DecaturStone said:

Even if you watch the DVD that with the O7 cd. Clearly Jesse was an outsider. He even said that he has had fights and what not. He was the only who spoke like that. Keeping in mind Jam, Terry, Bean and Monte all work together all the time. You have NEVER seen Jesse getting any credit on a FlyteTyme joint. Hell even Jerome has credits on a few songs. So Jesse either does not want to or can't work with the guys. Its clear there is something wrong

I'm a musician and I was blessed with a good ear. If you listen to Innocent/Alex 9000 you can clearly hear Jesse singing background. He also took a guitar solo after Jellybean took one. On Alex 9000 thats definitely Jesse playing rhythm guitar. Jimmy and Terry never acknowledged this to this day

Meloh9 said:

E

madhouseman said:

Yes I was on the staff for UPTOWN and I think I remember Owen saying that (I didn't conduct that interview). It makes sense. I think that Prince enjoys being the starmaker and that they need him. You rarely see him writing for the most popular artists. Either they are artists that he wants to build or artists that are on the decline that he wants to build back up. I think he wants to be responsible for the success of those he works with. That is just my take on this, but that is a little off the topic anyway! lol

Good point about Jesse needing a Mick. Then again, Mick needed his Keith as well. Have you ever listened to a Mick solo album? There is a reason that few people have!

I totally agree that Prince enjoys playing the role as star maker. In fact according to Wikipedia he was influenced by a film called the star maker before he signed the time. Jesse's Verbal Penetration was a great disc, particularly the first disc. However, I still think Jesse is better in the context of a band. The Time had it all, a charismatic and comedic front man, a hendrix influenced lead guitarist, two super producers, an air tight band as a whole. I was really looking forward to seeing all the original members as a collective. Jesse had a few hits on the R&B charts, but he never matched the popularity of either The Time and sure as hell not Prince on his own. I think he is in denial about that. He really should have showcased his guitar playing on those 80's albums, everybdy knows that. I know I am preaching to the choir here.

Interesting, but I just realized that although Jesse said he was leaving the 07, there's been no official statement from the group, as a whole, stating that he's officially out, so for now, I guess we will have to see if there's been a change of heart or that maybe they convinced Jesse to stay. We shall see how it all pans out.

Personally I am glad Jesse is gone. He is just a Prince want a be anyway. Bring on Tori!!

I think that since Jesse is gone that the group is a dead issue. I've always got the impression that Jam & Lewis are only down with 'Time' projects if it's only the original line-up. So if there's no Jesse then there probably won't be a Jam & Lewis either. Even Jerome isn't down with the alternate line-up anymore. That leaves 3 originals and that's what we've had for the past few years anyway. Add in Morris not seeming to be interested in playing the new songs("work smarter not harder") and we've been there and done that already.

in that case RIP Original 7/The Time. At least you guys gave it an effort. Unfortunately they just couldn't cut it in todays music. Thanks for the attempt though. I enjoyed the cd

My first reaction to this news was "Aww damn, Jesse...why? Why, dude? Like so many others, I was hyped from the CD, listening to it every day and looking forward to seeing the old gang back together, rippin' up the stage. I had similar feelings of disappointment that they wouldn't be holding it together long enough for me to at least catch a show or something.
Then I thought.
Whenever examining a situation, you have to try to be objective and look at various sides and try to ascertain a whole perspective rather than a narrowed view. I realized that I was only thinking of what I wanted.
Upon reflecting on Verbal Penetration, I have to say that in some ways, its is a better record than Condensate. I you examine the lyrical content, the maturity of the writing and the varied styles on the record, you can understand why Jesse might not want to go back to doing what he was doing twenty-some odd years ago. Yes, its what we all hoped for. Yes, it was probably fun for them at first. Still, its like asking a grown man to go back to wearing garanimals or something. "Hey man, we got your size - just try them on".

Truth be told, its obvious that the man that wrote Verbal Penetration is not the same man that was the guitar player in Prince's old side project any more. As much as we'd all like it to be the case, its not. That doesn't mean that the other members haven't grown and moved on as well, but they all came together and decided that (basically, for the fans and for nostalgia's sake) they would do it one more time for "old Time's sake" and Jesse tried, too. I guess he just realized that what started out as a great idea turned out not to be what he wanted. I don't know, but I'm just saying that I understand when a person feels they have to be true to themselves regardless of how it may appear in the way of making other choices. I don't LIKE it, but I respect it. I hope his next musical venture is fulfilling for him and I guess Tori will be back on the axe. I like Tori and he has been playing the material longer than Jesse did.
I know Prince is the only one around here who is allowed to grow and change but in reality, we all do and whether or not fans understand it, that doesn't change the facts.

