RAMP -

RAMP was an American soul-funk band from Cincinnati that released the album Come Into Knowledge on ABC Blue Thumb in 1977. Their name was an acronym for Roy Ayers Music Productions.

Members: John Manuel (drums), Landy Shores (guitar), Nate White (bass), Sharon Matthews (vocals), Sibel Thrasher (vocals), Kia Bennett (vocals), Desiree Jordan (vocals)

Background

RAMP formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a soul-jazz outfit in 1975.

Vocalists Sharon Matthews and Sibel Thrasher, guitarist Landy Shores, bassist Nate White, and drummer/percussionist John Manuel met through local R&B circuits. Matthews and Thrasher sang backup in Cincinnati clubs; Shores and Manuel, former Spinners utility players, honed guitar and drum chops with the local act Saturday Night Special; White played bass in regional funk bands.

The band played reimagined R&B covers in 1975-76 Cincinnati sets before recording in New York and Los Angeles. Roy Ayers caught a Saturday Night Special gig, renamed the group RAMP (Roy Ayers Music Productions), and produced their album for ABC Blue Thumb.

Come Into Knowledge

RAMP released their sole studio album, Come Into Knowledge, in 1977 on ABC Blue Thumb.

The album blends soul drifts with funk edges through Matthews and Thrasher’s vocal weaves, Shores’ guitar scratches, and White’s bass pulses, anchored by Manuel’s drum swings. Studio players include bassist Carol Kaye, drummer Paul Stallworth, percussionist Greg Thomas, and trumpeter Steve Madaio.

Roy Ayers wrote four songs, co-wrote two with Edwin Birdsong, and one with Philip Woo and William Allen; Birdsong wrote two. They cover Ayers (“Everybody Loves The Sunshine”).

Tracks alternate between buoyant funk jolts and silken soul flows. “The American Promise” ignites with nerved-up guitar riffs and vocal assertions over a relentless funk pace. “Give It” tumbles in off-center swings, vocals urging flight amid horn recoils. “Daylight” glides on contoured melodies, bass and percussion layering a radiant lift sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for “Bonita Applebum.” “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” reworks Ayers’ original with a Sunday stroll lilt, vocals floating over soft keyboard beds. “Deep Velvet” sways in mellow arcs, guitar and bass tracing subtle curves.

A1. “The American Promise” (6:30)
A2. “I Just Love You” (4:55)
A3. “Give It” (4:40)
A4. “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (3:42)

B1. “Come Into Knowledge” (4:37)
B2. “Try, Try, Try” (4:55)
B3. “Daylight” (4:12)
B4. “Look Into The Sky” (4:42)
B5. “Deep Velvet” (3:33)

Sessions occurred at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and Record Plant in Hollywood with producer Roy Ayers, co-producers Edwin Birdsong and William Allen, and engineers James Green, Jerry Soloman, and Ron Johnson.

Come Into Knowledge features cover illustration by Masaki Sato with art direction by Kats Abe.

ABC Blue Thumb issued “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (b/w “The American Promise,” catalog number BT-6028) as a 1977 single.

Postlude

They split post-release due to label shakeups but reformed in 2006 with vocalists Kia Bennett and Desiree Jordan for tours, including a 2007 Central Park SummerStage show with pianist Will Rast.

As of January 2024, original vinyl copies of Come Into Knowledge sell for a median price of $300 on Discogs. P-Vine Records reissued the album on CD in Japan in 2007, followed by Verve Records in Europe and the United States. Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Common, PM Dawn, Tyler The Creator, and A Tribe Called Quest sampled tracks, cementing its rare-groove status.

Discography: