"Just Be Good to Me" by The S.O.S. Band

     What’s goin’ on party people? You picked a great time to check out the Dial, as today we bring you a classic 80’s post-disco funk track that has gotten feet moving on the dance floor for well over 30 years now. Prepare yourself for “Just Be Good to Me” by The S.O.S. Band!

“Friends tell me I am crazy… and I’m wasting time with you. You’ll never be mine.”

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977, The S.O.S. Band (short for “Sounds of Success”) are primarily remembered by pop radio audiences for their US #3, US #1 R&B hit from 1980, “Take Your Time (Do It Right) (Part 1)”. As this was their only top 40 entry, the group is indeed a one hit wonder on the pop chart. Though it is worth noting that they charted eleven top 20 hits on the R&B singles chart before disbanding in 1991.

“Just Be Good…” was released as a single from the band’s 1983 “On the Rise” LP, at a time when the act consisted of eight members, including Mary Davis on lead vocals, Jason Bryant on keyboards, Billy Ellis and Sonny Killebrew on saxophones, guitar work courtesy of Bruno Speight, bass slappin’ by John A. Simpson III, drums and percussion by Jerome "J.T." Thomas, and additional percussion and instrumentation (like the flugelhorn!) by Abdul Ra'oof.

A woman’s declaration that she will remain devoted to her lover despite her friends’ warnings, so long as he treats her well, “Just Be Good…” was an R&B chart smash, stopping one position short of the top at #2, but despite this success, the post-disco funk track stalled at US #55 pop, nearly reaching the halfway mark of the hot 100. Our friends across the pond however, embraced the song more warmly than pop radio did in the states, causing the tune to reach UK #13 on their singles charts.

“Friends are always tellin’ me… you’re a user.”

Written and produced by the legendary team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who brought us tons of great hits like “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” (Cherrelle, and later, Robert Palmer), “Tender Love” by The Force M.D.’s, “Human” by the Human League, “Diamonds” by Herb Alpert, most of Janet Jackson’s hits from her entire career, and multiple hits by Alexander O’Neal, New Edition, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Karyn White… the list goes on and on. Seriously, just look up the list of songs these guys have had a hand in creating. It’s staggering.

The S.O.S. Band’s classic has resurfaced on the charts in various forms over the years, including a 1990 cover version by Beats International retitled as “Dub Be Good To Me”, (though the actual words remain unchanged in the song itself), and a 1996 remake by Deborah Cox under the original title. The lyrics were also interpolated by Destiny’s Child in their collaboration with rapper Silkk the Shocker for 1998’s “Just Be Straight with Me”, and the lyrical melody was quoted by Usher in his 2014 single “She Came to Give It to You”.

I find it interesting that none of these versions, (not even the excellent original!) cracked the top 40. I wonder if a modern act would be able to take a cover of this tasty track into the top 10 where it rightfully belongs, but knowing my luck, (and the current musical landscape), it would probably end up being recorded by somebody with questionable talent like Flo Rida, Ed Sheeran, or Nicki Minaj. Blecch.

“Friends always seem to listen… to the bad things that you do… you never do them to me…”

Unlike most songs I’ve featured on the Dial, which are favorites that have resided in my personal CD and vinyl collection for years, “Just Be Good…” was actually rediscovered by me just this past September, when I was listening to a ‘80s R&B playlist online. I didn’t recognize it the title at first, but those opening a cappella notes really grabbed my attention! Then the Roland drum machine kicked in, closely followed by the otherworldly bass, distorted guitar, and groovy synths, and I instantly flashbacked to 1983, and couldn’t believe I had gone at least 30 years since hearing this exceptional slice of ‘80s post-disco funk!

Memories of hearing this all over the radio in ’83 were fresh in my mind once more, and back then, I assumed the tune was a top 10 smash, but this was only because of the “Washington DC effect”. That was the phenomenon in which sizable R&B chart hits crossed over rather frequently to our Maryland based top 40 stations. As I grew up about an hour south of DC, (Charles County representing!) I heard a lot of R&B, soul, and early hip hop tracks that didn’t chart highly nationwide, but sure played to enthusiastic audiences in DC, and the nearby Virginia and Maryland suburbs.

Okay, I’m done rambling now. Check out the tune below, and leave me a comment if you remember dancing, roller skating, or just grooving out to this tasty soul jam. And keep it tuned to Kyle’s Radio Dial, because the more you listen… the MORE you remember!

“People always talkin’ ‘bout… your reputation… I don’t care about your other girls… Just be good to me.”

