Brownmark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brown Mark
Brown Mark in 2020
Background information
Birth name	Mark Brown
Also known as	Brown Mark, BrownMark
Born	(1962-03-08) March 8, 1962 (age 63)
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	R&B, funk, rock, soul, new wave, Minneapolis sound
Occupation(s)	Musician, record producer
Instruments	Bass guitar, vocals
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Motown
Associated acts	Cryptic, Prince and The Revolution, Mazarati, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stevie Wonder, Salt-n-Pepa, Sting

Mark Brown, born on March 8, 1962, is an American musician. He is best known by his stage name, Brown Mark. He plays the bass guitar and also produces music for other artists.

Life and Career

Brown Mark was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He became famous early in his career. This was when he played bass guitar for The Revolution. This band was Prince's original touring and recording group.

Brown Mark started working with Prince in 1981. This was just one year after he finished high school. He was known for his special funk music style. After leaving Prince in 1986, he became a record producer and recording artist.

His early influences on bass guitar included Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins. He also looked up to Stanley Clarke and Louis Johnson. Other inspirations were Mark Adams from SLAVE and Jaco Pastorius. He also admired Verdine White and Nate Phillips from Dazz Band.

Brown Mark joined Prince's band in 1981. This was for the Controversy album recordings. One of his first shows with Prince was opening for the Rolling Stones. He stayed with Prince and was part of The Revolution.

He played bass and sang backing vocals on several albums. These included Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, and Parade. Brown Mark also helped create music for the Dream Factory album. Parts of this album later became important for Sign o' the Times.

Brown Mark formed a funk-rock band called Mazarati. They signed with the Paisley Park label in 1986. Prince once gave Brown Mark a demo of a song. This song later became "Kiss."

Brown Mark and David Z worked on a version for the Mazarati album. Prince really liked the unique rhythm and background vocals. He decided to keep this funky song for himself. He removed the bass line and added his own guitar and vocals. Mazarati's background vocals stayed in the song.

The finished song was very simple. It was hard to convince Warner Bros. to release it. But Prince insisted, and the song became a hit. Mazarati released their first album on Paisley Park. It did not sell a lot at first. However, it later became a classic for the Minneapolis sound.

Brown Mark had some success after leaving The Revolution. He later produced music for other artists. These included Stacy Lattislaw, Chico DeBarge, and Lakeside.

After being away from music for a while, he returned with a new project. This project was called Cryptic. The group released a CD named It's Been Awhile in 2002. After that, the group broke up.

Brown Mark then started a new group called Syx Mil Breach. They were based in Tampa, Florida. Their CD, Syx mil Breach, came out in late 2010. However, Brown Mark quickly removed it from the market. This was due to a disagreement with his distributors.

The Revolution band got back together in 2016. This was after Prince's death. They went on a world tour to help fans mourn. Brown Mark, Wendy & Lisa, and Stokley Williams from Mint Condition share the singing.

Today, Brown Mark makes music in his own studio. He jams, records, and performs with inspiring musicians. He also encourages younger artists who look up to his career. Brown Mark's memoir was planned to be released in late 2020.

Discography

Albums

• Mazarati (1986), Paisley Park
• Kiss Serious Chico DeBarge (1987), Motown
• Personal Attention Stacy Lattisaw (1988), Motown
• Just Like That (1988), Motown
• Good Feeling (1989), Motown
• It's Been A While Cryptic Album (2002)
• Syx Mil Breach (2010)

Singles

• "Players Ball" Mazarati Paisley Park
• "Toy" Teen Dream (1987), Motown
• "Puppy Love" Teen Dream, Motown
• "Happy Relationship" Troop (1987), Atlantic
• "Watching You" Chico DeBarge (1987), Motown
• "Relationship" LakeSide (1987), Solar
• "Personal Attention" Stacy Lattisaw (1988), Motown
• "Next Time" (1988)
• "Bang Bang" (1989), Motown
• "It's Been A While" Cryptic Album (2002)
• "Truth Not Lies" (2010) Syx Mill Breach Album
• "So Happy Together" Golden Gram Cereal commercial (General Mills)
• "Big On Taste" Pepsi Cola commercial
• "Skeletons In My Closet" (2019)