Who would you say had the better production, & who's do you prefer more? For my tastes, I'm going with Flyte Tyme. Feel free to post videos of your favorite tracks by either production group too.

Flyte Time. No one was messing with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Those 2 had a more diverse catalogue than Babyface (who was still legendary great).

But JJ and TL are the GOAT producing and writing team in music history.

[Edited 11/28/12 6:37am]

My vote goes to Flyte Tyme.

Kayo and Monte Moir

Sorry, couldn't resist. But it is spot-on!

No "purple bias" here at all, but it's Flyte Time, hands down here. The diverse work those guys did between '82 &.....bout NOW...lol.....is just stultifying. Jams galore & MANY really lovely tracks, too....and for SO many artists.

Love Face & LA, and they did some really catchy work (and I adore The Deele)...but geez. I think even THEY would admit that Jimmy & Terry were (are) the gold standard.

LaFace has written a lot of beautiful tracks, but I'm going to have to give it to Flyte Tyme. So much more diversity in their music and production overall. LaFace got redundant in the 90's with too many slow songs, and though it also happened to Flyte Time, they had a longer run of hits and versatile production.

Flyte Tyme by a country mile........and a half.

Jam & Lewis. To me, LA Reid and Babyface productions all sounded too similar.

Graycap23 said:

Flyte Tyme by a country mile........and a half.

La Reid was the beginning of the end of R&B music,atleast for me.Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis production was great in the 80s,but sounded tame in the 90s and beyond.

Flyte Tyme- My kind of music

LaFace- Yuck

Flyte Tyme is the winner.

KemiVA said:

Sorry, couldn't resist. But it is spot-on!

I love how this song sounds like a Babyface song, name-checks a bunch of Babyface songs, all while dissing Babyface songs. Chris Rock is nuts!

"Got me singing a Babyface song, a Babyface song, a Babyface Babyface..."

this is a tough one for me,and I really can't decide.I like them both equally.

My favorite Jam and Lewis production: "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" by Cherelle

My favorite LA and Babyface production: "Another Sad Love Song" by Toni Braxton

Question 1: Flyte Tyme

Question 2: Flyte Tyme

Classic Dynamic Duo. Their catalog is mad deep. Their legacy is and will be tough to beat.

Can't go wrong with either one.....But I will say this...LA and Babyface from 1987-1991 had "That Sound".And seemed to have alot more of their songs on the radio and more songs and artists produced..than Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.Not to mention...The Deele and Babyface's solowork. When I think of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis productions...SOS Band,Cherelle,Alexander O'Neal,Janet Jackson(Which seemed to be their biggest artist produced).They produced others but those stick out to me..Mineapolis sound,Princelike chords,electric,newwavish R&b funk pop runnin thru em.Love It..

As a lil kid..I just remember hearing That La & Babyface sound..and was always in awe..Distinguishable and stood out

Babyface-Lovers Album

The Deele-Eyes of a Stranger Album

The Whispers-In The Mood,Rock Steady

Shalamar-circumstantial evidence album (Games was and still is tha sheeit)

Dynasty-Tell Me

Bobby Brown-Don't be Cruel,Every Little Step,Roni,Rock Wit' Cha,On Our own,Humpin around

The Boys-Dial my Heart*(Badass song Top three of their songs at that time) Lucky Charm,A Lil Romance,Crazy

The Mac Band-Roses are Red

Karyn White-The Way You Love me,Love Saw It,Secret Rendezvous,Family Man,Superwoman,

Babyface-Tender Lover album

Sheena Easton-The Lover In Me

Pebbles-Girlfriend,Love makes things happen,Benefit of the doubt

The Jacksons-Nothing Compares 2 u

After 7-After 7's first album

Johnny Gill-Feels So Much better,There U go

so many others not mentioned...Loved that sound..

Now round 92 'Laface started to shift their sound...Humpin Around,TLC,Damien Dame,Toni Braxton,Boomerang Sdtrk,Tevin Campbell-Can we talk,Waitin to Exhale Sdtrk, Babyface-For the Cool in You,The Day...Im not a big fan of that 92-97 era of La and Babyface kinda hit and miss but..87-91 was the bomb..So i guess it depends on the mood..Love em both

To be completely honest it's easy to pick J&L mainly becuase the LaFace power production team ended almost 20 years ago. But at the time when both duos were at the tops of the game, 1987-1993, it was LaFace by a country mile.

