Today, 25 years ago in 1985, the album In The Dark by Roy Ayers debuted on the billboard Top R&B Albums Chart. It reached #50.
From The Original Promotion Pressing:
roy Ayers
"i've Always Tried To Maintain Some Kind Of Message In My Musichopefully Positive. And This Time I've Concentrated Heavily On Love And Togetherness With A Touch Of Humor And History," Says Keyboard And Vibraphone Virtuoso roy Ayersshedding Some Light On His Debut Columbia Albumin The Park.
Expanding On The Ground-breaking Tradition Of Past Hits Like "mystic Voyage,11 "everybody Loves The Sunshine," "don't Stop The Feeling," And "running Away," Ayers Blends The Finer Elements Of Popular concepts With The Best Of R&b And Jazz. The Results Are A Lushversatile Mix That's Distinctly His Own. In The Dark' Is More Instrumentally-oriented Than Most Of The Things I've Done Since 1976/' Notes Roywho Produced The Album Vith Super Bassist stanley Clarke. "i've Always Wanted To Work With Stanley But Never Had The Opportunity. So When It Presented Itself I Grabbed It.
William Allena Long Time Friend And Collaborator Of Ayers Gets Co-producer Credit For Three Tracks"sexy Sexy Sexy," "compadre" And The Haunting "gory Island," An African Port That Once Housed Slaves On Their Way To The West. "i Visited The Island And I Could Feel The Unbroken Spirits Of My Ancestors There. My Wife Argeriewho Wrote The Tunefelt The Same Way 1 Did," Says Ayerswho With grover Washington Jr. On Saxtom Brovrne Playing Trumpet And Paulinho Dacosta On Percussiongives The Vibraphone Solo Of His Life On The Song "the Piece Itself Was Very Inspiring," Says Roy. "the Fact Is I Decided That On This Album I Would Play More Vibes And On The Title Track I Even Do A Marimba Solo."
The Album's First Single Release"poo Poo La La," Which Is Simply A Euphemism For "i Love You," Features Roy At His Rapping And Vocal Bestplus The Seductive Voice Of Former side Effect Songstress miki Howard. Together They Give The Song A Magnetically Soulful Reading Saturated With Crossover Appeal. It promises To Be His First Cbs Hit.
The Road To Cbs Was Long But Often Fruitful For The Multi-talented Ayersthough He Insists That His New Label Association Indicates The Best Is Yet To Come.
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