IDMW.com goes further on its going back to the roots series with a band (Prince's one at some… time) that remains to date as one of the biggest talent concentration ever. The artist newly reknown as Prince had made a recent come back and two members of the group - Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis – remain most definitely in the R&B production top file after more than two decades of continous success. Time definitely speaks for itself…

Everything related to the Admiral Nelson of 20th Century pop music (in other words Prince) generates passion around the globe. And if it's the case regarding one of the people who happened to work or currently works with him, one could easily imagine the effect when in front of seven of them which would be the case when reunited with a new album after a five year split. A dream that had finally come true by the second half of 1990 for millions of fans, seing Jesse Johnson, Monte Moir, Jerome Benton, Dean Jelly Johnson, Morris Day + Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis back together under that mythic banner… More explanations with Benton, Day and Jam who came to Paris for some promo activities back then…

What had pushed you to split in 1984 ?

(Jimmy Jam) Terry and myself had been fired by Prince because we had some production work apart from our job as group members. It had been perceived as a sort of interest conflict.

(Morris Day) So what ? We then recorded the 'Ice Cream Castles' album, then the video footage of "Purple Rain". I instantly felt that something was broken inside the band with the following departures of Jimmy and Terry then Monte. We was not the way we used to be. Was a little bit like say The Beatles without John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Everything that was magic had gone all of a sudden. I didn't feel like I was able to keep on living such a situation, being in a band changing its bassist the way you go from a motel to another while on tour ! Then Jesse signed a solo record deal, so there was no way for me to keep on like this…

Then you reunite five years after.

(Morris Day) Each of us had a feeling of frustration as we thought we had so much more to offer. We couldn't keep on calling ourselves The Time after Jimmy and Terry had gone. This how we began calling ourselves Part Time…

And you've managend to stay in touch with each other during this period.

(Morris Day) Course, we did. I even called Jimmy and Terry to produce two songs ("Fishnet" and "Love Is A Game") on my second solo album back in 1987. We stayed in touch because of our mutual friendship.

It may seem difficult to express oneself when oàn board with so many talents…

(Morris Day) Whenever egos speak first, most definitely ! Nevertheless, we had the advantage of being friends much before reaching the celebrity. This friendship has been the key thing allowing use to react for the sole interest of the band, should it be in terms of writing lyrics and music as well as production.

Did you at least have to refer to a leader to coordinate your respective inputs on the album ?

(Jimmy Jam) No use as we would speak one voice at the end of the day… We do naurally work with each other. Terry and I just had to take a bit of distance productionwise in order to give our best contribution as musicians. Everyone found immediately ts place, bringing his own artistic quality to the sound of the album as a whole. And this is what might be heard from it, rather than the style or the sound of one of us. In fact, we yhaven't need any coordination work, except during the final process of recording itself.

What has been Prince's influence on this work ?

(Morris Day) For us, Prince has always been the eighth member of the band. An album by The Time couldn't even be thought without his input, so rare can it be. He hasn't had any specific contribution. This said, some of the tracks that feature on 'Pandemonium' have been conceived in 1983. Prince would have been a sort of spiritual leader in this project, if not a motor the way he was on 'Grafiti Bridge' on which we've appeared.

It has been said that the rivality between you (Morris) and Prince hadn't been limited to the sole scenario of 'Purple Rain' and that It could have been one of the reasons of your disbanding at the period…

(Morris Day) Naaaa. Indeed, there has been a competition on stage between us at a period when two bands were trying to get the best on each other at every single occasion in Minneapolis. You would have then Prince & The Revolution on one hand and The Time on the other one and this is fairly well depicted on "Purple Rain'. Each time we had finished playing, we'd come and see the others telling them : 'see how we(ve done tonite ?' We was simply trying to get the best on the ones on the opposite side.

A situation that may well reoccure…

(Morris Day) What I just can tell you is that whenever this might happen again, we wouldn't hesitate to kick his ass. And this, of course, applies to anyone else (laughs)…

It's has been a while between the first rumours and the effective reunion of the band…

(Jimmy Jam) Primarly due to the business side of the things. We had to have the necessary agreements from our respective labels then establish what would be a schedule. We've spent almost a year to achieve this project. It has been long and somehow a pain in the ass. Morris had a TV show, Jesse who was working on his solo album had to fight with his label before joining us, Terry and I had a heavy production schedule. We have had to deal with everything at the same time…

How do you see your come back on stage ? As openers for Prince or the opposite way ?

(Morris Day) You've already answered the question (laughs)…

(Jimmy Jam) It would be cool to go on tour with him, but once again, it's a matter of time. We'd thought about a common date in London but it didn't work. Maybe he was afraid (laughs)… We then ended up being alone there for two dates…

Production has evolved a lot since your split, with the arrival of new things like house or Brit soul by the likes of Jazzie B & Nellee Hooper. Where are you at facing this new situation ?

(Jimmy Jam) First of all, we're happy to see that no one has had a try on our field. Considering the lack of inspiration of the majority of the productions around, we may suppose that a lot of people would have liked to copy our style. It then would have pushed us to loose a bit of our identity. Hopefully this didn't happen. We've suggested Prince to come to us with another scenario ('Grafiti Bridge'). He then curiously came back with a scenario focussing on him.

(Morris Day) At the beginning, it was supposed to be more centered around the band, leaving Prince with a secondary character. That was his first idea when he heard about the reunion of the group.

The thing that was supposed to be the central thema of the film.

(Morris Day) Exactly.We said to him to come up a scenario so that we could read it and when he came back, the scenario displayed more space to its author, ending up being like a sort of follow up to 'Purple Rain'. We've decided to give him our agreement despite this change, with the idea of making our own film later on.

Which might be considered by some as an ad campaign about the band reunion…

(Morris Day) It's never been the basic idea. This said, it's because we'd reunited that the film had seen the day. We've released our album independantly.

Any problem during the shooting of the film ?

(Morris Day). Naaaa. Everything has been made naturally. We've been in the same state of mind as when we've recorded the album. Prince has been fantastic. We would have the best food in town, TV, video games. We've had some big time.

You've been spoilt then…

(Morris Day) Even more than that !

You've been talking about this film as if it was a follow up to 'Purple Rain'…

(Morris Day) 'Grafiti Bridge' has numerous references… For Exemple, the Glan Slam club who would be called the 1st Avenue on 'Purple Rain' which I was ment to co own with Prince following a mysterious heritage.

(Jimmy Jam) There's George Clinton who owns the Clinton's House and Mavis Stapples, the Melody Cool, not to mention the Pandemonium. All these locations except Glan Slam are supposed to be under the control of the band who would try to reign over a neighbourhood called Seven Corners Area. Meanwhile Prince would fight against the group, trying to make it change its way of thinking. An interesting situation added to the fact that Prince and I are opposed in an attempt to gain the heart of the same woman…

The after 'Grafiti Bridge'…

(Jimmy Jam). Terry and I have created our own label (Flyte Time) that should be fully operational by next year. Productionwise, we're working on Alexander O'Neal and (former New Edition) Ralph Tresvant's new albums.

(Morris Day). I have signed a multiple album record deal with Warner and I've just released two pieces so far. So I guess that I'd rather shake my ass a bit tro respect the contract. Beside I also have my TV show and Jerome (Benton) and I are currently working for a TV film production company.

As for the future of the band we've just signed a one album record deal with an option for a second one. But let's see first how it goes…

Excerpts from an interview released in November 1990