Live Performance of the Week: The SOS Band spreads love again

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(May 18, 2021) Like millions of others around the world, we’ve been big time fans of The SOS Band for nearly four decades. With a discography of now-iconic songs filled with tight instrumentation and great vocal performances, they are all-timers who still happen to sound good today. We recently informed SoulTrackers of lead singer Mary Davis’s illness and planned retirement from the group. That makes the band’s recent live studio performance with Mary all the more special. Here is how SOS Band leader and manager Abdul Ra’oof describes the scene for us:

During March 2021, producer Barbara “Bobbie” Dyce reached out to discuss an opportunity for the SOS Band to perform during the last episode of “The Going Live Show” for Kinship Studios. Prior to Mary Davis and I agreeing to participate, Mary had given notice of her retirement from live performances due to her untimely health issues. Our participation in this event was agreed upon without question.

Ironically, Bobbie is the daughter of the SOS Band’s first producer Sigidi Abdullah. Sigidi Abdullah was the person responsible for changing the SOS Band’s name from Santa Monica to its current name and is credited with producing on the SOS Band’s first platinum album for Tabu Records. His production genius led to the single “Take Your Time Do It Right” going platinum.

After discussing the possibility of a live performance with Mary, I stopped by Kinship Studios to assess their video production facility and walked in as the YingYang Twins were completing their video production.

Producer Bobbie gave me a tour of the video editing room, where I met with the technical director Tahir Daudier and Ira Leach the editor. I was instantly impressed with how organized, creative and talented this young video production team was.

After viewing the facility, I initially felt it would be difficult for the SOS Band to perform in the studio without creating an enormous production expense due to the acoustic needs of a large band and the requirements needed to video a live performance with staging and production.

Mary and I were both greatly disappointed, for this seemed a fortuitous opportunity to work with and support Sigidi’s daughter Bobbie and the GLS’s talented video production team.

Later that week, Bobbie contacted me to express their interest in collaborating with Alfred Ellis, part owner of Stage Audio Production (SAP) rehearsal studios. That was music to my ears. Alfred and I have a long and trusting relationship. SAP is equipped with everything The SOS Band needed for audio, video performance and live recording 

With Mary agreeing to perform, accommodations needed to be made to make it a desirable situation for her.  After consulting with Bobbie, we agreed on a 70s theme, centered around a relaxed, mature, nightclub vibe with a dancing audience, compared to our normal high intensity performance.

As the performance time grew closer, it was impressive to see all parties work extremely hard to make this amazing production happen for TGLS’s last episode of “The Going Live Show” for Kinship Studios. The amazing results from this production allowed for future collaborative plans between Stage Audio Productions and Kinship Studios. Overall, it was a win-win for everyone.

We just love this video and all it represents. The SOS Band performs many fan favorites, including “Groovin,” “Just Be Good To Me,” “Tell Me If You Still Care,” and “Take Your Time.” And it is great hearing Mary Davis do her thing with the group one last time.

Check out this special “Live Performance of the Week,” and enjoy The SOS Band.

By Chris Rizik

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