P.M. Dawn
P.M. Dawn is an American hip hop act, formed in 1988 by the brothers Attrel… Read Full Bio ↴P.M. Dawn is an American hip hop act, formed in 1988 by the brothers Attrell Cordes (known by his stage name Prince Be, sometimes credited as Prince Be the Nocturnal) and Jarrett Cordes (known as DJ Minutemix) in Jersey City, New Jersey. They earned significant crossover success in the early 1990s with music that merged hip hop, older soul, and more pop-oriented urban R&B.
After recording their debut single "Ode to a Forgetful Mind" in 1988, P.M. Dawn released their first album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience in 1991 to critical acclaim. It achieved immediate commercial success because of its single "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". Their 1993 follow-up The Bliss Album...? was also praised by critics and featured the hit singles "I'd Die Without You" and "Looking Through Patient Eyes". P.M. Dawn continued to receive strong reviews, but sold poorly with their subsequent albums Jesus Wept (1995) and Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad (1998).
The Cordes brothers' father died of pneumonia when they were children. Further family tragedy occurred when their baby brother, Duncan, drowned at the age of two. The two elder brothers were raised by their mother and their stepfather George Brown, a founding member of Kool & the Gang.
Prince Be began DJing parties and composing songs in ninth grade. Within a few years, he had determined to make a demo tape of some of those pieces with the $600 he had set aside from his after school job as a security guard at a homeless shelter. By then, he and his brother were putting in studio time as P.M. Dawn.
They first approached Tommy Boy Records, the rap music subsidiary of Warner Brothers, with their demo, but they were told that they were too much like alternative hip-hoppers De La Soul, and not hardcore or ghetto, and were turned away. Eventually, Warlock, an independent record label, issued a debut single, "Ode to a Forgetful Mind", in 1989, but it went unnoticed.
The record label that released the single in the United Kingdom, Gee Street Records, found greater success. Gee Street mixed and marketed the song so that it earned considerable attention from music reviewers, and P.M. Dawn found themselves courted not just by Gee Street's head, Jon Baker, but also by most of the major UK record labels. Gee Street brought the brothers to London in 1990 to record tracks for an album; however, the label found itself facing bankruptcy during the recording. The entire Gee Street operation, along with P.M. Dawn's recording contract, was sold to the highest bidder, Island Records. Island issued a few more singles in the United Kingdom before releasing their debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience.
Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross featured the international hit "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", which sampled the Spandau Ballet song "True", and featured a cameo by Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley in the music video of the song. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" hit #1 the week of November 30, 1991, and holds the distinction of being the first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the introduction of Nielsen SoundScan to the chart. The song also reached #3 in the United Kingdom. "Paper Doll", which was one of the early singles Island released in the United Kingdom, was released in the US as a follow-up to "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", and peaked at #28 in early 1992. "Paper Doll" is said well over 100 times in the song, which makes it second only to MC Hammer's "Pray", which holds the record for the most times a title is repeated in a US Top 40 hit (147).
With the success of their debut album, the band parted company with their manager Nick Hemmings and embarked on a world tour. During this world tour, a statement Prince Be made in Details magazine led Boogie Down Productions' KRS-One and his crew to storm the stage during a P.M. Dawn concert, forcing the group off the stage and performing three BDP classics. To warrant this reaction from KRS-One, Prince B had asked, "KRS-One wants to be a teacher, but a teacher of what?" Defending his motives to USA Today's James T. Jones IV, KRS-One remarked, "I answered his question. 'A teacher of what?' I'm a teacher of respect."
In 1992, P.M. Dawn appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD Red Hot + Dance, contributing the Richie Rich Mix of "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". The album, featuring George Michael and Madonna among others, was meant to raise money and awareness in support of the AIDS epidemic.
Before releasing their follow-up album, The Bliss Album…? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence), P.M. Dawn contributed the single "I'd Die Without You" to the 1992 Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang and its soundtrack. This #2 pop hit was also included on The Bliss Album…?, as was the Billboard #2 pop hit "Looking Through Patient Eyes".
"Looking Through Patient Eyes" featured backing vocals by Cathy Dennis and sampled George Michael's hit "Father Figure". The music video for the song was shot in a church, and featured Christian images throughout — most notably, Prince Be wore a T-shirt with "Thank you, Jesus" written across it in black lettering.
