Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE music documentaries, so of course TV One’s “Unsung” is one of my favorite shows of all time. For those who have never seen the show, you’re missing out! Each episode of the show documents an “unsung” R&B/soul singer/group/band or rapper from the past. Many of these artists are still performing today. I’ve had several debates with my friends and family on what exactly it means to be “unsung” and we still haven’t reached a unanimous decision. My loose definition of an unsung artist is: an artist(s) that was extremely talented, reached moderate commercial success, but for some reason didn’t reach the heights that they should/could have. I guess that’s part of the beauty of the show—you’re free to interpret the definition of “unsung” in any way you please.
Last night’s episode featured Mint Condition, one of the greatest bands of my generation (the BEST band, in my opinion). Five of the six members hailed from St. Paul, Minnesota, so they were definitely influenced by Prince and the “Minneapolis sound” (bass guitarist Ricky Kinchen, the last member to join the group, grew up on the South Side of Chicago). We were shown video footage of the band when they first started performing together in the ‘80s. Their style and sound was Prince-infused. Lead singer Stokley even rocked a jherri curl and leather pants. Yikes. The ‘80s…
A few members left during the late ‘80s/early ‘90s and the final line-up became: Stokley Williams (the flamboyant lead singer/ drums/ percussion), Homer O’Dell (guitar), Jeffrey Allen (saxophone/ keyboard), Larry Waddell (piano/ keyboard), Keri Lewis (keyboard/ synthesizer), and Ricky Kinchen (bass guitar).
The show chronicled the band’s rise to stardom, starting with how they were discovered by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and signed to the famous duo’s Perspective Records (under the A&M Records umbrella) in 1989. Mint Condition and Perspective appeared to be a great partnership.
The band’s debut album Meant to Be Mint was released in 1991 in the middle of the New Jack Swing and “bump-n-grind” R&B era. All songs were written or co-written by the members of the group, and they also co-produced the album. I learned that their first single and music video was NOT the insanely popular “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)” like I assumed. Instead, they chose to go with a funky, New Jack Swing song titled “Are You Free” because they wanted to be known for their up-tempo music. Needless to say, that song flopped and it was a good thing Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had enough faith in the boys to allow them to try again with another single. This time, they struck R&B gold with their second single “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes).” It reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 3 on the Hot R&B Singles chart, and even topped the pop charts. The third single, “Forever In Your Eyes” also spent time on the charts.
Another interesting fact I learned from Unsung: according to Jimmy and Terry, the band originally didn’t want to be known as a BAND (although they played all their own instruments to perfection) because bands in R&B weren’t exactly popular at the time. The days of Earth, Wind & Fire and Confunkshun were gone. People wanted synthesizers and overly produced music. Therefore, they consciously chose not to show them all playing their instruments during their first couple of music videos and live performances. That all changed when they were preparing to go on stage one night and they discovered that their pre-recorded music track wasn’t working. They decided to play the show live and that was the best decision they could have made. They received such a positive response that they decided to showcase them ALL playing instruments in their next music video.
Their 1993 sophomore album From the Mint Factory also enjoyed chart-topping success, propelled by the singles “U Send Me Swingin’”, “Someone to Love” and “So Fine.” By this time, the group fully produced their own albums and wrote all their own songs.
Their third and final album with Perspective was Definition of a Band, released in 1996. It was certified gold, thanks to the singles “What Kind of Man Would I Be?” and “You Don’t Have to Hurt No More.” “What Kind of Man Would I Be?” which was written by group member Lawrence Waddell, discussed a man’s conflict over deciding whether or not to cheat on his girl. (“What kind of man would I be, if I lived unfaithfully/ And what kind of girl would you be if you did the same?”) Wadell shared that male fans used to give the group a hard time about the lyrics to that song. Waddell joked, “We just asked the question, we didn’t answer it!”
