The Time – The Flamingo Room – Las Vegas, NV. Tuesday July 29 & Wednesday July 30, 2008 - …The original members of The Time bonded again for a special set of shows at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in the heart of the Strip this summer. I caught two shows that started promptly at 7:30 PM, and lasted until just after 9:00 PM each night. The shows were starting early due to comedian George Wallace being booked in the same room for 10 PM performances nightly. I enjoyed each show although the edge easily went to the Tuesday night get down. The impetus for booking a flight to Vegas was rooted in the chance to see the elusive and eccentric Jesse Johnson playing his guitar on top of Terry Lewis’ bass-lines.

They didn’t let me down.

The duo reached their zenith each night at the crescendo of If the Kid Can’t Make U Come – with Lewis ‘going to church’ while Johnson played the blues. Likewise the big finish to Jungle Love (I gotta bear skin rug) shook the building with Jesse’s large wavy resonations.

I recall the following songs or snippets of songs being performed…

Get it Up. A first song that makes perfect sense – although its impact would have been greater had the show started later when more folks were tipsy. One disappointment for me was the fact that they didn’t play the whole thing. To me – Get it Up’s fire comes near the end (Ahhhh oh oh oh ahhhh). Plus I really was eager to hear Jesse solo - which is late in the original tune.

I am not sure of the set list order but I believe Cool was next (incredibly funky all the way through the chants of “Las Vegas, Anybody Hot-a, No, U Know Why, Why, Cuz we’re Cool. Coo.) Jesse on rhythm guitar had me making faces.

Jerome Benton is simply the best hype man in music. He was drawing oohs and ahh’s from the audience for his spectacular dance steps. He still does the splits (Locker’s style) with gusto and quickness! He was constantly in motion doing all the signature dances with Morris Day in unison.

…777-9311, The Stick, and Wild & Loose were all in there somewhere early. A mini rock n roll segment was next with Blondie, The Skillet, and My Drawers. …Jimmy Jam serves as emcee while also playing keys. He introduced “piano-man” Monte Moir (I learned – pronounced Moy-er, rather than Moore), who played and sang If You Were Here Tonight. The ballad is a favorite attributed to Alexander O’Neal. On Wednesday – Jam explained there would be no Monte Moir song because “the piano-man broke his piano”.

At this point – keyboardist’s Moir, Jimmy Jam, and Morris exit the stage leaving Jesse, Terry, Jellybean Johnson (drums), and Jerome for what I will call Jesse’s segment. He leads into it by playing a solo similar to the end of Let’s Go Crazy (Prince). Jesse then takes his time – finally settling into a wickedly nasty bass, drum, and guitar only version of his own hits I Want to Be Your Man, followed by Can You Help Me, and Free World. I sure liked it.

Jam then reappears to introduce his Grammy winning production partner Terry Lewis. They run through What Have You Done for Me Lately, and Black Cat – two Janet Jackson songs. Singing both songs is Heidi Marie who suddenly appears without introduction. (I thought it odd that they didn’t have Jam use his considerable credibility to establish who Heidi Marie is before she comes on stage.) She looked hot in a skin tight cat suit making Jesse blush as she grinded against him during the Black Cat guitar solo.

A new song “See Thru” featured a trio of dancers from the X Burlesque show. Fantastic energy carried the song that I just didn't care for. Morris’ solo segment included Fishnet, and the Oak Tree. Gigolo’s Get Lonely Too and Jerk Out were in there somewhere as well.

The interplay between Morris and Jerome is still an amusing part of the performance. They clown heavily during Ice Cream Castles when all the “sexy and a little bit nasty” women in the audience are invited on stage to line dance. In the Wednesday show – Cherrelle, of Saturday Love fame, was among the 'ass wigglers'. Her rather large backside did not go unnoticed by Morris and Jerome who kidded her – saying “I’m gonna tell your momma”.

…The show closes with The Walk (not long enough!), The Bird, and the aforementioned Jungle Love as an encore. During the Wednesday show – NBA World Champion P.J. Brown was among those on stage doing the bird.

Additional notes: I bumped into Jerome in the elevator Wednesday afternoon and he was as cool, and as nice as you would want him to be. He actually paused a phone conversation to chat with me – thanking me for coming to see the shows. …Las Vegas is the PERFECT place to see a performance. My days were spent poolside at Flamingo while I had plenty of TIME to enjoy great restaurants, and nightlife. The rooms at the Flamingo have been recently remodeled and my strip-view spot on the 19th floor was quite nice. …I hit the Playboy Club at The Palms as well as the attached Moon nightclub at the top of the Palms’ 53 story Fantasy Tower. The club features a retractable roof over the dance floor that opens in the wee hours of the morning when the crowd reaches a fever pitch.

Good times!
[Edited 8/3/08 22:38pm]

Hey, I was at the Flamingo on the 29th... was that Tuesday? Was totally blown away and when Jerome got me up on stage for the Bird (I was the first one up... green shirt next to Jesse!) I got more excited then a 35 year old should in that situation!

As it finished I had a brief chat with Jesse too, which was cool. About Bare My Naked Soul.

Oh yeah, and I was right on front of Jesse and his embarrassed, unsuppressed smile as that Heidi suggestively cavorted around him was hilarious.

Didn't Janet Write Black Cat and Jellybean produced it and played guitar?

Or was that "creative" crediting?

GaryMF said:

My bad. I did not realize that. I will EDIT.

bobsteezy said:

I'm just going by what was said at the time. I always figured Janet had "help"...was wondering if anyone knew the real story.

GaryMF said:

At the last show, Jimmy Jam specifically said Jellybean wrote AND produced Black Cat.

SCNDLS said:

Interesting.... on most of Control Janet got co-writing credit. But I had heard J&L had written most of the tracks and were shopping them around before they hooked up with Janet.

You think Janet actually contributed anything besides a lyric here or there?

janet just like beyonce i dont think she really actually writes any of the songs other than prolly being the inspiration and adding a few lines here and there cuz i cant actually imagine them sitting down takin the time 2 b real writers and crafters but as we know rene claim he wrote black cat 4 janet but i would go wit what jimmy and terry saying that jellybean wrote it