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Minnesota Music Awards: 1986

Twin Cities Music Highlights Posted on by

I apologize for any misspellings of anyone’s name; it could be from the source, or it could be from my typing.  Please contact me if you need to have something corrected.  Thanks!

For other years, see MINNESOTA MUSIC AWARDS.

 

DATE:  May 20, 1986

PLACE:   Carlton Celebrity Room, Bloomington

HOST:  Don Powell

SPONSOR:  Minnesota Music Academy

NOTES:

The eligibility period was from May 1, 1985 to April 30, 1986.

A newly reformed Minnesota Music Academy decided that in order to vote, you had to pay five dollars to join the Academy, except in for the Entertainer of the Year category, where anyone could vote.  In the opinion of the City Pages’ Michael Welch, this amounted to buying votes and continuing the Minnesota tradition of recognizing the most popular acts and not the most talented.  Although people had a chance to vote in more than 200 categories, due to “numerous unforeseen hassles,” people didn’t have enough time after the rules were announced to get their votes in, and only about 300 people voted.  And although the intent was to give more awards to more people, about the same number of awards were given out as the year before.

Awards were given in 64 categories.  218 categories appeared on the six-page ballot; prizes were given only in categories where at least 5 percent (or at least 16 Academy members) of the voters cat ballots.  Only about 50 people voted for Entertainer of the Year without being members of the Academy, as allowed.  318 people paid $5 to join the Academy.

The 1985 MMA Categories Committee that re-evaluated the awards categories for 1986 was made up of:

  • Mary Jane Alm
  • Jearlyn Steele Battle
  • Wayne Cox
  • Tony Glover
  • Prudence Johnson
  • Dan Lund
  • Wain McFarland
  • Willie Murphy
  • Chris Osgood
  • Steve Raitt
  • Ann Reed

Pacing of the show was a problem.  It was Broadcast live by KTMA Channel 23, one consequence of which was that there were pauses for commercials.  Equipment failures ruined Soul Asylum’s opening set, and some winners were either getting ready to perform or in the bar when their names were called.

Limited Warranty won an unprecedented 11 awards between the band and individual members.  In 1985 it had won a $100,000 grand prize for best new musical group on the TV show “Star Search.”

Also see MPR article at the end of this section.

So far only I have only found winners for 1986; the search for nominees continues.

 

PERFORMERS

All Star Lounge Prior to the Show:  Jimmy Valentine

  • Soul Asylum
  • Eddie Berger and the Jazz All-Stars
  • TaMara and the Seen
  • The Jets
  • Mary Jane Alm and Michael Johnson
  • Richard Dworsky accompanied by Lee Blaske
  • Excelsior Chorale Ensemble
  • Willie Murphy
  • Mazarati
  • Prince and the full 11-piece Revolution did a 40 minute set that closed out the show.

Back Stage Lounge After the Show:

  • Figures
  • Westside

 

AWARDEES

  • Entertainer/Group of the Year:  Limited Warranty

  • Best Pop Song:  “This is Serious” – Erik Newman (Limited Warranty)

  • Best Film/Video Score:  “Under the Cherry Moon” – Prince

  • Best Single:  “This is Serious” – Erik Newman (Limited Warranty)

  • Best LP:  “The Jets” – The Jets

  • Best Producer:  “Flyte Time” (Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam Harris)

  • Best Engineer:  David Rivkin

  • Best Studio:  Metro Studio

  • Best Video:  “Raspberry Beret” – Prince and the Revolution

  • Best Cover Artwork:  “Around the World in a Day” – Prince and the Revolution

  • Music Journalist Award:  Jon Bream

  • Radio Station Award:  WLOL-FM/KDWB-FM (tie)

  • Minnesota Music Hall of Fame Award:  Jeanne Arland Peterson

  • Prince received a plaque from Governor Rudy Perpich designating him the Number 2 Charter Member of the Minnesota Music Academy.

 

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS BY GENRE:

ROCK

  • Guitarist:  Erik Newman – Limited Warranty

  • Keyboard Player:  Paul Hartwig – Limited Warranty

  • Bassist:  Greg Sotebeer – Limited Warranty

  • Drummer:  Jerry Brunskill – Limited Warranty

  • Reed Player:  Dusty Cox

  • Female Vocalist:  Melanie Rosales

  • Male Vocalist:  Dale Goulett – Limited Warranty

R&B:

  • Guitarist:  Jesse Johnson

  • Keyboard Player:  Ricky Peterson

  • Bassist:  Haini Wolfgramm – The Jets

  • Drummer:  Bobby Z – Prince and the Revolution

  • Female Vocalist:  TaMara – TaMara and the Seen

  • Male Vocalist:  Alexander O’Neal

GOSPEL

  • Female Vocalist:  Jevetta Steele

  • Male Vocalist:  J.D. Steele

WORLD BEAT

Guitarist:  Wain McFarland – Ipso Facto

LATIN

Keyboard Player:  Manfredo Fest

JAZZ

  • Keyboard Player:  Jeanne Arland Peterson

  • Bass Player:  Billy Peterson

  • Female Vocalist:  Patty Peterson

  • Best Jazz Composition:  “Too Late to Leave Early” – Linda Peterson

COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS/FOLK

  • Guitarist:  Leo Kottke

  • Female Vocalist:  Mary Jane Alm

  • Male Vocalist:  Michael Johnson

 

GROUP AWARDS BY GENRE

POP/ROCK

  • Band:  Limited Warranty

  • Original Music:  Limited Warranty

  • Recording:  “This is Serious” – Limited Warranty

  • New Band:  Great Nation

HEAVY METAL

  • Band:  Slave Raider
  • Original Music:  Slave Raider
  • New Band:  Slave Raider

 

GARAGE BAND

Husker Du/Soul Asylum (tie)

This was quite a Facebook find!  Below is a photo of the trophy given to Soul Asylum in 1986 for “Best Garage Band.” It is comprised of an angled wooden base with a brushed brass plaque and a clear Plexiglas rectangle with concave surface. According to Cindy Lawson McClellan of The Clams, this award was tipped on its side at the band’s table and used as an ashtray during the remainder of the ceremony.  Thanks to Debra Deutsch Erickson from Twin Cities Reminiscing!!

