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Brownmark | |
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| Birth name | Mark Brown |
| Also known as | Brown Mark, BrownMark |
| Born | March 8, 1962 |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, funk, rock, soul, new wave, Minneapolis sound |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Motown |
Mark Brown (born March 8, 1962), [1] better known by the stage name Brown Mark, also styled Brownmark and BrownMark, is an American musician, bassist and record producer.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, [2] Brown's early fame came when he was the bass guitarist of The Revolution, [3] musician Prince's original touring (and later also his recording) band. BrownMark started working for Prince in 1981, one year out of high school. [2] Noted for his unique, funk-based style of musicianship, he became a record producer and recording artist himself after parting company with Prince in 1986. [2]
His early influences on bass are Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke, Louis Johnson, Mark Adams from SLAVE, Jaco Pastorius, Verdine White, Nate Phillips (Dazz Band) and Bootsy Collins. [4]
Brown joined Prince's band in 1981 for the Controversy album recordings. [2] One of his earliest shows with Prince was opening for the Rolling Stones. [2] He remained with Prince and was a member of The Revolution band for the Purple Rain , Around the World in a Day , and Parade albums, contributing bass and backing vocals. [2] Additionally, Brown contributed to the music for the aborted Dream Factory album that later became a significant part of Sign o' the Times . [2]
Brown created the funk-rock outfit Mazarati that were signed to the Paisley Park label in 1986. [2] [5] One infamous story was when Prince gave Brown a demo with melody and lyrics of a song that became "Kiss." Brown, along with frequent Prince collaborator David Z, worked on a version, intended for the Mazarati album. Prince liked the unique, funky rhythm and background vocals but felt he needed to keep this funky creation for himself. Removing the bass line, and adding signature guitar and falsetto vocal elements; Mazarati's background vocals were retained. The finished, minimalist song was a hard sell to Warner Bros., but Prince insisted and the song was released. [6] Mazarati went on to release their self-titled debut album on Paisley Park, [2] and although the album was not a major seller, it subsequently became a cult classic and has grown in reputation as a hallmark of the Minneapolis sound.
Brown achieved minor success after leaving The Revolution. [2] BrownMark later produced musicians including Stacy Lattislaw, Chico DeBarge, and Lakeside. [2]
After a lengthy absence from the music business, he returned with a new project entitled Cryptic. After the release of the Cryptic CD entitled It's Been Awhile the group disbanded in 2002. Brown moved on to a new project out of Tampa Florida with his newly formed group Syx Mil Breach. The CD was released late 2010 and was titled Syx mil Breach, but was immediately pulled off the market by Brown because of contract dispute with his distributors.
The Revolution was reformed in 2016 following Prince's death and went on a world healing tour to help fans mourn the loss of their mentor. BrownMark along with Wendy & Lisa and Stokley Williams from the group Mint Condition share in the singing. These days, BrownMark is making music in his own studio; jamming, recording, and performing with inspiring musicians; and encouraging younger artists who have been influenced by his career. BrownMark's memoir was due from University of Minnesota Press in late 2020.
Paisley Park Records was an American record label founded by musician Prince in 1985, which was distributed by and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album Purple Rain. The label shares its name with Prince's recording complex Paisley Park Studios and the song "Paisley Park" on his 1985 Around the World in a Day album. Paisley Park was opened to the public as a museum and memorial to Prince following his death. October 28, 2016, is officially known as Paisley Park Day in the city of Chanhassen to recognize the opening of the museum.
DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted of El, Mark, Randy, and Bunny. James joined the group a year later for their second album. Bobby and Chico joined in 1987 and 1988 respectively, replacing Bunny and El.
Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge is an American R&B singer and musician. DeBarge was formally a member of the DeBarge family musical group DeBarge. As a solo artist he scored a 1986 US Top Forty hit with the song "Talk to Me".
Mazarati was an American R&B, rock and funk band, formed in the mid-1980s and was active until 1989. The band had seven members and included the former Prince and The Revolution bassist Brownmark. Originally hailing from Minneapolis, they became defunct as a group in 1989. The band's sole hit was a song called "100 MPH", which was written and co-produced by Prince.
