Flyte Tyme (band)

Flyt[e] Tyme

Background information
Origin| Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres|

* Funk
* rock
* pop

Years active| 1972–1981
Past members| David Eiland
Jimmy "Jam" Harris
Anton (Tony) Johnson
Cynthia Johnson
Jellybean Johnson
Terry Lewis
Monte Moir
Alexander O'Neal
Jimmie L. Anderson
Tom Lund

Flyte Tyme was a funk band from Minneapolis that launched the careers of vocalists Cynthia Johnson, Alexander O'Neal and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[1] Many of the group's musicians would later work with Prince. The band's name is a sensational spelling of the phrase "flight time."

## History

[edit]

Flyte Tyme began as a Minneapolis funk/R&B unit, taking its name from "Flight Time", a 1973 Donald Byrd song.[1] The group was first known as Wars of Armageddon, then Soul Vaccination, before becoming Flyt Tyme.[2] The spelling of the name was later changed to Flyte Tyme.

The band's members varied throughout the group's history: founder David Eiland on saxophone, Cynthia Johnson on lead vocals and saxophone, Jimmie L. Anderson on saxophone, Garry "Jellybean" Johnson on drums, Tony Johnson on lead guitar, Monte Moir and Jimmy "Jam" Harris on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass.

After Cynthia Johnson's departure, Alexander O'Neal was her replacement.[1] Johnson later gained fame as the voice of Lipps Inc.'s worldwide No. 1 song "Funkytown" and O'Neal later enjoyed a solo career with songs and production by Jam & Lewis.

In 1981, Flyte Tyme became the Time when Prince added two members of another local group, Enterprise, to the act; his childhood friend and drummer Morris Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson.[1] Day became the group's frontman, replacing O'Neal.

Jam & Lewis left the Time in 1983 to pursue an independent writing and producing career, resurrecting the Flyte Tyme name for their production company and later, their record label.

## Discography

[edit]

Two unreleased songs, "I Got You on My Mind" and "It's the Things That You Do", were released in 2013 on the Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound compilation.[citation needed]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Williams, Chris (21 August 2014). "Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have become synonymous with recording excellence". waxpoetics.com. Wax Poetics Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
2. ^ "Flyt Tyme".

## External links

[edit]

* Official website of Cynthia Johnson
* Photos of Flyte Tyme \- Minnesota Historical Society
* Purple Snow - Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound
* "School of Funk" \- City Pages
* Photo gallery of Flyte Tyme \- cynthiajohnson.net
* Flyte Tyme discography at Discogs

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