Morris Day and the Time at Clowes Memorial Hall

The Time, later known as Morris Day and the Time and the Original 7ven, is an American funk rock band formed in Minneapolis in 1981. The group played a role in the development of the Minneapolis sound, a style combining elements of funk, R&B, new wave, synth-pop, and dance music. The band was led by singer Morris Day and became closely associated with musician Prince. Their best-known singles include "Get It Up", "Cool", "777-9311", "Jungle Love", "The Bird", and "Jerk Out". Former members Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis later became a prominent production duo after leaving the band in 1983. Morris Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson also released solo material alongside their work associated with the group. The Time was formed under a contractual arrangement that allowed Prince to produce and assemble acts for Warner Bros. Records. Inspired in part by the 1980 film "The Idolmaker", Prince created the group as a vehicle for funk-oriented material while pursuing other musical directions in his solo career. By 1981, he had developed the band from the Minneapolis funk and R&B group Flyte Tyme, which included Alexander O'Neal, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir, Jellybean Johnson, and others. Jesse Johnson was added on guitar, and Morris Day was installed as lead vocalist, replacing Alexander O'Neal. Jerome Benton also joined as a stage performer and onstage partner to Day. Prince played a major role in the band's early recordings, including performing most instruments on their debut album while crediting production to the pseudonym "Jamie Starr" alongside Morris Day. The group's early releases included albums such as "The Time", "What Time Is It?", "Ice Cream Castle", and "Pandemonium", and their music drew from funk and R&B traditions. Tensions developed between the Time and Prince's associated acts during the early 1980s, including on the "Controversy Tour". During performances, conflicts occurred between members of the touring groups, including incidents involving thrown objects and backstage disputes. The relationship between the band and Prince was also marked by disagreements over creative control and compensation. During the 1982–1983 "1999" and "Triple Threat" tours, the Time served as a backing band for Vanity 6 while also performing their own set. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis increasingly pursued independent production work with other artists during this period. After they missed a scheduled performance due to travel disruptions, they were subsequently dismissed from the group. Monte Moir also left around this time. The lineup was later restructured with additional musicians, and the revised group appeared in the 1984 film "Purple Rain", which increased their public visibility. Morris Day left the group in 1985 following disagreements with Prince and pursued a solo career. Jesse Johnson also departed to continue solo work. Other members formed a short-lived project called The Family, while Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis went on to achieve significant success as producers and songwriters. In 1990, the original members reunited for the film and soundtrack "Graffiti Bridge" and released the album "Pandemonium". The project included the hit single "Jerk Out" and featured greater collaboration among members than earlier releases. Despite commercial success, internal disagreements led to another breakup shortly afterward. In the mid-1990s, several members reformed the group with additional musicians, and the lineup toured under names including Morris Day and the Time. This version of the band appeared in the film "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and continued performing live. A further project, sometimes referred to as "Old Dogs, New Tricks", was reported in development in the late 1990s but was not released. An album attributed to Morris Day, "It's About Time", was released in 2004 and included both new material and live recordings. In 2008, the original lineup reunited for a performance at the Grammy Awards, featuring a medley that included "Jungle Love". Later that year, the members performed a series of concerts in Las Vegas, followed by additional reunion shows in 2010 in Detroit and Minneapolis. Around this period, the group announced that a new album was nearing completion. In 2011, the band changed its name to the Original 7ven and released the album "Condensate", including the single "#Trendin". The name change was described by members as a way to continue working without legal and contractual disputes affecting the use of the original band name. The group appeared on television programs including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and performed at the Soul Train Music Awards. Following the death of Prince in 2016, members of the band participated in various tribute performances. A reunion performance took place at the Grammy Awards in 2017 as part of a tribute segment. The group has also been recognized with a star on the exterior of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue, reflecting its historical connection to the venue and its role in the Minneapolis music scene. Monte Moir left the group again in 2019 after earlier periods of departure and return, though he later rejoined for a tribute performance at the 2020 Grammy Salute to Prince. Jellybean Johnson, a founding member and longtime drummer, died on November 21, 2025 at the age of 69. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_(band) Studio albums The Time (1981) What Time Is It? (1982) Ice Cream Castle (1984) Pandemonium (1990) Condensate (2011, as The Original 7ven)

