P.M. Dawn

P.M. Dawn

Company type	Musical duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1988
Founder	Attrell Cordes (Prince Be), Jarrett Cordes (Eternal/DJ Minutemix)
Headquarters	Jersey City , United States
Area served	United States, United Kingdom, international
Key people	Attrell Cordes (Prince Be), Jarrett Cordes (Eternal/DJ Minutemix), Gregory Lewis Carr II (Doc. G)
Products	Hip-hop and R&B music

P.M. Dawn is a musical duo from the United States specializing in hip-hop and R&B, established in 1988 by siblings Attrell Cordes (known as Prince Be) and Jarrett Cordes (also called Eternal or DJ Minutemix) in Jersey City, New Jersey. The group gained notable crossover popularity during the early 1990s by merging elements of hip hop, soul, and mainstream urban R&B.

Their initial single, "Ode to a Forgetful Mind," was produced in 1988. The debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience (1991), earned both critical praise and commercial recognition, largely propelled by the successful track "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". Their sophomore release in 1993, The Bliss Album...? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence), included popular songs such as "I'd Die Without You" and "Looking Through Patient Eyes" and also received favorable reviews. Later works like Jesus Wept (1995) and Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad (1998) were met with positive critical reception despite experiencing diminished sales.

Due to health complications related to complications of diabetes, Prince Be’s cousin Doc. G took over P.M. Dawn’s management in 2005 after Eternal departed from the ensemble. Prince Be passed away in 2016 as a result of kidney disease. Doc G continues to perform under the P.M. Dawn name without participation from the Cordes brothers.

Early history

Attrell Cordes began his journey as a DJ and songwriter during ninth grade. In 1988, he teamed up with his younger brother Jarrett to create P.M. Dawn, financing their initial demo tape with $600 earned by Prince Be while working night shifts as a security guard at a homeless shelter.

Their demo was turned down by Tommy Boy Records for being too unconventional compared to more traditional rap groups like De La Soul. Instead, the independent label Warlock released their first single "Ode to a Forgetful Mind" in 1989, which initially failed to attract significant attention.

The single found greater success in the UK when Gee Street Records took charge of its distribution through strategic promotion. Gee Street then invited P.M. Dawn to London in 1990 to record tracks for an upcoming album. However, due to financial difficulties, Gee Street sold its business along with P.M. Dawn's contract to Island Records, which issued several singles before releasing their debut album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience.

"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss"

The album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross featured the worldwide hit "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", which incorporated a sample from Spandau Ballet's song "True" and included a guest appearance by their lead singer Tony Hadley in its music video. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of November 30, 1991, marking the first number one after Nielsen SoundScan was implemented. It also reached number three on UK charts. Island Records released their next single "Paper Doll" in both UK and US markets, where it peaked at number 28 in early 1992.

After their debut album’s breakthrough success, P.M. Dawn ended their association with manager Nick Hemmings and embarked on an international tour. During this time, Prince Be publicly questioned rapper KRS-One’s activism in an interview. This led KRS-One and his group to disrupt a P.M. Dawn concert by performing their own material and pushing them offstage; KRS-One later justified this act as defending respect.

In 1992, P.M. Dawn contributed the Richie Rich Mix version of "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" to the Red Hot Organization's compilation Red Hot + Dance, joining artists such as George Michael and Madonna, supporting AIDS awareness campaigns and fundraising initiatives. On February 12, 1992, P.M. Dawn was honored with the Best International Newcomer at the BRIT Awards.

The Bliss Album...?

Prior to the launch of The Bliss Album...? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence), P.M. Dawn had released the single "I'd Die Without You" as part of the 1992 Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang and its accompanying soundtrack. This track, which reached No. 3 on the pop charts, was later featured on The Bliss Album...? alongside another successful single, "Looking Through Patient Eyes", which climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard pop chart.

The song "Looking Through Patient Eyes" included backing vocals from Cathy Dennis and incorporated a sample of George Michael's "Father Figure". The music video, filmed inside a church, contained Christian symbolism; notably, Prince Be wore a T-shirt emblazoned with "Thank you, Jesus."

Among the tracks on The Bliss Album...? was a collaboration with Boy George titled "More Than Likely", as well as a rendition of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". The album also featured "So On and So On", which became the subject of the 1999 legal case Batiste v. Island Records, Inc., where Paul and Michael Batiste alleged unauthorized sampling from David Batiste & The Gladiators' "Funky Soul". The Fifth Circuit Court ruled in favor of Island Records, determining there was no consumer confusion or misrepresentation. Nevertheless, "So On and So On" was omitted from subsequent editions and is no longer part of the publishing rights catalog.

Jesus Wept and DJ Minutemix's legal issues

In 1993, P.M. Dawn contributed a cover of "You Got Me Floatin'" to the tribute compilation Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix, which also featured artists such as Pat Metheny, Eric Clapton, and Ice-T's band Body Count. Additionally, they produced a remix for Beautiful People's "If 60's Was 90's".