 

 

 

 

 



"3 Strange Days" by School of Fish

   Hey everybody! The Dial has pulled another faint signal out of space and time, in order to transmit to this very blog, and thus, your speakers. Settle in for School of Fish, and their tale of “Three Strange Days”!

I have to begin by giving a shout out to my friend Heath, a loyal Radio Dial follower, and a co-worker of mine from the days in which I worked at the Waves Music record store in St. Charles Towne Center mall over 20 years ago! (Great memories of the 90s!)

He reminded me of the current spotlighted tune, which I hadn’t heard in years. Once I pulled it up online, I knew I he had directed me to a perfect Radio Dial entry. Thanks for checking in, Heath! Now, on with the spotlight!

“For three strange days, I had no obligations… My mind was a blur, I did not know what to do...”

Taken from the band’s 1991 debut self-titled LP, “Three…” peaked at #6 on the US modern rock chart, and #12 at US mainstream rock. I was quite impressed by this tune back then, and waited for it to scale the hot 100, but it never did. I really think it was shortsighted of Capitol Records (their label at the time) NOT to promote “Three…” to pop/top 40 outlets. Okay, so it probably wouldn’t have reached the top 10, in an era in which artists like Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men, Color Me Badd, and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch dominated the hot 100, but I think it at least would have reached the top 30.

Searching online about the meaning behind the song, I found a variety of interpretations, with the majority leaning toward a drug trip, primarily LSD. But other credible expositions include that the song is about losing a job, and the resultant three days of deep depression, or that it details the mental after effects of an emotional traumatic experience, as with the collapse of a romance. There’s also multiple discussions about the meaning behind the line... “Johnny Clueless with his simulated woodgrain” that really delves into some deep metaphysical stuff. I’ll let you choose whether to explore those topics any further. I simply tend to think it’s about a drug trip, nothing more, nothing less.

Of additional note is the single’s B-side, an appropriately alt-rocked rendition of Prince’s 1982 classic “Let’s Pretend We’re Married”, in which the original tune’s particularly risqué lyric regarding “Marsha” was left intact, but is largely buried in the mix near the end of the tune.

School of Fish managed to avoid the one-hit wonder label with 1993’s “Take Me Anywhere” from the Human Cannonball LP (their second album), which peaked at #5 on the US Modern rock chart, but just like its predecessor, did not crack the hot 100.

“I think I lost myself, when I lost my motivation… Now I’m walking ‘round the city, just waiting to come to…”

Tragically, lead singer, songwriter and founding member Josh Clayton-Felt succumbed to cancer at the age of 32 on January 19, 2000. Following his two School of Fish LPs, he released two solo LPs, and two posthumous albums, one of which was a tribute LP containing unreleased material from Josh and songs written for him by various friends within the music industry.

Guitarist and co-founding member Michael Ward joined the Wallflowers in 1995 and contributed to their debut hit LP Bringing Down the Horse, and its various hit singles, “6^th Avenue Heartache” (US #33), “One Headlight” (US #2), and “The Difference” (US #23). He also appeared on the band’s cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes”, a US #26 hit from the soundtrack of the 1998 Godzilla movie.

The other members of SOF, Dominic Nardini (on bass, and tambourine) appears to have retired from the music scene following the dissolution of the group, but drummer Michael “M.P.” Petrak later joined punk act Samiam, and appeared on their recordings from 1995 through 1999.

The School of Fish self-titled LP was released on April 1, 1991 (no joke!), several months ahead of the album that would drastically shift the direction of rock music, Nirvana’s legendary “Nevermind”, which dropped on Sep 24 of the same year. Once Kurt, Krist, and Dave’s masterpiece was released (accompanied by Soundgarden’s “BadMotorFinger”, and Pearl Jam’s “Ten”, which were released right around that same time as well), then all eyes and ears were on grunge and alternative rock. I believe that School of Fish, while not exactly grunge, certainly would have benefitted from the increased attention on alt rock had their album come out later in the year, during this groundswell of interest in the genre. Maybe more singles would have been released, or perhaps “Three…” would have been their big break into the mainstream. We can only wonder. One thing that is certain, these guys deserved to be bigger.

So check out the tune and video below, and drift back to a simpler time in music that is unbelievably nearly a full three decades past. And if any of my other Dial followers would like to suggest a song, by all means please do so! You may just enlighten me to a song I had forgotten about!

“It was completely still, except the pounding of my heart… bringing me back to life, from three strange days… Three strange… Three strange days.”