S.O.S. is the debut album by the R&B

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

 group The SOS Band

The SOS Band

The SOS Band is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Originally known as Santa Monica, the 'SOS' initialism in the band's name stands for Sounds of Success.-History:...

, released on Tabu Records

Tabu Records

Tabu Productions was an American record label founded by Clarence Avant in 1975. The label focused on R&B and funk.-Founding:Avant founded the label after Sussex Records went out of business in June 1975. Tabu's flagship release, “Stormin'” by Brainstorm, was released in 1977...

 in 1980.

The albums spawned three singles, including their debut single "Take Your Time (Do It Right)

Take Your Time (Do It Right)

"Take Your Time " is the first single by the SOS Band. In the USA, it reached the number one spot in the Hot R&B Songs charts and number three on the pop charts during the summer of 1980. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of two million copies...

". The song was a crossover success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, #1 on the Hot Black Singles chart and the Hot Dance Club Play

Hot Dance Club Play

The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...

 chart. It also reached #51 on the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

.

Other singles released from the album included "S.O.S. (Dit Dit Dit Dash Dash Dash Dit Dit Dit)" (#20 R&B) and "What's Wrong with Our Love Affair?" (#87 R&B).

The album was reissued by The Right Stuff Records

The Right Stuff Records

The Right Stuff Records is a reissue record label owned by the EMI Group based out of Woodland Hills, California.The label primarily reissues classic soul and vintage R&B material through greatest hits collections, anthologies, boxed sets and compilations...

 in 2002.

Track listing

1. "S.O.S. (Dit Dit Dit Dash Dash Dash Dit Dit Dit)" 5:48 (The S.O.S. Band, Sigidi Abdullah)
2. "What's Wrong with Our Love Affair?" 4:55 (Jason Bryant)
3. "Open Letter" 4:32 (Abdullah, Rhongea Southern)
4. "Love Won't Wait for Love" 5:34 (Abdullah, Crystal McCrarey)
5. "Take Your Time (Do It Right)
   Take Your Time (Do It Right)
   "Take Your Time " is the first single by the SOS Band. In the USA, it reached the number one spot in the Hot R&B Songs charts and number three on the pop charts during the summer of 1980. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of two million copies...
   
   " 7:44 (Abdullah, Harold Clayton)
6. "I'm in Love" 3:40 (Robert R.E. Daniels)
7. "Take Love Where You Find It" 5:56 (Bruno Speight, John Alexander Simpson)
8. "S.O.S. (Reprise)" (1:51) (S.O.S. Band, Abdullah)

The S.O.S. Band

• Mary Davis: Vocals, Percussion
• Bruno Speight: Lead & Rhythm Guitar
• Jason Bryant: Keyboards, Vocals
• Willie Killibrew: Sax, Flute, Vocals
• John Alexander Simpson: Bass, Vocals
• James Earl Jones III: Drums, Vocals

Additional Personnel

• Freddi Rawls, Gertha Simms, Michele Morgan, Rosalind Sweeper: Additional Vocals
• David Li, Fred Wesley
  Fred Wesley
  Fred Wesley is an American jazz and funk trombonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
  
  , Jeff Clayton, Maceo Parker
  Maceo Parker
  Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
  
  , Nolan Smith, Ray Brown, Richard Griffith, Rick Gardner: Horns
• Billy Ellis: Keyboards, Sax, Vocals
• James Stroud
  James Stroud
  James Stroud is an American musician and record producer who works in pop, rock, and country music. In the 1990s he was the president of Giant Records and held several credits as a session drummer...
  
  : Drums on track 4
• Munyungo: Percussion
• Strings Arranged by Bill Henderson

Production

• Arranged By The S.O.S. Band, Fred Wesley & Sigidi Abdullah
• Produced By Sigidi Abdullah
• Engineered By Richard Wells & Ted Bush; assisted by Tommy Cooper, Tom Race, George Popper & Greg Webster
• Mixed By Dave Hassinger & Serge Reyes
• Mastered By Mike Reese