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 1976–1981 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
Pretty Brown Skin
Roy Ayers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Red and pink ones in the air
Looking back then I remember
Your sweet childhood in December
Pretty Brown Skin I've been wrong
Pretty Brown Skin much too long
Pretty Brown Skin please believe me
Yellow ribbons in your hair
Red and pink ones in the air
Looking back then I remember
Your sweet childhood in December
Pretty Brown Skin I'll be true
Pretty Brown Skin true to you
Pretty Brown Skin I'm so blue
Pretty Brown Skin I love you
Yellow ribbons in your hair
Red and pink ones in the air
Looking back then I remember
Your sweet childhood in December
Pretty Brown Skin I've been wrong
Pretty Brown Skin much too long
Pretty Brown Skin please believe me
Pretty Brown Skin please dont leave me
Pretty Brown Skin now you know
You are loved and I know
Your best is covered by your skin
Beauty's not out, it's within
Pretty Brown Skin I'll be true
Pretty Brown Skin true to you
Pretty Brown Skin I'm so blue
Pretty Brown Skin I love you
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
Pretty Brown Skin
I love it
The song "Pretty Brown Skin" by Roy Ayers is a romantic ballad that speaks about a man's love for a woman with brown skin. The lyrics begin by describing the woman's hair, decorated with yellow ribbons, and the air filled with red and pink ribbons. These colors, along with the mention of December, create a festive and joyful ambiance. The singer then acknowledges that he has been wrong about the woman and has taken her for granted for too long. He pleads with her to believe that his love is genuine and begs her not to leave him.
The chorus continues with a repetition of the first lyrics, emphasizing the woman's beauty and the man's love for her. However, the second verse expresses the message more poignantly by stating that the woman is loved, and she shouldn't let her skin color limit her self-worth. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, with the singer expressing his undying love for the woman, even if society judges her.
In summary, "Pretty Brown Skin" by Roy Ayers is a heartfelt message to a woman who has been underestimated due to her skin color. The singer is in love with her and is willing to prove his devotion despite the world's prejudices. The message of inner beauty and self-love is a lasting one that transcends time and boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Yellow ribbons in your hair
The singer is describing a memory of the listener with yellow ribbons in their hair.
Red and pink ones in the air
Additionally, there were red and pink ribbons in the air, giving context to the memory.
Looking back then I remember
The singer is reflecting on this childhood memory.
Your sweet childhood in December
The memory took place in December during the listener's childhood, and it is remembered fondly.
Pretty Brown Skin I've been wrong
The artist acknowledges that they have mistreated the listener in the past.
Pretty Brown Skin much too long
They recognize that the mistreatment has gone on for too long.
Pretty Brown Skin please believe me
The singer is begging the listener to trust them now.
Pretty Brown Skin please dont leave me
They are worried that the listener may leave them because of their past mistakes.
Pretty Brown Skin I'll be true
The artist promises to be faithful going forward.
Pretty Brown Skin true to you
They specify that their loyalty will be directed solely towards the listener.
Pretty Brown Skin I'm so blue
The singer is feeling sad and down about their past mistakes.
Pretty Brown Skin I love you
Despite everything, the artist still loves and cares for the listener deeply.
Pretty Brown Skin now you know
The singer believes that they have made their intentions clear to the listener.
You are loved and I know
The singer wants the listener to know that they are loved, even if they may doubt it.
Your best is covered by your skin
The singer acknowledges the listener's beauty, which is perhaps hidden or overlooked because of their skin color.
Beauty's not out, it's within
They emphasize that beauty is not external; rather, it comes from within the person.
Pretty Brown Skin
The artist repeats the listener's skin color as a symbol of their love and appreciation.
I love it
The singer concludes the song by reiterating their love for the listener and their skin color.
Writer(s): Edwin Birdsong, Roy Ayers
Contributed by Scarlett J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tracey Lin Miller
on Swirl
This is not Swirl, Swirl is on the Roy Ayers' Naste' LP