the era UPTOWN started to broaden an we see another part of uptown or should I say downtown via the Time. the work of Jamie Starr. Prince took his New Wave edge to another level & introduced the linn to us. another level of dangerous sexuality... Punk New Wave Funk Image already very much a strong combination with the music, your pulled into a real/imagined place called Uptown.

It's all about self-respect...to take pride in who you are, the way you dress and groom, and the way you walk & talk. -Morris Day

Controversy / the TimeAugust 1981 The TIME performed their first live appearance at a showcase for a small group of executives from Warner Bros. Records at the S.I.R. Studio in Los Angeles, with [Prince] overseeing the proceedings by the soundboard.


July 29. 1980 rel The Time: The Time

1.Get It Up
2.Girl
3.After Hi School After hi school is registered to Morris Day, yet it was actually written and demoed by Dez Dickerson
4.Cool Cool is registered as a collaboration of [Prince] (music) with Desmond "Dez" Dickerson (lyrics).
5.Oh, Baby
6.The Stick The stick was originally written by Lisa Coleman, but it was registered to Jamie Starr.

Prince] initiate this album before the band had even been assembled. The record was completed in only two weeks in April 1981 at his home studio in the basement of his house at Lake Riley in Chanhassen, Minneapolis. Only Oh, baby was recorded in April 1979 at Alpha Studios in Los Angeles during the sessions for his own 1979 album "Prince". The final mixing of the tapes took place at Hollywood Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, from 28th to 30th April 1981. [Prince] himself plays more or less every note on the album. Matt Fink delivers synthesizer solos on Get it up and The stick, while Lisa Coleman provides some backing vocals on Cool and The stick. [Prince]'s own voice is often audible in the final mix.

On 29th July 1981 the first album [The Time] was released by Warner Bros. Records. The credits listed [Morris Day] (lead vocals), [Jesse Johnson] (guitar), [Terry Lewis] (bass), [Jellybean Johnson] (drums) as well as [Monte Moir] and [Jimmy Jam] (both keyboards) as the members of the band. The production credit is shared by [Morris Day] with a guy named Jamie Starr, who had been first introduced as an engineer on [Prince]'s 1980 album "Dirty Mind". Neither record nor sleeve contains any songwriting credits. The music itself bears all the hallmarks of [Prince]'s synth-based Minneapolis-Sound and it didn't take long before stories start to circulating at the press, that [Prince] himself was behind this project - writing all songs, playing mosts instruments and producing the complete album, only utilizing [Morris Day] to add some vocals on the final mix.



I'm still frightened of Prince allured by the promise, alarmed by the chintzy crud of his live routine, partially assuaged by this new "Controversy". -NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS November 14, 1981

October 14. 1981 rel Controversy

1.Controversy
2.Sexuality
3.Do Me Baby
4.Private Joy
5.Ronnie, Talk To Russia
6.Let's Work
7.Annie Christian
8.Jack U Off




[Edited 2/25/10 12:23pm]

U on the roll, ain't chu.

It all good, smile.

Do you know the building they happen to be standing in front of? Thanx.

back when artists would add posters to the albums
Prince had that edge that caught the eye of anyone who wanted to 'be bad' or just pretend to be bad.

LOVEVERY1 said:

I'll see what I can find...
the realness of the photographs is what I miss, not glossed over, or photoshopped. Very touchable...

I'll see what I can find...
the realness of the photographs is what I miss, not glossed over, or photoshopped. Very touchable...




I agree with you on that.

One of my favorite Prince eras and even though the group Ebonee Webb wasn't a Prince project, I can't help but think of them also when I think of the "Controversy" era because their jam "Something About You" came out about a week or two before the era and everyone thought it was Prince's new song. Then, when The Time's "Get It Up" came out in a few weeks, we thought that was Prince also. Then, when the song "Controversy" came out shortly after, we wondered...."Is this one really Prince or is it another imposter".

The Controversy era was cool in so many ways, during that time period everybody thought that Prince and Morris were brothers especially when "777-9311" came out in 82". The whole concept of Prince, The Time, and later Vanity 6 was a force no one could ignore between 81"& 83"...

Billboard Ad - 10.17.1981

[Edited 2/25/10 14:43pm]
[Edited 2/25/10 16:20pm]

Great pic's some of these I never seen b4, especially the one with Prince and the band with him standing like he is about to do the splits.

If you notice, Prince and Dez were sportin' scarfs around the neck way before it caught on again about a few years ago...

tricky2 said:

I love this pic, with Lisa looking swetty and nasty in the shadows
[Edited 2/25/10 15:38pm]

Dez BrownMark & Prince
all rocking heals

I have yet 2 hear a rendition I did not like
raw drumming, nasty guitar, humping bass

changing the name 2 Spirituality is a crime

1st Avenue 1982 show with the Time
the album version
Triple Threat Tour set linn drum starts out slow and then rips

Sexuality" is the second track on Prince's 1981 album, Controversy. The song was also released as a single in Germany, Japan and Australia.[1]

"Sexuality" is a fast-paced track, built around a synth bass line and drum machines. Much like "Controversy", a funky rhythm guitar is used throughout the song with brief stabs of rock thrown in. Similar to the song "Uptown", Prince describes a society free from prejudice as a "New Breed". The political number also takes jabs at tourists and the sensationalism of television.

Prince reused the "Sexuality" line "reproduction of a new breed/Stand up, organize" on the title track for his 2001 album, The Rainbow Children.





