Roy Ayers was born in Los Angeles. Thanks to his trombone playing father and piano teaching mother, he became immersed in music from day one and the story goes that he was given his first set of vibe mallets by his hero Lionel Hampton at the age of 5. Constantly performing and recording since the 1960s, he is one of the most famous jazz vibraphonists. He has produced some of the most loved modern soul-jazz records of all time such as, "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", most influential afro-jazz with musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (Africa - Centre Of The World) and the most seminal jazz-funk, such as "Running Away". And that's just the surface. 2004 saw the release of "Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981" which were 'lost' sessions tapes that he had discarded. Gilles Peterson described this as the equivalent of finding a lost Beatles album. No doubt this helped him win the Gilles Peterson 2004 Worldwide Lifetime Achievement Award. Roy Ayers is ageless and evergreen and as per the title of another one of hits, remember "We All Live In Brooklyn Baby".
Timeline
Ayers started recording as a bebop sideman in 1962 and rose to prominence when he dropped out of City College and joined jazz flutist Herbie Mann in 1966.
In the early 70's, Roy Ayers started his own band called Roy Ayers Ubiquity, a name he chose because ubiquity means a state of being everywhere at the same time.
Ayers was responsible for the highly regarded soundtrack to Jack Hill's 1973 blaxploitation film Coffy, which starred Pam Grier. He later moved from a jazz-funk sound to R&B, as seen on Mystic Voyage, which featured the songs "Evolution" and the underground disco hit "Brother Green (The Disco King)", as well as the title track from his 1976 album Everybody Loves the Sunshine.
In 1977, Ayers produced an album by the group RAMP, Come into Knowledge, commonly and mistakenly thought to stand for "Roy Ayers Music Project". That fall, he had his biggest hit with "Running Away".
In late 1979, Ayers scored his only top ten single on Billboard's Hot Disco/Dance chart with "Don't Stop The Feeling," which was also the leadoff single from his 1980 album "No Stranger to Love", whose title track was sampled in Jill Scott's 2001 song "Watching Me" from her debut album Who Is Jill Scott?
In the late 70's, Ayers toured in Nigeria for six weeks with Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, one of the Africa's most recognizable musicians. In 1980, Phonodisk released Music of Many Colors in Nigeria, featuring one side lead by Ayers' group and the other lead by Africa '70.
In 1981, Ayers produced an album with the singer Sylvia Striplin, Give Me Your Love (Uno Melodic Records, 1981). He has also worked in collaborations with soul songstress Erykah Badu.
Ayers performed a solo on John "Jellybean" Benitez's production of Whitney Houston's "Love Will Save The Day" from her second multi-platinum studio album Whitney. The single was released in July 1988 by Arista Records.
Ayers has played his live act for millions of people across the globe, including Japan, Australia, England and other parts of Europe.
Ayers is known for helping to popularize feel good music in the 70's, stating that "I like that happy feeling all of the time, so that ingredient is still there. I try to generate that because it's the natural way I am". The types of music that he used to do this consisted of funk, salsa, jazz, rock, soul and rap.
1990s to present
In 1992, Ayers released two albums, Drive and Wake Up, for the hip-hop label Ichiban Records.
In 1992, Ayers collaborated with Rick James for an album and is quoted to have been a very close friend of his.
In 1993, Ayers appeared on the record Guru's Jazzmatazz Vol.1 featuring on the vibraphone in the song "Take a Look (At Yourself)".
In 1994, Ayers appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African-American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.
During the 2000s and 2010s, Ayers ventured into house music, collaborating with such stalwarts of the genre as Masters at Work and Kerri Chandler.
Ayers started two record labels, Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records. The first released several LPs, including Sylvia Striplin's, while the second folded after a few singles.
In 2004, Ayers put out a collection of unreleased recordings called Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased recordings 1976β1981 which allowed fans to hear cuts that didn't make it onto the classic Polydor albums from his more popular years.
Roy Ayers hosts the fictitious radio station "Fusion FM" in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008).
In 2015, he appeared on Tyler, The Creator's new album Cherry Bomb on the track "Find Your Wings".
A documentary the Roy Ayers Project featuring Ayers and a number hip hop producers who have sampled his music and other people who have been influenced by him and his music has been in development for a number of years.
Pharrell Williams cites Roy Ayers as one of his key musical heroes.
