On the Rise

On the Rise
Studio album by
The S.O.S. Band
ReleasedJuly 1, 1983
Recorded1982–1983
Master Sound Studio
(Atlanta, Georgia)
Larrabee Sound
(Los Angeles, California)
Sound Masters
(Los Angeles, California)
Genres
Length42:24
LabelTabu
Producers
The S.O.S. Band chronology
III
(1982)		 On the Rise
(1983)		 Just the Way You Like It
(1984)
Singles from On the Rise
  1. "Just Be Good to Me"
    Released: 1983
  2. "Tell Me If You Still Care"
    Released: 1983
  3. "For Your Love"
    Released: 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar
The Boston Globe(favourable)
Record CollectorStarStarStarStar

On the Rise is the fourth album by the R&B band the S.O.S. Band, released by Tabu Records on July 1, 1983.

Critical reception

Marcia Smith of the Boston Globe claimed, "Smooth production, dynamic vocals and strong dance rhythms characterize this album...All in all, good danceable rhythm blues."

Amy Hanson of Allmusic with praise wrote, "Hip, slick, and full of dance tricks, the band infused On the Rise with enough '80s synth sounds to break through in the clubs, while keeping their funk roots intact. Energized throughout, the set hardly slows down for a moment...On the Rise is the sound of a band finding their feet again -- and knowing what to do with them once they'd found them."

History

The album peaked at No. 7 on the R&B albums chart. It also reached #47 on the Billboard 200. The album yielded two Billboard R&B Top Ten singles, "Just Be Good to Me" and "Tell Me If You Still Care", each peaking at No. 2 and No. 5. Both singles also charted on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 55 and No. 65. "Just Be Good to Me" also peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart and No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single, "For Your Love", also charted on the R&B chart, reaching No. 34. The album also includes a cover of Johnnie Taylor's 1968 hit song, "Who's Making Love".

On the Rise was produced by Gene Dozier, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.The album was digitally remastered and reissued on CD with bonus tracks in 2013 by Demon Music Group.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Terry Lewis and James Harris III, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Tell Me If You Still Care"6:58
2."Just Be Good to Me"9:03
3."For Your Love"6:09
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."I'm Not Runnin'"Travis Biggs, Mary Davis, Connie Scotto4:37
5."If You Want My Love"Jerome Thomas, John A. Simpson III4:20
6."On the Rise"John A. Simpson III3:30
7."Who's Making Love"Homer Banks, Don Davis, Raymond Jackson, Bettye Crutcher4:16
8."Steppin' the Stones"Gene Dozier, Crystal McCarey3:23
2013 remastered bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."For Your Love" (Extended Version) 9:29
10."If You Want My Love" (Extended Version)Jerome Thomas, John A. Simpson III4:57
11."Just Be Good to Me" (Special Version) 8:50
12."Just Be Good to Me" (Vocal Remix) 7:41

Personnel

The S.O.S. Band

Production

Charts

Chart (1983) Peak
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape 47
U.S. Billboard Top Black Albums 7
Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions
US
 US
R&B
 US
Dan
 UK
1983 "Just Be Good to Me" 55 2 3 13
"Tell Me If You Still Care" 65 5 — 81
1984 "For Your Love" — 34 26 —

References

  1. 1 2 Hanson, Amy. On the Rise > review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Marcia (February 9, 1984). "The S.O.S Band: On The Rise". newspapers.com. Boston Globe. p. 84.
  3. ↑ Waring, Charles. "SOS BAND - SOS BAND ON THE RISE: EXPANDED EDITION". recordcollectormag.com. Record Collector.
  4. 1 2 Earth, Wind & Fire (1983). On the Rise (album). Tabu Records.
  5. ↑ "US Albums Charts > The S.O.S. Band". Allmusic. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "US Singles Charts > The S.O.S. Band". Allmusic. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  7. ↑ "UK Charts > The S.O.S. Band". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2012.