HOLLYWOOD--Even after its rollicking “Jungle Love” flashback at February’s 50th annual Grammy Awards, few fans believed this rocking, sass-talking, prude-mocking septet would rally for a comeback.Set your clocks to oh-wee-oh-wee-oh.
The Time is now.
The Minneapolis rock group that Prince assembled in 1981 is kicking off its reunion with a 15-show live run that started at the Flamingo Las Vegas.
A fifth album is nearly complete and wider dates may follow. (The group was in Oklahoma City just a few weeks ago to entertain at the Urban League’s annual awards banquet.)
“Isn’t Vegas a perfect match for us?,” said a beaming Jerome Benton, 45, backup vocalist and foil for singer Morris Day.
“Showtime!,” he remarked.
They’re rehearsing here at Cascade Studios with drummer Jellybean Johnson, keyboardists Jimmy Jam and Monte Moir, guitarist Jesse Johnson and bassist Terry Lewis.
“We all have kids, and it’s t
Morris Day (left) and Jerome Benton at a rehearsal with the reunited band. |
ough to get our schedules to mesh,” said Jimmy Jam, 49. “Vegas felt like the right place for a comeback.“We could be in one place to try it out. If it was good enough for Elvis, it’s good enough for us.”
Even better for fans craving authentic rock with the accent on F-U-N, said Gail Mitchell, Billboard’s rhythm & blues correspondent.
“Based on the reaction at the Grammys, there’s an appetite out there for The Time’s energy and vibe,” she said, “and people miss all-inclusive bands like Earth, Wind & Fire.
“It’s a great chance for another generation to discover these guys. The silly lyrics and Morris Day’s suave Mr. Smooth act put a fun veneer on music, but it was a veil.”
“They’re serious musicians,” she added.
The Parliament-steeped ensemble’s humble start as a superstar’s pet project suggested a 15-minute shelf life. Fate and fame intervened.
The band was a popular opening act for Prince, who oversaw the first three albums of ribald danceable rock: 1981’s “The Time,” 1982’s “What Time Is It?” and 1984’s “Ice Cream Castle.”
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis began writing and producing outside The Time, and, in 1983, were fired by Prince after a snowstorm caused them to miss a show in San Antonio.
They soon became the era’s top production duo, working with Janet Jackson, New Edition, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige.
Monte Moir also departed, and an altered lineup appeared in the movie, “Purple Rain,” which yielded the hits, “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.”
Morris Day left to pursue acting in 1985. Jesse Johnson embarked on a successful solo career. The others carried on as a family.
The Time reconvened in 1990 for Prince’s “Graffiti Bridge” film and critically-hailed fourth album, “Pandemonium,” which sent the single, “Jerk Out,” to the Top 10.
The Time soon disbanded amid friction after a final gig on “Saturday Night Live,” where “Morris was cussing and eating chicken dinner on stage,” Jimmy Jam said as the others howled.
“We’ve all been successful on our own, but this is where we want to be now.
“It’s not some sacrifice or Svengali thing. It’s the roots of what we do.”
Jimmy Jam (seated, from left), Jellybean Johnson and Morris Day with (standing, from left) Monte Moir, Jesse Johnson, Jerome Benton and Terry Lewis.
Morris Day (left) and Jerome Benton at a rehearsal with the reunited band.
