Track Record: Behind Janet Jackson's Groove

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Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

The names Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are synonymous with Janet Jackson. The trio crafted classic albums that continue to influence music and your favorite mega pop stars. They were the first production team to tap into Janet’s thoughts and feelings. At the much forgotten beginning of her musical career, Janet did what her father said and let whatever producers the label found mold her sound. As Jam recounted, before she was just showing up to the studio and singing songs. With the Flyte Tyme crew, she was expressing who she was as a young woman, not only sharing her thoughts and feelings, but connecting with her fans who were going through many of the same issues growing up.

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Before becoming the production team with the most No. 1 songs ever on the Billboard charts, James Samuel Harris and Terry Steven Lewis were just two kids from Minnesota with clashing musical tastes. After establishing what would become the group known as The Time and traveling as Prince’s opening act, the two soon emerged as talented producers, creating hit songs for the The S.O.S. Band, Alexander O'Neal, Cheryl Lynn and many others.

With the Minneapolis sound catching on, Joe Jackson went to see about these boys from up North and what they could do for his talented daughter that just couldn’t seem to make a hit. What resulted from this union was the album Control that went on to sell more than 14 million albums and spawned six hit singles. It was a turning point for the artist and the producers, and the start of a working relationship that would last decades.

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While we could write forever and ever about the relationship between Janet, Jimmy and Terry, we could never do them, their songs or their influence any justice. We’ll just let the music speak for itself.

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