The SOS Band
is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Originally known as Santa Monica, the 'SOS' initialism in the band's name stands for Sounds of Success.
|
SOS BAND TICKETS
|
History
The band, fronted by
Mary Davis
(
for Broadway Star
Mary Bond Davis,
see
Hairspray,
the musical
), was initially famous for the
hit "
Take Your Time (Do It Right)" in 1980. In 1983, they joined forces with then new
production team of
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who went on to craft a string of
R&B hits for the group, including "
Just Be Good to Me," "Tell Me If You Still Care," "Borrowed Love," "No One's Gonna Love You," "Just the Way You Like It," and "The Finest".
The Jam-Lewis-produced SOS Band hits are notable for popularizing the use of the
Roland TR-808 drum machine (and its distinctive
cowbell sound) in
popular music. The group continues to
tour and perform to this day.
The song "Just Be Good to Me" was
remixed by
Beats International (aka
Norman Cook or
Fatboy Slim); the resultant song made its way to
UK number one single as "
Dub Be Good to Me." The song was reworked with the bass line of
The Clash's "
Guns of Brixton." It was also
covered by
Shayne Ward on his
album,
Breathless
. Also, the song "Tell Me If You Still Care" was covered in 1995 by fellow Atlanta native
Monica on her debut album
Miss Thang
and sampled by
Janet Jackson in her hit "
Call On Me." The
Bingoboys performed a cover of "Borrowed Love" as the follow-up single of its 1991 dance hit "How to Dance."
Lead vocalist Mary Davis left the group in 1987 to pursue a
solo career, and was replaced by Chandra Currelley beginning with the band's 1989
Diamonds in the Raw
album. More recently, Currelley has been active as an
actress and vocalist in [Tyler Perry]
plays and
films. When Davis’s solo career was not a successful as hoped, she reunited with the band in 1994.
Discography
All of the albums and singles listed below were issued on Tabu Records.
Studio Albums
- 1980: S.O.S.
(US #12, R&B #2)
- 1981: Too
(US #117, R&B #30)
- 1982: III
(US #172, R&B #27)
- 1983: On The Rise
(US #47, R&B #7)
- 1984: Just the Way You Like It
(US #60, R&B #6)
- 1986: Sands of Time
(US #44, R&B #4)
- 1989: Diamonds In The Raw
(US #194, R&B #43)
- 1991: One of Many Nights
Compilation Albums
- 1987: 1980-1987: The Hit Mixes
- 1995: The Best Of The S.O.S. Band
(US #185, R&B #27)
- 2004: Greatest Hits
(R&B #62)
Singles
Year
| Song
| UK [1]
| U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| Album
|
1980
| "Take Your Time (Do It Right)"
| 51
| 3
| 1
| S.O.S.
|
1980
| "S.O.S.(Dit Dit Dit Dash Dash Dash Dit Dit Dit)"
| -
| -
| 20
| S.O.S.
|
1980
| "What's Wrong With Our Love Affair?"
| -
| -
| 87
| S.O.S.
|
1981
| "Do It Now"
| -
| -
| 15
| Too
|
1981
| "You"
| -
| -
| 64
| Too
|
1982
| "High Hopes"
| -
| -
| 25
| S.O.S. Band III
|
1983
| "Have It Your Way"
| -
| -
| 49
| S.O.S. Band III
|
1983
| "Groovin' (That's What We're Doin')"
| 72
| -
| 47
| S.O.S. Band III
|
1983
| "Just Be Good to Me"
| 13
| 55
| 2
| On The Rise
|
1983
| "Tell Me If You Still Care"
| -
| 65
| 5
| On The Rise
|
1984
| "For Your Love"
| -
| -
| 34
| On The Rise
|
1984
| "Just The Way You Like It"
| 32
| 64
| 6
| Just the Way You Like It
|
1984
| "No One's Gonna Love You"
| -
| -
| 15
| Just the Way You Like It
|
1985
| "Weekend Girl"
| 51
| -
| 40
| Just the Way You Like It
|
1986
| "Borrowed Love"
| 50
| -
| 14
| Sands of Time
|
1986
| "Even When You Sleep"
| -
| -
| 34
| Sands of Time
|
1986
| "The Finest" (with Alexander O'Neal)
| 17
| 44
| 2
| Sands of Time
|
1987
| "No Lies"
| 64
| -
| 43
| Sands of Time
|
1989
| "I'm Still Missing Your Love"
| -
| -
| 7
| Diamonds in the Raw
|
1989
| "Sands of Time"
| -
| -
| -
| Sands of Time
|
1990
| "Secret Wish"
| -
| -
| 38
| Diamonds in the Raw
|
1991
| "Sometimes I Wonder"
| -
| -
| 12
| One of Many Nights
|
References
- British Hit Singles & Albums