The Family (band)
Encyclopedia
The Family is a band formed by Prince
, and one of the first signed to his record label, Paisley Park Records
. The band renamed themselves Fdeluxe in 2009.
in 1984. Lead singer Morris Day
had left the band to pursue a solo career and guitarist Jesse Johnson
became the de facto
band leader. Prince suggested restructuring the band with new member Paul Peterson
to head the group, but Johnson opposed. However, like Day, Johnson soon left the band to pursue his own solo career. A few of The Time's newer members followed Johnson to join his backing band (called Jesse Johnson's Revue).
As the band had served as an outlet for Prince to release more music, he wanted to continue this avenue, inviting the remaining members of The Time, Jellybean Johnson
, Jerome Benton
, and Paul Peterson, to his home and presented them with his new project. They agreed to become a new band called The Family, with Peterson renamed 'St. Paul' as the new frontman and bassist. Johnson and Benton reprised their familiar roles from The Time. To the mix, Prince added Susannah Melvoin
, the twin sister of Revolution
guitarist Wendy Melvoin
and Prince's fiancée, as a backing singer and keyboardist. The fifth member was Eric Leeds
, the brother of Prince's tour manager Alan Leeds
, who provided saxophone and flute. Guitarist Miko Weaver
is credited in the album's booklet because he was to be a session player and tour musician band supporter, but was never officially part of the band.
Much like The Time, the band's material was composed nearly entirely by Prince, with the exception of "River Run Dry", which was written by Revolution drummer Bobby Z.
. Prince wrote and performed all the other tracks and simply overdubbed Peterson's and Melvoin's vocals and added saxophone and flute by Leeds. On several tracks Prince's vocals can be clearly heard. Some of the original demos have surfaced as bootlegs and circulate among fans with Prince's original lead vocals, as well as two outtakes: the instrumental "Feline" and the pop song "Miss Understood". As on other associates' albums, Prince falsely gave credit to the various band members for writing credits, though he kept his name on "Nothing Compares 2 U
". The tracks were all recorded in a few weeks' span at the end of the year 1984 after Prince had finished sessions for Around the World in a Day
, and just before he started to record music for Sheila E.
's album Romance 1600
and his own album Parade.
Although the band performed a single concert, released their self-titled album and only one single (of which the music video
shows Eric Leeds playing bass because this particular track contained no saxophone), the project turned out to be short-lived. Peterson felt constricted by Prince's control and opted to pursue his own career. Without a lead singer, Prince lost interest and absorbed most of the remaining members into the expanded Revolution (with the exception of Johnson, who went on to join the Flyte Time music production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
).
Prince often incorporated The Family track "Mutiny" into the setlist of his 1986 tour, which occasionally was extended to contain the chorus of "Dream Factory" and the chant "St. Paul - punk of the month!" The album sold poorly upon it's release and has been out of print in any form since the late 80's in the United States
. A compact disc
version was printed in Japan and Europe in the early 1990's and is highly valued among Prince fans and collectors.
, a genre he would later explore even more with his Madhouse
side-project, and then under his own name in the 2000s. "The Family" also marks Prince's first collaboration with composer and arranger Clare Fischer
, as well as the first time Prince added a symphonic orchestra to his music. Though the two men never met (Prince would only send tapes to Fischer with more or less explicit instructions about what he wanted), they have worked together on a regular basis since then.
2011 and released a new record called "Gaslight
" with 4 of the 5 original members performing. They are currently planning a tour, but their website only gave a few dates in September
2011.
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, and one of the first signed to his record label, Paisley Park Records
Paisley Park Records
Paisley Park Records was Prince's record label, associated with and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album Purple Rain...
. The band renamed themselves Fdeluxe in 2009.
History
The band's origins started with the disintegration of The TimeThe Time (band)
The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...
in 1984. Lead singer Morris Day
Morris Day
Morris E. Day is an American musician and composer. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.-1970s and 1980s:...
had left the band to pursue a solo career and guitarist Jesse Johnson
Jesse Johnson (musician)
Jesse Woods Johnson is a musician best known as the guitarist in the original lineup of The Time....
became the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
band leader. Prince suggested restructuring the band with new member Paul Peterson
Paul Peterson
Paul Peterson, also known as St. Paul, is a musician best known for his memberships in the bands The Family and The Time and the single "Intimacy."...
to head the group, but Johnson opposed. However, like Day, Johnson soon left the band to pursue his own solo career. A few of The Time's newer members followed Johnson to join his backing band (called Jesse Johnson's Revue).
