The Family

The Family

The Family are an R&B and funk group from Minneapolis, United States, active from 1984 to 1985. They are associated with the Minneapolis sound and R&B, and their line-up includes Jerome Benton, Eric Leeds, Susannah Melvoin, St. Paul, Miko Weaver and Jellybean Johnson.

Background

The group forms around members linked to Prince’s wider circle. It is made up of remaining members of The Time, including Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton and St. Paul Peterson, together with Eric Leeds and Susannah Melvoin. Susannah Melvoin is the twin sister of Wendy Melvoin, who plays guitar in Prince’s band The Revolution and in Wendy & Lisa. Eric Leeds is the brother of Prince’s tour manager Alan Leeds.

Recording and release history

The Family are signed to Prince’s Paisley Park Records. Their material is composed entirely by Prince except for “River Run Dry”, which is written by Bobby “Z” Rivkin. Prince writes and performs the other tracks, overdubbing Paul and Susannah’s vocals and adding saxophone parts by Leeds.

The group releases a self-titled album and performs a single concert. The album contains eight tracks, including funk-jazz material, two instrumentals and three ballads.

Key songs and later development

The single “The Screams of Passion” is released from the album and becomes a modest hit. It is later re-released in 1996 on the Girl 6 soundtrack. The album’s best-known track is “Nothing Compares 2 U”, an emotional ballad later covered successfully by Sinéad O’Connor.

The project is short-lived. St. Paul Peterson leaves to pursue his own career, and Prince absorbs most of the remaining members into The Revolution. Jellybean Johnson does not follow that route and goes on to join the Flyte Tyme music production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The group later reforms under the name F-deluxe.