Episode 103- From Prince & The Revolution, BrownMark

Great musicians from the 80s have revealed many truths in their time. Bruce Springsteen taught us that popular kids from high school inevitably recall their glory days as they get older. Madonna reminded us that taking a holiday  — just one day out of life — could be nice. Whitney Houston emphasized that we all deserve to dance with somebody who loves us, and Devo knew that all problems must be whipped. Most importantly, Prince and The Revolution absolutely knew that shrinks in Beverly Hills do not provide the support needed when we’re all trying to punch the higher floor of life.

Actually, Prince and The Revolution knew a lot of universal truths. That’s part of the reason why their albums were so successful. Seriously, try and find us someone who hasn’t sung a song from Purple Rain or 1999 at karaoke. Let’s not even get into how many bedrooms bore witness to… air guitar solos (or air bass or air drums) to their songs. You thought we were going to go in another direction with that, didn’t you? Well, a lot of other bedroom activities have used The Revolution as a soundtrack. But we’ll leave it to you to fill in the blanks.

Prince was a one-of-a-kind musician and The Revolution were part of that amazing legacy. And by Prince’s side on the Controversy, Purple Rain, Sign O the Times, and Around the World in a Day albums and tours was BrownMark. He has a new book out about his time with Prince called My Life in the Purple Kingdom. It is an inside look at one of the best bands ever in popular music and a legend that will never be forgotten.

We tried our best to play it cool when speaking with BrownMark. But he is a part of The Revolution and their name is no accident. Not only did he contribute to a shift in the American (and international) musical landscape, put forth bass lines and vocals that take up permanent residence in our brains, and help bring to life one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time, he’s also just a really cool guy. It’s that coolness that kept us from completely losing our minds and fanning out while talking with him. And it’s that coolness that will make you want to immediately download his book to find out more. Hell, Mark’s stories are fascinating enough to even make you jump into your car and drive to an actual store to pick it up. (Support your local bookstore!)

Tune in to this week’s episode to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between Prince and The Revolution. We learned about how the band came into being and why it was something new and different. Mark shared with us what Prince was like when he wasn’t on stage, and why complicated relationships can help drive creativity. He also further upped his cool quotient — as if that’s possible — by showing how applying perspective is a much better way to handle disappointment and anger than dwelling on hurts and letting them fester. Seriously, Mark has far more insight than that notorious shrink in Beverly Hills (you know the one).

There are a lot of ways you can find out more about BrownMark and The Revolution. And believe us, you’ll want to know more!

The Revolution Instagram Album:

Track One: https://www.instagram.com/brownmarkofficial/

Track Two: https://www.instagram.com/therevolution/

The Revolution Twitter Album:

Track One: https://twitter.com/BrownmarkNation

Track Two: https://twitter.com/Prince

Track Three: https://twitter.com/PLIVETHEBEST

Track Four: https://twitter.com/therevolution

Track Five: https://twitter.com/PrincePartyUK

Track Six: https://twitter.com/PrinceNewsUK

Track Seven: https://twitter.com/UMinnPress

The Revolution Facebook Album:

Track One: https://www.facebook.com/officialbrownmarkfanpage

Track Two: https://www.facebook.com/UMinnPress

Track Three: https://www.facebook.com/prince/

Track Four: https://www.facebook.com/therevolutionmusic/

After listening to this week’s episode, we suggest a full-on Revolution cultural blitz. Listen to their music. Buy My Life in the Purple Kingdom. Consult photos of The Revolution in the 80s for amazing style tips; we think the world is ready. As to whether we were overly excited or not during the interview, you can be the judge. But Heidi refuses to apologize for being proud of the love Detroit got in BrownMark’s book. And Detroit loves him right back! (Sorry, Luke, but it bears repeating. Everything relates to Detroit. It’s a fact.)