The Bliss Album…? featured the Boy George duet "More Than Likely" and a cover of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". The album also included "So On and So On," which led to a 1999 sampling lawsuit. In the lawsuit Batiste v. Island Records, Inc., Paul and Michael Batiste claimed that P.M. Dawn's song "So On and So On" used unauthorized samples from David Batiste & The Gladiators' "Funky Soul". The fifth Circuit Federal Appellate Court found that the Batistes point to no evidence in the record demonstrating that consumers were confused or deceived by either the use of a digital sample of "Funky Soul" in "So On and So On", or the attribution to David Batiste as a co-author of the track. The Batistes' claim that Paul and Michael Batiste were improperly excluded from the liner notes accompanying the album also failed to suggest that consumers were confused, especially because the liner notes do credit the name of the band in which both Paul and Michael Batiste performed. Though Island Records won the lawsuit, the song was removed from subsequent releases of The Bliss Album and is no longer available for purchase in their publishing catalog.
P.M. Dawn contributed a cover of "You Got Me Floatin'" to the 1993 compilation album Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Artists ranging from Pat Metheny to Eric Clapton to Ice-T's Body Count were included.
Their 1995 album Jesus Wept was unable to attain the success of their first two albums. The album's highest charting single was "Downtown Venus", which contained a sample of Deep Purple's "Hush", and reached #48 on the Billboard chart. Also, in 1995, P.M. Dawn was credited with the remix of White Zombie's "Blood, Milk and Sky" (Miss September Mix) on the Supersexy Swingin' Sounds compilation album. In 1996, P.M. Dawn contributed "Non-Fiction Burning" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization. In 1998, Prince Be contributed the tracks "Perfect for You" and "Gotta Be...Movin' on Up" to the Marlon Wayans and David Spade comedy Senseless, followed later in the year by P.M. Dawn's fourth album, Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad. It was less successful again, with the album's single, "Being So Not for You (I Had No Right)" being a minor chart hit.
In the same year, Jarret Cordes (DJ Minutemix) was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year old relative and was subsequently arrested in Burlington County. The girl is said to have been a "close relative".
In 2000, they released the compilation, The Best of P.M. Dawn. Through their website, they also began selling a mail-order-only album called Fucked Music on December 1, 2000. This was paired with a bonus CD, Unreleased Vol. 1, and a T-shirt.
Prince Be suffered a massive stroke in early 2005 that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Undeterred, P.M. Dawn appeared on NBC's Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, performing "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", and covered Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry". Despite the fact that Prince Be was still suffering the effects of this stroke, they beat Animotion, Missing Persons, Juice Newton and Shannon to claim the $20,000 charitable prize, which they contributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as Prince Be was a diabetic.
Following their appearance on Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, Minutemix was terminated for misconduct. This led to the introduction of the Cordes brothers' paternal first cousin, Gregory Lewis Carr II, known by his stage name Doc. G (also known as 'Dr. Giggles' or 'Blissboy #2'.)
On May 15, 2010, Prince Be's 40th birthday, Doc. G performed in Manila before an audience of 50,000 people and dedicated the performance to Guru of Gang Starr and Francis M.
On June 17, 2016, Prince Be died of renal disease at the age of 46.
Doc. G continues to perform and record music under the P.M. Dawn name. On April 6, 2018, Doc.G announced K-R.O.K. as a new member of P.M. Dawn.
After recording their debut single "Ode to a Forgetful Mind" in 1988, P.M. Dawn released their first album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience in 1991 to critical acclaim. It achieved immediate commercial success because of its single "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". Their 1993 follow-up The Bliss Album...? was also praised by critics and featured the hit singles "I'd Die Without You" and "Looking Through Patient Eyes". P.M. Dawn continued to receive strong reviews, but sold poorly with their subsequent albums Jesus Wept (1995) and Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad (1998).
The Cordes brothers' father died of pneumonia when they were children. Further family tragedy occurred when their baby brother, Duncan, drowned at the age of two. The two elder brothers were raised by their mother and their stepfather George Brown, a founding member of Kool & the Gang.
Prince Be began DJing parties and composing songs in ninth grade. Within a few years, he had determined to make a demo tape of some of those pieces with the $600 he had set aside from his after school job as a security guard at a homeless shelter. By then, he and his brother were putting in studio time as P.M. Dawn.
They first approached Tommy Boy Records, the rap music subsidiary of Warner Brothers, with their demo, but they were told that they were too much like alternative hip-hoppers De La Soul, and not hardcore or ghetto, and were turned away. Eventually, Warlock, an independent record label, issued a debut single, "Ode to a Forgetful Mind", in 1989, but it went unnoticed.
