not too much 2 say other than...that man used to THROW DOWN on that bass back in the revolution days...i remember being in my first band in the late 80´s and we would rewind the prince and the revolution live video over and over during the baby im a star jam session part just to hear Brownmark when prince says "Timbale here...kick drum ...uh...." that man was a slappin fool !!!

EXACTLY.....what I have been tryin' to tell mofos here!!!!! That not the only example. Try playin the bassline to "let's work" while dancin' or Controversy...dude is TIGHT!!!!! I study his live work w/P all the time.
We need a Q&A with the man. Mofos can find Fink and Z for Q&A's.....Brownmark can be found.....

Mark's greatest flaw was being in the band with Wendy and Lisa who seem to get all the credit for everything during that era of Prince's career. Mark and Dez are the two most underrated Prince band members ever.

only because of the movie....Lisa had been w/P since Dirty Mind and nobody paid her attention. Had any of the guys been portrayed that way then mofos would be singing their praises. Hell PR made Jermone famous....

I don't understand the musical props that Dez gets. It's fair to concede that he may have had a considerable hand image wise, but his live playing leaves a hell of a lot ot be desired.

A nastay Brownmark
...funkier than used underwear!

I've been praising Mark on here forever. Mark was P's best bassist. He could play anything P could play and better. He was THE perfect bassist for P in 81. I wish he had never left, but P didn't value Mark when it came to the dollars. If Mark was with P during 87-93, imagine how much better those live shows and some of the album cuts would have been with Mark on there.

sonofblade said:

So being underrated how?? For their studio work??

EverlastingNow said:

Studio and Concert work - they did do some with Prince and have some of the most important products to show it: Mazarati, songs for Vanity 6 and The Time, and good solo projects. They both have produced and written for other artists as well.

JQuad said:

True - anyone could be more noted after being in the greatest rock movie ever.

jjam said:

Well, it may also have something to do with the fact that he composed songs for the Vanity 6 and Time albums as well as part of the song that crossed Prince over in the 80s and got him on MTV. I have never heard anyone question his live playing - he went on to open for Billy Idol after leaving Prince and you dont get to pick up a guitar and play a set before Steve Stevens if you cant play. That part may just be you.
[Edited 10/11/05 10:53am]

sonofblade said:

I agree with u, blade. I've SEEN Dez play live in concert. Not just off of some videotape. I went to the Controversy concert in 82, twice to the 1999 show in 83 and the Billy Idol concert in 84. Dez can burn on the axe LIVE. As far as the shows when he was in P's band, especially at the Controversy show, Dez's playing was so much more "polished" than Prince's. He definately sounded more professional. Dez's impact on Prince was paramount. Period.

wait a minute...wendy and lisa had far more involvement with the creation of music after purple rain then brownmark did...thats why they receive special attention..

and thats not taking anything away from brownmark..he is an awesome bassplayer.....it just was rarely showcased on wax...

and, brownmark has been probably the quietest member of the revolution post-parade....he needs to get up on a soapbox and share his perspective of that timeperiod..once he does that then he will start to get the props he deserves..

you dont have to take anything away from wendy and lisa's contributions to give brownmark his props...he deserves them too.

JQuad said:

And there is probably people out there who believe that Ringo was the most talented Beatle.

EverlastingNow said:

1st I never have taken away from W&L's contributions.....I probably recognize B.Mark's more than what others choose to do. Let's not forget Mark was the only member of the Revolution that was allowed to bring in an outside project. Not to mention he and Prince did the music. I've heard folks praise W&L's work with P and I've heard others say it wasn't funky. They certainly made the most of their PR fame and then some. Why BMark doesn't come out of hiding....man who knows. I for one have rack of ?'s to ask the brother.Just cause he's quiet that's cause to hate on the man and diminish his talent. Maybe he doesn't wanna be recognized for the dirt he could tell but for his musical contribution to one of the the greatest artists that's ever lived.

Clearly... Bobby Z would be the Ringo of the Revolution.Stop hatin' on the brother.

sonofblade said:

You mean Spinal Tap?

coming from a baas player,4 me....Brownmark was topps in m book,,,,the man rocks!

BrownMark was Prince's most gifted Bass Player, And his stage presence was great. It's got to be very difficult to play, Dance and sing at the same time, but Mark made it look easy. Prince gave him the ultimate compliment when he said that he would consider eliminating bass from his music altogether if Mark were to leave.

Again, based on what I've heard on various P boots and the 2CD Dez set, his playing is OK. Nothing more than that.

ThePunisher said:

A man that can dance, play bass & wear a hat & cape...thats a baaaaad man

June19 said:

U DAMN RIGHT !!!

"Another part of the problem was onstage Aside from keyboardist Matt Fink and bassist Brownmark , most of the players in the Revolution simply "couldn’t keep up with Prince. So the arrangements were kept pretty safe for the most part; when the band did try to stretch out and jam as during the nightly encore of "Baby I’m a Star," the quality of their execution hardly ever measured up. If the new bands surehandedness allows Prince to explore new worlds, the Revolutions tended to hold him in one place, shouldering more than his share of the musical load"- from musician mag back in 88.

i agree with the last comment. but it was cool while it lasted. those simple monotonous grooves were so great and original. i doubt wendy and lisa could keep up on eye no