How long has it been since you heard the name “Andre Cymone?”

Best known as Prince’s former roommate and the original bass player in the Revolution, Andre broke South before the Purple One jumped over to mainstream success with “1999.” Not deterred at all by PRN’s commercial breakthrough, Andre recorded three solid funk/rock albums before setting his sights on songwriting and production, working with Adam Ant, Jermaine Stewart, and most notably Jody Watley. He also appeared as the love interest in Jody’s “Don’t You Want Me” video, and played Jody’s love interest in real life-it was revealed in the mid Nineties that the two were married for a while Janet Jackson/Rene Elizondo style.

At any rate, Andre’s been AWOL for quite some time, but he has returned with not a drop of rust. “America” is a sizzling slice of funk/rock that’s timeless as well as timely. You can listen to or download the song on Andre’s Bandcamp page, and all net proceeds will be donated to support the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Good music, good cause. How can you go wrong? Let’s hope Andre is inspired, much like his friends in the Original 7even Time, to make a full-fledged comeback and bless us with an entire album!

Download the track here.