Album dossier / 1981

The Time

The Time · Funk/Minneapolis Sound

The Time's debut, shepherded by Prince under his 'Jamie Starr' production alias, launched the Minneapolis funk sound that would define much of 80s R&B. Recorded in April 1981 at Prince's home studio on Kiowa Trail in Chanhassen, Minnesota (credited on the sleeve to a fictional 'Time Studio'), nearly all instruments were performed by Prince himself, with Morris Day supplying lead vocals and drums and Dr. Fink contributing synth solos on 'Get It Up' and 'The Stick.' Lead single 'Get It Up' and follow-up 'Cool' both reached the R&B top ten, and the record peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200, establishing Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Jesse Johnson as key architects of the emerging Minneapolis sound.