This whole comparison started in 1988 when Bobby and New Edition relased their albums on the same date, and continued on until 1992 with the soundtracks to "Boomerang" and "Mo' Money".

LaFace admitted to modeling themselves after JJ&TL...I'm going with JJ&TL.What they did for Janet alone gives them major props They were Like Quincy was to MJ......

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

LaFace admitted to modeling themselves after JJ&TL...I'm going with JJ&TL.What they did for Janet alone gives them major props They were Like Quincy was to MJ......

awww Icon

I love the stuff LaFace did for Paula Abdul, Karyn White, etc. in the 90's too, and for the slow songs in the 90's, it takes me back to my youth but a lot of them were repetitive for sure that sometimes I mix up one Boyz II Men song for another on the radio for a couple of seconds.

By the way I tried so hard to score tickets to this MTV Icon event...It was the one thing that MTV did right by her....She looked extraordinary that night to.....Terry's crush is obvious, I bet he would have dropped Karyn White in a heart beat for her.JJ&TL owe just as much to Janet as she does to them......

For me it's not even close. First last and always Flyte Tyme. They were untouchable from the mid-80's onward til around 2000. LaFace was able to give them a good run for their money late 80's-early 90's, but Flyte Tyme gets the crown.

UnderMySun said:

For me it's not even close. First last and always Flyte Tyme. They were untouchable from the mid-80's onward til around 2000. LaFace was able to give them a good run for their money late 80's-early 90's, but Flyte Tyme gets the crown.

Actually it's fair to say that LaFace kicked their ASSES on the charts and in sales from that time.

And that is why I say it's easy--and fair-- to pick J&L OVERALL based on their sheer longevity and the track record that brings. But when both entities were in operation simultaneously, during the time mentioned, LaFace was kicking their asses.

Flyte Tyme.

Look at the tracklist for the rare EMI compilation "Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis - The Hit Songs", remember that this compilation can't even fit in their best work into 4 discs (even your average fan could compile a 5th disc, EASILY)..... and then tell me how LaFace could ever fuck with them!!!

tracks: disc 1

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time
	1	Wild Girls	Klymaxx	0:00
	2	Just Be Good to Me	The S.O.S. Band	0:00
	3	Tell Me If You Still Care	The S.O.S. Band	0:00
	4	Change of Heart	Change	0:00
	5	Encore	Cheryl Lynn	0:00
	6	I Didn't Mean to Turn You On	Cherrelle	0:00
	7	Say You Love Me Again	Change	0:00
	8	Just the Way You Like It	The S.O.S. Band	0:00
	9	No One's Gonna Love You	The S.O.S. Band	0:00
	10	Weekend Girl	The S.O.S. Band
	11	You Used to Hold Me So Tight	Thelma Houston
	12	If You Were Here Tonight	Alexander O'Neal
	13	A Broken Heart Can Mend	Alexander O'Neal
	14	The Heat of Heat	Patti Austin
	15	What's Missing	Alexander O'Neal
	16	Tender Love	The Force M.D.'s
	17	Saturday Love	Cherrelle / Alexander O'Neal
	18	What Have You Done for Me Lately?	Janet Jackson
	19	Summer Is the Coldest Time of the Year	Patti Austin

tracks: disc 2

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time
	1	Nasty	Janet Jackson	0:00
	2	Human	The Human League	0:00
	3	When I Think of You	Janet Jackson	0:00
	4	Keep Your Eye on Me	Herb Albert	0:00
	5	The Finest	The S.O.S. Band	0:00
	6	I Didn't Mean to Turn You On	Robert Palmer	0:00
	7	Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)	Janet Jackson	0:00
	8	Fake	Alexander O'Neal	0:00
	9	Making Love in the Rain	Herb Albert / Lisa Keith	0:00
	10	Sunshine	Alexander O'Neal	0:00
	11	If It Isn't Love	New Edition	0:00
	12	Fishnet	Morris Day	0:00
	13	Diamonds	Herb Albert / Janet Jackson	0:00
	14	Never Knew Love Like This	Cherrelle / Alexander O'Neal	0:00
	15	You're Not My Kinda Girl	New Edition	0:00
	16	Everything I Miss at Home	Cherrelle	0:00
	17	Can You Stand the Rain	New Edition	0:00
	18	Miss You Much	Janet Jackson	0:00
	19	Boys to Men	New Edition	0:00
	20	Rhythm Nation	Janet Jackson	0:00

