Sadeness (Part I)

"Sadeness (Part I)" is the debut single by German musical project Enigma. The song was released in 1990 as the first of four singles from their debut album MCMXC a.D. (1990). It became an international hit, reaching number one in 24 countries. In the United States, the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on its dance chart. A sequel to the song, "Sadeness (Part II)" featuring Anggun, was released on Enigma's eighth studio album, The Fall of a Rebel Angel (2016).[1]

"Sadeness (Part I)"
Single by Enigma
from the album MCMXC a.D.
Released1990
Recorded1990
Genre
Length4:16
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Michael Cretu
Enigma singles chronology
"Sadeness (Part I)"
(1990)		 "Mea Culpa (Part II)"
(1991)
Music video
"Sadeness (Part I)" on YouTube
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

History

"Sadeness" was written by Michael Cretu (under the pseudonym Curly M.C.), Frank Peterson (under the pseudonym F. Gregorian), and Fabrice Cuitad (under the pseudonym David Fairstein). The song was named "Sadeness (Part I)" on its single release in Germany, and "Sadness Part I" on its single release in the United Kingdom and Japan. It is a sensual track based around "questioning" the sexual desires of Marquis de Sade; hence the German release name of "Sadeness", as opposed to the English word of "Sadness" used in the UK release. The track reached number-one faster than any new release in German history - before its video clip had even been finished. The record company Virgin had done virtually no promotion on the song. Sales took off purely on the strength of radio and club play.[2]

Music

The track makes use of the following:

  • Gregorian vocals mostly taken from the 1976 album Paschale Mysterium by the German choir Capella Antiqua München with conductor Konrad Ruhland. Particularly prominent is music from "Procedamus in pace!", an antiphon which is the second track on the album. The vocals were at first used without permission; a lawsuit followed in 1994 and was settled by compensation.
  • French lyrics whispered by Cretu's then-wife, Sandra, who at the time of Enigma's formation had already hit singles as a solo artist.

Lyrics

The lyrics are in Latin and French.

Latin lyrics

Procedamus in pace! is related to Psalm 24. A section of the Latin text quotes directly from the psalm: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in is the King James Version. In Christian theology, the words have been taken to refer to the ascension to heaven.

French lyrics

The female French lyrics address "Sade". The Extended Trance Mix from the CD single contains some additional male lyrics in French.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic commented, "Snippets of monks invoking the Almighty effortlessly glide in and out of a polite but still strong breakbeat, shimmering, atmospheric synth and flute lines and a Frenchwoman whispering in a way that sounds distinctly more carnal than spiritual (as her gasps for breath elsewhere make clear)."[3] Keith Clark from Bay Area Reporter called the song "suggestive".[4] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "brilliant and quirky", stating that "it is currently the fastest-selling single in German recording history."[5] He added that it "has already raised the ire of religious groups for its use of traditional Gregorian chants within the context of orgasmic groaning and a tribal hip-hop groove."[6] Complex included it in their list of "15 Songs That Gave Dance Music a Good Name", commenting, "We doubt that something like this, with lyrics in Latin and French that dealt with religion and the sexual desires of Marquis de Sade, would fly in today's pop charts, but there's something that was so undeniable about this new age/downtempo track that it was featured everywhere, from Single White Female to Tropic Thunder."[7] Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly described it as a "incense trance".[8] Evening Herald called it "one of the most seductive dance records of the past couple of years".[9] Swedish newspaper Expressen noted that church song are used "as a very reliable vocal generator".[10] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote, "Listeners may not have a clue what it's about, but the mood created by this totally unique production will keep 'em glued and wanting more. Not only have the Germans demolished the Berlin Wall, they had the good sense to make this a number one "sod - as in (Marquis De Sade) ness."[11] Kim Såtvedt from Norwegian newspaper Laagendalsposten picked the song as one of the best cuts of the album.[12] Music Week described it as "chanting monks and a sensual muttering rolling over a hypnotically rolling slow beat".[13] Ian Cranna from Smash Hits noted the "atmospheric lines" of the song in his review, adding that it's "combining medieval monks' chants and wispy, wistful synthesiser driftings over hippety-hoppety beats."[14] Bob Mack from Spin called it "the Dark Ages disco cut". He added that "the track starts with a standard call and response—but it's one of monks doing Gregorian chants. After the beats kick in, synth washes buoy the flute flourishes, while French spoken words and heavy female panting get the point across."[15] Kimberly Chrisma from The Stanford Daily said the result of combining Gregorian chant with "pulsating synthesizers" was "an ambient fantasia that made the heart throb and the mind tingle."[16]

Chart performance

The single reached number-one on the UK Singles Chart on January 13, 1991,[17] as well as in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. It reached the top spot on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it remained at the top for nine weeks. In the United States, the single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in April 1991. The record sold over 500,000 copies in the US and was certified Gold there.[18] The single has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.[19] It earned a gold record in Australia, Austria, France, the Netherlands and the United States, and a silver record in the United Kingdom. It also earned a platinum record in Germany and Sweden.

