Known for chart-topping hits such as “Ready or Not,” “What Kind of Man Would I Be” and “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes),” Mint Condition has collaborated with major artists, ranging from Earth, Wind & Fire to Janet Jackson.
Unlike most, this group is able to flow effortlessly from jazz to Latin to rock to funk grooves, while still maintaining their mainstream R&B fan base. They attribute this to having family members who were in bands as well as a diverse collection of old-school vinyl records from various artists.
To look at the music industry with its technological beats, one would think that bands, like dinosaurs, were extinct. O’Dell, however, believes there’s still a place for them in the industry.
“They are out there and are trying to make their way,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of good bands that are just trying to find their way around, and technology, definitely, is going to help them surface.”
Williams has an opinion about why bands disappeared from the scene in the first place. “Money and cost-effectiveness,” he said. “Bands were on their way out when we were coming in. [Artists] were coming [in] with a band on the track, prerecorded. Then, you had us with the instruments, and it wasn’t cost-effective for labels when they could do more with less.”
The group recently served as the house band for “Way Black When” on TV One, which airs through February. The program, hosted by Sinbad, Niecy Nash and Christopher Reid, is a reflection of black culture from the ’70s through the ’90s.
Mint Condition’s new album, 7, is scheduled for release April 5 on Shanachie Entertainment.
“The album is basically the human story that each of us has a different take on. What it’s like to be a guy when we fall and make mistakes, the grace period … It’s all there. The whole human condition from our perspective — life as we’ve lived it for the past couple of years.” The single, “Caught My Eye,” is available now on iTunes. –suncera johnson
Visit www.mintconditionmusic.com for information on tour dates.
