Who is Bruno Mars?
He’s a singer, songwriter and razzle-dazzle showman whom you might remember from the Super Bowl halftime show in 2014.
Why is he here?
Mars helped write and produce the song “All I Ask” on Adele’s “25,” but he’s more likely here to romance the Grammy electorate. His 2016 album “24K Magic” will be eligible for nomination at next year’s Grammys.
Songs you might recognize:
He sang “Locked out of Heaven” and “Just the Way You Are” at the Super Bowl, and his latest hit is the title track of his new album, “24K Magic.”
Bruno Mars, the Time's Searingly Funky Prince Tribute at Grammys
The Time and Bruno Mars honored Prince with a stirring, relentlessly funky tribute segment at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
It's hard to imagine a group better suited to honor Prince than the Time. They were close collaborators in the 1980s, with Prince writing and producing much of the music on the Time's early, classic trio of albums: The Time, What Time Is It?, and Ice Cream Castle. Members of the Time also appeared opposite Prince in the 1984 movie Purple Rain.
The Time kicked off the tribute with "Jungle Love" from 1984's Ice Cream Castle. It's a perfect distillation of the Prince funk sound: screaming guitars, popping bass and stabbing synthesizers all uniting in merciless groove. "You have about 10 seconds to get up off of your asses," lead singer Morris Day shouted. Later, during "The Bird," Day executed a smooth slide across the stage.
After the Time, Mars took over for a rendition of Prince's full-tilt rave-up "Let's Go Crazy." As the famous Prince symbol glowed in the background, Mars stood center stage in a snug purple suit with ruffles at the neck, a crisp white guitar and even a touch of eyeliner – the spitting image of Purple Rain-era Prince. Mars erupted into a smoldering guitar solo without missing a beat, and his band ended the tribute presenting a united front, with guitarists and horn players vamping in a single line.
Prince died last April at the age of 57. The Grammy tribute segment was announced – along with a similar one honoring George Michael – earlier this week. "While the primary focus of the Grammy Awards is to celebrate and honor the year's best in music, we consider it our responsibility to tell music's broader story by honoring its legends lost," Ken Ehrlich, Executive Producer of the event, said in a statement.
"While it's nearly impossible to convey the full depth of an artist's cultural impact in a single performance," he added, "it's that very challenge that has led us to some of our most memorable Grammy moments."
Prince has already been the subject of multiple tributes from friends, collaborators and younger artists that he influenced. Madonna and Stevie Wonder honored Prince at the Billboard Music Awards last May; the next month, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Maxwell, Janelle Monae and more paid tribute at the BET Awards. Prince's old band, the Revolution, held a concert in his honor in September, with Wonder and Chaka Khan headlining another sprawling tribute concert in October.
On Sunday, a majority of Prince's catalog returned to most streaming services after over 18 months as an exclusive to Tidal. Earlier this week, the singer's estate announced an agreement with Universal Music Group to release his music recorded after 1995 alongside music from his vault, including outtakes, demos and live recordings.
Grammys 2017: Watch Prince Tribute With Bruno Mars, Morris Day and the Time
Bruno Mars and Morris Day and the Time paid tribute to Prince at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards tonight. The performance began with the Time doing “Jungle Love.” At one point, Morris Day checked himself in the mirror as people in the audience did the “Jungle Love” dance from Purple Rain. After the Time did “The Bird,” Prince’s symbol glowed in the background as Bruno Mars appeared in full, sparkling purple Prince regalia. He performed “Let’s Go Crazy,” busting out some huge guitar solos on a Prince guitar. Watch it happen below.
Prior to the ceremony, Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow described George Michael and Prince as “pop icons who showcased rare musical genius and otherworldly charisma,” saying the Academy is “humbled to pay homage to their tremendous legacies on the GRAMMY stage.” Earlier today, Prince’s discography returned to streaming services.
Why is he here?
Mars helped write and produce the song “All I Ask” on Adele’s “25,” but he’s more likely here to romance the Grammy electorate. His 2016 album “24K Magic” will be eligible for nomination at next year’s Grammys.
Songs you might recognize:
He sang “Locked out of Heaven” and “Just the Way You Are” at the Super Bowl, and his latest hit is the title track of his new album, “24K Magic.”
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| Prince photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns; Morris Day photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS; Bruno Mars Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS |
Bruno Mars, the Time's Searingly Funky Prince Tribute at Grammys
The Time and Bruno Mars honored Prince with a stirring, relentlessly funky tribute segment at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
It's hard to imagine a group better suited to honor Prince than the Time. They were close collaborators in the 1980s, with Prince writing and producing much of the music on the Time's early, classic trio of albums: The Time, What Time Is It?, and Ice Cream Castle. Members of the Time also appeared opposite Prince in the 1984 movie Purple Rain.
The Time kicked off the tribute with "Jungle Love" from 1984's Ice Cream Castle. It's a perfect distillation of the Prince funk sound: screaming guitars, popping bass and stabbing synthesizers all uniting in merciless groove. "You have about 10 seconds to get up off of your asses," lead singer Morris Day shouted. Later, during "The Bird," Day executed a smooth slide across the stage.
After the Time, Mars took over for a rendition of Prince's full-tilt rave-up "Let's Go Crazy." As the famous Prince symbol glowed in the background, Mars stood center stage in a snug purple suit with ruffles at the neck, a crisp white guitar and even a touch of eyeliner – the spitting image of Purple Rain-era Prince. Mars erupted into a smoldering guitar solo without missing a beat, and his band ended the tribute presenting a united front, with guitarists and horn players vamping in a single line.
Prince died last April at the age of 57. The Grammy tribute segment was announced – along with a similar one honoring George Michael – earlier this week. "While the primary focus of the Grammy Awards is to celebrate and honor the year's best in music, we consider it our responsibility to tell music's broader story by honoring its legends lost," Ken Ehrlich, Executive Producer of the event, said in a statement.
"While it's nearly impossible to convey the full depth of an artist's cultural impact in a single performance," he added, "it's that very challenge that has led us to some of our most memorable Grammy moments."
Prince has already been the subject of multiple tributes from friends, collaborators and younger artists that he influenced. Madonna and Stevie Wonder honored Prince at the Billboard Music Awards last May; the next month, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Maxwell, Janelle Monae and more paid tribute at the BET Awards. Prince's old band, the Revolution, held a concert in his honor in September, with Wonder and Chaka Khan headlining another sprawling tribute concert in October.
On Sunday, a majority of Prince's catalog returned to most streaming services after over 18 months as an exclusive to Tidal. Earlier this week, the singer's estate announced an agreement with Universal Music Group to release his music recorded after 1995 alongside music from his vault, including outtakes, demos and live recordings.
Grammys 2017: Watch Prince Tribute With Bruno Mars, Morris Day and the Time
Bruno Mars and Morris Day and the Time paid tribute to Prince at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards tonight. The performance began with the Time doing “Jungle Love.” At one point, Morris Day checked himself in the mirror as people in the audience did the “Jungle Love” dance from Purple Rain. After the Time did “The Bird,” Prince’s symbol glowed in the background as Bruno Mars appeared in full, sparkling purple Prince regalia. He performed “Let’s Go Crazy,” busting out some huge guitar solos on a Prince guitar. Watch it happen below.
Prior to the ceremony, Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow described George Michael and Prince as “pop icons who showcased rare musical genius and otherworldly charisma,” saying the Academy is “humbled to pay homage to their tremendous legacies on the GRAMMY stage.” Earlier today, Prince’s discography returned to streaming services.
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