The Philadelphia born Beverly started the group as Raw Soul in 1970. They recorded a couple of singles on the small Gregar label, but without any major hits. But with a few personnel changes, a relocation from Philadelphia to the San Francisco Bay Area in California in 1971, and an introduction to Marvin Gaye, the group became an immediate success. Gaye took the group on the road with him as one of his opening acts, and in 1976 he suggested that they changed their name from Raw Soul to Maze.
Maze signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1976, and released their debut album, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, in 1977. From that album, the hit singles included "Happy Feelin's," "While I'm Alone," and "Lady of Magic"; ultimately giving them their first gold record and earning Maze a devoted fan base. They also had success with the following albums Golden Time of Day (1978), Inspiration (1979) and Joy and Pain (1980).
Their next recording was Live in New Orleans, three quarters of which was recorded at the Saenger Theatre, on November 14–15, 1980. Three of those songs got into the U.S. R&B chart, including "Running Away," "Before I Let Go," and "We Need Love To Live." By that time, the band had both a reputation in America also enjoyed a following in the United Kingdom with promotional support from the British DJ Robbie Vincent. In May 1985, Maze sold out eight nights at the Hammersmith Odeon.
In 1989, they signed with Warner Bros. and released the hit album Silky Soul, plus Back to Basics in 1993, and released the live DVD recording at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1994. The two albums also attained gold disc status.
The group released Can't Stop the Love in March 1985, which featured the group's first number one R&B hit "Back In Stride." The Top 5 follow-up, "Too Many Games," was part of that recording. They had another number one R&B success with "Can't Get Over You."
In October 2004, "Twilight" appeared in the video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on funk radio station, Bounce FM.
Maze continues to tour around the United States as well as Europe to this day. Every year they are the also the closing act for the Essence Music Festival.
Color Blind
Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You better believe black is alright too
So is blue and green and yellow
What difference should it make to you
These ties we got on us just ain't to hip
I know you got your thing and I've got mine
We've been judging people by colors
What I want to know is
What color have you colored peace
What color is harmony
What color have you colored peace
What color is harmony
There's a saying you can't judge a book by it's cover
What are we doing but just that
We've been judging people by color
Love ain't got no color that's a fact
What color have you colored peace
What color is harmony
What color have you colored peace
What color is harmony
The lyrics of Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly's song Color Blind advocate for color blindness and equality in a society that has been historically divided based on the color of one's skin. The opening verse challenges the idea that white is inherently better than other colors, and suggests that there should be no difference in how we treat people based on their skin color. The follow-up verse emphasizes that the ties that bind us are outdated and holds us back from embracing diversity. The song asserts that love and peace have no color and that all people should be treated equally, regardless of their skin color.
The lyrics tackle the issue of racial discrimination head-on and suggest that color-blindness is the solution to the problem. The song questions the color of peace and harmony, and indicates that they cannot be defined or determined by skin color. The final verse concludes with a warning against judging people based on their appearance and reminds us that it's what's inside that counts. Through its powerful lyrics, the song urges us to break free from the shackles of racism and embrace diversity and equality in all aspects of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I've often heard that white is right
I've heard people say that white people are superior
You better believe black is alright too
But you should know that black people are also equal
So is blue and green and yellow
And so are people of all different colors, just like the colors of the rainbow
What difference should it make to you
Why should someone's skin color matter to you?
These ties we got on us just ain't to hip
These prejudices we hold onto are outdated and uncool
I know you got your thing and I've got mine
I understand that everyone has their own perspective and experiences
We've been judging people by colors
But we've been unfairly judging others based on their skin color
Maybe we should all be color blind
Perhaps we should strive to not see skin color as significant at all
What I want to know is
What I'm curious about is
What color have you colored peace
What does peace and unity look like to you?
What color is harmony
What does a harmonious society look like to you?
There's a saying you can't judge a book by it's cover
As the saying goes, you can't make accurate assumptions about someone based solely on appearance
What are we doing but just that
But that's exactly what we're doing when we judge people based on skin color
Love ain't got no color that's a fact
Love between people does not have a color, it is universally felt
What color have you colored peace
What does peace and unity look like to you?
What color is harmony
What does a harmonious society look like to you?
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Glenda Ann Womack
on The Look In Your Eyes
I love Frankie Beverly has music i can relate to over and over again
Glenda Ann Womack
on The Morning After
Love this old school music