I'm following the (probably false) rumors with the same excitement as most everyone else on the Org. The prospect of Prince reuniting with the Revolution is a thrilling proposition and I would love to hear what they could put together now. But my question is this? Would anyone else in the free world give a rat's ass if this happened?

It has been almost 20 years since the Revolution broke up. A whole generation has been born, prospered, picked their musical favorites. A lot of people who loved Prince, with the Revolution or without, have moved on. Sure the Musicology tour was huge last year but does that really mean that people want it to be 1984 all over again? I just don't see where it would interest that many of the non-converts or how it would get the shipjumpers back in the fold.

So who is this all for, if it's true? Is P. doing this for us, the devoted, or he is trying to reduplicate a successful act that hasn't existed for 20 years?

People outside the Org do not presently care, but that millions do remember the band and the sound. A good record featuring significant contributions from former members of the Revolution would almost certainly interest people providing the marketing is on par with Musicology (except for the damn sleeve!). The real question is whether they can connect again. I can see W&L recoding with Prince again, but that's about it. The look on Wendy's face during Reflection tells me that she would do it

Prince & the Revolution broke up? Why? I loved them in Purple Rain. "Where's Lisa & Wendy at?" I hope they get back together soon. That was a damn good album!

It would be awesome!!!

luv4u said:

Of course it would be awesome. But would the average Joe or Jane say "Hey, look, Brownmark is back! Alright!"

I just don't see the public caring. It would make the newspapers for a day or two, the first week or two would sell okay, and then the project would peter out.

Yes, I know many people around these parts don't care about album sales and other people's perceptions...blah, blah, blah. But I always have and I just am curious as to the motives. Did P enjoy the nostalgia tour so much last year that he has decided to rewind parts of his life? Will he be asking out Vanity or Appolonia anytime soon? Is he going to hook up with Tony M. all over again? Or has he just decided to hook up with his most successful collaborators to see if he can recreate some of that old magic?

I wish the man would explain himself sometimes but then again they would take all the fun of of sites like these.

Ummm... I think that it would be a similiar respose as when Kiss got back together w/ the original members. Lot's of people never saw the Revolution. And, I think people really UNDERSTIMATE the charisma of Wendy, and also that that band had chemistry for miles.
And Mark brown is damn, EXCITNG on bass. I dreamed and fantasised about see-ing the Revolutiom when I was a kid, and I never got to. It'd be a dream come true for sure.
[Edited 10/7/05 23:21pm]

seriously tho... if the Revolution reunited would it still be Prince & the Revolution? nah, I don't think so. We deserve some name-recognics up in heah, yeah! Or at least... how about The Revolution w/ Prince?

Come on guys, it wouldn't even sound like it did from 84-86. It would continue to be his current new sound, but the "Revolution" would just be the name of his band.

doctamario said:

That's right!
But I do think it would sell at first and get a
lot of publicity.Just like JudasLchrist said;it would have that
Kiss-effect.

"...we're still a band, right?"

It only matters to those who live in the past.
Prince has always done his own music, he only
needs bands for live stuff, and the Revolution
couldn't hold a candle to his latest bandmates,
musically speaking.

Well, if I don't even give a rat's ass about a Prince & The Revolution reunion, I don't think the rest of the world will. Come on y'all, it's been 20 years and the world has moved on. I think there might be coming some good music out of it though, but it won't get Prince all popular again, I'm sorry folks, these are the days of 50 ct and the like.

Man, is this about you all just thinking that P has not made any good music since he lost W & L. Or that they are what made his music sound the way it did. I think the Revolution was a great band but what have any of them done that was so great after the PR era. I don't own any W&L myself and I don't lose any sleep over it. I will admit I like some of their tv work but they just have never made me walk into a wrecka stow and buy their stuff. Would I be inline at a concert if there was a reunion? Absolutely but because it would be with PRINCE!!! No other reason.

I'd like to see some more collaborations with Revolution band members, but I think I'd much rather see unlreased material from when they were together the first time!

GottaLetitgo said:

The org, housequake, and npgmc would go nuts. Everyone else in the world....

