The Revolution (band)

The Revolution (band)
Place of origin	Minneapolis
Genres	rock music

Not to be confused with Revolution (duo).

The Revolution
The Revolution performing at Wichita Riverfest in 2018
Background information
Also known as	Prince and the Revolution
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres	Funk rock neo-psychedelia Minneapolis sound
Occupation(s)	Backing band
Years active	1979–1986, 2012, 2016–present
Labels	Warner Bros., Paisley Park
Members	Matt Fink Bobby Z. Lisa Coleman Brown Mark Wendy Melvoin
Past members	Prince Dez Dickerson André Cymone Gayle Chapman Miko Weaver Eric Leeds Atlanta Bliss Susannah Melvoin Jerome Benton Wally Safford Greg Brooks
Website	www.therevolutionofficial.com

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.

After making its studio album debut on 1999 (1982), the Revolution rose to international fame with Purple Rain (1984), which reached number one on the Billboard 200 and became certified 13× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The band achieved its second number-one Billboard 200 album with Around the World in a Day in 1985. They charted six top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including three number-ones: "Let's Go Crazy", "When Doves Cry" and "Kiss". The band officially disbanded in 1986 after the Hit n Run – Parade Tour, which supported Parade, the soundtrack for Under the Cherry Moon. Following Prince's death in 2016, the band announced reunion shows. The Revolution has won three Grammy Awards.

The pre-Revolution

When Prince formed his backing band after the release of his first album, influenced by Sly Stone, he created a multi-racial, multi-gendered musical ensemble. The band initially consisted of:

• Prince on lead vocals, guitar, and piano
• Dez Dickerson on guitar, vocals, and background vocals
• Andre Cymone on bass guitar
• Bobby Z. on drums and percussion
• Gayle Chapman on keyboards
• Matt Fink on keyboards

Though officially unnamed, Prince experimented with the band acting as a side project known as The Rebels, recording material in 1979 in Colorado to get more music out. The recordings were a group effort with lead vocals by Cymone, Dickerson or Chapman. The project was shelved for unknown reasons, but two of the tracks were later re-recorded and given away by Prince: "You", became "U", and was released on Paula Abdul's 1991 Spellbound album; while "If I Love U 2 Nite" was released by both Mica Paris and Prince's later wife, Mayte Garcia. Paris rerecorded the song from scratch, which was released in 1991. Garcia's version, released in 1995, was rerecorded by Prince.

On the next two tours following the Prince Tour, the band underwent two line-up changes. Gayle Chapman quit the band in 1980. The end came when she told Prince she needed more musical fulfillment and growth for herself, but Prince wanted her to commit to some short-noticed rehearsals instead. After a long conversation, Chapman quit the group to be replaced by Lisa Coleman.

The following year, after the Dirty Mind Tour, bass guitarist André Cymone would leave the band. Cymone, whose family gave Prince a home after he left his father's house, left over a number of grievances with Prince—little input in the studio, he wasn't getting credit for his contributions to Prince's music, and in general his desire to start his own career—and would have bitter feelings toward Prince as he later claimed that Prince stole many of his ideas that were used for the Time and that he created the bassline for Controversy's "Do Me, Baby". Released at the end of June 1984, the album featured the singles "When Doves Cry", "Let's Go Crazy", "Purple Rain", "I Would Die 4 U", and "Take Me with U". Purple Rain would become the first official appearance of The Revolution. At the time of the release the band contained:

• Prince on lead vocals, guitar, and piano
• Wendy Melvoin on guitar and vocals
• Brown Mark on bass guitar and vocals
• Lisa Coleman on keyboards, piano, and vocals
• Matt "Doctor" Fink on keyboards and vocals
• Bobby Z. on drums

Expansion (1985–1986)

They lasted as such through 1986's Hit n Run – Parade Tour. In 1985, members of the then soon-to-be-defunct R&B/pop group The Family (which, in turn, included former members of another disbanded Prince-associated group, The Time) joined The Revolution, along with people from Sheila E.'s band. The "Counter-Revolution" line-up:

• Prince on lead vocals, guitar, and piano
• Wendy Melvoin on guitar and vocals
• Brown Mark on bass guitar and vocals
• Bobby Z. on drums
• Lisa Coleman on keyboards, piano, and vocals
• Matt Fink on keyboards and vocals
• Miko Weaver on guitar
• Susannah Melvoin on backing vocals
• Eric Leeds on saxophone
• Matt "Atlanta Bliss" Blistan on trumpet
• Jerome Benton, Wally Safford and Greg Brooks as dancers/vocalists/comic foils (known as The Bodyguards)

For the Hit n Run – Parade Tour, the augmented Revolution with its several new members began to perform the jazzy arrangements from the album, including the horn sections.

