Time for Morris Day

He's still screeching his trademark line - "What time is it?" - but funk singer Morris Day knows exactly what the answer is, probably more now than ever in his career.

"It's time for me and the Time to put some stuff out and show the folks we still got it," Day said during a phone interview from his Georgia home. "That we're still around says a lot, that we're true performers."

Morris Day and the Time, the band created by music sensation Prince, is back on the road after sort of sitting back for a while. And so far, the response from fans couldn't be sweeter for Day.

"They are there and they are loving us," the performer said. "We're just back out there having a good time, just keeping it going."

Morris Day and the Time are going to swing those good times Yuma's way this weekend. The band is set to perform at 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday at Paradise Casino. Tickets are $15.

Tickets are also on sale for Paradise Casino's next big show, a concert starring Dennis Quaid. The popular actor will perform with his rock band, The Sharks, Aug. 8 and 9.

Morris Day and the Time formed in Minneapolis in the 1980s when Prince was looking for an alter-ego band for different or experimental music. Prince approached Day, a childhood friend, with the offer of sharing music in exchange for helping out Day's up-and-coming band.

Day quickly became an audience favorite, with his bug-eyed expressions and love for pimping and preening on stage. The group also produced three singles - "Get It Up," "Cool" and "777-9311" - that raced up the charts. Day also played himself in Prince's musical movie "Purple Rain."

In the late 1980s, Day went solo and cracked several anthems like "Jungle Love," "The Bird" and "Jerk Out."

Off the stage and onto the big screen, Day has also performed in a handful of movies like "Moving," "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane," "Graffiti Bridge" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."

These days, though, Day is tackling what's probably his most challenging role ever - husband and father.

"I'm a family man now, you know. I have kids in school and I do stuff around the house," he said. "I don't get into the streets enough, but I hit it when I'm going on the road!"

Yes, he's changed a bit, but it's all for good.

"I've settled down, but I'm still wild on stage," he said, giving a little chuckle. "I had to tone down off-stage, in that part of my life. That kind of makes for longevity, you know what I'm saying?"

Today, Day is surprisingly soft-spoken, humble and downright nice-sounding. He's left Minneapolis and now lives in the country outside of suburban Atlanta.

"I don't have cows, but they are around!"

In his spare time, his biggest hobby is taking care of his much-loved cars, including his favorite - a 1987 Jaguar.

He and The Time really don't tour much in the traditional sense these days, but they are back into flying to gigs around the country on the weekends. Although a new compact disc is in the planning stages, they haven't recorded any new material.

"We're just doing the old stuff and having a good time doing it."

And he thinks Yuma isn't going to know what's hit town.

"The moment that's going to knock them dead is when me and Jerome first step onto the stage. It's going to be a knock-out moment," he said. "Then they're going to know we're in the house when we get to the sexy stuff in the middle. I can't give it all away, but I'd advise not to miss the sexy stuff."

No, Day explains, sexy still means music, but his stage character begins to reveal itself more and more.

"Maybe we'll pull some sexies on the stage and have some fun. Yeah!" he said. "We're gonna have to make sure they dress all scantly."

But then, as suddenly as he changed, Day is back to being himself again. In fact, he even agreed to talk a bit about Prince, a relationship the media has sometimes described as a bit rocky.

"Prince, even growing up and working together, was probably one of the most amazing people I've ever known," Day said. "After working with someone of his caliber, especially for so long, it's kind of hard to get excited about some of the other cats in the industry."

And true, Prince has a bigger name, but that's not something that's got Day too worried.

"I always say that I have the perfect level of celebrity. If I walk into a restaurant, maybe a few folks might recognize me and that's nice. But I'm never bothered to the point where I can't finish my meal," he said, chuckling again.

It's also cool with Day to let go of worrying whether the clock will stop ticking on him and the Time.

"This is our last hurrah. So we're going to hit it again. We'll have some fun and maybe close up and move on to some other business," he said. "But know that I say that lightly. I can't see myself doing anything else and performing is all I know. I just know in my heart that regardless, we have a strong musical legacy to lean on."