(July 26, 2022) The greatness of artists such as Prince, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Morris Day and the band Jam, Lewis and Day once belonged to – The Time – make Minneapolis-St. Paul seem like an inevitable soul and funk capitol. Still, it was far from certain that the Minneapolis sound would emerge from a place so far away from the soul music hotbeds like Memphis, Detroit, Chicago or New York, where large numbers transplanted Black Southerners settled in the post war years.
What allowed Minneapolis-St. Paul to emerge is that the region shares something with all the above listed cities in that a highly talented group of singers, songwriters, musicians, composers, lyricists and producers were concentrated in one place at a specific time. They collaborated and competed. Iron sharpened iron.
(July 26, 2022) The greatness of artists such as Prince, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Morris Day and the band Jam, Lewis and Day once belonged to – The Time – make Minneapolis-St. Paul seem like an inevitable soul and funk capitol. Still, it was far from certain that the Minneapolis sound would emerge from a place so far away from the soul music hotbeds like Memphis, Detroit, Chicago or New York, where large numbers transplanted Black Southerners settled in the post war years.
What allowed Minneapolis-St. Paul to emerge is that the region shares something with all the above listed cities in that a highly talented group of singers, songwriters, musicians, composers, lyricists and producers were concentrated in one place at a specific time. They collaborated and competed. Iron sharpened iron.
St. Paul Peterson is one of the talented artists who was a part of the Twin Cities funk scene in the 1970s and 80s. Discovered by Prince and tapped to replace Monte Moir as The Time’s keyboardist in 1983, he went to play for The Time and become the lead singer of another band that Prince organized, The Family.
Peterson, who hails from a musical family, went on to make his mark as sideman for a who’s who of music legends including the Steve Miller Band and Oleta Adams while also releasing three albums as a member of the band fDeluxe.
Peterson’s skill and diverse musical history can be heard on his new project Break On Free, which includes the tune featured in this First Listen “I Couldn’t Do It Without You.” The number sports a classic soul feel with blues infused guitar riffs and electric organs, interspersed with jazzy horns. Peterson is a natural soul singer who engages in call and response with his background singers on a tune about a man who comes to the realization that he stood on someone’s shoulders to reach the heights that he has reached. Check out St. Paul Peterson’s rollicking blues infused soul banger “I Couldn’t Do This Without You” here.
By Howard Dukes
St. Paul Peterson
"I Couldn't Do This Without You"