Unreleased Revolution album

Dream Factory was an unreleased double LP project recorded by Prince and The Revolution in 1986. The album morphed into Sign o' the Times following the dissolution of The Revolution.

Dissolution

Prince did not want to see his band anymore and The Revolution were not happy with Prince's decision to include new band members. In a 2017 direct-to-YouTube interview (on Yahoo's account), Wendy Melvoin remembers Prince rehearsing with all his new selections, and ignoring The Revolution by not looking at them. Brownmark, Wendy and Lisa threatened to quit. At one point, Prince dispatched Bobby Z. to the airport and literally caught Melvoin and Coleman before they boarded. Eventually all three were convinced to ride it out. Prince promised Brownmark a lot of money, but Brownmark settled for $3000 a week, a paltry sum based on other touring bands. He turned down a much more lucrative gig as bassist for Stevie Nicks, who was going on tour at that time. Brown has said that Prince never followed through on "all that money". But as the tour ended, on the final night in Yokohama, Japan, Prince smashed up all of his guitars after a final encore of "Purple Rain". Wendy looked round at the other members and she whispered (and they agreed),"It's over!".

Shortly after the Parade Tour in October 1986, after all the tension between Prince, Wendy Melvoin, and Coleman due to his relationship with Susannah Melvoin, Prince invited Wendy Melvoin and Coleman to dinner at his rented Beverly Hills home and fired them both.

At the 2006 BRIT Awards, a reformed Revolution once again backed Prince, as he reunited with Wendy, Lisa and Sheila E., while also featuring former New Power Generation member Morris Hayes and played "Te Amo Corazón" (from Prince's 3121 album), "Fury" (also from 3121), "Purple Rain", and "Let's Go Crazy". Sheila E. played drums only on "Purple Rain", playing percussion for the rest of the songs.

On February 19, 2012, The Revolution (without Prince) performed a reunion/benefit concert in Minneapolis at First Avenue, where the Purple Rain movie was filmed.

Following the death of Prince on April 21, 2016, The Revolution announced that they were getting back together as a band. As of 2018, they continue to perform Prince's songs live.

Personnel

Current members

• Bobby Z. – drums, percussion (1979–1986, 2012, 2016–present)
• Matt Fink – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals (1979–1986, 2012, 2016–present) (continued to work with Prince until Nude Tour)
• Lisa Coleman – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals (1980–1986, 2012, 2016–present)
• Brown Mark – bass guitar, vocals (1981–1986, 2012, 2016–present)
• Wendy Melvoin – rhythm guitar, vocals (1983–1986, 2012, 2016–present)

Former members

• Prince – lead vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, piano (1979–1986; died in 2016)
• Dez Dickerson – lead guitar, backing vocals (1979–1983)
• André Cymone – bass guitar, backing vocals (1979–1981)
• Gayle Chapman – keyboards, vocals (1979–1980)
• Miko Weaver – rhythm guitar (1985–1986) (continued to work with Prince until Nude Tour)
• Eric Leeds – saxophone (1985–1986) (continued to work with Prince until Graffiti Bridge album and made a guest appearance on "Gett Off")
• Matt "Atlanta Bliss" Blistan – trumpet (1985–1986) (continued to work with Prince until Graffiti Bridge album)
• Susannah Melvoin – backing vocals (1985–1986)
• Jerome Benton – dancer, vocals (1985–1986)
• Wally Safford – dancer, vocals (1985–1986) (continued to work with Prince during Sign o' the Times era)
• Greg Brooks – dancer, vocals (1985–1986) (continued to work with Prince during Sign o' the Times era)

Honors and awards

Stars honoring Prince and his band The Revolution on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue

The Revolution has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. The band's star is located to the immediate right of Prince's own star on the mural.

Discography

The Revolution discography
Studio albums	2
Video albums	2
Music videos	16
Singles	18
Soundtrack albums	2

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications
		US	AUT	CAN	GER	NLD	NOR	SWE	SWI	UK	CAN	10	1	10	1	8	5		Gold	2× Platinum; WW: 7.0 million

Soundtrack albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications
		US	CAN	5	1	4	3	7	4	6× Platinum	2× Platinum	13× Platinum; WW: 22.0 – 25.0 million
1986	Parade Released: March 31, 1986 Label: Warner Bros.	3	8	7	11	6	1	10	5	2	4		Platinum	Platinum; WW: 4.0 million

Singles

Year	Song	Peak chart positions											Album
		US	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1985	Prince and the Revolution: Live Released: March 6, 1985 Label: Warner Bros. Records	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—			2× Platinum

Tours

• Purple Rain Tour (1984–85)
• Hit n Run – Parade Tour (1986)

See also

• List of The Revolution band members
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart