When the album and movie Purple Rain dominated pop culture over the last half of 1984, it made instant stars of "villains" Morris Day and the Time. Released on July 27, 1984, the film should have catapulted the act to super-stardom. In reality, the group had already broken up. Things had grown contentious between Prince and the Time, with things coming to a head when Prince fired Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis from the Time after they missed a show. When Prince took Purple Rain on the road, it was Sheila E who served as his opening act instead.
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Just weeks before Purple Rain landed, the Time released Ice Cream Castle, on July 9, 1984. It was the third in the group's original trilogy of albums to feature exactly six songs. Like the previous two releases, the album was primarily written and recorded by Prince (under the pseudonym "Jamie Starr"). Although the LP did feature contributions from members of the Time, with Morris Day and guitarist Jesse Jackson contributing to the songwriting process.
The album was a hit, featuring two of the Time's biggest songs: "Jungle Love," which peaked at #20 on the Hot 100, and "The Bird," which crashed the top 40 to reach #36. Both were featured in the Purple Rain movie. Ice Cream Castles reached #24 on the Billboard 200 October 13, 1984. The #1 album in America that week: none other than Prince's Purple Rain.
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