Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson Borrow Pharrell’s Musical Time Machine, Setting The Dial To 1983 (Video)

For the second time in a week, Mark Ronson “goes back, way back.” After channeling 1971 James Brown alongside Mystikal, the British producer brings in Bruno Mars for a 1983-inspired “Uptown Funk.” With excellent visuals and choreography, Bruno takes a suit, hat, and gold medallion from the Scarface wardrobe closet, and finds a way to work Michelle Pfeiffer into the bridge.

The song’s beat and presentation pulls heavily from acts like Cameo, The Fatback Band, Rick James, The Whispers, and those early ’80s Funk tracks that rock parties in 2014.

This certainly feels deeply out of the Pharrell (and Daft Punk) wheel-house, would you say it’s adding to the themes/approach, or is it biting? After all, Bruno was on that Police wave before all this.

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