The Family can refer to 6 different artists: an American R&B band, a British country/folk/blues band, a psychedelic blues/country/tropicalia band, and an 2 different Australian bands a punk grunge type band, a lo-fi electronica group, and an American 60's garage rock/sunshine pop outfit.
.1)The first being The Family that were a R&B band signed to Prince's record label Paisley Park Records. The band has recently reformed under the name "F-deluxe," and has a new download available on their new site, www.
Fdeluxe.com.The band consisted of remaining members of The Time (Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton and St. Paul Peterson), Eric Leeds (brother of Prince's tour manager Alan Leeds) and Susannah Melvoin, the twin sister of Wendy Melvoin, who was Prince's guitarist in his band The Revolution and the other half of the duo Wendy & Lisa.
The band's material was composed entirely by Prince, with the exception of "River Run Dry", which was written by Bobby "Z" Rivkin. Prince wrote and performed all the other tracks and simply overdubbed Paul and Susannah's vocals and added saxophone by Leeds.
The project turned out to be short-lived. Peterson opted to pursue his own career and Prince absorbed most of the remaining members into The Revolution (with the exception of Johnson, who went on to join the Flyte Tyme music production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis).
The band did, however perform a single concert and released a self-titled album. The album contains of eight tracks consisting of funk-jazz with two instrumentals and three ballads. A single was released for The Screams Of Passion, a modest hit which was re-released in 1996 on the Girl 6 soundtrack.
The album's crowning achievement, however was Nothing Compares 2 U, an emotional ballad very successfully covered five years later by Sinéad O'Connor.2) Secondly it refers to an energetic 5 piece band from Southampton UK with a country/folk/blues sound to them.
They released their debut single 'Falling For You' last year, which was received so well it sold out!"The Family sound unbelievably polished for an unsigned band, with deeply instrumental, layered tracks….
‘Bow Legged Woman’ blends the sounds of Primal Scream, Oasis and Seventies rock’n’roll to perfection. To hear this live, with the husky vocals, raucous guitars, and Dylan inspired harmonica, must be brilliant….
It’s great to see some different music coming out of Southampton, aside from the usual copycat bands that we keep seeing.", Penny Lane, NME, November 2007 http://www.myspace.com/thefamilyonline3) The third refers to: "Four brothers fusing their Blues, Country and Tropicalia roots into a joyful pshycedelic current.
Founded in 2005, the Family has undergone multiple lineup changes, but they are finally the symbiotic collective they have always wanted. In July of 2007 they recorded their first full length album, entitled From Brasil to the Back Country.
"4) The fourth refers to an Australian lo-fi electronica group active in Sydney during the 1990's and associated with clan-analogue.5) An Australian Band who was from Melbourne who played heavy punk grunge type music who formed in 1993.
They released 2 full length cd albums in the 1990s entitled "Bleeding in" and "Hatemail"6) A mid 1960's garage band/sunshine pop group who released the Scott McKenzie-esque "San Francisco Waits" as a 45 in 1967.