- Minneapolis sound
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Minneapolis sound Stylistic origins Pop rock, funk, New Wave, synthpop, R&B Cultural origins Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Typical instruments Drum machine (or drums), guitars, keyboards, synthesizers Mainstream popularity 1980s Derivative forms Dance-pop
(complete list)Other topics Prince The Minneapolis sound is a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, R&B and New Wave that was pioneered by Prince in the late 1970s. Its popularity was given a boost throughout the 1980s, thanks to his musical adherents, including The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Morris Day, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Ta Mara & the Seen, Sheila E., Jesse Johnson, Brownmark, Mazarati, and The Family.
According to the Rolling Stone Album Guide, "the Minneapolis sound... loomed over mid-'80s R&B and pop, not to mention the next two decades' worth of electro, house, and techno."[1]
Prince's third album Dirty Mind from 1980 also earns credit. Pepe Willie, who brought his brand of music to Minneapolis from Brooklyn, New York, in the mid-70's, is credited with being the first to bring Prince into the studio professionally to play on his group, 94 East's, demo.
Some artists who came from Minnesota were influenced by Prince's work and some came from other parts of the U.S. or world, such as Scottish star Sheena Easton, Flint, Michigan's Ready for the World, Augusta, Georgia's Le Klass and Los Angeles, California's Cherrelle. The music is also known as a form of funk-rock.
Identifying characteristics
While the "Minneapolis sound" was a form of funk, it had some distinguishing characteristics:
- Synthesizers generally replaced horns, and were used more as accent than as fill or background.
- The rhythm was often faster and less syncopated than traditional funk, and owed much to New Wave pop music.
- Guitars, while usually (but not always) played "clean" for rhythm parts, were frequently much louder and more aggressively processed during solos than in most traditional funk.
- The "bottom" of the sound was less bass-heavy than traditional funk; drums and keyboards filled more of the "bottom".
- The drums were more highly processed than in traditional funk.
List of artists associated with the Minneapolis sound
- 94 East
- Apollonia 6
- Brownmark
- Ingrid Chavez
- Cherrelle
- Cinema[citation needed]
- André Cymone
- Da Krash
- Morris Day
- Dez Dickerson
- The Dug
- Sheila E.
- Sheena Easton
- The Family
- The Girls
- Girls Can't Help It
- The Human League (the Crash album)
- Janet Jackson (Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 albums)
- Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
- Jesse Johnson and Jesse Johnson's Revue
- Le Klass
- Lipps Inc
- Mazarati
- Alexander O'Neal
- Prince
- St Paul
- Brian Q and the Q-Berts
- Ready for the World
- The Revolution
- Ta Mara and the Seen
- The Time
- Vanity 6
- Wendy & Lisa
- Brittian Scott
References
- Henderson, Alex. "The Minneapolis Sound". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/explore/essay/the-minneapolis-sound-t2161.
- Ohmes, Jeremy (June 4, 2009). "The Minneapolis Sound". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/94060-the-minneapolis-sound/.
Prince Albums · Singles · VideosStudio albums For You · Prince · Dirty Mind · Controversy · 1999 · Around the World in a Day · Sign o' the Times · Lovesexy · Diamonds and Pearls · Love Symbol Album · Come · The Black Album · The Gold Experience · Chaos and Disorder · Emancipation · Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic · The Rainbow Children · N.E.W.S · Musicology · 3121 · Planet Earth · Lotusflow3r / MPLSound · 20TenSoundtrack albums Compilation albums The Hits/The B-Sides · The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale · Crystal Ball · The Very Best of Prince · Ultimate PrinceInternet-only releases Live albums Extended plays The Beautiful Experience · 1999: The New MasterConcert tours Prince Tour · Dirty Mind Tour · Controversy Tour · 1999 Tour · Purple Rain Tour · Hit n Run – Parade Tour · Sign o' the Times Tour · Lovesexy World Tour · Nude Tour · Diamonds and Pearls Tour · Act I Tour · Act II Tour · The Ultimate Live Experience · Gold Tour · Love 4 One Another Charities Tour · Jam of the Year Tour · Newpower Soul Tour/Festival · Hit + Run Tour · A Celebration · One Nite Alone...Tour · 2003–2004 World Tour · Musicology Tour · 3121 Las Vegas Residency · Earth Tour · 20Ten Tour · Welcome 2...Filmography Video releases Prince and The Revolution: Live · Gett Off · Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection · The Hits Collection · The Undertaker · 3 Chains o' Gold · The Sacrifice of Victor · Rave Un2 the Year 2000 · Live at the Aladdin Las VegasRelated artists See also Unreleased projects (Dream Factory · Crystal Ball) · Paisley Park Records · NPG Records · NPG Music Club · Prince Interactive · Glam Slam Ulysses · Billboards · Minneapolis soundAcid blues • Acid jazz • Afrobeat • Brit funk • Deep Funk • Drumfunk • Free funk • Funk carioca • Funk metal • Funk rock • Funktronica • G-funk • Go-go • Jazz-funk • Liquid funk • Neurofunk • Nu-funk • P-Funk • Post-disco • SkweeeRelated List of funk musicians • Minneapolis soundCategories:- Prince (musician)
- Culture of Minneapolis, Minnesota
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