For Mark Brown, the head games began with a cold call from Prince in 1981. And they ended, six years later, with the bassist — rechristened BrownMark, by Prince — confident that the rock star had derailed him out of millions in songwriting royalties.
As related in BrownMark’s new memoir, “My Life in the Purple Kingdom” (University of Minnesota Press), playing with Prince was the best of times and the worst of times — often at the same time. Like when he was cast in the movie musical “Purple Rain.”
“I took drama classes, joined SAG and acted in the movie,” Brown, 58, told The Post. “Then all my scenes were cut. Prince came up with some lame excuse about having to make the movie shorter.”
Before the fast talk and subterfuge, there was that unexpected call. Brown, then 19, took it in the Minneapolis rec center where his funk band rehearsed. “The first thing that went through my mind was that it couldn’t be Prince,” Brown said. “It was surreal.”