Paul Spencer Denman is a famous musician, bass-guitarist, a member of the bands Sade
and Sweetback.
Paul was born on 29 July 1957 in Hull, North Yorkshire, England. He never went to college
or music school. But soccer and music were his passionate obsessions. In 1970 he
started playing bass. He never wanted to play anything else. He liked the "thickness" of
the bass and the way it sounded, heavy and earthy.
In 1972 Paul left school and started work for British Aerospace making aeroplanes. By
that time he gained a reputation as a good bass player.
In 1977 Paul adjoined punk movement and remains punk till now. Punk was a way of
telling everybody and everything to fuck off, the weapons used weren't violence and guns
but music and style. He met Paul Cook. They played in a band The Posers, which played
progressive rock.
In 1980 together with The Posers Paul moved to London. The band tried desperately to
be signed to a record label. In 1981 the band had split up and Paul gave up playing,
taking a succession of jobs.
In 1982 Lee Barrett, the manager of a Latin-soul group Ariva, offered Paul to join the
band. He joined despite of the fact that he didn't play bass for the last six months. In the
band he met his old friends Paul Cook and Stuart Matthewman, and met Sade Adu. Ariva
became Pride. Some months later Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Cook and Paul
Spencer Denman formed splinter group named Sade and began to write their own material.
Later they joined by Andrew Hale, but Paul Cook left the band.
In 1984 together with the rest of the band Paul signed with Epic Records. All posterior
Sade albums — Diamond Life (1984), Promise (1985), Stronger Than Pride (1988), Love
Deluxe (1992), The Best Of (1994), Lovers Rock (2000), Lovers Live (2002) — were
released through this label.
In 1991 in a chapel in Las Vegas, NV, United States Paul married to Kim, a woman's
fashion designer. They were accompanied by their children, Joseph and Angel-Rose.
In 1993 Paul with his family moved to Los Angeles, CA, United States.
In 1994 Paul had a complete nervous breakdown. Other members used to call him
"Mother Teresa with a drink problem". He spent the next three years trying to rebuild his
life. Since 1994 after spending 25 years drinking and drugging he remains straight, clean
and sober.
In 1996 Sade members Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale and Paul Spencer Denman
formed group named Sweetback. As a band they released two albums — Sweetback (Epic,
1996), an attractive mixe of ambient dub, trip-hop, retro-soul, and acid jazz, and Stage
[2] (Epic, 2004), a laid-back album of retro-soul, contemporary R&B, melodic pop, and
mildly experimental electronica. Guest vocalists were Aya, Chocolate Genius, Amel
Larieux, Bahamadia, Leroy Osborne and Maxwell.
Paul played bass on Rick Braun's albums — Night Walk (Rhino, 1994), Body and Soul
(Bluemoon, 1996).
In 1998 Paul fell off a ladder and broke his wrist. By the time the plaster came off he had
no movement in it. He had to learn how to play the bass again. Suddenly not being able to
play made he realise how much music meant to him.
Paul's influences includes Elvis Presley, the Sex Pistols, Jimmy Cliff, Jaco Pastorious,
Familyman Barrett, David Bowie.
Paul carries out twofold function in the Sade band. Firstly he is a chief engineer
underpinning the rhythm of the band. And secondly he is "the front of house", attending to
the best style details dressed the band of the past two decades. In a strange sort of way
Paul is the first one in the band to "come out", stylistically. Other members adhere to the
maxim "minimum fuss for maximum effect". He go the other way - maximum fuss on every
occasion. Paul's London home and his wife Kim's shop Goddess in Los Angeles are the
world centre of baroque & roll. |
