Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Everybody Loves the Sunshine
Mr Roy Ayers
Listen/Download – Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Everybody Loves the Sunshine
Greetings all.
I come to you following a long, busy weekend that included the beginning of a massive, long awaited 45RPM reorganization.
The project started with 10 new, much sturdier record boxes than I had been using, since my 45s are a serious investment and deserve to be treated well so that they remain in decent condition. It was almost immediately apparent that 10 boxes were not nearly enough to do the trick, but they did provide a solid start, allowing me to get my DJing genres sorted and boxed.
In the process I unearthed a grip of excellent stuff that I’d been neglecting for a long time, which I set aside to be recorded for presentation on the blog and on the Funky16Corners Radio Show.
Speaking of the radio show, this Friday’s episode will be special, all Philly funk 45 excursion that I think you’ll dig. Next Friday – Christmas Eve – will see the arrival of the first Christmas edition of the radio show, featuring some old faves as well as some groovy new stuff.
I’ll also be featuring some Christmas 45s on the blog next week, so stay tuned for that.
Today we’re going to engage in a little bit of creative visualization.
As I sit here writing this, I can hear the wind howling outside and sheets of rain lashing the windows. We’re coming off a sever cold snap, and according to the news this morning, on our way into another one. Our friends in the UK are just getting over terrible winter storms, and folks in the Midwest are in the process of getting dumped on in their first blizzard of the season.
Whether or not we have crossed the official seasonal dividing line, winter is most definitely upon us.
What we’re going to do is work a little Roy Ayers Ubiquity into the mix.
I came to Ayers R&B/jazz funk period fairly late in the game.
I was a big fan of his work as a straight jazz artist. One of my earliest jazz LP finds many years ago was a copy of a superb album that Ayers recorded backing pianist Jack Wilson. That, and his work in the 60s as vibraphonist* in Herbie Mann’s band, then his early solo work for Atlantic were always in heavy rotation here at the Funky16Corners crib.
Later on, as I started to explore the world of samples, breaks and beats, the Roy Ayers Ubiquity started to pop up everywhere.
Following his stint with Mann, Ayers formed Ubiquity in 1970 and spent the next decade moving from jazz funk, into R&B and disco. The band didn’t have much in the way of chart success (aside from an R&B Top 20 hit with ‘Running Away’ in 1977), but the music they made would create a wellspring for hip hop producers.
Today’s selection, ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’ has itself been sampled more than a dozen times.
But we’re not here today to talk about deconstruction.
We’re here to introduce a little warmth into your life.
Pull down the ones and zeros, and let the sound of summer wash over you.
‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’ is about digging your feet into the hot sand at the beach, or watching the waves of heat rise off of a tar roof in the city. It’s about – as they say in the song – bees and things and flowers – and watching condensation roll down the outside of a cold glass.
It’s a deceptively simple, but extremely powerful song that forces you to stop what you’re doing, slow down and step inside of the vibe.
So slap on the headphones (or lay down between the speakers), close your eyes and feel the music.
Everybody does love the sunshine, and if mother nature is being stingy, you can always use the power of the mind (and Roy Ayers) to bring it back for a few minutes.
See you on Wednesday.
Peace
Larry
*Oddly enough Ayers doesn’t play the vibes on this track, sticking with keyboards
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Themocracy
Hey Larry,
This is one of my all-time favourite tracks!
Was lucky enough to meet Mr Ayers a couple of years back, after a gig here in Glasgow. Exchanged only a couple of words, but he was the epitome of cool!
A genuine legend!
Nice one.
We’re just bracing ourselves for more snow over here!
Stu, Glasgow, Scotland
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As allways great music!!!
Greetings from Barcelona
Larry, I’ve known of Roy Ayers for years but only heard this song in the last year or so – your description certainly does it justice. Just a sublime piece of soul that sticks with ya. Keep up the great work!
what happened to the listen link?????