BlaqueKnight said:

BlaqueKnight said:

My first reaction to this news was "Aww damn, Jesse...why? Why, dude? Like so many others, I was hyped from the CD, listening to it every day and looking forward to seeing the old gang back together, rippin' up the stage. I had similar feelings of disappointment that they wouldn't be holding it together long enough for me to at least catch a show or something.
Then I thought.
Whenever examining a situation, you have to try to be objective and look at various sides and try to ascertain a whole perspective rather than a narrowed view. I realized that I was only thinking of what I wanted.
Upon reflecting on Verbal Penetration, I have to say that in some ways, its is a better record than Condensate. I you examine the lyrical content, the maturity of the writing and the varied styles on the record, you can understand why Jesse might not want to go back to doing what he was doing twenty-some odd years ago. Yes, its what we all hoped for. Yes, it was probably fun for them at first. Still, its like asking a grown man to go back to wearing garanimals or something. "Hey man, we got your size - just try them on".

Truth be told, its obvious that the man that wrote Verbal Penetration is not the same man that was the guitar player in Prince's old side project any more. As much as we'd all like it to be the case, its not. That doesn't mean that the other members haven't grown and moved on as well, but they all came together and decided that (basically, for the fans and for nostalgia's sake) they would do it one more time for "old Time's sake" and Jesse tried, too. I guess he just realized that what started out as a great idea turned out not to be what he wanted. I don't know, but I'm just saying that I understand when a person feels they have to be true to themselves regardless of how it may appear in the way of making other choices. I don't LIKE it, but I respect it. I hope his next musical venture is fulfilling for him and I guess Tori will be back on the axe. I like Tori and he has been playing the material longer than Jesse did.
I know Prince is the only one around here who is allowed to grow and change but in reality, we all do and whether or not fans understand it, that doesn't change the facts.

Thats the best polished pile of bullshit you ever wrote.

dandeeland said:

Personally I am glad Jesse is gone. He is just a Prince want a be anyway. Bring on Tori!!

It's not the same without Jesse. Nobody can play rhythm guitar on Ice Cream Castles like Jesse

dandeeland said:

Personally I am glad Jesse is gone. He is just a Prince want a be anyway. Bring on Tori!!

sprays the good fred curl activator in your eyes

rdhull said:

dandeeland said:

Personally I am glad Jesse is gone. He is just a Prince want a be anyway. Bring on Tori!!

sprays the good fred curl activator in your eyes

Not the Good Fred oil!

*dies*

rdhull said:

Thats the best polished pile of bullshit you ever wrote.

Its called an opinion. I gave mine. No bullshit. I don't feel I have to bullshit any of you.

BlaqueKnight said:

My first reaction to this news was "Aww damn, Jesse...why? Why, dude? Like so many others, I was hyped from the CD, listening to it every day and looking forward to seeing the old gang back together, rippin' up the stage. I had similar feelings of disappointment that they wouldn't be holding it together long enough for me to at least catch a show or something.
Then I thought.
Whenever examining a situation, you have to try to be objective and look at various sides and try to ascertain a whole perspective rather than a narrowed view. I realized that I was only thinking of what I wanted.
Upon reflecting on Verbal Penetration, I have to say that in some ways, its is a better record than Condensate. I you examine the lyrical content, the maturity of the writing and the varied styles on the record, you can understand why Jesse might not want to go back to doing what he was doing twenty-some odd years ago. Yes, its what we all hoped for. Yes, it was probably fun for them at first. Still, its like asking a grown man to go back to wearing garanimals or something. "Hey man, we got your size - just try them on".

Truth be told, its obvious that the man that wrote Verbal Penetration is not the same man that was the guitar player in Prince's old side project any more. As much as we'd all like it to be the case, its not. That doesn't mean that the other members haven't grown and moved on as well, but they all came together and decided that (basically, for the fans and for nostalgia's sake) they would do it one more time for "old Time's sake" and Jesse tried, too. I guess he just realized that what started out as a great idea turned out not to be what he wanted. I don't know, but I'm just saying that I understand when a person feels they have to be true to themselves regardless of how it may appear in the way of making other choices. I don't LIKE it, but I respect it. I hope his next musical venture is fulfilling for him and I guess Tori will be back on the axe. I like Tori and he has been playing the material longer than Jesse did.
I know Prince is the only one around here who is allowed to grow and change but in reality, we all do and whether or not fans understand it, that doesn't change the facts.