Music video

The music video, directed by Michel Guimbard,[20] shows a scribe who dreams of wandering among cathedral ruins. He comes up to Auguste Rodin's The Gates of Hell; and as the scribe looks on, he sees a woman (played by French model Cathy Tastet[21][22]) beyond it, who whispers the main lyrics from the song to him. The video ends with the scribe waking up. "Sadeness (Part 1)" was uploaded to YouTube in February 2009. In August 2020, the video had generated nearly 43 million views.[23]

Influence

It was followed by a pseudo-sequel named "Mea Culpa (Part II)", which was a moderate commercial success compared with "Sadeness (Part I)".

The 1991 opening theme for the video game Streets of Rage, released on Sega Genesis, shares an identical drum beat to "Sadeness (Part I)", which is believed to be a major influence on the music heard in the game.

The song was featured in the first episode of the second season of Chappelle's Show. The song is also featured on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode The Gang Gets a New Member.

The song can be heard on the 2008 action slapstick film Tropic Thunder during the faux trailer for Kirk Lazarus's (Robert Downey Jr.) recent film Satan's Alley.

The song's notable drum loop was used for the executioner entrance in the "Jester's Nightmare" number of the 2000 and 2001 tours of Michael Flatley's second show, Feet of Flames.

Track listings
  • 4-track CD single for the UK
  1. "Sadeness Part I" (Radio Edit) – 4:16
  2. "Sadeness Part I" (Extended Trance Mix) – 5:04
  3. "Sadeness Part I" (Meditation Mix) – 3:01
  4. "Sadeness Part I" (Violent US Remix) – 5:03
  • 5-track CD single for the US
  1. "Sadeness Part I" (Violent US Remix) – 5:03
  2. "Sadeness Part I" (Meditation Mix) – 3:01
  3. "Sadeness Part I" (Extended Trance Mix) – 5:04
  4. "Sadeness Part I" (Radio Edit) – 4:17
  5. "Introit: Benedicta sit sancta Trinitas" – 3:04
  • 2-track promotional CD single for Japan
  1. "Sadeness Part I" (Ebi-Kuma Mix) – 4:40
  2. "Sadeness Part I" (Meditation Mix)
  • 2-track 7-inch single for France
  1. "Sadeness Part I" (Radio Edit) – 4:17
  2. "Sadeness Part I" (Meditation Mix) – 2:57

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[64] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[65] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[66] Gold 400,000*
Germany (BVMI)[67] Platinum 500,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[68] Gold 75,000^
Sweden (GLF)[69] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[70] Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[71] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References
  1. Getz, Dana (8 August 2016). "Enigma announce first album in 8 years". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  2. "Spotlight: Enigma" (PDF). Music & Media. January 12, 1991. p. 12. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  3. Raggett, Ned. "Enigma – MCMXC A.D.". AllMusic. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  4. Clark, Keith (June 6, 1991). "Dedicated to de Sade". Bay Area Reporter. p. 59. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  5. Flick, Larry (December 15, 1990). "Dance Trax: Equipment To Keep Biz Spinning During Switch To CD" (PDF). Billboard. p. 27. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  6. Flick, Larry (January 26, 1991). "Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. p. 95. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  7. Nappy (July 12, 2013). "15 Songs That Gave Dance Music a Good Name". Complex. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  8. "1991 chart flashback". Entertainment Weekly. March 18, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  9. "Enigma's Sadeness". Evening Herald. April 16, 1992. page 44. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  10. Expressen. January 26, 1991.
  11. Sholin, Dave (February 1, 1991). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1841. p. 56. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  12. Såtvedt, Kim (February 21, 1991). "Plater". Laagendalsposten (in Norwegian). p. 7. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  13. "Dance" (PDF). Music Week. December 8, 1990. p. 13. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  14. "Review: LPs". Smash Hits. January 23, 1991. p. 46. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  15. Mack, Bob (April 1991). "Singles". Spin. p. 94. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  16. Chrisma, Kimberly (March 31, 1994). "A hit centuries in the making". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  17. "Official Singles Chart Top 100 13 January 1991 - 19 January 1991". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  18. "American single certifications – Enigma – Sadeness Part I". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 29, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  19. Weinert, Ellie (March 4, 1995). "Billboard Vol. 107, No. 9 – Casebook: Enigma". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media: 58. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  20. http://www.newagemusic.guide/new-age-music/the-story-behind-sadeness-part-i-video/
  21. "Who's that girl?? Behind The Scenes of "ENIGMA - Sadeness Part I." video". enigmamusic.com. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  22. Kati Tastet at the Internet Movie Database
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  66. "French single certifications – Enigma – Sadeness" (in French). InfoDisc. Select ENIGMA and click OK. 
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  68. "Dutch single certifications – Enigma – Sadeness" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 29 June 2012. Enter Sadeness in the "Artiest of titel" box.
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  71. "American single certifications – Enigma – Sadeness Part I". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 June 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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