Around the World in a Day is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second release on which his backing band the Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. Departing somewhat from the commercial sound of his previous release, the massively successful Purple Rain (1984), the album instead saw Prince experimenting with psychedelic styles and more opulent textures. In compliance with Prince's wishes, the record company released the album with minimal publicity, withholding accompanying singles until almost a month after the album's release.
"Kiss" is a song composed, written, and produced by American musician Prince. Released by the Paisley Park label as the lead single from Prince and the Revolution's eighth studio album, Parade (1986), on February 5, 1986, it was a No. 1 hit worldwide, holding the top spot of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks. The single was certified gold in 1986 for shipments of 1,000,000 copies by RIAA.
The Revolution is an American band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979 by Prince, serving as his live band and later as his studio band. The band's sound incorporated rock, pop, R&B, funk, new wave and psychedelic elements. Along with Prince's other projects, the Revolution helped create the Minneapolis sound. By the time of their 1986 breakup, the Revolution had backed Prince on two studio albums, two soundtracks and two videos.
Robert Louis DeBarge, Jr. was an American singer and musician. DeBarge was the lead singer of the Motown R&B/soul vocal group Switch and was noted for his falsetto vocals. Later on, he served as both mentor and a co-producer of his siblings' band, DeBarge, eventually joining them to fill in for departing members El and Bunny. Personal problems, including substance abuse which eventually led to drug trafficking charges in 1988, plagued DeBarge in later years, taking focus away from his musical career. He contracted HIV in the 1980s, and died of AIDS complications in 1995, at age 39.
The Minneapolis sound is a subgenre of funk rock with elements of new wave and synth-pop, that was pioneered by Minneapolis, Minnesota-based musicians Prince and Andre Cymone in the late 1970s. Its popularity was given a boost throughout the 1980s by Prince and groups he organized or produced, including the Time, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Sheila E., the Family, and the offshoots from his band the Revolution, Wendy & Lisa and Brownmark. After leaving the Time, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Morris Day, and Jesse Johnson all moved on to successful careers. Minneapolis acts indirectly associated with or not associated with Prince also utilized this musical style, including Ta Mara & the Seen, Mazarati and the Jets.
Cynthia Johnson is an American singer, songwriter and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the band Lipps Inc. with the worldwide smash hit "Funkytown".
The Wild Pair, whose real names are Bruce DeShazer and Marv Gunn, was a singing duo and voice actors who were primarily known for their 1989 hit duet with Paula Abdul, "Opposites Attract". They have also provided background vocals on her other hits, "Forever Your Girl" and "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me."
Switch is an American R&B/funk band that recorded for the Gordy label in the late 1970s, releasing songs such as "There'll Never Be", "I Call Your Name", and "Love Over & Over Again". Switch influenced bands such as DeBarge, which featured the siblings of Switch band members Bobby and Tommy DeBarge.
Bad Boys is the fifth and final studio album released by R&B group DeBarge in 1987, after both El DeBarge and Bunny DeBarge had left the lineup.
Rhythm of the Night is the fourth studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on March 14, 1985. It reached #19 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the R&B Album Chart. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
"I Like It" is a R&B/Soul song by American family band DeBarge. Released on August 20, 1982 by Motown Records (Gordy), it was the second single from their second studio album, All This Love (1982).
Kiss Serious is the second album by American singer Chico DeBarge. It was released by Motown Records in 1987 in the United States.
Jill Jones is the self-titled debut solo album from the artist of the same name; Jill Jones. The album was released in 1987 on Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Jones and Prince.
Liza Figueroa Kravinsky is an American composer, filmmaker, and actress living in Arlington, Virginia, USA. She is best known for composing the Go-Go Symphony and founding the Go-Go Symphony ensemble. She is also the filmmaker of the documentary Beauty in the Eyes of the Beheld.
Personal Attention is the ninth album by the American singer Stacy Lattisaw, released on January 21, 1988, on Motown Records. It features backing vocals by Johnny Gill, Karyn White, Howard Hewett, David Lasley, and Lynn Davis. It includes a cover of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
Take Me All the Way is an album by the American musician Stacy Lattisaw, released in 1986 on Motown Records. The album features the song "Nail It to the Wall". The Washington Post concluded that, "though Lattisaw's voice has developed muscles and her new aggressive approach is an improvement over her bubblegum soul beginnings, her phrasing and musical personality remain unformed; she sounds like a girl playing dress-up."
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