1. The Time is a musical group that was formed in 1981. Featuring a funky sound merging pop with dance music, soul music, and more, they are prominent proteges of Prince and arguably his most successful side project. A version of the outfit called 'Morris Day and the Time' still tour to this day.
The band was assembled under a clause in Prince's contract with Warner Bros. that allowed him to recruit and produce other artists for the label. Inspired by the 1980 film 'The Idolmaker', a work about the life of music promoter and producer Bob Marucci (the svengali behind such 50s/60s teen idols as Fabian and Frankie Avalon), Prince decided to put together a pop-infused funk group that would serve as a pet project and an outlet for further hits and material in the vein of his own early albums. Prince had the intent to explore other musical genres and go for a more avant-garde ethos in his own career.
By 1981, he had built 'The Time' out of an existing Minneapolis funk unit called 'Flyte Tyme' (from the Donald Byrd song), which featured Jellybean Johnson on drums, Jimmy Jam and Monte Moir on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass. To this base, musicans Jesse Johnson (on guitar) and Morris Day (on lead vocals) came in. Day was a childhood friend of Prince and was drawn from another local band called 'Enterprise'. Prince had used an Enterprise song, titled "Partyup", on his 'Dirty Mind' album, and his selection of Day was essentially a reward; he had originally tapped Alexander O'Neal, yet another player in the Minneapolis funk scene, for the vocalist slot yet that had fallen through. "Valet" Jerome Benton also became a member of The Time, despite not playing an instrument. His main contributions are backing vocals and various on-stage antics.
The band went on to release four albums during the course of their main career, each being welcomed by man critics as a solid slice of jammy, rock-infused 80s funk. In contrast to the spiritually and ideologically charged nature of much of Prince's work at that time, The Time's albums seemed generally light and humorous in tone, though the first two of which were composed and arranged entirely by Prince. The band scored numerous hits over the years. These include "The Bird", "Jungle Love", "777-9311", "Get It Up", "Gigolos Get Lonely Too", and "Cool".
Still, despite burning up the R&B charts in the early 80s, the group never approached true super-stardom. Nor did they develop a reputation for innovation or artistic brilliance in the manner of Prince, with tensions building between the desires of the band members to spread their wings and the heavy-handed control of their famous manager. In terms of raw talent, Prince's associates clearly had much to offer.
In 1983, musicians Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had begun writing songs and branching out into production work of their own (such as working with SOLAR to produce Klymaxx and with Tabu Records to produce the S.O.S. Band), got stranded in Atlanta by a blizzard and failed to make it to a concert in San Antonio, Texas. The two were fined and then fired. Whether their firing had that much to do with the incident per se or seemed inevitable due to their increasing independence has never been clear, but the musicians went on to successful production careers involving them with multiple soul and funk artists. Monte Moir took the opportunity to leave as well, and he would also work with Jam and Lewis. The three were replaced with Mark Cardenez, Paul Peterson (redubbed St. Paul), and Jerry Hubbard.
This new line-up were featured in Prince's Purple Rain film. The Time rode the wave of popularity created by the movie and hit singles "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" and were household names in 1984.
It was Day who left next after arguments with Prince, choosing to pursue a solo career in 1985 after a successful acting turn in Purple Rain. Soon thereafter, with Jesse Johnson also opting to go solo, the band disintegrated but several members (Benton, Johnson and Peterson) were reformed into a new short-lived project called The Family. Meanwhile, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis went on to become one of the most successful songwriting and production teams of the 80s and 90s.
In 1990, Benton and the original six members of the band reunited for the Graffiti Bridge movie and soundtrack, as well as a new album called Pandemonium. This spawned their highest selling single, "Jerk Out" and the album featured more input from the band than any other Time album. The reunion was short-lived, however - infighting within the band caused them to disband once again. Morris and Jerome have since remained a team, with both trying out some small acting roles over the next few years.
Several members of The Time reunited in 1996, added a few new recruits and have remained together since. This version of the band can be seen in the Kevin Smith film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and tours frequently to this day. The band is usually billed as "Morris Day and The Time".
A fifth Time album is rumored to have been completed in the late 90s, recorded with the new lineup but production and coordination with Prince has prevented its release. The title Old Dogs, New Tricks was the working title. A 2004 album attributed to Morris Day called It's About Time contains a few new tracks written and performed by Day and a number of live performances by The Time.
In 2011, the original version of the band reformed as a new entity, The Original 7ven, in order to release a new album. Issues with Prince stalled out the group's momentum, even though 'Condensate' and its single, "#Trendin", both received critical praise. This version of the band had disbanded totally by 2013, Morris Day resumed touring as "Morris Day and The Time".
From late 2014 onward, the band shot back into international attention when genre-hopping British artist Mark Ronson used The Time's work as inspiration for his gigantic hit "Uptown Funk" (also known as "Uptown Funk (Feat. Bruno Mars)" due to Bruno Mars' involvement). After receiving the prestigious best British Single Award at the 2015 BRIT ceremony, Ronson directly thanked Morris Day and The Time alongside artists such as James Brown and others on air for trailblazing the "Uptown Funk" sound. In the past several months, a sort of 'halo effect' has allowed The Time to blast back into the mainstream and appear on programs such as 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.
2. The Time was a freakbeat band of the mid-1960s from Southampton, United Kingdom. They released just two rare 45s on Pye Records in 1966, the first and best known one being 'Take a Bit of Notice' b/w 'Every Now and Then'. Personnel: Kevin Scott (vocals), John Glenfield (guitar), Mike Dubiel (bass), Danny Barbour (drums). Frontman Kevin Scott's real name was Kevin Finn. He would move on to become the lead singer in Wishful Thinking and The New Seekers.
