Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops & Hooligans LP

NEW. SEALED.

Nettwerk Records

It's better if you don't understand; just listen and have a good time. That's the response Bruno Mars will give you with a smile when asked to describe his sound and music. He would much rather sing, perform and write his songs than talk about them, but that is becoming more and more unavoidable these days. It might seem that Mars appeared out of nowhere, co-writing, producing and performing on B.o.B's #1 "Nothin' On You" followed by Travis McCoy's chart-climbing "Billionaire," but he makes one thing clear: "It's not an overnight success."
Mars is a multitalented singer, songwriter, producer and musician who feels most at home when he's performing. Born to a musical family in Honolulu, Hawaii, he was practically raised on the stage. His father, a Latin percussionist from Brooklyn, organized a Vegas-style revue that featured the entire family, including his mother, a talented vocalist. When a four-year-old Mars observed his family performing Motown hits, doo-wop medleys and impersonations for enthusiastic crowds all over his native Waikiki Beach, "I was jealous!" says Mars with a laugh. "My dad put me on stage and I remember singing an Elvis song and that was it. Ever since that moment, I've been addicted."

As soon as he graduated high school, Mars left Hawaii for Los Angeles with dreams of launching his career as a performer. Those dreams got put on hold, however, when The Smeezingtons, the songwriting/production team he founded with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, suddenly took off. The pair has crafted major hits for a diverse roster of talent, including Flo Rida's "Right Round," Travis McCoy's "Billionaire," Brandy's "Long Distance" and K'Naan's "Waving Flags," which was the theme song for the World Cup.

On the heels of "Nothin' on You" and "Billionaire" and as a preview of what's to come from Bruno Mars, Elektra Records released a 4-song EP aptly titled It's Better If You Don't Understand. The title is taken from a lyric to "The Other Side"; one of the songs included that features Cee-Lo Green and re-teams Mars with B.o.B. In preparation for this, his full length debut, Doo-Wops And Hooligans, Bruno recently released his first single "Just The Way You Are."

1. Grenade
2. Just The Way You Are
3. Our First Time
4. Runaway Baby
5. The Lazy Song
6. Marry You
7. Talking To The Moon
8. Liquor Store Blues (feat. Damian Marley)
9. Count On Me
10. The Other Side (feat. Cee Lo Green and B.o.B)