“The Old One, Two" is a cover of a Roy Ayers track (written by Ayers, William Allen and Edwin Birdsong and originally released on the Roy Ayers album A Tear To A Smile). The RAMP version is punchier than the Roy Ayers release. Powered by a nasty bass line the tune transcends music eras sounding just as contemporary as it did in 1977 and is destined to be a DJ favorite. On the flipside is the boogie tune “Paint Me Any Color", also written and produced by Roy Ayers but never recorded by anyone else. These Roy Ayers productions foreshadowed his classic releases to come on the Uno Melodic label from acts like The Eighties Ladies and Ethel Beatty.
For a long time RAMP were one of modern soul music's biggest mysteries. What did RAMP mean? (FYI - Roy Ayers Master Production is the answer), How come their album is so damn hard to find? Why no second album? What was the relationship with Roy Ayers? Heavily sampled (most notably on A Tribe Called Quest's “Bonita Applebum") and much adored for their sublime version of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine," RAMP maintained a musical presence despite a lack of music and info. Ubiquity will spill the beans for all online, close to the release date.
Finally RAMP fans are enjoying a long overdue year of revival. The 1977 RAMP album Come Into Knowledge was recently re-issued in Japan, Wax Poetics magazine have an awesome 5-page piece on the band in their current issue and by way of inclusion on the forthcoming Gilles Peterson Digs America II.
Due to renewed RAMP fever the re-united band have scored new shows including an appearance at Central Park SummerStage, New York City w/DJ Spinna.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