Oh Baby
The Time Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nowhere to go, no telephone.
Just you and me and this big old bed.
You ain't got nowhere to go.
You might as well stop being so cool.
Honey, baby, break down.
Oh baby, take off your clothes.
Feel the wind blow.
That's the atmosphere.
Ooh baby, come here.
Oh baby, honey take your time.
Cause when you come, you come and come.
That's when I get mine.
Until then, I said honey, "Close your eyes".
Yeah, oh baby.
Oh baby, baby, don't make me wait.
Don't make me wait.
Oh, no, no, I can't stand it, baby.
Don't make me, don't make me wait, girl.
Oh, no, no, no, girl.
What's it gonna be, baby?
You know I can't wait.
Please, please. You know you ain't got nowhere to go.
We've come this far, come on.
Oh, baby.
Break down, baby.
Go on and break it all down.
Give me your love.
Give me your mind.
Break down!
Oh, baby, let me do ya please.
In "Oh Baby," The Time sings about a moment of intimacy between two people who are left alone with no distractions, phones or obligations. The song expresses the desire to be with someone intimately and to have them let their guard down, while the singer communicates his readiness and availability for this special moment. The singer encourages his partner to relax and let go of any inhibitions or reservations they might have, to be open and receptive to the sexual energy between them. He implores his lover to take off her clothes, feel the wind, and let herself go. The song creates an incredibly intimate and sensual atmosphere, as the singer shares his own desires with the listener and encourages them to do the same.
As the song progresses, it becomes more urgent, with the singer urging his lover not to make him wait any longer. The repeated refrain that "you ain't got nowhere to go" creates an atmosphere of total abandon, with the implication being that the two people are free to fully explore their immediate passions and desires. Finally, the singer implores his lover to "break down," giving in to the sexual energy between them completely. This moment is passionate and sensual, as the singer begs his lover to give him her all, both physically and mentally.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby, we're all alone.
Both of us are alone without any interruptions or anyone bothering us.
Nowhere to go, no telephone.
We don't have any place to go, and there's no phone to answer.
Just you and me and this big old bed.
Only the two of us are present in this room with a large bed.
You ain't got nowhere to go.
You don't have anything else to do or anywhere else to be.
You might as well stop being so cool.
You can relax and drop the act of being calm and in control.
Honey, baby, break down.
Let yourself go and be more emotionally open.
Oh baby, take off your clothes.
Please undress and get comfortable.
Do it over by the window.
Undress next to the window.
Feel the wind blow.
Experience the sensation of the wind blowing on your body.
That's the atmosphere.
This is the environment we're in.
Ooh baby, come here.
Come closer to me.
Oh baby, honey take your time.
Take your time and enjoy yourself.
Cause when you come, you come and come.
You orgasm multiple times.
That's when I get mine.
That's when I orgasm.
Until then, I said honey, 'Close your eyes'.
Until then, I want you to relax and close your eyes.
Oh baby.
Oh, my love.
Oh baby, baby, don't make me wait.
I can't wait any longer for you.
Don't make me wait.
Please don't make me wait anymore.
Oh, no, no, I can't stand it, baby.
I can't bear it, my love.
Don't make me, don't make me wait, girl.
Please don't make me wait any longer, my dear.
Oh, no, no, no, girl.
I can't stand it any longer, my love.
What's it gonna be, baby?
What will you choose, my love?
You know I can't wait.
You know that I am impatient.
Please, please.
I'm begging you.
You know you ain't got nowhere to go.
You have no other place to be.
We've come this far, come on.
Since we've gone this far, let's continue.
Oh, baby.
Oh, my love.
Break down, baby.
Let yourself go and be vulnerable.
Go on and break it all down.
Release all your emotions.
Give me your love.
Share your love with me.
Give me your mind.
Be mentally present and open with me.
Break down!
Let yourself go completely!
Oh, baby, let me do ya please.
Let me make you feel good, my love.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kellyh3034
Prince was the baddest musician on the planet. Most don't understand. Listen to song and his piano 🎹 playing. I mean really listen. Funk forever!
@keithrichards8638
Glory to God, praise the Lord always, hello I agree with you, God made prince funky!I love this song by the time, it's prince just playing at the guitar,drums,etc, prince could perform,produce it, and give it to the band!Prince was just that to music fans! praise God always,prince one of the greatest,ask the Rolling stones! praise God always!
@bernardjohnson7336
And it's still hard to believe he did all the instruments on this album. 😮
@kellyh3034
@bernardjohnson7336 And a lot of people back in that day played multiple instruments. He was different because he composed, wrote, and arranged everything. The background singers with harmonics (mostly if not all of him doing the singing). Thats difference of it all. Btw, including The Time music. Vanity. Appollonia. The Family. I can go on and on, but all should get the point.
@jimmygray3261
The most underrated song of the Time
@robertmuhammad236
Yes it is...
@robertmuhammad236
This was the first song I have ever heard by The Time, I was a Freshman in high school 1980 and they are still one of my favorite groups to this day.
YEZZ!!!
@newtap
I was a sophomore in HS when this came out…AND it’s STILL in my playlist!
@gordonjohnson9005
This Jam Is Pure Bananas The Hottest Slow Burner Period 💥💥💥💥
@lewesleyacklin1408
i remember this song it should have been a big hit, haven't heard it in 37 yrs.... WOW thanks alot