During this time, Perspective Records dismantled, due to A&M merging with the Universal Music Group. This left the former Perspective acts (e.g. Sounds of Blackness, Solo, and Lo-Key) to find their place with parent company A&M. Mint Condition felt that A&M wasn’t dedicating enough time and resources to them, so they moved on to Elektra Records. They would never again reach the heights that they reached under Perspective. The group released Life’s Aquarium in 1999, which did relatively well on the R&B charts.
After Life’s Aquarium was released, Keri Lewis decided to leave the group to pursue other ventures, such as producing for then-wife Toni Braxton. The group members admitted that they were hurt and confused by Lewis’ decision to leave the group. Stokely was the only member to attend Lewis’ wedding to Braxton. After Lewis left, the band decided to take a break to figure things out. Their “break” lasted six years. In 2005, they were back—without Lewis. They released Livin’ the Luxury Brown in 2005 and E-Life in 2008.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis made an interesting point. They shared that the band was never the same after Lewis left. Lewis was the one who catapulted the group to mainstream success (well, mainstream R&B, at least). He was the one who would tell the band members to take out “that jazz chord” and replace it with a more radio-friendly chord. Basically, he was instrumental in the band’s commercial success.
I’m really glad the show touched on Mint Condition’s live shows. Stokley joked that most people who have never attended a Mint Condition concert assume that they’re going to see a mellow, slow-groove show. But by the end of the night, they’re sweating. I can attest to that. A Mint Condition live show is an EXPERIENCE. The band is jumping around the stage, screaming at the top of their lungs, playing instruments while lying on the floor. And that’s just the first song. They really display the band by giving every member a chance to show off their skills. The drum solos and guitar riffs are insane. Stokley scatting or screaming will catch you off guard. Jef Allen’s high energy as he consistently jumps up and down throughout the set is admirable (and entertaining). They are loud. They are experimental. They are rock. And soul. And funk. And amazing. I must note, however, that they are best seen in larger venues. I saw them for the first time at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, CA. This is a larger venue and it was able to control all of their loud instruments and screaming. I saw the band a month later at Yoshi’s, a small, intimate venue, and it was TERRIBLE. Same songs, same set list. But the music was TOO loud. I couldn’t enjoy myself.
I had been waiting all season to see Mint Condition’s Unsung story. TV One did a great job with this one. By the end of the hour-long episode, I had the urge to pull out my From the Mint Factory album and rock and groove with the best band of my generation. Mint Condition has always stayed true to themselves I appreciate them for that. The best band of my generation and my favorite band. Period.
Last night’s episode featured Mint Condition, one of the greatest bands of my generation (the BEST band, in my opinion). Five of the six members hailed from St. Paul, Minnesota, so they were definitely influenced by Prince and the “Minneapolis sound” (bass guitarist Ricky Kinchen, the last member to join the group, grew up on the South Side of Chicago). We were shown video footage of the band when they first started performing together in the ‘80s. Their style and sound was Prince-infused. Lead singer Stokley even rocked a jherri curl and leather pants. Yikes. The ‘80s…
A few members left during the late ‘80s/early ‘90s and the final line-up became: Stokley Williams (the flamboyant lead singer/ drums/ percussion), Homer O’Dell (guitar), Jeffrey Allen (saxophone/ keyboard), Larry Waddell (piano/ keyboard), Keri Lewis (keyboard/ synthesizer), and Ricky Kinchen (bass guitar).
The show chronicled the band’s rise to stardom, starting with how they were discovered by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and signed to the famous duo’s Perspective Records (under the A&M Records umbrella) in 1989. Mint Condition and Perspective appeared to be a great partnership.
The band’s debut album Meant to Be Mint was released in 1991 in the middle of the New Jack Swing and “bump-n-grind” R&B era. All songs were written or co-written by the members of the group, and they also co-produced the album. I learned that their first single and music video was NOT the insanely popular “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)” like I assumed. Instead, they chose to go with a funky, New Jack Swing song titled “Are You Free” because they wanted to be known for their up-tempo music. Needless to say, that song flopped and it was a good thing Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had enough faith in the boys to allow them to try again with another single. This time, they struck R&B gold with their second single “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes).” It reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 3 on the Hot R&B Singles chart, and even topped the pop charts. The third single, “Forever In Your Eyes” also spent time on the charts.
