Thank You Say Yes #Marshians for you :)

Say Yes

A Touch of Jazz B Room Summer of 2000:

It was late.  Everyone had left the studio except for myself and Andre Harris.  He was tired, I was coming down with a cold.  Still, the two of us stayed in the B room. He played some chords.  I said 'loop those four chords and play it real slow.'  He did so.  I began to write...

"
There is only one for me
you have made that a possibility
we could take that step to see
if this is really gonna be

All you gotta do is say yes

All you gotta do is say yes
don't deny what you feel let me undress you baby
open up your mind and just rest
I'm about to let you know

you make me so so so so so so so so so
x2

Loving you has taken time
take your time
But I always knew you could be mine
I recognize the butterflies inside me
sense is gonna be made to tonight tonight

all you gotta do is say yes...

"
It took me about 3mins.  I told Andre I was done writing it which meant one thing and one thing only.  I was gonna record whether he was tired and whether or not I was coming down with a cold.  I got in the booth,  the four chords looped around a couple of times and I freestyled the intro "See I've been watching you for a while, your smile and style, I wanna know if I can be with you for the night aiight!  Is that alright? Baby? baby!" I recorded the lead in one take.  I didn't write a bridge so at the time, it only made sense to just enjoy the moment.  So I did ;) Asked for another track,  did some background harmonies.  Asked for another track, did another harmony.  My voice was so worn out from coughing and sneezing that I didn't do anymore vocals than that.  The song was done.

That night in the B Room at A Touch of Jazz, we listened back to it on repeat.  Andre Harris and myself KNEW that song was SOMETHING!  

At the time, Ron Isley was looking for songs so I definitely wrote it with him in mind.  I remember everyone coming to the studio the next day and how hype I was to play it for them.  I remember who liked it and who said it was 'a nice song'.  I remember who gave me the 'you DID THAT' look and I remember who shrugged it off as just another song I had done without them.

I remember playing it for Babyface when he came to A Touch of Jazz to meet with the producers.  I remember him liking the song and passing up on it.  I remember hearing that Ron Isley's album was already completed so he didn't take it either.  

I remember Dreamworks being very happy that they could use this song on the Floetry debut album Floetic.  I remember it then being chosen as a single.  I remember sitting in creative meetings about the video trying to figure out how to incorporate the duo in this song because only I wrote it and only my vocals are on the song.  The Floacist would lip sync  all my vocals throughout the video to give the illusion of this being a Floetry song. Performance shots are everything and the Say Yes video was shot carefully to ensure it looked cohesive thanks to the director Jeremy Rall!  http://www.jeremyrall.com I remember choosing Omari Hardwick as the guy I would be checking out on the subway in the video and I'm thankful he 'said yes' ;)  
*every time I see him now we smile, acknowledging where we used to be those years ago.  Look at how it all turned out now :) GO OMARI :) @OmariHardwick

I remember going back to London after Say Yes was released in the USA and returning to "SAY YES".  I was happy for US!  Didn't matter to me that 'we' didn't write the song.  Floetry had now garnered 'mainstream' notoriety from a song that I wrote and recorded with a cold.  

It was Andre's birthday not too long ago and we talked and reminisced and laughed and thanked Jesus numerous times that I didn't take Nyquil and he didn't fall asleep that night.  We made an 'Open Mic' Classic!!! lol We made a song that 12 years later, I can get on the keys at my live show, play those four chords I asked him to loop and THE WHOLE CROWD knows what's about to happen!  The same thing that has been happening for the past 12years.  Real moments.  Real music.  

Thank you to EVERYONE who made this song what it is!

Andre Harris @AndreDreHarris "Copoogy" "Oskie" lol 12yrs don't change much :)

All the true fans out there that hear this song, still feel it in your hearts, the singers that cover this song at open mic spots across the world... :) LOVE!!!

Yours Sincerely,

Marsha Ambrosius