The SOS Band

The SOS Band
General information
Genre (s)	Funk , R&B
founding	1977
Current occupation
Vocals , keyboard	Mary Davis
Keyboard	Jason TC Bryants
saxophone	Billy R. Ellis
saxophone	Willie "Sonny" Killebrew
guitar	Bruno Speight
bass	John Alexander Simpson
Drums	James Earl Jones III

The SOS Band , also The SOS Band , is an American R&B and funk band that was founded in Atlanta in 1977 and was mainly successful in the 1980s. The biggest hits are Take Your Time (Do It Right) (1980), Just Be Good to Me (1983) and The Finest (1986).

Band history

Keyboardist and singer Jason Bryant, saxophonists Billy Ellis and Willie "Sonny" Killebrew, guitarist Bruno Speight, bassist John Alexander Simpson, drummer James Earl Jones III and singer Mary Davis first appeared in 1977 under the band name "Santa Monica" in an Atlanta nightclub on. Your manager Bunny Jackson-Ransom, who later also Cameo worked, sent a demo tape to Clarence Avant, the head of the label Tabu Records. Avant gave the group a recording deal and convinced them to work with songwriter and producer Sigidi Abdullah. When Abdullah asked why an Atlanta-based band called themselves "Santa Monica", Jason Bryant replied that the group chose that name after a very pleasant concert in the California city . Nevertheless, Abdullah prevailed with his suggestion to rename the formation and SOS Band was chosen as the new name - SOS stands for "Sounds of Success".

Together with Harold Clayton, Abdullah wrote and produced the debut single Take Your Time (Do It Right) , which reached number 1 on the US dance and R&B charts in the spring of 1980. The song rose to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum . The track was also able to place in some European charts, including number 40 in Germany and number 51 in Great Britain . Overall, Take Your Time (Do It Right) is the band's most successful single to date. The accompanying debut album S. OS was also in demand and rose to number 2 on the R&B charts and number 12 on the Billboard 200. Over 800,000 copies of the record were sold - it was awarded a gold record . During the following world tour the group got a new member with trumpeter , singer and drummer Abdul Ra'oof.

The SOS Band Too , the second album again produced by Sigidi Abdullah, was significantly less successful in 1981 than its predecessor and only reached number 30 on the R&B charts and number 117 on the Billboard 200. The only release with a noteworthy placement, Do It Now , rose to number 15 on the R&B charts. The album SOS III , released in autumn 1982, was in similar demand and climbed to number 27 on the R&B charts and number 172 on the Billboard 200. The single High Hopes , written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis , reached number 25 on the R&B charts.

On the 1983 album On the Rise , Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis did the songwriting as well as the production. The long player sold just as well as the debut album three years earlier, made it to number 7 on the R&B charts and number 47 on the Billboard 200 and received a gold record. The release Just Be Good to Me only narrowly missed the top position at number 2 on the R&B and number 3 on the dance charts. In the UK, at number 13, the track is the SOS band's highest-ranked single to date. The Beatbox - ballad Tell Me If You Still Care was in 5th place another top 10 hit on the R & B charts.

The collaboration with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis continued on the 1984 album Just the Way You Like It . The placements in the United States were 6th on the R&B charts and 60th on the Billboard 200. The record was also sold well in Germany (44th) and Great Britain (29th). The title track of the same name was also placed in the German (34th place) and English charts (32nd place), but also at number 6 on the R&B charts and at number 26 on the dance charts. The meanwhile fifth studio album was named Sands of Time , placed 4th on the R&B charts, 44th on the Billboard 200 and 15th in the UK. In the United States, the plate was awarded gold. The successful releases, which this time came from the pen of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, are The Finest , Borrowed Love and No Lies . These tracks were shaped by the sound of the Roland TR-808 analog drum computer .

