The Time Band

Lore & Background

The Time was assembled under a clause in Prince's contract with Warner Bros. that allowed him to recruit and produce other artists for the label. Inspired by the film 'The Idolmaker', Prince built the band out of an existing Minneapolis funk/R&B unit, Flyte Tyme. The original members included Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jesse Johnson, Jellybean Johnson, and Monte Moir. (Jerome Benton joined later as a dancer/valet and was not a core musical member on the debut album.)

Prince played all instruments on the debut album, crediting production to his alter-ego 'Jamie Starr' and Morris Day. The Time opened for Prince on the 1999 tour (1982-1983), and while there was friendly competition, a specific rivalry with the Revolution during the 1982 Controversy Tour is not widely documented. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were fired after missing a concert due to a blizzard, though it is unclear whether their firing was due to that incident or their increasing independence.

The band split in 1985 after Day and Jesse Johnson pursued solo careers. The original seven members reunited in 1990 for the 'Graffiti Bridge' movie and album 'Pandemonium', which spawned the single 'Jerk Out'. After another split, several members reunited in 1995 with new recruits. The original lineup reunited again in 2008 for the 50th Grammy Awards and a Las Vegas residency. In 2011, the band changed its name to the Original 7ven and released the album 'Condensate'.

Reader's Guide

The Time is a real funk rock band, not a conceptual or spectral entity. Their music is described as light and humorous, influenced by Funkadelic, Parliament, James Brown, and Sly Stone. They are known for hits like 'Cool', 'Jungle Love', '777-9311', and 'Jerk Out'. The band's history includes multiple reunions and name changes, with the most recent being the Original 7ven.