You may be right but I don't know. Condensate does not strike me as a rushed project. Therefore I believe that Jesse had more than enough time, as they were arranging, composing, producing and putting all the songs together, plus participate in the documentary, to realize that this was not for him and could have pulled out way earlier. Maybe he was down with putting all the songs together, but as they started doing live performances and not doing enough of the new music, he started feeling like "nah, I'm so tired of COOL and the same o same o, we gotta do something different or I'm out." We will never know. The O7 hasn't updated there facebook in awhile.

[Edited 12/29/11 19:38pm]

BlaqueKnight said:

rdhull said:

Thats the best polished pile of bullshit you ever wrote.

Its called an opinion. I gave mine. No bullshit. I don't feel I have to bullshit any of you.

You are aplogetically excusing and ratonalizing (not very well) JJ for some shit you would have called bs on for another artist--especially Prince. You cant possibly believe that Voo..I mean doo-doo you posted.

rdhull said:

BlaqueKnight said:

Its called an opinion. I gave mine. No bullshit. I don't feel I have to bullshit any of you.

You are aplogetically excusing and ratonalizing (not very well) JJ for some shit you would have called bs on for another artist--especially Prince. You cant possibly believe that Voo..I mean doo-doo you posted.

What part do I not believe? That VP is a more mature record than Condensate? Are you kidding? Condensate is a great record but its a great record about clothes, cars and hoes. It is exactly what I expect from The Time and I don't mind it one bit, but lets not try to pretend that its more than what it is. Its a fun record but its a well done party record. Verbal Penetration's subject matter expanded way beyond partying.

As for Jesse's reasons, my guess is that he fell out with one of the band members and that set things in motion but ALL of what I mentioned could play a part in it.

Everybody is saying "he should have known this by blah, blah, blah" but that is bullshit. People don't know when their breaking point is until they hit their breaking point. No one could have known when that was except Jesse. Maybe he wanted to do more new material and they didn't? That could have also easily played a part in it but its fucking crazy to say that he didn't just pull a Danny Glover and say "I'm getting too old for this shit" and say "fuck it". D'Angelo's records are closer to the material on VP than the material on COndensate as far as musical direction and lyrics go, so all of the above combined with the D offer might have made him bow out. I only speculate but by no means was any of it bullshit. These types of decisions are usually made by a culmination of several things falling apart. There is usually a straw that breaks the camel's back but it is also usually preceeded by a bunch of other things that slid by and were smoldering and building up to a flame.

BlaqueKnight said:

rdhull said:

You are aplogetically excusing and ratonalizing (not very well) JJ for some shit you would have called bs on for another artist--especially Prince. You cant possibly believe that Voo..I mean doo-doo you posted.

What part do I not believe? That VP is a more mature record than Condensate? Are you kidding? Condensate is a great record but its a great record about clothes, cars and hoes. It is exactly what I expect from The Time and I don't mind it one bit, but lets not try to pretend that its more than what it is. Its a fun record but its a well done party record. Verbal Penetration's subject matter expanded way beyond partying.

As for Jesse's reasons, my guess is that he fell out with one of the band members and that set things in motion but ALL of what I mentioned could play a part in it.

Everybody is saying "he should have known this by blah, blah, blah" but that is bullshit. People don't know when their breaking point is until they hit their breaking point. No one could have known when that was except Jesse. Maybe he wanted to do more new material and they didn't? That could have also easily played a part in it but its fucking crazy to say that he didn't just pull a Danny Glover and say "I'm getting too old for this shit" and say "fuck it". D'Angelo's records are closer to the material on VP than the material on COndensate as far as musical direction and lyrics go, so all of the above combined with the D offer might have made him bow out. I only speculate but by no means was any of it bullshit. These types of decisions are usually made by a culmination of several things falling apart. There is usually a straw that breaks the camel's back but it is also usually preceeded by a bunch of other things that slid by and were smoldering and building up to a flame.

I think BlaqueKnight may have a good point. Verbal Penetration touched on social issues and the history of the Moors etc. The Time is promarily all about entertainment and has comedic elements. It is possible that he wants the time to move in a more sociallly concious direction but I don't see that one happening. one can only speculate I guess.

