For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to take a trip to the Peach State and highlight The S.O.S. Band and their fourth album, “On the Rise,” released in 1983. This album marked a reunion with rising producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. “On the Rise” hit stores on July 1, 1983.
The album’s lead single, “Just Be Good to Me,” is often described as a “barnstorming electro-soul anthem.” Mary Davis provides the lead vocals for the song, in which she portrays a woman in love with a man whom her friends caution is a player or a user. Despite their warnings, she decides to take a chance on him, hoping he will treat her well. She is not concerned about his reputation or relationships with other women as long as he is good to her. A show-stopping live number that still holds up today, “Just Be Good to “Me is nine minutes of funk bliss.
The album’s second single, and easily my favorite song in their catalogue, was the lush ballad “Tell Me If You Still Care”. A duet between Mary Davis and their multi-instrumentalist Abdul Ra’oof, the iconic ballad explores the uncertainty and emotional vulnerability in a romantic relationship. Jam and Lewis’s lyrics convey a sense of doubt and insecurity, with the singers questioning the endurance of their partner’s love and seeking reassurance.
The repeated line “Tell me if you still care” in the chorus reflects the desire for open communication and emotional honesty within the relationship. The singers must confirm that their partner’s feelings for them remain strong. Undoubtedly, this song alone put most modern R&B to shame.
The album’s final single and last Jam & Lewis contribution was the dance floor anthem “For Your Love”. A passionate love song about a person desperately waiting for their lover’s affection: Jam and Lewis’s lyrics are perfect for Mary Lewis to convey longing for her lover’s love and desire to please them in every way possible. Even though she croons about her body is burning with passion, and the only thing that can stop the fire is the love of their significant other, the songs never come off as crass or corny.
The rest of the album is pure 80s funk, including a cover of the Johnny Taylor classic “Who’s Making Love.” Often seen as the album that broke them out of their creative rut, “On the Rise” is 80s funk and soul at its best.
Final Grade: B+
“On The Ride” is available on all streaming platforms.
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.