The S.O.S. Band (an abbreviation of Sounds of Success) is an American R&B and electro-funk group formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1977. The original line-up consisted of Mary Davis (lead vocals), Jason Bryant (keyboards), Billy Ellis and Willie “Sonny” Killebrew (horns), Bruno Speight (guitar), John Simpson (bass) and James Earl Jones III (drums). The group achieved commercial success with their debut single "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" in 1980, which reached number one on the US R&B chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Their self-titled debut album "S.O.S." (1980) was also certified gold. In the early 1980s, their sound developed further through collaborations with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, resulting in a series of successful singles including "Just Be Good to Me", "Tell Me If You Still Care" and "The Finest". The band was formed in 1977 under the name Sounds of Santa Monica and performed at venues in Atlanta, including the Regal Room nightclub. Their manager, Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, secured a recording contract with Tabu Records, whose head Clarence Avant encouraged the group to work with producer Sigidi Abdullah. The band subsequently adopted the name The S.O.S. Band, with the acronym standing for Sounds of Success. Their debut single "Take Your Time (Do It Right)", produced and co-written by Sigidi Abdullah and Harold Clayton, spent five weeks at number one on the US R&B chart in 1980. The album "S.O.S." sold in excess of 800,000 copies and reached number two on the R&B chart. During this period, Abdul Ra’oof joined the group as a trumpeter, vocalist and percussionist. Their second album "Too" (1981) reached the top 40 of the R&B chart. On their third album "III" (1982), the band worked with producer Leon Sylvers III as well as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The single "High Hopes" reached the R&B top 30. Jam and Lewis assumed a greater production role on the album "On the Rise" (1983), which included the singles "Just Be Good to Me" and "Tell Me If You Still Care". The album was certified gold and reached the top 10 of the R&B chart. Subsequent releases included "Just the Way You Like It" (1984), which reached the top 10 on the R&B chart, and "Sands of Time" (1986), which also achieved gold certification and included the hit single "The Finest". The band’s recordings from this period contributed to the wider use and popularity of the Roland TR-808 drum machine in R&B and electro-funk music. In 1986, Mary Davis left the group to pursue a solo career. The band contributed the song "It's Time to Move" to the soundtrack of the film "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" (1987). Their seventh studio album, "Diamonds in the Raw" (1989), featured lead vocals by Chandra Currelley and Fredi Grace and reached the R&B chart. During its recording, founding member Billy Ellis died. The follow-up album "One of Many Nights" (1991), with Chandra Currelley as lead vocalist, did not chart. Davis later rejoined the group for live performances. In 2021, Mary Davis temporarily stepped back from performing following a stroke, but later returned to selected live appearances. In October of that year, she performed with original and later members of the group at a birthday celebration for James Earl Jones III. Studio albums S.O.S. (1980) Too (1981) III (1982) On the Rise (1983) Just the Way You Like It (1984) Sands of Time (1986) Diamonds in the Raw (1989) One of Many Nights (1991)

Trouble Funk was an influential and successful Go-go band from Washington DC whose peak began in the late 1970's and ran through the late 1980's. They helped to popularize the Washington, D.C. dance floor friendly funk subgenre go-go, which incorporated heavy african drum rhythms, and celebratory stage concepts from forerunners like George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic and local rival Chuck Brown. Among their well-known songs are the 'go-go' anthems 'Hey Fellas', 'Pump Me Up', 'Let's Get Small', 'Drop The Bomb'. Because of the high costs of having many band members, they only toured the US & England a couple times in the late 80's, thus their popularity was mostly concentrated in the DC metro area. The group released several 12" singles and some studio albums on the local T.E.D.D/D.E.T.T label ran by Maxx Kidd, as well as an album on Sugarhill. The DETT singles included 'Trouble Funk Express', which cribbed it's concept from German electro act Kraftwerk. LPs included 1979's 'In Times of Trouble', as well as 1982's 'Drop the Bomb', and 1987's 'Trouble Over Here, Trouble Over There'. Chris Blackwell's Island records briefly signed the group in the latter 80's but were unable to cash in on their unique niche sound which was better experienced live than in the studio. In live shows, where the call and response interplay with the audience was happening, and the deep bass and grooves were omnipresent, the band played lengthy exhaustive & sweaty sets that ran regularly for hours until the early morning hours. These can be heard on live recordings like on the two live albums, 'Trouble Funk - Straight Up Go-Go Style' and 'Saturday Night Live'. The band were featured in the film "Good To Go" film starring Art Garfunkel in the 80's, and their beats were sampled in many rap records, including prominently on Rick Rubin's breakthrough Def Jam productions like LL Cool J's "Rock The Bells" and on the Beastie Boys' "Licensed To Ill" album. "Trouble" as they were known locally, sometimes played shows with hardcore punk bands in Washington D.C such as Government Issue and at Minor Threat's last show at Lansburgh Cultural Center with the Big Boys.