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"Sadeness (Part I)"
Single by Enigma from the album MCMXC a.D.
Released	December, 1990
Format	CD, cassette, 12"
Recorded	?
Genre	New Age
Length	4:17
Label	Charisma / Virgin / EMI
Writer	Curly M.C. F. Gregorian David Fairstein
Producer	Michael Cretu
Enigma singles chronology
"Sadeness (Part I)" (1990) "Mea Culpa (Part II)" (1991)

"Sadeness (Part I)" is a 1990 song created by the musical project Enigma. The single was the first of four singles released from MCMXC a.D.

"Sadeness" was written by Michael Cretu (under the pseudonym Curly M.C.), Frank Peterson (under the pseudonym F. Gregorian), and David Fairstein. The lyrics are in Latin and French; the Latin text includes a quotation from Psalm 24:7-8.

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 with an insistent beat 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.

It was followed by a pseudo-sequel named "Mea Culpa (Part II)", which was less popular than "Sadeness".

• 4-track CD single for the UK

1. "Sadness Part I" (Radio Edit) – 4:17
2. "Sadness Part I" (Extended Trance Mix) – 5:04
3. "Sadness Part I" (Meditation Mix) – 3:01
4. "Sadness Part I" (Violent US Remix) – 5:03

• 5-track CD single for the U.S.

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. "Sadness Part I" (Ebi-Kuma Mix)
2. "Sadness 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

On October 16, 2002, the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Anne Dudley performed a live version of "Sadeness (Part I)".

The song was featured in the "slow motion" sketch, from the 2nd season of Chappelle's Show. It was also used as background music in films such as Charlie's Angels and Exit To Eden.

The video shows a scholar, possibly a reference to Marquis de Sade, who falls asleep at a desk in his room whilst writing ... and has a fantastic, seductive, and enlightening dream. The scholar finds himself wandering among cathedral ruins. He comes up to Auguste Rodin's The Gates of Hell, which is probably the "Forbidden Door", according to the album concept. As the young man looks on, he sees a beautiful young woman beyond it. She whispers the main lyric to him in a seductive tone - "Sade, dis-moi" "Sade, donne-moi" or translated- "Sade, tell me" "Sade, give me". The man turns and tries to flee, but relents to his desires and is "sucked" back through the door. At this point, the young man wakes from the dream and looks around anxiously, but finds only a light from his window shining down on him.

The single became #1 hit in over 24 countries[1], including UK, and sold over 7 million copies worldwide. The single remained on #1 of Eurochart for 9 weeks. In the United States, the song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in April, 1991, making it the most recent foreign language song to climb that high. The record sold over 1 million copies in the USA and was certified platinum [2].