Meloh9 said:

I think BlaqueKnight may have a good point. Verbal Penetration touched on social issues and the history of the Moors etc.

It's "Moops".

squirrelgrease said:

Meloh9 said:

I think BlaqueKnight may have a good point. Verbal Penetration touched on social issues and the history of the Moors etc.

It's "Moops".

please explain...

With the news that MD & The Time have a gig in July 2012 I think Jesse knew exactly what time it is!

HonestMan13 said:

With the news that MD & The Time have a gig in July 2012 I think Jesse knew exactly what time it is!

remind me of this again next month in minneapolis at 1st ave

rdhull said:

BlaqueKnight said:

My first reaction to this news was "Aww damn, Jesse...why? Why, dude? Like so many others, I was hyped from the CD, listening to it every day and looking forward to seeing the old gang back together, rippin' up the stage. I had similar feelings of disappointment that they wouldn't be holding it together long enough for me to at least catch a show or something.
Then I thought.
Whenever examining a situation, you have to try to be objective and look at various sides and try to ascertain a whole perspective rather than a narrowed view. I realized that I was only thinking of what I wanted.
Upon reflecting on Verbal Penetration, I have to say that in some ways, its is a better record than Condensate. I you examine the lyrical content, the maturity of the writing and the varied styles on the record, you can understand why Jesse might not want to go back to doing what he was doing twenty-some odd years ago. Yes, its what we all hoped for. Yes, it was probably fun for them at first. Still, its like asking a grown man to go back to wearing garanimals or something. "Hey man, we got your size - just try them on".

Truth be told, its obvious that the man that wrote Verbal Penetration is not the same man that was the guitar player in Prince's old side project any more. As much as we'd all like it to be the case, its not. That doesn't mean that the other members haven't grown and moved on as well, but they all came together and decided that (basically, for the fans and for nostalgia's sake) they would do it one more time for "old Time's sake" and Jesse tried, too. I guess he just realized that what started out as a great idea turned out not to be what he wanted. I don't know, but I'm just saying that I understand when a person feels they have to be true to themselves regardless of how it may appear in the way of making other choices. I don't LIKE it, but I respect it. I hope his next musical venture is fulfilling for him and I guess Tori will be back on the axe. I like Tori and he has been playing the material longer than Jesse did.
I know Prince is the only one around here who is allowed to grow and change but in reality, we all do and whether or not fans understand it, that doesn't change the facts.

Thats the best polished pile of bullshit you ever wrote.

squirrelgrease said:

rdhull said:

Timmy84 said:

The Time members sure tried to cover HIS tracks too because they never fully revealed the reason he was eventually ousted. I think he always had a problem with Morris. I just feel the negative energy around them. Everyone was always concerned about Prince and Morris but Prince and Morris were almost like brothers so it's understandable how their relationship is but Morris and Jesse seemed to always be in odds.

[Edited 12/19/11 8:22am]

I heard that Jesse was upset that he didn't get to say the "How's the family?" line in Purple Rain.

squirrelgrease said:

Meloh9 said:

I think BlaqueKnight may have a good point. Verbal Penetration touched on social issues and the history of the Moors etc.

It's "Moops".

Meloh9 said:

squirrelgrease said:

It's "Moops".

please explain...

From the classic Seinfeld bubble boy episode...

I couldn't leave ya hanging.

[Edited 1/4/12 16:45pm]

babynoz said:

Meloh9 said:

please explain...

From the classic Seinfeld bubble boy episode...

I couldn't leave ya hanging.

[Edited 1/4/12 16:45pm]

oh

babynoz said:

Meloh9 said:

please explain...

From the classic Seinfeld bubble boy episode...

I couldn't leave ya hanging.

[Edited 1/4/12 16:45pm]

Oh, damn! I forgot about that... Just goes to show context is everything!

[Edited 1/4/12 17:50pm]

madhouseman said:

Jesse Johnson has left the building… again. Here are a few thoughts on this now that I’ve had a little time to wrap my brain around it.