Image Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

 

 

COVER ROCK

Band:  Slave Raider

R&B

  • Band:  The Jets
  • Original Music:  The Jets
  • New Band:  The Jets

FUNK

  • Band:  Westside

  • Original Music:  Prince and the Revolution

  • Recording:  Mazarati

  • New Band:  Mazarati

BLUES

Band:  Lynwood Slim

GOSPEL

Group:  J.D. Steele Singers

WORLD BEAT

  • Reggae Band:  Ipso Facto

  • Reggae Original Music:  Ipso Facto

  • Calypso Band:  Shangoya

LATIN

Band:  Orchestra Sabrason

JAZZ

  • Pop/Fusion Band:  Samoa

  • Avant-garde Band:  The Wallets

  • Vocal Group:  Rio Nido

COUNTRY

Band:  Mary Jane Alm

FOLK

Band:  Paul Metsa

MPR REPORT

When Gopher State glitterati turned out in all their splendor last night, it was for the sixth annual Minnesota Music Awards. Almost as soon as audience members arrived at Bloomington’s Carlton Celebrity Room, they were swept up in the excitement and expectation generated by rumors that Minnesota’s funkiest favorite son might honor the crowd with a surprise concert. Morning Edition’s Jim Bickal reports:

A parade of limousines pulled up in front of the Carlton Celebrity Room last night and out of them popped some outrageously dressed people. Women with huge hairdos and shockingly revealing evening gowns were escorted by shirtless men wearing floor-length white robes and sunglasses.

A small crowd waited outside the hall watching for celebrities. The one they were especially looking for was Minnesota superstar Prince. Limousine chauffeur Cameron Smith was out there and he knew what to look for: “Oh, most likely he sneaks in in a yellow Thunderbird with very blacked-in windows or a black BMW with very blacked-in windows. Or he does have his own limousine which is a blue Lincoln. It’s pretty easily identified. It has cut crystal headlights and such.”

Prince never made his grand entrance but there were rumors he had snuck in a back door.

Inside the Celebrity Room, Don Powell was the master of ceremonies. The show was broadcast live on UHF channel 23. The awards were based on the newly formed Minnesota Music Academy. The Academy is made up of the 300 people who paid $5 to join. Their votes determine the winner in every category except one: Entertainer of the Year. In that category, anybody could vote, but only 50 non-Academy members did. Pop rock band Limited Warranty won the balloting as Entertainer of the Year; Westside was voted best funk band; The Jets won several awards as the best Rhythm and Blues band; Paul Metsa was selected as the best folk artist; and Slave Raider was selected as the best heavy metal band.

Gov. Perpich, who could have easily won the balloting for most conservatively dressed presenter, gave out the Connie Hechter Award to long-time record distributor Amos Heilicher. Most of the recipients who attended the ceremony seemed pretty pleased by the honor, but the band Soul Asylum, which was voted best garage band, didn’t quite know what to make of it. They said they didn’t know they were a garage band.

“I think it’s kind of interesting we haven’t been in a garage for, oh, about three years. But it’s still kinda nice. At least somebody’s paying attention. We were here and we played so they knew we were going to be here so I think they had to give us something so they added this category just so they could do it.”

When asked what they thought of the award ceremony, they said, “I think it’s not going so well, but what do I know? This is the only one I’ve ever seen so I can’t compare it to anything. I think it’s kinda bogus but then I probably shouldn’t say that.”

As the evening wore on, rumors were circulating that Prince was there and that he was going to play. About an hour before the end of the program, a security officer told guest Angela Watley that she couldn’t return to her seat near the stage. He told her that Prince would not perform unless she was removed from the audience. Watley was a bit miffed.

“I’m apparently a threat to The Revolution. I’m not sure how. It’s an absurd mix-up.” What did they tell you? “Just to leave my table. I was sitting at the Governor’s table. To leave my table and that I was a threat to the group.” What are you going to do? “I’m going to find out exactly what is the problem here. Because this is a really ridiculous mistake. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life and I really deserve a very good explanation.”

Finally, after all the awards in the program were handed out, Academy Chair Byron Frank was introduced. It was the moment that everyone was hoping for. Frank announced that Prince would be the first charter member of the Minnesota Music Academy. Prince appeared and he was greeted with a huge ovation. Dressed in a conservative blue suit, he told the crowd he wasn’t expecting the award.

“A while back I wrote a line to a song and I said ‘I don’t care to win awards.’ But it was easy to write a line like that because I wasn’t up for any. And I won a couple awards since then, but in all honesty I want you all to know that the ones I get from you are the best.”

After the award ceremony was over and the television cameras were off and those of us with tape recorders were told not to use them, Prince and the Revolution returned to the stage. For 40 minutes, his royal badness sang, pranced around the stage and threw pieces of his clothing into the audience. It was what everyone was waiting for and they weren’t disappointed. I’m Jim Bickal reporting.

 

 

Sources include:

Michael Welch, Buzz Magazine, May 21, 1986

Jon Bream, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 21, 1986

Daniel Corrigan, Buzz Magazine, June 1986

 

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