As the band had served as an outlet for Prince to release more music, he wanted to continue this avenue, inviting the remaining members of The Time, Jellybean Johnson
Jellybean Johnson
Jellybean Johnson is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota...
, Jerome Benton
Jerome Benton
Jerome Benton is an American musical performer, backup dancer and comedic actor. He can be seen in music videos by Janet Jackson and Prince, but he is best known for his association with The Time....
, and Paul Peterson, to his home and presented them with his new project. They agreed to become a new band called The Family, with Peterson renamed 'St. Paul' as the new frontman and bassist. Johnson and Benton reprised their familiar roles from The Time. To the mix, Prince added Susannah Melvoin
Susannah Melvoin
Susannah Melvoin is an American vocalist and songwriter, best known for her association with Prince in the mid-1980s. Coming from a musical family, Melvoin is the twin sister of musician Wendy Melvoin, sister to the late Jonathan Melvoin , and daughter of jazz pianist Michael...
, the twin sister of Revolution
The Revolution (band)
The Revolution was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 by Prince. Although widely associated with rock music, the band's sound incorporated heavy metal, pop, funk, R&B and hard rock elements. Before their official break-up, The Revolution had released one studio album,...
guitarist Wendy Melvoin
Wendy and Lisa
Wendy & Lisa are a music duo consisting of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. They began working with Prince in the early 1980s and were part of his band The Revolution, before branching out on their own and releasing their debut album in 1987...
and Prince's fiancée, as a backing singer and keyboardist. The fifth member was Eric Leeds
Eric Leeds
Eric Leeds is an American jazz and funk musician who plays the saxophone and other woodwind and brass instruments. He is best known for his work with Prince.- Biography :Leeds was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of a retailer...
, the brother of Prince's tour manager Alan Leeds
Alan Leeds
Alan Leeds is American music executive, tour manager, production manager, writer and archivist best known for his work organizing performances and concert tours for artists such as James Brown, Prince, D'Angelo and Chris Rock. In addition to his career in management for artists, Leeds is...
, who provided saxophone and flute. Guitarist Miko Weaver
Miko Weaver
Miko Weaver is an American guitarist best known for his work with Prince.Weaver came to Prince's attention when he was a member of Sheila E.'s band. He and some other members of the band joined The Revolution in the studio to record a jam of "I Would Die 4 U" that would later become the song's...
is credited in the album's booklet because he was to be a session player and tour musician band supporter, but was never officially part of the band.
Much like The Time, the band's material was composed nearly entirely by Prince, with the exception of "River Run Dry", which was written by Revolution drummer Bobby Z.
Bobby Z.
Robert B. Rivkin , better known by the stage name Bobby Z., is an American musician and record producer, most known as being a member of Prince's band from 1978–1986, and as a member of The Revolution.-Biography:...
. Prince wrote and performed all the other tracks and simply overdubbed Peterson's and Melvoin's vocals and added saxophone and flute by Leeds. On several tracks Prince's vocals can be clearly heard. Some of the original demos have surfaced as bootlegs and circulate among fans with Prince's original lead vocals, as well as two outtakes: the instrumental "Feline" and the pop song "Miss Understood". As on other associates' albums, Prince falsely gave credit to the various band members for writing credits, though he kept his name on "Nothing Compares 2 U
Nothing Compares 2 U
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a pop song written by American recording artist Prince for one of his side-projects, The Family. However, it wasn't until Sinéad O'Connor recorded her version for the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got when it became a worldwide hit, topping charts in 15 countries,...
". The tracks were all recorded in a few weeks' span at the end of the year 1984 after Prince had finished sessions for Around the World in a Day
Around the World in a Day
Around the World in a Day is the seventh studio album by Prince and the second by The Revolution, released on April 22, 1985 on Warner Bros. In compliance with Prince's wishes, the record company released the album with minimal publicity, not even releasing an accompanying single until almost a...
, and just before he started to record music for Sheila E.
Sheila E.
Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an American drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr.-Early life and Prince period:...
's album Romance 1600
Romance 1600
Romance 1600 is the second album from singer-drummer-percussionist Sheila E.. Whilst Prince wrote and played on the whole album, barring the instrumental "Merci for the Speed of a Mad Clown in Summer", the only track he is credited for openly on the album sleeve itself is "A Love Bizarre", which...
and his own album Parade.
