic paper and printing methods, perfectly replicated for the first time since their original release and assembled in the outer box, which was designed by Tom Hingston Studios in London.
This should hold over those waiting for new music and a tour from the “notoriously elusive” style icon and lead singer, while live steaming battleground Verzuz hopes she is paying attention to the social media call of joining jazz/R&B legend Anita Baker for an evening of their hits.
DIASPORA DISCOVERY: Movie star/activist Samuel L. Jackson has embarked on a personal journey, which is the basis of a new show shedding light on 400 years of human trafficking from Africa to the New World.
In “Enslaved,” a six-part docu-series premiering Sept. 14 on Epix, Jackson uses a DNA test to identify his ancestral ties leading to an induction into the Benga tribe, with rare and unprecedented access to secret ceremonies and local customs.
“The Avengers” actor’s roots are one part of three storylines also covering the quest for sunken slave ships and a historical examination led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch.
Using new diving technology — such as advanced 3D mapping and ground-penetrating radar — to locate and examine sunken slave ships on three continents, the series through the efforts of Diving With a Purpose (DWP), a collaborating organization with the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS), reveals an entirely new perspective on the history of the transatlantic slave trade.
New episodes will air on Monday evenings.
CLIPPETTES: Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Usher will begin a Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace next July 16. Eight dates that month will be followed by a New Year’s engagement Dec. 28–Jan 1, 2022 …
Rapper Travis Scott is being immortalized with a meal being named after him at McDonald’s. The $6 special will include his favorite meal of a quarter-pounder with cheese, bacon and lettuce; medium order of fries with barbecue sauce for dipping and a large Sprite …
Black Public Media (BPM) is accepting submissions through Sept. 15 for its 360 Incubator+ program, a three-month development and fellowship initiative which helps BPM identify quality content from Black filmmakers. Running January through March 2021, the incubator takes creatives through training, mentorship, instructional sessions and more, as they prepare to compete for up to $150,000 in funding during the program’s culminating event, PitchBLACK. For full details, visit https://blackpublicmedia.org/incubator-360/ …
Prayers up for 77-year-old reggae legend Frederick “Toots” Hibbert (lead singer of Toots & the Maytals) who was reportedly placed in a medically induced coma due to COVID-19 symptoms. This all on the heels of him releasing a critically acclaimed album “Got To Be Tough” after a 10-year absence …
For his just released new album “Detroit 2,” Big Sean enlisted an all-star group of contributors including Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Wale, Anderson .Paak, Post Malone, Dave Chappelle, and a previously recorded track featuring the late Nipsey Hussle …
American Legacy Network is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a virtual “Meet The Producers” series this month hosted by R. Joshua Reynolds. Visit www.facebook.com/americanlegxl on Sept. 17 for a session with Adrena Ifill, whose illuminating documentary on the remarkable story of South Carolina U.S. Rep. Robert Smalls is currently streaming on the service.
TASTY QUIP: “Pendulums have a tendency to swing towards extremes, but ultimately, it’ll settle in a good place. Anytime you have a group of people that are being treated unjustly, those are leaks in the boat of America that sink the whole thing. If America is to survive, we are going to have to get used to the idea that we are in this boat together in order keep it from imploding, we have to shore up the leaks of injustice that exist in certain communities.” – LL COOL J to Rolling Stone
TC ON TV: Sept. 11 – “Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC): Samuel L. Jackson fills in for Jimmy with guests to include John David Washington, Snoh Aalegra
Sept. 12 – “Delicious Miss Brown” (Food): Kardea Brown makes a “Low Country Lunch.” “Coastal Elites” (HBO): This satire covers how people are dealing with each other and politics through a pandemic with characters portrayed by Issa Rae, Bette Midler, Sarah Paulson, Kaitlyn Dever and Dan Levy. It was filmed under quarantined conditions. “Black Love” (OWN): Back-to-back episodes on “Mental Illness” and “Finding A Rhythm” close the season.
Sept. 13 – “The Masked Singer” (Fox): Catch this sneak peek at the all-new season complete with the all-new costumes, never-before-seen clues, and first-look footage of the fourth season. “Uncensored” (TV1): Tyrese “Desus & Mero” (Showtime): The Bodega Boys are back from their brief hiatus.
Sept. 14 – “Tamron Hall” (Syn): Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and his wife, R. Jai, are the big gets for this season opener. The show will begin airing on OWN as well two days after its original broadcast, Monday – Friday at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. with season one re-airing at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. “Dancing With The Stars00” (ABC): Tyra Banks takes over the hosting reins with participants including singers Nelly and AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys; TV’s Skai Jackson, Jeannie Mai, Jesse Metcalfe and Justina Machado; and the sports world’s Vernon Davis, Charles Oakley and Johnny Weir. “The Third Day” (HBO): The six-part psychological thriller starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris is set on a mysterious British Island where all is not as it seems. “VOMO: Vote Or Get Out” (ABC): Kevin Hart hosts this nonpartisan comedy special event aiming to encourage participation in the 2020 presidential election. Michelle Obama, Tiffany Haddish, Charlamagne Tha God, 2 Chainz & Lil Baby, Will Ferrell, Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Scarlett Johansson and more are expected to make appearances. “The Tonight Show” (NBC): Summer Walker
Sept. 15 – “The Public” (Peacock): Emilio Estevez is the writer, executive producer, director and star of this movie based upon the homeless sit-in staged at a Cincinnati library during a record cold wave. Michael K. Williams, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright, Gabrielle Union, Richard T. Jones and Rhymefest round out the stellar cast. “They Call Me Dad” (OWN): An inspirational one-hour special giving viewers exclusive access to a group of famous black fathers away from the spotlight including Bishop T.D. Jakes, Malcolm Jenkins, DJ D-Nice, Anthony Hamilton and Kirk Franklin. Additional guests include Meagan Good, Laila Ali and Sarah Jakes Roberts. “Hot Ones: The Game Show” (Tru): Idris Elba wants to fight while eating spicy wings. “Late Night” (NBC): Wendy Williams, Blake Griffin
Sept. 16 – “Sing On!” (Netflix): Emmy-nominated “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” actor Tituss Burgess brings his formidable vocals and fun vibes to this fast-paced music contest where players sing their hearts out to win up to $60,000. “The Devil All The Time” (Netflix): Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Sebastian Stan, Riley Keough and Robert Pattinson star in this Midwestern gothic saga.
Sept. 17 – “The View” (ABC): Gabourey Sidibe
TASTY QUIP: “I regret not having more sex when I was younger. I should have drank more. I should have partied more. Smoked more, even. I think my religious upbringing stopped me doing a lot of things that I should have done. It’s not a good look at the age I am now. The way it works is you do that stuff in your 20s and 30s and then in your 40s you’ve earned enough to pay for the therapy.” – TONI BRAXTON, promoting her new album “Spell My Name,” to The Guardian
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