The record label that released the single in the United Kingdom, Gee Street Records, found greater success. Gee Street mixed and marketed the song so that it earned considerable attention from music reviewers, and P.M. Dawn found themselves courted not just by Gee Street's head, Jon Baker, but also by most of the major UK record labels. Gee Street brought the brothers to London in 1990 to record tracks for an album; however, the label found itself facing bankruptcy during the recording. The entire Gee Street operation, along with P.M. Dawn's recording contract, was sold to the highest bidder, Island Records. Island issued a few more singles in the United Kingdom before releasing their debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience.
Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross featured the international hit "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", which sampled the Spandau Ballet song "True", and featured a cameo by Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley in the music video of the song. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" hit #1 the week of November 30, 1991, and holds the distinction of being the first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the introduction of Nielsen SoundScan to the chart. The song also reached #3 in the United Kingdom. "Paper Doll", which was one of the early singles Island released in the United Kingdom, was released in the US as a follow-up to "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", and peaked at #28 in early 1992. "Paper Doll" is said well over 100 times in the song, which makes it second only to MC Hammer's "Pray", which holds the record for the most times a title is repeated in a US Top 40 hit (147).
With the success of their debut album, the band parted company with their manager Nick Hemmings and embarked on a world tour. During this world tour, a statement Prince Be made in Details magazine led Boogie Down Productions' KRS-One and his crew to storm the stage during a P.M. Dawn concert, forcing the group off the stage and performing three BDP classics. To warrant this reaction from KRS-One, Prince B had asked, "KRS-One wants to be a teacher, but a teacher of what?" Defending his motives to USA Today's James T. Jones IV, KRS-One remarked, "I answered his question. 'A teacher of what?' I'm a teacher of respect."
In 1992, P.M. Dawn appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD Red Hot + Dance, contributing the Richie Rich Mix of "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". The album, featuring George Michael and Madonna among others, was meant to raise money and awareness in support of the AIDS epidemic.
Before releasing their follow-up album, The Bliss Album…? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence), P.M. Dawn contributed the single "I'd Die Without You" to the 1992 Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang and its soundtrack. This #2 pop hit was also included on The Bliss Album…?, as was the Billboard #2 pop hit "Looking Through Patient Eyes".
"Looking Through Patient Eyes" featured backing vocals by Cathy Dennis and sampled George Michael's hit "Father Figure". The music video for the song was shot in a church, and featured Christian images throughout — most notably, Prince Be wore a T-shirt with "Thank you, Jesus" written across it in black lettering.
The Bliss Album…? featured the Boy George duet "More Than Likely" and a cover of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". The album also included "So On and So On," which led to a 1999 sampling lawsuit. In the lawsuit Batiste v. Island Records, Inc., Paul and Michael Batiste claimed that P.M. Dawn's song "So On and So On" used unauthorized samples from David Batiste & The Gladiators' "Funky Soul". The fifth Circuit Federal Appellate Court found that the Batistes point to no evidence in the record demonstrating that consumers were confused or deceived by either the use of a digital sample of "Funky Soul" in "So On and So On", or the attribution to David Batiste as a co-author of the track. The Batistes' claim that Paul and Michael Batiste were improperly excluded from the liner notes accompanying the album also failed to suggest that consumers were confused, especially because the liner notes do credit the name of the band in which both Paul and Michael Batiste performed. Though Island Records won the lawsuit, the song was removed from subsequent releases of The Bliss Album and is no longer available for purchase in their publishing catalog.
P.M. Dawn contributed a cover of "You Got Me Floatin'" to the 1993 compilation album Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Artists ranging from Pat Metheny to Eric Clapton to Ice-T's Body Count were included.
Their 1995 album Jesus Wept was unable to attain the success of their first two albums. The album's highest charting single was "Downtown Venus", which contained a sample of Deep Purple's "Hush", and reached #48 on the Billboard chart. Also, in 1995, P.M. Dawn was credited with the remix of White Zombie's "Blood, Milk and Sky" (Miss September Mix) on the Supersexy Swingin' Sounds compilation album. In 1996, P.M. Dawn contributed "Non-Fiction Burning" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization. In 1998, Prince Be contributed the tracks "Perfect for You" and "Gotta Be...Movin' on Up" to the Marlon Wayans and David Spade comedy Senseless, followed later in the year by P.M. Dawn's fourth album, Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad. It was less successful again, with the album's single, "Being So Not for You (I Had No Right)" being a minor chart hit.
