Flyte Tyme (band)

Flyte Tyme
Background information
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres Pop, rock, R&B, Funk
Years active 1972 - 1980
Associated acts The Time
Members David Eiland
Jimmy "Jam" Harris
Anton (Tony) Johnson
Cynthia Johnson
Jellybean Johnson
Terry Lewis
Monte Moir
Alexander O'Neal

Flyte Tyme was a funk/R&B band from Minneapolis which launched the careers of vocalists Cynthia Johnson, Alexander O'Neal and Grammy-winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[1]

History

Flyte Tyme began as a Minneapolis funk/R&B unit, taking its name from "Flight Time," a 1973 Donald Byrd song.[1] The group was first known as "Wars of Armageddon", then "Soul Vaccination" before becoming Flyte Tyme.

The group featured Cynthia Johnson on lead vocals and on saxophone, Garry "Jellybean" Johnson on drums, Tony Johnson on lead guitar, Monte Moir and Jimmy "Jam" Harris on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass. The band's horn section was occasionally expanded by David Eiland on saxophone. Many of the group's musicians would later work with Prince.

After Cynthia Johnson's departure, Alexander O'Neal was her replacement;[1] Johnson later gained fame as the voice of Lipps Inc's worldwide #1 hit, "Funkytown." Flyte Tyme became The Time in 1981 when Prince created the act around his friends' band, adding guitarist Jesse Johnson and childhood friend and drummer Morris Day from "Enterprise", another local group.[1] Morris Day also became the group's frontman, replacing O'Neal. Jam & Lewis left The Time in 1983 to pursue an independent writing and producing career, resurrecting the Flyte Tyme name for their production company and later, their record label.

Discography

Two unreleased songs, "I Got You On My Mind" and "It's The Things That You Do", were released in 2013 on the "Purple Snow - Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound" compilation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Williams, Chris. "Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have become synonymous with recording excellence". waxpoetics.com. Wax Poetics Magazine. Retrieved 2015-02-07.

External links


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