Album of the Day

Prince's contract with Warner Bros. allowed him to release side projects with other artists on the label; perhaps the most successful of these acts was The Time. The Minneapolis band included old friend Morris Day and the future production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and the group made their live debut on this day in 1981. But other than Day's vocals, you won't hear much of the group on that year's THE TIME – employing the pseudonym “Jamie Starr,” Prince wrote most of the songs and played virtually all of the instruments. Consequently, the six long-ish tracks here feature salacious synth-funk that would sound right at home on the Purple One's DIRTY MIND. Both “Get It Up” and “Cool” reached the Top 10 on the R&B chart, and from uptempo dance songs to slinky slow jams, THE TIME remains an ideal album to play when it's party time.