Aerogram said:

They would care. Firstly its a decent story for the tabloids and secondly i believe that the music press would be genuinely excited. The apathy they show towards Prince nowadays is basically due to the fact that his talent isn't being used to its potential, theres no one around to creatively push him anywhere. I love the Lovesexy band but the stuff that came out with the Revolution on board was dizzying in its dynamism. It was fucking incredible. Hell the outtakes from that period were as good as the albums that came out! The music press know it too and they would flip if Prince started working with his old band mates again. They just can't see it happening though so they've kinda given up like a lot of his fans, and take his current releases and judge them the best they can. Also the obvious fact he's not on a major label doesn't help in PR stakes.
[Edited 10/8/05 7:30am]

Didn't Prince say he wasn't going to perform his old hits anymore? Without the prospect of seeing them perform Let's Go Crazy or KISS, I don't see a whole lot of interest.
[Edited 10/8/05 7:56am]

funkaholic1972 said:

these are also the days of rock
and the Revolution was involved in one of Prince's most rock-oriented albums
and if the music's good -- what's it matter if the band is from the 80s?
Aerosmith's still rocking out
Motley Crue too
why not the Revolution?

Snap said:

Yeah!

Even The Rolling Stones are still rocking. They just released a new album that was praised by the critics.

I think everyone who were there in the eighties (and that's a lotta people) and who may not be actively caring right now would be interested in a Prince And The Revolution reunion, whether it's Vault-tracks or brand new stuff, as long as it rocks and is funky.

The interest may be dormant, but I think it's there.
[Edited 10/8/05 11:46am]

Welcome2daRevolution said:

Yes, on the ACT II tour.

Revolution said:

If that's your opinion, why are you calling yourself Revolution, then?

doctamario said:

Well, hopefully not, unless it's Vault tracks. Wendy and Lisa have evolved musically since then and it would be disappointing if that didn't show in new stuff.

Prince evolved, too. For awhile. Then he seemed to stagnate and devolve. I think his music could benefit from a little W&L-input at this stage.

Even some of on the org don't really care if they reunite or not.

scififilmnerd said:

There's a big difference between The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Motley Crue & Prince & the Revolution. Those other groups are famous because of their identities as groups.

With Prince & the Revolution, even at it's most popular it was a group that was famous primarily because of Prince.

Universaluv said:

Not really in Europe. Prince had his breakthrough over here as Prince and the Revolution and a lot of the fans he got around that time didn't just fall in love with Prince - they fell in love with Prince and the Revolution.

I remember the news of the disbanding of The Revolution really disheartened a lot of fans. Thankfully, he had an equally interesting band to follow.

On the Lovesexy tour, fans waiting in line at the shows commented to TV that they didn't just love Prince, but his band as well.

Back then, Prince and his bands and acts were regarded as a family group - all appearing on each others album and living happily together at Paisley Park or something. But that public perception certainly went away with the NPG and since then, people were primarily interested in Prince and couldn't really care less about his bands - only his hardcore fans care about who's in the NPG.

I heard that Sheila E. was greeted with an entusiastic roar when she appeared at the Madison Garden shows last year.

I think the Revolution would get the same reaction.

scififilmnerd said:

People loved the Lovesexy band... this applies to the Revolution how?

Sure people were happy to see Sheila, but they were there to see Prince. Same thing would happen with the Revolution.

Universaluv said:

Read what I wrote.

There's a lot of 80's nostalgia at the moment - it's the perfect time for a reunion!

The worst that could happen is that they end up being just a backing band for Prince's current output...

If nothing else it could pave the way for (whisper it) Roudhouse Garden to be released.

Still, I think we should take these rumours with a huge pinch of salt... it's not the first time we've heard them!

scififilmnerd said:

I did. It's still irrelevant. Regardless of how much lip service the casual fanbase gave to liking the Revolution or his other bands, Prince's groups have always been about Prince.

As far as the whole Europe loved the bands thing goes, Prince also rose to superstar status in the States when he was with the Revolution. Prior to that he was a singer with a few hit songs, among a whole lot of other singers with a few hit songs.

Still, he's always been the primary focus of the "group" as far as the general public is concerned. If they got back together it'd be a nice little extra something for the fans, just like having the Time or Sheila show up at some of his 2004 concerts. Hell I'd be interested. Still at the end of the day, the vast majority is only concerned about one guy.

Universaluv said:

True. But despite Prince having his succesful "come-back" tour of USA last year, most of the European youth have no idea who he is. And those who do remember him, remember who he is because they remember Prince from the eighties and maybe his hits from Batman and D&P and TMGITW. So if they were to read that Prince and the Revolution had reunited and were about to release their first album in 20 years, I think the interest of those who remember the superstar Prince would definitely be intrigued. Because as far as they know, he hasn't made any new music since changing his name to an unpronouncable symbol and disappearing from the music scene following TMBGITW.

Why, they'd go: "Man, Prince and the Revolution were great. Did we party to their music in High School or what?! I gotta check out their new stuff!"
[Edited 10/8/05 14:31pm]