Back in 2022, iconic Minneapolis funk band Morris Day and The Time strolled onto the stage at the Soul Train Awards and delivered a groovy medley like no other. Looking slick, suave, and completely in command of the stage, Day delivers note-perfect renditions of era-defining tracks including ‘Cool’, ‘777’ and ‘The Bird’. It’s little wonder that the performance has been watched by over 6 million people online, with many fans complimenting Day’s undeniable stage presence and cool dress sense.
Throughout the performance, the entire audience was up on their feet, with attendees old and young singing along to the words and getting down to the band’s funky grooves. In one hilarious moment, Day’s backup dancer Jerome Benton brings out a mirror for the singer to check his appearance, before breaking out into some seriously funky moves with the mirror still in hand. It’s an iconic moment that sums up what Morris Day and the Time are all about – slick moves, funky music, and classy looks.
The highlight of the medley, however, had to be the band’s performance of ‘The Bird’, their hit from 1984 that made the top 10 on the US dance chart and has since become one of their signature tracks. With no encouragement from Day or Benton, the audience automatically broke out into the bird-like dance move that accompanies the song, with two particularly enthusiastic attendees seen leaping into the aisles between the chairs and unveiling some seriously funky dance moves of their own.
Music Man readers who are old enough to remember the 1980s, meanwhile, may also remember The Time’s appearance in the 1984 film ‘Purple Rain,’ which starred Prince in the lead role. In the scene, a much younger Day and his band are seen lighting up the dance floor of a nightclub, again playing ‘The Bird’ and accompanying their performance with some hot dance moves. Day’s character also appears elsewhere in the film, which has since been described as one of the greatest rock musicals ever made.
Morris Day and the Time are remembered as one of the greatest funk bands of the early 1980s for a reason, as proved by these two videos. The band’s performance on Soul Train is a particularly potent example of their ongoing talents, with their slick, funky medley of some of their most iconic tracks clearly going down well with both the live audience and millions of fans online.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can follow Morris Day on their Facebook and Instagram.