tracks: disc 3

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time
	1	Escapade	Janet Jackson	0:00
	2	Sensitivity	Ralph Tresvant	0:00
	3	Alright	Janet Jackson	0:00
	4	Rub You the Right Way	Johnny Gill	0:00
	5	Come Back to Me	Janet Jackson	0:00
	6	Jerk Out	The Time	0:00
	7	Lonely	Janet Jackson	0:00
	8	Wrap My Body Tight	Johnny Gill	0:00
	9	Love Will Never Do (Without You)	Janet Jackson	0:00
	10	Do What I Gotta Do	Ralph Tresvant	0:00
	11	Romantic	Karyn White	0:00
	12	All True Man	Alexander O'Neal	0:00
	13	Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make)	Janet Jackson	0:00
	14	Optimistic	Sounds of Blackness	0:00
	15	One Heart	Karyn White	0:00
	16	Sentimental	Alexander O'Neal	0:00
	17	The Pressure, Pt.	Sounds of Blackness	0:00
	18	Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)	Mint Condition	0:00
	19	Got a Thang 4 Ya!	Lo-Key	0:00
	20	The Best Things in Life Are Free	Janet Jackson / Luther Vandross	0:00

tracks: disc 4

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time
	1	Money Can't Buy You Love		0:00
	2	Slow and Sexy	Johnny Gill / Shabba Ranks	0:00
	3	I Adore You		0:00
	4	That's the Way Love Goes	Janet Jackson	0:00
	5	Again	Janet Jackson	0:00
	6	Quiet Time to Play	Johnny Gill	0:00
	7	I Believe	Sounds of Blackness	0:00
	8	Any Time, Any Place	Janet Jackson	0:00
	9	The Right Kinda Lover	Patti LaBelle	0:00
	10	U Send Me Swingin'	Mint Condition	0:00
	11	You Want This	Janet Jackson	0:00
	12	The Lord Will Make a Way	Sounds of Blackness	0:00
	13	Come On	Barry White	0:00
	14	Home Alone	Gladys Knight	0:00
	15	The Body That Loves You	Janet Jackson	0:00
	16	On Bended Knee	Boyz II Men	0:00
	17	Scream	Michael Jackson	0:00
	18	Heaven	Solo	0:00
	19	Runaway	Janet Jackson	0:00

Like that JJ & TL compilation!!

Adisa said:

UnderMySun said:

For me it's not even close. First last and always Flyte Tyme. They were untouchable from the mid-80's onward til around 2000. LaFace was able to give them a good run for their money late 80's-early 90's, but Flyte Tyme gets the crown.

Actually it's fair to say that LaFace kicked their ASSES on the charts and in sales from that time.

And that is why I say it's easy--and fair-- to pick J&L OVERALL based on their sheer longevity and the track record that brings. But when both entities were in operation simultaneously, during the time mentioned, LaFace was kicking their asses.

I find this hard to believe. The late 80s/early 90s period was when Janet Jackson was at her peak in sales and on the charts. Add the other artists Jam & Lewis had at the time and it looks to me like they at least had equal success with L.A. and Babyface. But I don't have their respective discographies in front of me so I could be forgetting a lot. I always preferred Jam & Lewis so that might be why I remember their output more clearly.

[Edited 11/20/12 18:13pm]

For me, both are legendary and have worked with so many artists, it is difficult to choose one, but if I had to, Flyte Tyme. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis tend to use minor 7ths and Babyface goes over to the major scale quite often. Both are fantastic writers, musicians, and producers.

Though in their prime, there were def the top teams in the music industry.

This song was the shit.

sexton said:

Adisa said:

Actually it's fair to say that LaFace kicked their ASSES on the charts and in sales from that time.

And that is why I say it's easy--and fair-- to pick J&L OVERALL based on their sheer longevity and the track record that brings. But when both entities were in operation simultaneously, during the time mentioned, LaFace was kicking their asses.

I find this hard to believe. The late 80s/early 90s period was when Janet Jackson was at her peak in sales and on the charts. Add the other artists Jam & Lewis had at the time and it looks to me like they at least had equal success with L.A. and Babyface. But I don't have their respective discographies in front of me so I could be forgetting a lot. I always preferred Jam & Lewis so that might be why I remember their output more clearly.

[Edited 11/20/12 18:13pm]

JJ&TL's Janet projects alone outsold anything LaFace ever did....

Flyte Tyme, no contest!