Biography
Morris Day, a polished funk entertainer whose silky singing incorporates unforgettable spontaneous remarks, earned his chief reputation as the frontman of the Time from the ensemble’s founding in 1981. Architects of the funk-centered Minneapolis style, the Time secured three singles inside the pop chart’s Top 40 while every one of their five albums reached the R&B Top Ten. Day likewise assembled an identical tally of solo projects, opening with a brace of his own Top Ten R&B sets—1985’s Color of Success and 1987’s Daydreaming—both issued after the Time’s initial split. The second of those collections contained his most prominent solo success, the R&B number-one single “Fishnet,” a characteristically strutting number he composed with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who also produced it. Day delivered the festive, star-studded Last Call in 2022 as his final solo album.
Born in Springfield, Illinois, Morris Day relocated to Minneapolis alongside his family at age eight. He acquired proficiency on several instruments, among them saxophone, and turned his attention to drums, practicing informally on household items until his mother supplied a store-bought kit. During his teenage years Day performed with multiple groups, one of which included fellow drummer Jellybean Johnson, then Grand Central, whose lineup featured bassist André Anderson (subsequently André Cymone) and guitarist Prince, and later Enterprise Band of Pleasure. Once Prince’s solo trajectory accelerated, Day received an offer to serve as tour videographer. A resulting benefit allowed Day access to Prince’s studio for his own work, which yielded the composition that became “Partyup,” the closing track on Prince’s Dirty Mind. In return for “Partyup,” Prince extended Day an option between payment or a recording contract; Day selected the latter, which enabled Prince to invoke a Warner Bros. clause permitting him to sign and oversee additional artists.
The Time was formed by Day and Prince from Minneapolis’ rivalrous music community. Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir, and Alexander O’Neal were drawn from Flyte Tyme, while Day recruited Jesse Johnson and Jerome Benton from Enterprise. Prior to any performance the band briefly lacked a vocalist after Prince declined to meet O’Neal’s monetary terms. Day, who had periodically taken lead vocals with Grand Central on renditions such as Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” and Major Harris’ “Love Won’t Let Me Wait,” stepped into the position, with Flyte Tyme’s Jellybean Johnson placed on drums. The Time launched successfully and, between 1981 and 1984, issued The Time, What Time Is It?, and Ice Cream Castle, albums that produced the Top Ten R&B singles “Get It Up,” “Cool,” “777-9311,” and “Jungle Love,” the last of which reached number 20 on the pop chart and was followed by another Top 40 entry, “The Bird.”
Day secured one of several acting parts in the 1984 Prince film Purple Rain, yet disputes over Prince’s degree of authority prompted the Time’s dissolution. At the same time Day began his solo career on Warner Bros. without Prince or any Time members. He wrote, arranged, and produced his entire solo debut, Color of Success, while also performing on drums and synthesizers. Support arrived from an extensive roster of session players that encompassed Greg Phillinganes, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Larry Dunn and Roland Bautista, and multi-instrumentalist Rickey “Freeze” Smith, a frequent presence on Solar Records releases who became one of Day’s closest collaborators. A distinctive evolution of Time-style funk carrying added pop sensibility, Color of Success attained number seven on the R&B chart (number 37 pop) aided by the number-three R&B hit “The Oak Tree,” with the title track and “The Character” supplying further charting singles. Two years afterward Day returned with Daydreaming. Seven tracks were co-written and co-produced by Day and his then-wife Judith, whose varied career had commenced the prior decade with the Soul Train Gang. The remaining two songs reunited the Time (excluding Monte Moir). Among them was “Fishnet,” which reached the summit of the R&B chart and entered the pop Top 40 at number 23. Like its predecessor, Daydreaming climbed to number seven on the R&B album chart.
In 1989 Day and Prince, now reconciled, recorded what was planned as the Time’s fourth album, Corporate World, even though no additional Time members beyond Jerome Benton participated. Warner Bros. prevented its release and withheld support for Prince’s Graffiti Bridge endeavor until the remaining Time members were included. A full Time reunion followed for Graffiti Bridge and the band’s related fourth album, Pandemonium, both appearing in 1990. Pandemonium preceded the other and yielded the number-nine pop hit “Jerk Out.” That same year Day and Rickey “Freeze” Smith wrote and produced the self-titled album by Day’s all-female vocal ensemble, the Day Zs. Solo work continued with 1992’s Guaranteed, a new jack swing–oriented collection heavy with serious lyrics and produced by figures such as Bernard Belle and Michael Stokes. Within a few years Day began performing with a reconstituted Time billed as Morris Day & the Time. They appeared performing “Jungle Love” in Kevin Smith’s 2001 film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Day’s 2004 album It’s About Time consisted largely of live renditions of Time staples.
