Three Grammys. Two Brit Awards. The year’s biggest hit, Uptown Funk, which has notched up close to 433 million hits. DJing at the weddings of Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes and Paul McCartney-Nancy Shevell. Producing hits for Lily Allen (Littlest Things), Robbie Williams (Lovelight), Amy Winehouse (You Know I’m No Good), Christina Aguilera (Slow Down Baby) and Adele (Cold Shoulder). Childhood friends with Sean Lennon.
’Nuf said? Mark Ronson is the music man of 2015.

The 39-year-old producer, singer and DJ is in the news for his Uptown Funk which features the vocals of Bruno Mars. In fact, the album from which the track is taken –– Uptown Special (Sony Music) –– has collaborations with more of the who’s who, Stevie Wonder to Jeff Bhasker, the go-to songwriter-producer for Jay-Z, Lana Del Rey, Beyonce.... And before you ask is Jeff Indian, well, he was born in New Mexico but his dad, Ravi Bhasker, arrived in the US in 1956 from India and went on to become a family physician and is currently the mayor of Socorro.

Mark’s brush with celebrities started as a child growing up in London where the likes of Robin Williams attended parties thrown by his parents, Ann Dexter Jones and Laurence Ronson. After he moved to the US (at age seven-eight), his mother married rock group Foreigner member Mick Jones.

Well, here’s what Mark the music man told t2 over email about Uptown Funk (which according to Music Business Worldwide is earning $100,000 per week on Spotify and is the track Michelle Obama got down to at her recent appearance on Ellen), DJing and more.

How did Uptown Funk (featuring Bruno Mars) come about?

On this album, I felt like I’ve got a lot to say and what I wanted to do with the songs called for different types of singers and stuff. I hope I will work with Bruno for a long time. Well, you know, now that we’ve done it, it would be hard to just go back to the old way ’cause this is really exciting!
Some of the songs took a long time to get right. There were songs that were rewritten three or four times because even though the lyrics were good they weren’t marrying the mood of the music.
Bruno and I have been friends for a long time now. When Uptown Funk was written, we thought Bruno was the best fit for this. He would completely justify the essence of the music. 

So, who came up with the title Uptown Funk?

Jeff (Bhasker), Bruno and I worked together and phrased it. Uptown Funk is heavily influenced by the Minneapolis sound (a hybrid of funk, rock, pop, synthpop and new wave) of the early ’80s, pioneered by Prince, Morris Day, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Tell us about working with Jeff Bhasker....

All in all, it was a unique experience. This is the first time I haven’t produced an album by myself. So, it’s a collaborative effort put in to create this album.

Does it help producing your own album or having someone like Jeff produce? 

Well, like I just mentioned, this is the first album I have not produced alone. It’s a joint effort with Jeff Bhasker and we made it possible. We haven’t worked as separate entities for Uptown Special. Producing my way is not really a lot different from what we have done here. 

The album Uptown Special comes five years after you dropped Record Collection. Was there pressure to put out a new album?

Well, no, nothing of that sort. It was just about when I was ready with my album and confident enough to launch it.

There is a bit of club music, R&B and soul. How did you come up with the sound of the album?

With Jeff and Bruno producing this album, it was an altogether different experience. When we were producing the album, all of us had our titbits to add and the sound credits all of us equally.

Who have been some of the influences on your career?

My favourite living author, (Michael) Chabon. He became a part of the songwriting process early on and was fully immersed in the album’s narrative creation, often working with me and the vocalists in the recording studio.

You have also been a DJ at high-profile weddings, like that of Tom Cruise and Paul McCartney....

I love DJing and playing records at clubs or at events. It’s from my struggle days. I have always had a distinct passion towards this and I have always loved doing this.

What is your take on Indian music and Bollywood? Any message for your fans in Calcutta, through t2?

Oooh! Indian music is great, though I haven’t heard much of it but whatever I know and heard, it’s amazing.
Fans in Calcutta: Hearty thanks. I wish to visit India soon and have read a lot about the love Indians have for DJing!

Finally, Uptown Funk, the summer anthem of 2015, comes with the line: “This here that ice cold/ Michelle Pfeiffer that white gold”. Any favourite Michelle Pfeiffer movie?

Who doesn’t like her movies? But there’s not one in specific.

Mathures Paul
Mark Ronson is the music man of 2015 because.... Tell t2@abp.in