In 1987, singer Mary Davis left the band to begin a solo career. Interest in the SOS Band waned in the late 1980s, so that the 1989 album Diamonds in the Raw , which was produced by Curtis Williams, only came to number 43 on the R&B charts and number 194 on the Billboard 200. With I'm Still Missing Your Love at number 7, a single reached the top 10 of the R&B hit list for the last time. The Official Bootleg Mega Mix , which was only released in Germany, climbed 33rd there in spring. The so far last studio album One of Many Nights from 1991 could not place in the charts, the release Sometimes I Wonder rose to number 12 on the R&B charts.

After Mary Davis returned in the mid-1990s, part of the original band went on tour again and still play concerts today. In 2014 the title "Just get ready" was published.

Discography

Albums

year	Title music label	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	UK	US	R&B
1980	SOS Tabu Records	-	-	US12 gold (20 weeks)US	R&B2 (26 weeks) R&B	First published: June 6, 1980 Producer: Sigidi Abdullah
1981	The SOS Band Too Tabu Records	-	-	US117 (6 weeks) US	R&B30 (11 weeks) R&B	First published: July 31, 1981 Producer: Sigidi Abdullah
1982	SOS III Tabu Records	-	-	US172 (8 weeks) US	R&B27 (24 weeks) R&B	First published: October 29, 1982 Producers: Leon F. Sylvers III, Gene Dozier, Ricky Sylvers
1983	On the Rise Tabu Records	-	-	US47 gold (29 weeks)US	R&B7 (36 weeks) R&B	First published: July 1, 1983 Producers: Gene Dozier, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis , The SOS Band
1984	Just the Way You Like It Tabu Records	DE44 (11 weeks) DE	UK29 (10 weeks) UK	US60 (27 weeks) US	R&B6 (37 weeks) R&B	First published: August 3, 1984 Producers: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, The SOS Band
1986	Sands of Time Tabu Records	-	UK15 (9 weeks) UK	US44 gold (20 weeks)US	R&B4 (31 weeks) R&B	First published: April 9, 1986 Producers: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, The SOS Band
1989	Diamonds in the Raw Tabu Records	-	-	US194 (2 weeks) US	R&B43 (10 weeks) R&B	First published: September 20, 1989 Producer: Curtis Williams

More albums

• 1991: One of Many Nights (release: September 24th; Tabu Records)
• 1998: Superstars of R&B Concerts Series (live album, 2 CDs)

Compilations

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	UK	US	R&B
1985	The Artists Volume III (Soundtrack)	-	UK87 (2 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: September 30, 1985 with Womack & Womack , The O'Jays and Kleeer
1995	The best of SOS band	-	-	US185 (1 week) US	R&B27 (44 weeks) R&B	First published: October 1995
2004	Greatest hits	-	-	-	R&B62 (2 weeks) R&B	First published: August 24, 2004

More compilations

• 1986: The 12 "tape
• 1987: The SOS Band 1980–1987: The Hit Mixes
• 1989: In One Go
• 2011: Icon
• 2013: The Very Best Of (2 CDs)
• 2014: The Tabu Anthology (box with 10 CDs; release: March 28th)
• 2015: Greatest