In the same year, Jarret Cordes (DJ Minutemix) was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year old relative and was subsequently arrested in Burlington County. The girl is said to have been a "close relative".
In 2000, they released the compilation, The Best of P.M. Dawn. Through their website, they also began selling a mail-order-only album called Fucked Music on December 1, 2000. This was paired with a bonus CD, Unreleased Vol. 1, and a T-shirt.
Prince Be suffered a massive stroke in early 2005 that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Undeterred, P.M. Dawn appeared on NBC's Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, performing "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", and covered Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry". Despite the fact that Prince Be was still suffering the effects of this stroke, they beat Animotion, Missing Persons, Juice Newton and Shannon to claim the $20,000 charitable prize, which they contributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as Prince Be was a diabetic.
Following their appearance on Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, Minutemix was terminated for misconduct. This led to the introduction of the Cordes brothers' paternal first cousin, Gregory Lewis Carr II, known by his stage name Doc. G (also known as 'Dr. Giggles' or 'Blissboy #2'.)
On May 15, 2010, Prince Be's 40th birthday, Doc. G performed in Manila before an audience of 50,000 people and dedicated the performance to Guru of Gang Starr and Francis M.
On June 17, 2016, Prince Be died of renal disease at the age of 46.
Doc. G continues to perform and record music under the P.M. Dawn name. On April 6, 2018, Doc.G announced K-R.O.K. as a new member of P.M. Dawn.
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P.M. Dawn Lyrics
A Lifetime Holy animation, what's a human, what's a lifetime? All the…
A Watcher (Oh la la la) He who thinks, thinks for himself A woman…
A Watcher's Point of View (Oh la la la) He who thinks, thinks for himself A woman…
About Nothing Say, say, say, why are you looking for the was, I…
About Nothing For The Love Of Destiny Say, say, say, why are you looking for the was, I…
Air I know, we'll scream in pain Nothing lasts forever We are at…
All You Need 听过几过 爱有过风波 再友好的最尾会变生疏 这个跟她说过一生 最尾偏偏错过 那个跟他爱过 到最尾竟出了错 碰过几多 爱有…
Apathy...Superstar!? Like you I'm trying hard to get with you I guess…
Art Deco Halos I ran into my ignorance I think she cares for you 'Cause…
Beat Goes On Taking you down Nunwood Lane, mr dj play it again…
Being So Not for You Why can't I keep you from the cold Seem to know…
Beyond Infinite Affections Mr. Wonderfull you, you're thinking 'bout life You're think…
Blasphemy The agony throw a rapper off his balcony I heard the…
Blurry Everything's so blurry and everyone's so fake And everybody'…
Broken In anything that you do, I will be happy for…
Comatose Pas quand jetais une femme solitaire, jai puieppe. Oh never …
Don Uh, yeah, that's alright. [Chorus] I don't wanna be like yo…
Don't Make Me Lie to You You been out all night prolly smell like old cologne Prolly…
Downtown Venus I'm Downtown Venus And I'm trying to be by myself myself Hab…
Elevate I've been On my grind each and everyday Woah woah…
Even After I Die A question mark's on a question mark And insecurities connec…
Faith In You I don't kiss the future like the fortune tellers do So…
Fantasia 1999 I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if…
Filthy Rich Uh, yeah, that's alright. [Chorus] I don't wanna be like yo…
Filthy Rich I Don't Wanna Be Uh, yeah, that's alright. [Chorus] I don't wanna be like…
For the Love of Peace Say, say, say, why are you looking for the was, I…
Forever Damaged I'll be a witness forever You see I've always known While…
Gotta Be ...Movin' on Up [Chorus:] We be movin' on up To the eastside Where I can…
Gotta Be... Movin' on Up [Chorus:] We be movin' on up To the eastside Where I can…
Gotta Be…Movin' On Up [Chorus:] We be movin' on up To the eastside Where I can…
Hale-Bopp Regurgitations I should'a known not to watch that comet I should'a known…
Hope I see the world goes down Darkness puts on the crown Hate…
I A question mark's on a question mark And insecurities conne…
I Can See Myself I want a love I can see. (Ah-Pow-Pow) That's the only…
I Had No Right Why can't I keep you from the cold Seem to know…
I Hate Myself for You Don't waste your precious light, all my life I've hated mys…
