It’s been nearly two years since Prince’s death, but his timeless music has been playing nonstop ever since, thanks to The Revolution his most famous band.
The Revolution came to Atlanta Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 and tore the roof down at the Tabernacle.
The whole gang, including Dr. Fink, Bobby Z, Wendy and Lisa, played hit after hit. Mint Condition frontman Stokely even moonlighted as lead singer on a few of the songs, including “Kiss,” “Party Up” and “1999.”
On acoustic guitar Wendy Melvoin did a stirring rendition of “Sometimes It Snows In April,” her voicing shaking from grief throughout the performance.
Prince’s old band The Revolution DESTROYED Atlanta last night. Doves cried! #concert pic.twitter.com/al7Unb5Qk4
— ATLHAPS (@atlhaps) February 25, 2018
Talking to Fox 5 Atlanta, bassplayer Brown Mark says he knew the music they were producing in the 1980s was good, but did he think it was special?
“No, I didn’t know it was something special. Because from the day I joined Prince’s band, recording was an everyday thing,” he told the TV station. “I mean, they had the full-blown studio in the rehearsal facility, and anytime we would get on a hot groove…[Prince ] would say, ‘Roll the tape,’ you know? So, constantly recording everything that we did.”
Alot of people don’t know it, but Prince first rose to prominence with a band called The Rebels, made up of several of the Revolution members. It featured Matt Fink and Gayle Chapman (keyboards), Bobby Z (drums), André Cymone (bass) and Dez Dickerson (guitar).
In the book The Rise of Prince: 1958-1988, Alex Hahn says the Rebels project took center stage right after Prince’s sophomore album was recorded, “The next task was to improve the strength and cohesiveness of Prince’s live band so that Warners would authorize a tour in support of the second album.”