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)					Remarks
		DE	UK	US	R&B	Dance
1980	Take Your Time (Do It Right) SOS	DE40 (12 weeks) DE	UK51 (4 weeks) UK	US3 platinum (21 weeks)US	R&B1 (24 weeks) R&B	Dance1 (25 weeks) Dance	First published: April 1980 Authors: Harold Clayton, Sigidi
	SOS (Dit Dit Dit Dash Dash Dash Dit Dit Dit) SOS	-	-	-	R&B20 (13 weeks) R&B	Dance54 (12 weeks) Dance	First publication: September 1980 Authors: Authors: The SOS Band, Sigidi
1981	What's Wrong with Our Love Affair? SOS	-	-	-	R&B87 (4 weeks) R&B	-	First published: December 1980 Author: Jason Bryant
	Do It Now (Part 1) The SOS Band Too	-	-	-	R&B15 (16 weeks) R&B	-	First published: May 1981 Authors: Mbaji, Rhonghea Southern, Sigidi
	You The SOS Band Too	-	-	-	R&B64 (7 weeks) R&B	-	First published: October 1981 Authors: Allen Simpson, Bruno Speight, John Alexander Simpson, Sigidi
1982	High Hopes S. OS III	-	-	-	R&B25 (17 weeks) R&B	Dance49 (9 weeks) Dance	First published: September 1982 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
1983	Have It Your Way S. OS III	-	-	-	R&B57 (6 weeks) R&B	-	First published: January 1983 Author: John Alexander Simpson
	Groovin '(That's What We're Doin') SOS III	-	UK72 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	Dance47 (8 weeks) Dance	First published: February 1983 Authors: Charmaine Sylvers, Gene Dozier
	Just Be Good to Me On the Rise	-	UK13 (12 weeks) UK	US55 (14 weeks) US	R&B2 (22 weeks) R&B	Dance3 (16 weeks) Dance	First published: June 1983 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
	Tell Me If You Still Care On the Rise	-	UK81 (3 weeks) UK	US65 (11 weeks) US	R&B5 (18 weeks) R&B	-	First published: October 1983 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
1984	For Your Love On the Rise	-	-	-	R&B34 (11 weeks) R&B	Dance26 (9 weeks) Dance	First published: February 1984 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
	Just the Way You Like It Just the Way You Like It	DE34 (11 weeks) DE	UK32 (7 weeks) UK	US64 (10 weeks) US	R&B6 (17 weeks) R&B	Dance26 (10 weeks) Dance	First published: June 1984 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
	No One's Gonna Love You Just the Way You Like It	-	-	-	R&B15 (14 weeks) R&B	-	First published: October 1984 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
1985	Weekend Girl Just the Way You Like It	-	UK51 (5 weeks) UK	-	R&B40 (12 weeks) R&B	-	First published: October 1984 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
1986	The Finest Sands of Time	DE26 (13 weeks) DE	UK17 (10 weeks) UK	US44 (13 weeks) US	R&B2 (20 weeks) R&B	Dance8 (12 weeks) Dance	First published: March 1986 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
	Borrowed Love Sands of Time	DE37 (9 weeks) DE	UK50 (5 weeks) UK	-	R&B14 (13 weeks) R&B	Dance26 (6 weeks) Dance	First published: June 1986 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
	Even When You Sleep Sands of Time	-	-	-	R&B34 (10 weeks) R&B	-	First published: September 1986 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
1987	No Lies Sands of Time	-	UK64 (7 weeks) UK	-	R&B43 (10 weeks) R&B	Dance2 (12 weeks) Dance	First published: January 1987 Authors: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
1989	The Official Bootleg Mega Mix	DE33 (11 weeks) DE	-	-	-	-	First publication: March 1989 Mix: Thomas Oergel
	I'm Still Missing Your Love Diamonds in the Raw	-	-	-	R&B7 (14 weeks) R&B	-	First published: August 1989 Authors: Curtis Williams, Kellee Patterson
	Secret Wish Diamonds in the Raw	-	-	-	R&B38 (10 weeks) R&B	-	First published: December 1989 Authors: Fluitsma & Van Tijn , Rob Baars
1991	Sometimes I Wonder One of Many Nights	-	-	-	R&B12 (15 weeks) R&B	-	First published: August 1991 Authors: Curtis Williams, Kellee Patterson

More singles

• 1982: Can't Get Enough
• 1989: The Official Bootleg Megamix Part 2 (Mix: Thomas Oergel, Uwe Hacker)
• 1989: Do You Love Me?
• 1989: The Ultimate 12 "Collection (box with 10 vinyl maxis)
• 1991: Broken Promises
• 2009: Just Be Good to Me 2009 (Dr. Kucho vs. SOS Band)
• 2014: Just Get Ready

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Chart sources: Singles Albums UK US1 US2
2. ^ The Billboard Albums by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7 .
3. ↑ ^{a b c} gold / platinum database US
4. ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
5. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0898201864 .
6. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003, ISBN 978-0-89820-156-7 .

Web links

• The SOS Band at Allmusic (English)
• The SOS Band at Discogs (English)
• Just get ready