The Album, And The Breakup
The album itself is a mix of uptempo funk songs ("High Fashion", "Mutiny"), unconventional soul ballads ("Nothing Compares 2 U", "Desire"), jazz-funk instrumental tracks ("Yes", "Susannah's Pajamas") and New Wave songs ("The Screams Of Passion", "River Run Dry"). An extended version of "The Screams Of Passion" was released as the only single from the album. For several months in 2002, St. Paul broadcast an alternate version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" on his web site.Although the band performed a single concert, released their self-titled album and only one single (of which the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
shows Eric Leeds playing bass because this particular track contained no saxophone), the project turned out to be short-lived. Peterson felt constricted by Prince's control and opted to pursue his own career. Without a lead singer, Prince lost interest and absorbed most of the remaining members into the expanded Revolution (with the exception of Johnson, who went on to join the Flyte Time music production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
).
Prince often incorporated The Family track "Mutiny" into the setlist of his 1986 tour, which occasionally was extended to contain the chorus of "Dream Factory" and the chant "St. Paul - punk of the month!" The album sold poorly upon it's release and has been out of print in any form since the late 80's in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
version was printed in Japan and Europe in the early 1990's and is highly valued among Prince fans and collectors.
Legacy
Besides being a fan favorite, "The Family" was a relatively important album in Prince's musical career because it allowed him to test several musical concepts that he would later fully integrate in his music. First, it was the true beginning of his long-term collaboration with Eric Leeds. Leeds co-wrote the two instrumental tracks on the album, which were Prince's first step into jazz fusionJazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, a genre he would later explore even more with his Madhouse
Madhouse (band)
Madhouse is a jazz-fusion band from Minneapolis that was created by Prince. Two Madhouse albums were officially released in 1987.-History:...
side-project, and then under his own name in the 2000s. "The Family" also marks Prince's first collaboration with composer and arranger Clare Fischer
Clare Fischer
Clare Fischer is an American composer, arranger, pianist and organist. His parents were of German, French, Irish-Scot, and English backgrounds.-Early years:...
, as well as the first time Prince added a symphonic orchestra to his music. Though the two men never met (Prince would only send tapes to Fischer with more or less explicit instructions about what he wanted), they have worked together on a regular basis since then.
Reformation and 'fDeluxe'
According to St. Paul's website, , he fondly remembers his time with The Family and often plays songs from the album in concert. The Family reunited on December 13, 2003 for a single performance for charity along with other acts formerly associated with Prince. On January 26, 2007, The Family announced that they are returning to the music scene, with a tour and a recording of new music. Now called "fDeluxe," they finally reformed in JuneJune
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...
2011 and released a new record called "Gaslight
Gaslight
Gaslight may refer to:* Gas lighting, the use of flammable gas such as natural gas as a light source* Gaslighting, a form of psychological abuse* Gas Light a Patrick Hamilton stage play...
" with 4 of the 5 original members performing. They are currently planning a tour, but their website only gave a few dates in September
September
September is the 9th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.September in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Northern Hemisphere....
2011.
Band members
- St. PaulPaul PetersonPaul Peterson, also known as St. Paul, is a musician best known for his memberships in the bands The Family and The Time and the single "Intimacy."...
(vocals, keyboards and bass) - Susannah MelvoinSusannah MelvoinSusannah Melvoin is an American vocalist and songwriter, best known for her association with Prince in the mid-1980s. Coming from a musical family, Melvoin is the twin sister of musician Wendy Melvoin, sister to the late Jonathan Melvoin , and daughter of jazz pianist Michael...
(vocals and keyboards) - Jerome BentonJerome BentonJerome Benton is an American musical performer, backup dancer and comedic actor. He can be seen in music videos by Janet Jackson and Prince, but he is best known for his association with The Time....
(vocals,comic foil and percussion) - Jellybean JohnsonJellybean JohnsonJellybean Johnson is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota...
(drums) - Eric LeedsEric LeedsEric Leeds is an American jazz and funk musician who plays the saxophone and other woodwind and brass instruments. He is best known for his work with Prince.- Biography :Leeds was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of a retailer...
(saxophone and flute)
Album
- 1985 - The Family, Paisley ParkPaisley Park RecordsPaisley Park Records was Prince's record label, associated with and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album Purple Rain...
Records - 2011 - Gaslight (as fDeluxe) Rope-a-Dope and MiG/Art of Groove Records
External links
- Official site
- The Family at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- The Family (includes a photo of the group)
- Rehearsing for The Roots' Twas The Night Before The Grammies jam session in 2006