By Steven Fullwood
Clearly I was on a roll. After publishing an interview with singer/songwriter and one-time Prince protégé Jill Jones, I was contacted by the reps of another former Prince associate, Matt Fink, known to most Princephiles and the world as the über-keyboardist “Dr. Fink.” They asked if I were interested in reviewing Fink’s debut album, Ultrasound and possibly interviewing the doctor himself. What, are you kidding? I jumped at the chance.
Dr. Fink’s tenure with the Minneapolis wunderkind began in 1979 when Prince first told us that he wanted to be our lover. Since then, the keyboard wizard performed with Prince non-stop until 1996. He co-wrote some of Prince’s most memorable songs including “Dirty Mind, “America,” “Computer Blue, “17 Days,” and “It’s Gonna be a Beautiful Night,” and was the last member of the Revolution to leave Prince’s band. Like most of the Revolution – Wendy and Lisa, Bobby Z, Brown Mark – Dr. Fink has recorded a solo joint, sans the diminutive genius.
Of his own musical legacy Dr. Fink is modest. “I feel like I had some influence on [Prince] but for the most part he was his own man,” he says. “Prince helped me to have a better work ethic and dedication to the craft of music production because of the example he set.” Although rumors of a reunion circulated in the past few years, nothing came of it. “We [members of the band] wanted a reunion in 2000, but Prince wasn’t ready so maybe in the future,” Fink says.
Whatever happens, Ultrasound should be more than enough to sate the musical appetites of admirers and fans alike. “Ultrasound is meant to be fun, entertaining and danceable,” he says adding “hopefully [it will] entertain people and give them something to escape into after a hard day at the office.”
That said, Dr. Fink has enough to keep him busy. Besides facilitating the birth of Ultrasound, he has also nurtured the careers of the other musicians. Fink owns a recording studio in Minneapolis called Star Vu Studios where he has worked with a variety of Minneapolis talent including Rebekka Fisher, Vouegot, Amy Holland, Tony Burgos, Christar, The Villains, The Curbfeelers, BlackBone and Barfly. In 1996, he produced Radioactive for MCA Records and collaborated with former Revolution drummer Bobby Z for an artist named Ana Voog. Although the good doctor is pleased with his accomplishments, he will continue to further his “practice.”
“I would like to produce and work with more up-and-coming talent in the biz than I’ve had so far,” he says, adding that he’d like to work with Moby.
On the home front, talent apparently runs in the family. His wife Andra co-wrote lyrics on Ultrasound and their 7-year-old son Maxwell recently had his first piano recital.
Always humble about his success, Dr. Fink is appreciative of the response he’s received about Ultrasound.
“It’s nice to know the fans still remember me and it makes me want to put more music out there,” he says. M
August 2002
