Flyte Tyme began as a
Minneapolis funk/R&B unit, taking its name from "Flight Time", a 1973
Donald Byrd song. 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. 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. 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 second
record label. ==Discography==