I Really Love You Holding all the pictures that my life's drawn I never find…
I'd Die Without You Is it my turn to wish you were lying here? I…
I'll Be Waiting for You I'll be waiting for you Even if it takes you all…
I'll die Without you Is it my turn to wish you were lying here? I…
If I Could Be Your Star You're too far away for me to run to A million…
If I were you If I wuz you So surreal so surreal So surreal that it…
If You Never Say Goodbye Legs of a cat Head of a man Eyes on the camera Shaking…
If You Stay If I wuz you So surreal so surreal So surreal that it…
Ill Be Waiting for You I'll be waiting for you Even if it takes you all…
In My Dreamz One two buckle that fool, He's fucking with me, if he's…
In The Presence Of Mirrors (That's dope) In the presence of mirrors I come face to…
Intro A lot of strange words, Being said. I assure you their innoc…
I’d Die Without You Is it my turn to wish you were lying here? I…
Looking Through Patient Eyes Whatever it is I do, I try to think about…
May You Always Drink Bizarre I drink bizarre I drink bizarre I drink bizarre ... Ma…
Midnight If and betting on an if, and if that if…
Miles from Anything If you should ever go, don't ever think I'd never…
Misery In Utero It's all good baby Don't worry about it 'Cause I've got all…
More Than Likely What's the use in trying If all my senses say no…
Movin ON Up [Chorus:] We be movin' on up To the eastside Where I can…
Music for Carnivores You'll hear tales Of all the great pretenders Then it come…
My Own Personal Gravity No, there ain't nothing special 'bout my life, my egoism…
No Further Damage Tell me what I'm to do I'm trying to find you But…
No Woman No Cry No woman no cry No woman no cry No woman no cry No…
Norwegian Wood I once had a girl, or should I say, she…
Od Kolejny krok do przodu Dwa kroki w tył Wczorajsze plany Skru…
On A Clear Day Think I could find a better way, Find a sight to…
Paper Doll Paper Doll ( Paper Doll ), Paper Doll ( Paper…
Patient Eyes Whatever it is I do, I try to think about…
Plastic Prince sing another song, its written on your face, Instead…
Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine [Chorus] Reality used to be a friend of mine Reality used to…
Screaming At Me I can hear me now Telling me it's my life I can…
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss Set adrift on memory bliss of you Baby, you send me Baby,…
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss (extended mix) The camera pans the cocktail glass, Behind a blind of plasti…
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss (Wicked mix remix) The camera pans to a cocktail glass Behind a blind of…
Shake Shake, shake, shake, shake Any females in the house Any fe…
She Dreams Persistent Maybes Ooo Woo hoo (repeat) She dreams maybes that drive me craz…
Silence J'suis avec mon gars blue tu vois c'que j'veux dire? C'est…
So on and so on Hey you I remember you, I think I'm well acquainted with…
Sometimes I Miss You So Much I can tell you how I feel about you night…
Sonchyenne Sonchyenne, tell me about mankind and all of my lifetimes…
Stay Away From Me As time goes by, a lot of it gets wasted…
The 9:45 Wake-Up Dream Destiny paints the picture at about 9:45, I possess the…
The Beautiful Yeah! In a quest to become colorless I exhault my eyes w…
The Nocturnal Is in the House Ay yo, this is the PM steppin' to the AM. Flippin'…
The Puppet Show Baby works at the puppet show And sometimes I can't…
The Ways of the Wind Holding on is like the ways of the wind, Holding on…
To Love And Hate Seriously [Intro] Only thing I could tell y'all, it ain't like what…
To Love Me More When you run away with someone To the corners of your…
To Serenade A Rainbow I think I want to fly away. I think I want…
Untitled And Columbus would sail across the end of the world Almost…
When It Falling leaves and broken hearts. I believe you are the same…
When It’s Raining Cats and Dogs Falling leaves and broken hearts. I believe you are the sam…
When Midnight Sighs If and betting on an if, and if that if…
Why God Loves You I look through love baby just like you, I hope…
Yang: As Private I I befriended my confusion quite some time ago She tells me…
Yang: As Private I's I befriended my confusion quite some time ago She tells me…
You Got Me Floatin' You got me floatin', 'round and 'round You got me floatin',…
You're Not Blisstening Figure myself out And it's feeling like a nightmare Go into …