The Time
Formed by Prince in 1981 as an outlet for his straight funk material, The Time featured Morris Day on vocals and became one of the era's most electrifying live acts. Prince played almost all instruments himself on their debut album under the Jamie Starr pseudonym, requiring Day to follow his guide vocals note-for-note. Their rivalry with Prince—real tension beneath staged competition—fueled both acts to greater heights. During the 1982 Controversy Tour, The Time would take the stage determined to show Prince up, playing tighter and funkier than seemed possible. On the tour's final night in Cincinnati, Prince and his band threw eggs at them from offstage. After The Time's set, guitarist Jesse Johnson was handcuffed to a coat rack. The Time served as Vanity 6's backing band from behind a curtain for thirty minutes on the 1982-83 Triple Threat Tour before playing their own hour-long set. Terry Lewis recalled: "I'll play behind Vanity 6 for thirty minutes for $250. No problem. I was going to have to do the sound check anyway." Every night became a competition. The Time would destroy. Then Prince would somehow top them. After Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were fired during the 1982 Atlanta blizzard incident, the band continued with Jesse Johnson's wah-wah rhythm guitar and scorching leads defining their aesthetic. Their 1990 reunion album "Pandemonium" gave the band more creative input than any previous release—after years of Prince playing most instruments himself, they finally controlled their own sound.
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The Time
Prince's side project established The Time as a funk powerhouse, though he played nearly all instruments himself under the Jamie Starr pseudonym. Morris Day was required to follow Prince's guide vocals note-for-note, an indignity that fueled the competitive dynamic between them. The album showcased the Minneapolis Sound's ability to deliver straightforward funk without sacrificing the synthesizer-forward approach that defined the scene. The LinnDrum machine provided crisp, quantized rhythms. Synthesizers replaced horn sections. Jesse Johnson's wah-wah rhythm guitar created that liquid, vowel-like tone that slid around the beat. Morris Day's vocal swagger and comic timing balanced Prince's more enigmatic persona. The album sold well and established The Time as a major live draw. During the 1982 Controversy Tour, they would take the stage determined to show Prince up. Terry Lewis recalled: "I'll play behind Vanity 6 for thirty minutes for $250. No problem. I was going to have to do the sound check anyway." The album demonstrated that Prince could create distinct musical identities for his side projects while maintaining total creative control. It also established the template for the competitive dynamic that would define the Minneapolis Sound's approach to performance: every show was a battle, every recording a statement.
What Time Is It?
Featured the hit "777-9311" and showcased the band's increasingly sophisticated live chemistry despite Prince's studio dominance. The album demonstrated how Jesse Johnson's wah-wah rhythm guitar and scorching leads defined the Minneapolis Sound's guitar aesthetic. Morris Day's vocal swagger and comic timing reached new heights, his delivery balancing sexual innuendo with playful humor. The album came during the 1982 Controversy Tour, when The Time's nightly battles with Prince were fueling both acts to greater heights. On the final night in Cincinnati, after Prince and his band pelted them with eggs from offstage, Jesse Johnson was handcuffed to a coat rack. The tension was real beneath the staged competition. The Time wanted recognition for their contributions. Prince insisted on maintaining total control. The album sold well and established The Time as stars in their own right, even as Prince continued playing most instruments under the Jamie Starr pseudonym. The production showcased the Minneapolis Sound's mechanical precision: LinnDrum providing crisp, quantized rhythms, synthesizers replacing horn sections, guitar work split between wah-wah rhythm and distorted leads. The album demonstrated that the sound could deliver straight funk while maintaining its futuristic aesthetic.
Pandemonium
The reunion album featuring the original seven members spawned "Jerk Out" and gave the band more creative input than any previous release. After years of Prince playing most instruments himself, the band finally controlled their own sound. The album demonstrated that the Minneapolis Sound's tight, hard funk could survive without Prince's direct involvement. Jesse Johnson's wah-wah rhythm guitar and scorching leads remained central to the aesthetic. Morris Day's vocal swagger had matured but retained its comic edge. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, now successful producers with their own empire, contributed to the project as alumni returning home. The album sold well and reminded audiences that The Time had always been more than Prince's side project—they were legitimate stars who'd been held back by his need for total control. The competitive dynamic that had fueled both acts during the Controversy Tour and Triple Threat Tour was channeled into the music itself. Every track felt like a battle. Every recording was a statement. The album proved that the Minneapolis Sound's ethos—borrowed instruments from The Way community center, Battles of the Bands, nightly warfare on tour—had created a mentality that survived beyond Prince's control. The Time had taken those borrowed guitars and drums and built their own empire.