Another interesting fact I learned from Unsung: according to Jimmy and Terry, the band originally didn’t want to be known as a BAND (although they played all their own instruments to perfection) because bands in R&B weren’t exactly popular at the time. The days of Earth, Wind & Fire and Confunkshun were gone. People wanted synthesizers and overly produced music. Therefore, they consciously chose not to show them all playing their instruments during their first couple of music videos and live performances. That all changed when they were preparing to go on stage one night and they discovered that their pre-recorded music track wasn’t working. They decided to play the show live and that was the best decision they could have made. They received such a positive response that they decided to showcase them ALL playing instruments in their next music video.
Their 1993 sophomore album From the Mint Factory also enjoyed chart-topping success, propelled by the singles “U Send Me Swingin’”, “Someone to Love” and “So Fine.” By this time, the group fully produced their own albums and wrote all their own songs.
Their third and final album with Perspective was Definition of a Band, released in 1996. It was certified gold, thanks to the singles “What Kind of Man Would I Be?” and “You Don’t Have to Hurt No More.” “What Kind of Man Would I Be?” which was written by group member Lawrence Waddell, discussed a man’s conflict over deciding whether or not to cheat on his girl. (“What kind of man would I be, if I lived unfaithfully/ And what kind of girl would you be if you did the same?”) Wadell shared that male fans used to give the group a hard time about the lyrics to that song. Waddell joked, “We just asked the question, we didn’t answer it!”
During this time, Perspective Records dismantled, due to A&M merging with the Universal Music Group. This left the former Perspective acts (e.g. Sounds of Blackness, Solo, and Lo-Key) to find their place with parent company A&M. Mint Condition felt that A&M wasn’t dedicating enough time and resources to them, so they moved on to Elektra Records. They would never again reach the heights that they reached under Perspective. The group released Life’s Aquarium in 1999, which did relatively well on the R&B charts.
After Life’s Aquarium was released, Keri Lewis decided to leave the group to pursue other ventures, such as producing for then-wife Toni Braxton. The group members admitted that they were hurt and confused by Lewis’ decision to leave the group. Stokely was the only member to attend Lewis’ wedding to Braxton. After Lewis left, the band decided to take a break to figure things out. Their “break” lasted six years. In 2005, they were back—without Lewis. They released Livin’ the Luxury Brown in 2005 and E-Life in 2008.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis made an interesting point. They shared that the band was never the same after Lewis left. Lewis was the one who catapulted the group to mainstream success (well, mainstream R&B, at least). He was the one who would tell the band members to take out “that jazz chord” and replace it with a more radio-friendly chord. Basically, he was instrumental in the band’s commercial success.
I’m really glad the show touched on Mint Condition’s live shows. Stokley joked that most people who have never attended a Mint Condition concert assume that they’re going to see a mellow, slow-groove show. But by the end of the night, they’re sweating. I can attest to that. A Mint Condition live show is an EXPERIENCE. The band is jumping around the stage, screaming at the top of their lungs, playing instruments while lying on the floor. And that’s just the first song. They really display the band by giving every member a chance to show off their skills. The drum solos and guitar riffs are insane. Stokley scatting or screaming will catch you off guard. Jef Allen’s high energy as he consistently jumps up and down throughout the set is admirable (and entertaining). They are loud. They are experimental. They are rock. And soul. And funk. And amazing. I must note, however, that they are best seen in larger venues. I saw them for the first time at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, CA. This is a larger venue and it was able to control all of their loud instruments and screaming. I saw the band a month later at Yoshi’s, a small, intimate venue, and it was TERRIBLE. Same songs, same set list. But the music was TOO loud. I couldn’t enjoy myself.
I had been waiting all season to see Mint Condition’s Unsung story. TV One did a great job with this one. By the end of the hour-long episode, I had the urge to pull out my From the Mint Factory album and rock and groove with the best band of my generation. Mint Condition has always stayed true to themselves I appreciate them for that. The best band of my generation and my favorite band. Period.
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