THE old chocolate bar ad said: “A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play.”

Well, in the record industry a BRUNO MARS works wonders for keeping the accountants sweet.

At a party in the Hollywood Hills last week bosses from the singer’s label handed him a cheque for £1.2million to thank him for filling their coffers.

That’s got to be better than a pat on the back.

Atlantic bigwigs also presented Bruno and his SMEEZINGTONS bandmate PHILIP LAWRENCE with two boxed 24-carat gold Rolex watches. They haven’t even done their 50 years’ service yet.

The gesture moved Bruno to tears – until he discovered his watch case was empty, leaving him to ask if it was “some sort of joke?”

Fortunately, it turned out an assistant had just forgotten to put the gift back after getting it engraved with the words, “Once a hooligan, always a hooligan”.

You know you’re doing well when you’re the toast of a party with a guestlist that included P DIDDY, ARCTIC MONKEYS and SEAL.

Philip revealed it almost didn’t happen for him. He said: “I literally only had two dollars left in my pocket when I was going to meet Bruno for our first session. I had to get two buses and it cost me the last money I had. It turned out to be the best two dollars I’ve ever spent.”

He obviously hasn’t tried a two-litre bottle of Irn-Bru.