Minneapolis sound

The Minneapolis sound is a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, synthpop and new wave, that was pioneered by Prince in the late 1970s.[1] Its popularity was given a boost throughout the 1980s, thanks to him and his musical adherents, including The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Morris Day, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Ta Mara & the Seen, Sheila E., Jesse Johnson, Brownmark, Mazarati, and The Family.

According to the Rolling Stone Album Guide, "the Minneapolis sound... loomed over mid-'80s R&B and pop, not to mention the next two decades' worth of electro, house, and techno."[2]

Prince's third album Dirty Mind from 1980 also earns credit. Pepe Willie, who brought his brand of music to Minneapolis from Brooklyn, New York, in the mid-'70s, is credited with being the first to bring Prince into the studio professionally to play on his group, 94 East's, demo. Owen Husney, Prince's first manager is credited with managing many of the Minneapolis artists at the time, recording them in his American Artists studio, and securing contracts for them with major labels.

Some artists who came from Minnesota were influenced by Prince's work and some came from other parts of the U.S. or world, such as Scottish star Sheena Easton, Flint, Michigan's Ready for the World and Los Angeles, California's Cherrelle. The Minneapolis sound is also known as a form of funk rock.

Identifying characteristics

While the "Minneapolis sound" was a form of funk, it had some distinguishing characteristics:

Artists associated with the Minneapolis sound

See also

Sources

References

  1. Campbell, Michael (2008). Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. Cengage Learning, 2008. p. 300. ISBN 0495505307.
  2. Prince: Biography : Rolling Stone
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