The S.O.S. Band in Amsterdam

The iconic S.O.S. Band, one of the most important Soul, R&B, electro Funk band of the 80s, will come to Paradiso in Amsterdam on August 6th. I first heard them back in 1982 when their third LP “S.O.S. III” came out. It included two timeless masterpieces which I still spin up to this day: the instrumental soulful funk jam “Groovin’ (That’s What We’re Doin’)” and the soul anthem “High Hopes”, one of the first tunes written by ultra successful Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Lead vocals came from Abdul Ra’oof, who joined the band for their second album. By this time, the group already had a big hit from their debut album from 1980. “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”, with lead vocals by one of the group founders, the wonderful Mary Davis, shot to Number 1 on the US R&B charts and Number 3 Pop.

The afore-mentioned Jam & Lewis catapulted the band to cult status with the next three albums: “On The Rise” (1983), “Just The Way You Like It” (1984), and “Sands Of Time” (1986). Those three LPs include groundbreaking million-dollar gems such as “Tell Me If You Still Care” (one of my all-time favorite tunes), “The Finest”, “Just Be Good To Me”, “Just The Way You Like It”, “Weekend Girl”, “No One’s Gonna Love You”, “Even When You Sleep”, or “Two-Time Lover”. With Mary Davis leaving the group for a solo career in 1987 and a number of personnel changes, the group released only two more albums, the penultimate “Diamonds In The Raw” with Chandra Currelly taking over lead vocals (1989), and “One Of Many Nights” in 1991. Mary Davis subsequently rejoined the band on tours, but she then had to leave the group in 2021 after suffering a stroke.

7/31 Westcliff-On-Sea – Cliffs Pavilion Restaurant
8/01 Croydon – Fairfield Halls
8/02 Margate – Lido
8/03 London – Indigo at The O2
8/06 Amsterdam – Paradiso
10/17 Whitby – Pavilion