Over the past few months we’ve been having a sneaky sideline career as an international EDM DJ, dating pop stars and drinking from the bottle aka playing some hits from the 80s down our local. But something has happened that is far more enjoyable than dating Taylor Swift could ever be….people have been coming to us, requesting and recommending songs and it’s become an educational process. We’re rediscovering our love for Thelma Houston, Sheryl Lee Ralph and yes, The S.O.S. Band. So when we were asked if we’d like to speak to Mary Davis and Abdul Ra’oof from the band, the timing could not have been better.

The group are coming over to the UK this November for The Great Voices Of Soul along with Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, Rose Royce’s Gwen Dickey and the goddess that is Patti LaBelle. (See the bottom of the interview for full details.) So we thought we’d catch up with them to discuss whitewashing black culture, what it’s like to have Mariah Carey cover one of your songs and how they’re still making new music new forty years on.

When you came together what was the vision for the band?
Mary: As a child you have dreams and for me that was seeing my name in lights and that has really been a dream come true. We came together to make people happy.
Abdul: In terms of the band itself, we all had our personal dreams of being entertainers. I was the last member to join. They had actually already started recording. I was just so excited to be part of The S.O.S. Band because they just had such an incredible sound. But what you give people and what they give you back…it’s kind of divine.

You’ve been performing for nearly four decades. That’s a lot of performing. What has been your favourite performance?
M: I have a few. The first was in in Madison Square Gardens, New York and I used to go there for concerts myself, so to be able to play there was awesome. London too was….woooaaah! I really love London. If I lived anywhere else in this world it would be London. In Japan everyone was singing and then we learned at the meet and greets that so few of them actually spoke English! So that was amazing to me.
A: It’s an incredible journey. London, Amsterdam, Manchester…You do an interview in Japan and they study you. They research you. I’m like ‘Where did you find that out?’ Here in the US I take it for granted because it’s home. But I just enjoy touring and God allowing me to express myself and touch people’s hearts because that’s what we do. And they touch our heart. We are lucky enough to be in a business where people love us even though we will never ever meet them. They love us for what we do. That’s incredible.

 

What makes this tour different?
M: It won’t be that different. It will be an enjoyable moment for each of us, audiences and performers. The Europeans seem to appreciate our music and that will be an awesome journey.
A: Now that we’ve been doing this for so long, more and more people say to us ‘I met my wife to this song,’ ‘I made my baby to this song.’ It gives us a totally new respect and appreciation for what we do.

Someone pointed out to me that ‘Just Be Good To Me’ is not the best track for self-empowerment…
M: But the message is true. It’s part of life. We have all gone through that where we love someone and find out they did something they weren’t supposed to do. You have to forgive them. How can you not forgive when we expect God to forgive us all the things we do to him. You have to learn how to forgive a person for what they did. That’s life.

We’re huge Mariah Carey fans and we wondered if you had heard her version of ‘Just Be Good To Me’?
M: No, I haven’t so when I get to the UK I expect you to have it to play it to me.

Ooh, we will! There was a band over here called Beats International who also covered it but with a white singer and changing the title to ‘Dub Be Good to Me.’ It reached Number One but ‘Just Be Good To Me’ only hit 13. There’s a lot of talk in the press at the moment of whitewashing black culture. Do you think this was another example?
M: To me anytime we do something that someone else takes it and redoes, it is a blessing, we must be doing something right. It’s flattering.
A: That’s the nature of everything. It can be unfortunate but it can still be good.
M: Well, look at what happened with Little Richard and Elvis Presley. They said Elvis Presley started Rock and Roll. They took Little Richard’s songs, redid them and they went to No. 1. They’ve been doing that forever. The reason they didn’t put our picture on the cover of our first single was because at the time radio stations would put singles by black artists in the trash.

Will it stop?
M: To me it’s ignorance on their parts. We are all people in the eye sight of God. We are all filthy rags in the eye sight of God. You put four kids of all nationalities in one room and they don’t see colour. But then as they get older they are brain washed to a certain extent. It’s utterly ridiculous.
A: It’s just a reality you have to address. Sometimes you make moves to be successful even though they counteract other causes you may have. It’s a constant battle. Not everything is right but it happens.

Is there new music coming?
A: Last year we recorded a single, ‘Just Get Ready’, which was supposed to be a buzz track but it really took off and did better than we ever could have hoped. But we are in the process of doing new music, yes, so stay tuned!

The Great Voices Of Soul
Friday 13th November – O2 Apollo, Manchester
Sunday 15th November – SSE Arena Wembley, London
Monday 16th November – O2 Academy, Birmingham

Tickets available now at:
www. AXS.com
www.Ticketmaster.co.uk
www.SeeTickets.com
www.Gigantic.com