Ramp - The Old One Two / Paint Me Any Color

Both produced by vibes-master Roy Ayers post-release of their 1977 classic 'Come Into Knowledge' album. These are not new recordings, these are vintage RAMP. Two tracks previously unheard but rescued recently from a demo the band recorded on cassette. Newly mastered, eq'd and now ready to rumble. "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? But 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.