Jesse was the last member to join the band and doesn’t have the history of growing up with the other guys. Granted, they’ve all been through a lot (3 tours together, etc.), but the other members (for the most part) have roots that trace all the way back to high school… which locks them together in a slightly different bond. Jesse is amazingly talented, but has always seemed a little like the outsider to me. In interviews he seems to be very open to talking about their history but if you look at the other guys faces (especially on the 07 DVD), they seem to be hoping Jesse doesn’t say the wrong thing. Jesse has always been a little bit of a loose cannon, but that is what also makes him an amazing and funky guitarist/writer. It is also what seems to make him unhappy when others take charge. For the most part, Jesse wasn’t happy with 1990’s Pandemonium… especially with the selection of singles released (both singles were Prince penned songs, and in all honesty not the best tracks from the album). In published interviews (and personal interviews I’ve done with him) he has stating that he doesn’t like being dictated to about his music, and I think that may be the case right now. With this amazing group of musicians, there may be ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ to quote “Skillet”. This might be a battle over the next single, the next promo gig, the songs that they’ll play live or even about the tour to follow this album. So far, the album (which is amazing and deserves to be heard) hasn’t done well, and my guess is that Jesse had some ideas which weren’t in line with the rest of the band.

For people complaining that they didn’t get a chance to see the original line up of The Time, I agree to a certain extent. It would have been fun to see them, but apparently people haven’t been paying attention to the band. For almost 4 years, the 7 of them have been reunited in some form. They played the Grammy’s in Feb. of 2008, played at least 15 shows during that summer in Vegas, a few shows in June 2010, a show in L.A. at Club Nokia, and a handful of promo appearances. I may have missed some while making this list, but you get the idea… they haven’t been hiding! They have been working together in some form (either live or in the studio) for a long time. So when it seems like Jesse is leaving after only 2 months… you have to remember that he has been basically in this reunion for ALMOST 4 YEARS which is longer than The Time was originally together (1981-84)… in fact, technically the original band was only together from 81-83 with Jimmy and Terry fired just after their 2nd big tour so this means that they’ve been working together almost twice as long as they were when they were originally a band in the early 1980s.

Where does this leave the group? In many ways… screwed. Because of this name change, they assumed that it was going to be all 7 of them. There are several ways to continue: 1) replace Jesse and keep moving forward. This isn't the best scenario, but can be done and if the music/tour is great – the fans will forgive them for becoming The Original 6ix. Honestly, the only real way I could see them continuing this as THE ORIGINAL 7VEN would be to bring in Prince on guitar since he really was one of the members and played guitar on practically all of their tracks, but I don’t expect that (but would be 1st in line to get a ticket for that tour!). 2) Make THIS the band that tours with Morris for a bit and call it MORRIS DAY AND THE ORIGINAL TIME or something like that (Flyte Tyme maybe?). 3) They could walk away from the project- which would be terribly sad considering how much hope and dreams was put into it. But I am going with the next option. 4) Personally, I don’t think it is over for Jesse and The Time/O7. This facebook post may just be a shot fired at the band to show them that he is serious about his convictions, whatever they are and they may come around wanting to accommodate him. The fact that the band hasn’t released a statement shows me that there is still frantic negotiating going on behind the scenes. Jesse isn’t throwing insults at them… in fact, his words are very deliberately vague regarding his future with them (“I don't really think I'll be performing with the Original 7” “Love the guys, but I feel in my heart it's "Time" to walk away while we're all still friends.”). I would wait to see where this thing goes, especially considering how stealth they were about putting together CONDENSATE. These guys are all really talented but also really strong in their convictions. Terry really wants this band to have the shot it deserves outside of Prince, so my guess is that he will be the peacemaker again and bring them all together for a brief tour to wrap it all up. There is love there, but when business is added, it gets complicated.

If this is it and he is quitting the band for good, will I miss Jesse? As a fan of The Time and as someone who has been looking forward to this for a long time – a gigantic YES. Will I accept them playing without him. I’d say yes to that as well. He added a lot to the band, but if the man isn’t happy, he doesn’t owe anyone to do something he doesn’t want to do. I think it is sad that he has backed out, and I’m curious about his motivation (and I don’t think this is going to make too many new fans for him), but it is his decision and it sounds like after 4 years of reuniting with his brothers, it was The Time for him to leave and do his own thing again.

I hope it works out. I don't think that their story isn’t over.

Now that they've released an official statement, it like it is a variation of #1... which will be fine for many people. My guess is they aren't going to be releasing SICK as the next single! (Morris' laugh goes here).

[Edited 1/18/12 12:58pm]

Go to their official website,folks....they finally left a message regarding Jesse's departure!