Ayers is a recipient of the Congress of Racial Equality Lifetime Achievement Award.
http://www.royayers.com
http://www.bassics.de/ayers.html
http://www.discomuseum.com/RoyAyers.html
Love
Roy Ayers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody loves the sunshine
Sunshine, everybody loves the sunshine
Sunshine, folks get down in the sunshine
Sunshine, folks get 'round in the sunshine
Just bees and things and flowers
Everybody loves the sunshine
Sunshine, everybody loves the sunshine
Sunshine, folks get down in the sunshine
Sunshine, folks get 'round in the sunshine
Feel, what I feel, when I feel, what I feel
When I'm feelin', in the sunshine
Feel, what I feel, when I feel, what I feel
When I'm feelin', in the sunshine
Do what I do, when I do, what I do
When I'm doin', in the sunshine
Do what I do, when I do, what I do
When I'm doin', in the sunshine
Sunshine, everybody loves the sunshine
The opening line "My life, my life, my life, my life in the sunshine" sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is a joyful celebration of life and the beauty and warmth of the sun. The repetition of these words reinforces the idea that the singer's life is truly complete when they are basking in the sunshine. This underscores the importance of the sun and its role in human wellbeing, as demonstrated by how the warmth and brightness of it can elevate people's mood and inspire them to enjoy themselves.
The chorus "Everybody loves the sunshine" affirms that the singer is not alone in their love for the sun. The word "everybody" suggests the universality of this sentiment, and the implication is that the sunshine is a unifying force that brings people together. This idea is further supported by the lines "Sunshine, folks get down in the sunshine / Sunshine, folks get 'round in the sunshine", which suggest that the sunshine has the power to break down barriers and encourage people to let loose and have a good time.
The reference to "bees and things and flowers" is a nod to the natural world that thrives in the sunshine. This adds an element of nostalgia and a feeling of oneness with nature to the song, emphasising the idea that humans are not separate from their environment but rather integral parts of it. The lines "Feel, what I feel, when I feel, what I feel / When I'm feelin', in the sunshine" and "Do what I do, when I do, what I do / When I'm doin', in the sunshine" encourage listeners to take a cue from the singer and fully embrace the sunshine, allowing themselves to be uplifted by it and to act on their impulses in a carefree way.
Line by Line Meaning
My life, my life, my life, my life in the sunshine
I am talking about my life experiences in the brightness of the sun
Everybody loves the sunshine
The sun is something that is loved by everyone
Sunshine, everybody loves the sunshine
I am repeating that the sun is loved by all
Sunshine, folks get down in the sunshine
People enjoy themselves and dance under the sun's rays
Sunshine, folks get 'round in the sunshine
People gather around and socialize under the sun
Just bees and things and flowers
Natural elements such as bees, plants, and flowers thrive under the sun
My life, my life, my life, my life in the sunshine
I continue to describe my life under the sun
Everybody loves the sunshine
Reiterating that the sun is beloved by all
Sunshine, everybody loves the sunshine
The sun's appeal is reiterated again
Sunshine, folks get down in the sunshine
People have a good time and let loose under the sun
Sunshine, folks get 'round in the sunshine
People come together to socialize and interact in the sun's light
Feel, what I feel, when I feel, what I feel
I describe the emotions that arise when soaking up the sun's rays
When I'm feelin', in the sunshine
These emotions are felt specifically when in the presence of the sun
Feel, what I feel, when I feel, what I feel
I reiterate that my feelings are influenced by the sun
When I'm feelin', in the sunshine
The sun is the catalyst for these feelings
Do what I do, when I do, what I do
I describe my actions when in the sun's light
When I'm doin', in the sunshine
These actions occur specifically when under the sun's rays
Do what I do, when I do, what I do
I repeat my description of my actions under the sun
When I'm doin', in the sunshine
The sun is the inspiration for these actions
Sunshine, everybody loves the sunshine
Closing out the song with the repeated message that the sun is beloved by all
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: Roy Ayers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnblack9921
God has blessed Mr. Roy Ayers with longevity. Truly a jazz r&b legend. Sound tracks the whole nine yards
@seyiajala3892
Word to mother π₯
@chiefxx8259
God ! Will bring us back together.πΌβοΈπ
@MykeFord950
*in the words of Don Cornelius *
This was a STONE GROOVE!!! π₯
@EDDSMITTY1
This man is one of the all-time greats! I'm so glad that he is still out there doing his thing. If you haven't seen him perform in concert; you NEED to!
@sciocezze68
β€οΈ
@lambertnicolas9796
Eu la chance de le rencontrer aprΓ¨s son deuxiΓ¨me concert de la soirΓ©e Γ paris plus intime « au triptyqueΒ Β» un homme bon en plus dβlβun des plus grands β¦ amicalement funk
@xzysyndrome
47 years on this earth..and I just heard this song. Oh Happy Day. Music never ceases to amaze me.
@mrmaxxx94
Roy ayers musically is a incredible rhythmatic brother, Jazz, funk and smooth,harmony and cold arrangements and grooves,respect
@harmony3395
Wow canβt believe I found this song - 40 years later, still as good