Former members Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis went on to a prominent production career after they left the band in 1983, while Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson[2] recorded solo material in addition to their work with the Time.

Inspired by the musical film The Idolmaker (1980), about a rock promoter, Prince decided to create a pop-funk group that would serve as an outlet for his material in the vein of his own early albums, while he explored other genres and styles in his own career.

By 1981, Prince had built the Time out of an existing Minneapolis funk/R&B unit, Flyte Tyme, which featured Alexander O'Neal on lead vocals and sax, Anton (Tony) Johnson on guitar, David Eiland on saxophone, Jellybean Johnson on drums, Jimmy Jam and Monte Moir on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass.

The band went on to release four albums, generally light and humorous in tone, strongly influenced by Funkadelic, Parliament, James Brown and Sly Stone.

Although they scored numerous hits during the early 1980s, including "Cool" (1981), "Jungle Love" (1985), "777-9311", "Get It Up" (1981), "Gigolos Get Lonely Too", and "The Walk", mostly on the R&B charts, they never approached superstardom.

[3] With the exception of singer Morris Day, who was required to follow Prince's guide vocals note-for-note, none of the band played on the debut album.

Frustrated with their lack of input on the albums bearing their name and at being underpaid, the Time would take to the stage with the intent of showing up Prince.

On the final night of the tour in Cincinnati, during the Time's set, Prince and some of his band threw eggs at their supporting act from offstage.

This version of the band can be seen in the Kevin Smith film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and toured frequently usually billed as "Morris Day and the Time".

[3] A fifth Time album was rumored to have been completed in the late 1990s, recorded with the new lineup, but production and coordination with Prince has prevented its release.

The Time reunited at the 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008, performing a medley that included Rihanna and featured "Jungle Love".

On the weekend of June 24/25, 2016, Morris Day & the Time appeared at a Prince Tribute in London organised by the charity Autism Rocks.

[15] On February 12, 2017, the original lineup of the Time played a brief two-song set at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, held at Staples Center as part of a tribute to Prince.

The band has been honored with a star on the exterior of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[16] where both the original roster and the second lineup of the group performed (first in October 1981 and later in the film Purple Rain).

The stars on the building recognize performers who have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.