Stand up, everybody, this is your life
Let me take U 2 another world, let me take U 2night
U don't need no money, U don't need no clothes
The second coming, anything goes

Sexuality is all U'll ever need
Sexuality - let your body be free

Ow!
Oh baby

Come on, everybody, yeah, this is your life
I'm talkin' 'bout a revolution we gotta organize
We don't need no segregation, we don't need no race
New age revelation, I think we got a case

I'm OK as long as U are here with me
Sexuality is all we ever need

Oh baby!

(The reproduction of the new breed - Leaders, stand up, organize)
{repeat phrase in BG}
Everybody
One time, say...

We live in a world overrun by tourists
Tourists - 89 flowers on their back
Inventors of the Accu-Jack
They look at life through a pocket camera
What? No flash again?
They're all a bunch of double drags
Who teach their kids that love is bad
Half of the staff of their brain is on vacation
Mama, are U listening?
We need a new breed - Leaders, stand up, organize ... yeah!
Don't let your children watch television until they know how 2 read
Or else all they'll know how 2 do is cuss, fight and breed
No child is bad from the beginning
They only imitate their atmosphere
If they're in the company of tourists, alcohol and U.S. history
What's 2 be expected is 3 minus 3, oh
Absolutely nothing

Stand up, organize
(The reproduction of the new breed - Leaders, stand up, organize)
We need the new breed - Leaders, stand up, organize
I wanna be in the new breed - stand up, organize
Sexuality is all I'll ever need
Sexuality - I'm gonna let my body be free
Sexuality is all I'll ever need
Sexuality - I'm gonna let my body be free

Sexuality © 1981 Controversy Music - ASCAP


[Edited 3/18/10 11:06am]

Get It Up" opens The Time's debut album and is also their debut single. Like most of the album, the song was recorded in Prince's home studio in April 1981, and was produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince with Morris Day later adding his lead vocals. Revolution keyboardist Doctor Fink provided synth solos on the track, uncredited.

The funk-pop number relies on synthesizers and contains numerous solos throughout the song. The song's propelled by a strong bass line and contains live drums and handclaps. A raunchy guitar solo provides a rock element to the funky track. "Get It Up" is basically an ode to sex and Day's attempts to get some. Prince's vocals are very apparent in the song, both in the background and the lead at times.

"Get It Up" was only released as a 7" single with the poppy "After Hi School" as its B-side. "After Hi School", while not an outstanding effort was composed by Dez Dickerson and is perhaps the strongest pop effort on the album. The full version of "Get It Up" was later a B-side for the 12" single of "Ice Cream Castles" in 1984. "Get It Up" is one of The Time's more popular numbers, and a live version of the song recorded at the House of Blues in 1998 was included on Morris Day's 2004 album, It's About Time where it segues into "777-9311".

Recorded Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 1981

Get it up
Get ready 4 a real good time
I'm gonna try 2 blow your mind
Can't U see?
U and me
It sounds so nasty
Get it up
Let your hair hang down
We could fool around
Don't U know
I want U so
Make me happy, oh

Get it up
There's nothin' wrong
With freakin' all night long
Me and U
We need a groove
If it feels good, do it

Get it up
Leave your cares behind
Let me try 2 find
Find the spot
That gets U hot
Let me do ya

What time is it?

Get it up {x14}

Get it up
Get ready 4 a real good time
I'm gonna try 2 blow your mind
Can't U see?
U and me
It sounds so nasty

Get it up (Oh baby)
Let your body drip
Let me take U on a trip
Can't U see?
U're killin' me
U're so freaky

Get it up {x2}
Get it up, oh, oh, oh! {x2}
Get it up (No)
Get it up

Get it up {x4}

Get it up, get it up, I'll fuck (work) U all night {x2}
Get it up, get it up, I'll work U all night {x2}
Get it up, get it up, all night {x4}

Do U like that?
Do U want it harder?
Yeah, don't stop
U know I love U, don't stop
Yeah

© 1981 Tionna Music - ASCAP
[Edited 3/18/10 11:11am]

February 14th, 1982 • Civic Auditorium, San Francisco






Date: February 14th, 1982
Venue: Civic Auditorium • 99 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
Show: Supporting-Act at [Prince]'s "Controversy"-Tour

1. Concert intro + The stick
2. After hi school
2. Oh baby
4. Get it up
5. Cool

• [Morris Day] lead vocals
• [Jerome Benton] stage valet & percussion
• [Jesse Johnson] guitar
• [Terry Lewis] bass
• [Jellybean Johnson] drums
• [Monte Moir] keyboards
• [Jimmy Jam] keyboards

LOVEVERY1 said:

Me, too.

I just came into this thread to look around. Prince didn't surprise me--he doesn't surprise me anymore--but MORRIS!

He was so good looking! :lurking: What happened?

OF4S..... I just your beautiful threads.

Great thread

One the GREATEST eras..

djdaffy1227 said:

This is one of my fav 12" covers of all time... by any artist. The fact it's in black and white makes it perfect: P and the gang have come to funk yo' shit up but good. And Bobby looks like a Lt. Castillo from Miami Vice. Damn! It's trashy with a bit of a punk new-wave aestheticthrown in for good measure. Classic stuff. Thx for sharing all the 12" pix... your vinyl collection must be insane!

Love these album's. I have the "Let's Work," 12"

Two of best bands in the land!!
[Edited 2/26/10 8:47am]

cool stuff right here

BlackbeltJones said:[quote]djdaffy1227 said:[quote]

hahaha I agree, Bobby had that hardcore look
the band has so much character and individuality

did U notice at the bottom on 1 of the papers it says: Hangers America, or something like that


[Edited 2/26/10 11:43am]
[Edited 2/26/10 11:46am]

December 2. 1981 Palladium [NYC]
(on the Controversy Tour)

















[Edited 2/26/10 11:03am]