The band was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. The original group members included Willie "Sonny" Killebrew (saxophone), Billy Ellis (flute), Jason "T.C." Bryant (keyboards), Bruno Speight (guitar), John Simpson (bass), James Earl Jones III (drums), and Mary Davis (lead vocals, keyboards). It was originally known as Santa Monica. The band later changed its name to The S.O.S. Band, an acronym for Sounds of Success. After listening to its demo and being impressed with their sound, Tabu Records signed the group to its first recording contract.
In 1980, the group released its first hit single, "Take Your Time (Do It Right)", which was certified platinum and sold over 2 million copies. Its debut album, S.O.S., went gold and sold over 800,000 copies. Trumpeter, vocalist, and percussionist Abdul Ra'oof joined the band while it was on a world tour.
In 1983, the band 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, which included "Just Be Good to Me," "High Hopes," "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 S.O.S. 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.
6 сен 2024