The original Time members reconvened in 2008. A performance at the 50th Grammy Awards and Las Vegas engagements prompted their fifth album. Adopting the name the Original 7ven—owing to Prince’s ownership of the Time trademark—they released Condensate in 2011. Like the four earlier Time albums, Condensate reached the R&B Top Ten. After Prince’s death in 2016, Morris Day and the Time reassembled for several tribute performances. Day issued the memoir On Time: A Princely Life in Funk in 2019. Three years later he returned with Last Call, presented as his concluding solo album. The characteristically funky set featured guest appearances ranging from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons to Snoop Dogg and Guaranteed collaborator Big Daddy Kane.
Born in Springfield, Illinois, Morris Day relocated to Minneapolis alongside his family at age eight. He acquired proficiency on several instruments, among them saxophone, and turned his attention to drums, practicing informally on household items until his mother supplied a store-bought kit. During his teenage years Day performed with multiple groups, one of which included fellow drummer Jellybean Johnson, then Grand Central, whose lineup featured bassist André Anderson (subsequently André Cymone) and guitarist Prince, and later Enterprise Band of Pleasure. Once Prince’s solo trajectory accelerated, Day received an offer to serve as tour videographer. A resulting benefit allowed Day access to Prince’s studio for his own work, which yielded the composition that became “Partyup,” the closing track on Prince’s Dirty Mind. In return for “Partyup,” Prince extended Day an option between payment or a recording contract; Day selected the latter, which enabled Prince to invoke a Warner Bros. clause permitting him to sign and oversee additional artists.
The Time was formed by Day and Prince from Minneapolis’ rivalrous music community. Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir, and Alexander O’Neal were drawn from Flyte Tyme, while Day recruited Jesse Johnson and Jerome Benton from Enterprise. Prior to any performance the band briefly lacked a vocalist after Prince declined to meet O’Neal’s monetary terms. Day, who had periodically taken lead vocals with Grand Central on renditions such as Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” and Major Harris’ “Love Won’t Let Me Wait,” stepped into the position, with Flyte Tyme’s Jellybean Johnson placed on drums. The Time launched successfully and, between 1981 and 1984, issued The Time, What Time Is It?, and Ice Cream Castle, albums that produced the Top Ten R&B singles “Get It Up,” “Cool,” “777-9311,” and “Jungle Love,” the last of which reached number 20 on the pop chart and was followed by another Top 40 entry, “The Bird.”
Day secured one of several acting parts in the 1984 Prince film Purple Rain, yet disputes over Prince’s degree of authority prompted the Time’s dissolution. At the same time Day began his solo career on Warner Bros. without Prince or any Time members. He wrote, arranged, and produced his entire solo debut, Color of Success, while also performing on drums and synthesizers. Support arrived from an extensive roster of session players that encompassed Greg Phillinganes, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Larry Dunn and Roland Bautista, and multi-instrumentalist Rickey “Freeze” Smith, a frequent presence on Solar Records releases who became one of Day’s closest collaborators. A distinctive evolution of Time-style funk carrying added pop sensibility, Color of Success attained number seven on the R&B chart (number 37 pop) aided by the number-three R&B hit “The Oak Tree,” with the title track and “The Character” supplying further charting singles. Two years afterward Day returned with Daydreaming. Seven tracks were co-written and co-produced by Day and his then-wife Judith, whose varied career had commenced the prior decade with the Soul Train Gang. The remaining two songs reunited the Time (excluding Monte Moir). Among them was “Fishnet,” which reached the summit of the R&B chart and entered the pop Top 40 at number 23. Like its predecessor, Daydreaming climbed to number seven on the R&B album chart.
In 1989 Day and Prince, now reconciled, recorded what was planned as the Time’s fourth album, Corporate World, even though no additional Time members beyond Jerome Benton participated. Warner Bros. prevented its release and withheld support for Prince’s Graffiti Bridge endeavor until the remaining Time members were included. A full Time reunion followed for Graffiti Bridge and the band’s related fourth album, Pandemonium, both appearing in 1990. Pandemonium preceded the other and yielded the number-nine pop hit “Jerk Out.” That same year Day and Rickey “Freeze” Smith wrote and produced the self-titled album by Day’s all-female vocal ensemble, the Day Zs. Solo work continued with 1992’s Guaranteed, a new jack swing–oriented collection heavy with serious lyrics and produced by figures such as Bernard Belle and Michael Stokes. Within a few years Day began performing with a reconstituted Time billed as Morris Day & the Time. They appeared performing “Jungle Love” in Kevin Smith’s 2001 film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Day’s 2004 album It’s About Time consisted largely of live renditions of Time staples.
The original Time members reconvened in 2008. A performance at the 50th Grammy Awards and Las Vegas engagements prompted their fifth album. Adopting the name the Original 7ven—owing to Prince’s ownership of the Time trademark—they released Condensate in 2011. Like the four earlier Time albums, Condensate reached the R&B Top Ten. After Prince’s death in 2016, Morris Day and the Time reassembled for several tribute performances. Day issued the memoir On Time: A Princely Life in Funk in 2019. Three years later he returned with Last Call, presented as his concluding solo album. The characteristically funky set featured guest appearances ranging from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons to Snoop Dogg and Guaranteed collaborator Big Daddy Kane.
Albums
Singles
