On Time

September 16, 2019
In this entertaining memoir, musician Day tells of his career and his friendship with his musical mentor, Prince. Interweaving “the voice I’m hearing of Prince” within the narrative (at times to distracting effect), Day writes of growing up in 1960s Illinois, before he and his mother and his siblings moved to Minneapolis to escape his abusive stepfather. There he met a 15-year-old guitarist named Prince and formed a funk band called Grand Central. Prince landed a record deal on his own in 1978, and three years later Day formed the Time. Competitive tensions mounted, as Day recalls wanting Prince “to hear that we weren’t just funky but so goddamn funky that he’d have to think twice about how to outfunk us.” Day appeared in Prince’s film Purple Rain, but they had a falling out that lasted until just before Prince’s death (“Since Prince and I both believed in Jesus, you’d think a come-to-Jesus meeting” would have been easy). Day candidly shares his descent into drug abuse and his philandering (“The higher I get, the more adoration I crave”) and writes honestly about Prince’s desire to control him and his musical career. Fans of Prince—and the Time—will be thrilled with this insider view.

October 1, 2019

Day (b. 1957), lead singer for the Time, partners with noted rock writer Ritz (Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin; Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye) for an absorbing autobiography and an intimate portrait of longtime associate and funk master Prince (1958-2016). He invents a three-way conversation among himself; his flamboyant, drug-addled stage persona; and his mentor Prince to dispel demons and demystify the subject. Beginning with his childhood friendship with Prince in a fledgling funk band, Day describes his stint as a videographer for the rising star, his first success with the Prince-created band the Time, and his important role in the film Purple Rain. The vocalist describes his own solo career, his break with Prince, and a drug/sex addiction fueled by depression and insecurities. Day concludes by recounting his reunions with Prince and the Time (now called the Original 7ven), his final meeting with his megastar crony, and his recent work with Snoop Dogg. VERDICT Day compellingly recalls his life in and out of the music business and portrays the unpredictable Prince as a reserved, music-obsessed, wildly creative, controlling, and ambitious funk genius. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Prince, funk, or the Time.--David P. Szatmary, formerly with Univ. of Washington, Seattle

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