Their 1995 release, Jesus Wept, did not achieve the commercial success of earlier albums; its highest-charting single was "Downtown Venus", which sampled Deep Purple's "Hush" and peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard charts. That same year, P.M. Dawn remixed White Zombie's "Blood, Milk and Sky" for the compilation Supersexy Swingin' Sounds. In 1995, Jarret Cordes, known as DJ Minutemix, faced arrest on charges related to sexual abuse of a minor; however, these charges were subsequently dropped due to insufficient evidence.

In 1996, P.M. Dawn contributed "Non-Fiction Burning" to the AIDS awareness album Red Hot + Rio. Two years later, Prince Be provided music for the comedy film Senseless, followed by the release of their fourth studio album, Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad, which experienced limited commercial impact. The album's single "Being So Not for You (I Had No Right)" achieved modest chart recognition.

In 2000, they issued a greatest hits collection titled The Best of P.M. Dawn and began offering a mail-order exclusive album called Fucked Music, packaged with an additional CD named Unreleased Vol. 1 and a T-shirt via their official website.

Prince Be's health decline

Early in 2005, Prince Be suffered a severe stroke, resulting in paralysis affecting his left side. Despite ongoing health challenges, P.M. Dawn appeared on NBC's show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, where they performed their hit "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" along with a cover of Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry". They won the $20,000 prize designated for charity, which they donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, highlighting Prince Be's struggle with diabetes.

Following this television appearance, DJ Minutemix departed from the group due to internal disagreements. He was succeeded by Gregory Lewis Carr II—known professionally as Doc. G or 'Dr. Giggles'—a cousin to the Cordes siblings. Despite facing trademark disputes and artistic challenges, Doc. G has continued to perform under the P.M. Dawn name.

Prince Be passed away on June 17, 2016, at age 46 in Neptune City, New Jersey, succumbing to kidney disease linked to complications from diabetes. On April 6, 2018, Doc. G expanded P.M. Dawn by bringing in music producer K-R.O.K. as an additional member.

Legacy

On April 3, 2022, TV One aired an episode of the documentary series Unsung that focused on the journey of P.M. Dawn.

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions									Certifications (sales thresholds)
		US	US R&B	AUS	CAN	NLD	NZ	SWE	SWI	UK
Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience	Release date: August 6, 1991 Label: Gee Street Available formats: CD, cassette, LP	48	29	89	41	82	45	44	38	8	RIAA: Gold BPI: Gold MC: Gold
The Bliss Album…?	Released on March 23, 1993 Label: Gee Street Formats issued: CD, cassette	30	23	38	32	—	—	—	—	9	RIAA: Gold BPI: Silver MC: Gold
Jesus Wept	Release date: October 3, 1995 Label: Gee Street Formats available: CD, cassette, LP	119	—	108	—	—	—	—	—	97
Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad	Released October 27, 1998 Label: Gee Street/V2 Available formats: CD, cassette	—	—	117	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fucked Music	Release date: December 1, 2000 Label: Positive Plain Music Format issued: CD only	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Compilation albums

• 2000: The Best of P.M. Dawn (V2)
• 2000: Unreleased Vol. 1 (Positive Plain Music)
• 2008: Most Requested (Sheridan Square Records)
• 2010: P.M. Dawn: Greatest Hits Live! (Sbcmg)

Singles

colspan=14 style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;" | '"–"' indicates singles that did not chart or were not released.

Title	Year	Highest chart rankings										Certifications	Album
		US	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	NLD	NZ	SWI	UK
"Ode to a Forgetful Mind"	1989	— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | —		Non-album single
"A Watcher's Point of View (Don't 'Cha Think)"	1991	— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36		Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience
"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss"		7 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3	RIAA: Gold ARIA: Gold
"Paper Doll"		61 | 43 | 31 | 45 | 42 | 60 | — | 33 | 49
"Reality Used to Be a Friend of Mine"	1992	118 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29
"I'd Die Without You"		42 | — | 10 | — | 85 | 53 | 38 | — | 30	RIAA: Gold	Boomerang: Original Soundtrack Album and The Bliss Album...?
"Looking Through Patient Eyes"	1993	20 | — | 1 | — | 63 | — | 11 | — | 11		The Bliss Album...?
"More Than Likely" (featuring Boy George)		— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |40
"The Ways of the Wind"		— | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | —
"Plastic"		— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | —
"Norwegian Wood"		133 |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |—
"You Got Me Floatin'"		43 |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |—		"Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix"
"Downtown Venus"	1995	"48"	"73"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"58"		"Jesus Wept"
"Sometimes I Miss You So Much (Dedicated to the Christ-Consciousness)"	"95"	"139"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"58"
"Gotta Be...Movin' on Up" (featuring Ky-Mani Marley)"	1998	"90"	"13"	"12"	"—"	"18"	"74"	"—"	"23"	"—"	"68"	ARIA: Gold
"I Had No Right"	"44"	"118"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"97"
"Faith in You"	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—
'2000'	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—		'A Case of Joni'
'2002'	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—	'—		Non-album single |

External links

• Tribute site dedicated to Prince Be of P.M. Dawn
• Documentary "Unsung: P.M. Dawn" available on YouTube