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Faith No More

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Faith No More
Faith No More performing in Portugal in 2009.
Faith No More performing in Portugal in 2009.
Background information
Also known asFaith No Man, Sharp Young Men
OriginSan Francisco, California
GenresAlternative metal, experimental rock, funk metal
Years active1979–1998, 2009–present
LabelsSlash, London, Mordam, Reclamation, Ipecac
MembersMike Bordin
Roddy Bottum
Billy Gould
Mike Patton
Jon Hudson
Past membersList of Faith No More band members
Websitewww.fnm.com

Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1981. The band was originally named Faith No Man.[1] Billy Gould, Roddy Bottum and Mike Bordin are the longest remaining members of the band, having been involved with Faith No More since its inception. The band underwent several lineup changes early in their career, along with some major changes later on. After releasing six albums, Faith No More officially announced their breakup on April 20, 1998. They have since reunited, embarking on The Second Coming Tour from 2009-2012.

On September 2, 2014, bassist Bill Gould announced that Faith No More had been working on their seventh studio album Sol Invictus, which is set for release in May 2015.[2] The latest version of Faith No More to perform consists of Mike Bordin, Roddy Bottum, Billy Gould, Jon Hudson, and Mike Patton.

History

Early days (1979-1984)

Faith No More was originally formed as Sharp Young Men in 1979 by bassist Billy Gould, drummer Mike Bordin, vocalist Mike "The Man" Morris, and keyboardist Wade Worthington. Mike Morris described the name as "a piss-take on all the ‘elegant’ 80s groups at the time."[3] Later on Morris proposed the name Faith In No Man but eventually the band settled on Bordin's suggestion Faith No Man (stylized as Faith. No Man).[3]

They recorded "Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty", released in 1982. The songs were recorded in Matt Wallace's parent's garage, where Wallace had set up and been running a recording studio while the band was still recording under the name Sharp Young Men,[4] with Mike Morris, Billy Gould, Mike Bordin and Wade Worthington. Worthington left shortly thereafter. They changed their name to Faith No Man for the release of the single, which featured two of the three songs recorded in Wallace's garage,[5] and hired Roddy Bottum to replace Worthington. Bottum, Gould and Bordin quit the band shortly after and formed Faith No More. They chose the name to accentuate the fact that "The Man" (Mike Morris) was "No More". They didn't have any constant guitarists or vocalists until they eventually settled on Chuck Mosley in 1983 and later Jim Martin.[6]

We Care a Lot and Introduce Yourself (1985–1988)

After the name change, the band initially started recording We Care a Lot without backing from a record label and, after pooling their money, recorded five songs. This gained the attention of Ruth Schwartz, who was then forming the independent label Mordam Records, under which the band, after getting the necessary financial support, finished and released the album. It was the first official release for both the band and the label.[7]

Introduce Yourself was released in 1987, and a revamped version of their debut album's title track "We Care a Lot" saw minor success on MTV. Mosley was fired in 1988 due to his erratic behavior during sessions and at shows, notably the release party for the album Introduce Yourself during which he fell asleep on stage.[8]

Mike Patton joins and The Real Thing (1989–1991)

Chuck Mosley was replaced with singer Mike Patton. Patton, who was singing with his high school band, Mr. Bungle, was recruited at Martin's suggestion after he heard a demo of Mr. Bungle.[9] Patton joined Faith No More, and in two weeks had written all the lyrics for the songs that would make up the Grammy award-nominated The Real Thing.[10]

"Epic" was released in 1989 and was a top 10 hit. The music video for "Epic" received extensive airplay on MTV in 1990, despite anger from animal rights activists for a slow motion shot of a fish flopping out of water.[11][12] That same year, Faith No More gave memorable performances at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards (September 6) and on the 293rd episode of Saturday Night Live (December 1).

"From Out of Nowhere" and "Falling to Pieces" saw releases as singles, and a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" was also produced for non-vinyl releases. In 1990, the band went on an extensive US tour, sending The Real Thing to Platinum status in Canada, the US, and South America. The album also had big sales numbers in Australia, UK, and the rest of Europe, pushing the total sales well above 4.0 million worldwide.

In February 1991, Faith No More released their only official live album, Live at the Brixton Academy. The album also included two previously-unreleased studio tracks, "The Grade" and "The Cowboy Song". That same year, the band contributed a track for the motion picture soundtrack to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey with the song "The Perfect Crime". Jim Martin also made a brief cameo in the film as "Sir James Martin" and head of the "Faith No More Spiritual and Theological Center".

Angel Dust (1992–1994)

Faith No More displayed an even more experimental effort on their next album, Angel Dust. One critic writes that the album is "one of the more complex and simply confounding records ever released by a major label"[13] and another writes that the single "'A Small Victory', which seems to run Madame Butterfly through Metallica and Nile Rodgers (...) reveals a developing facility for combining unlikely elements into startlingly original concoctions."[14]

Aside from "A Small Victory" (which received a nomination for Best Art Direction at the MTV Video Music Awards), the tracks "MidLife Crisis" and "Everything's Ruined" were also released as singles. The album included a re-recording of the theme to the film Midnight Cowboy, and later pressings included a cover of The Commodores classic "Easy", which in some parts of the world became the band's biggest hit. Angel Dust, though not as successful as The Real Thing in the US, sold 665,000 copies there, and managed to outsell The Real Thing in many other countries. In Germany, the record was certified Gold for sales of more than 250,000 copies. The album also matched the sales of The Real Thing in Canada (Platinum), Australia (Gold), and surpassed it in the Netherlands, France, Russia, and the UK. Worldwide sales are around 3,1 million copies.

After touring to support Angel Dust in the summer of 1993, long-time guitarist Jim Martin left the band due to internal conflicts. According to Roddy Bottum, Martin was fired via fax: "Jim Martin had always been very conventional in what he wanted to do with the band, very much a fan of guitar music only and metal specifically. During the recording of Angel Dust, it became apparent to both him and us that we were heading in very different directions."[15] Martin himself states it was his decision to leave.[16] Both Godflesh guitarist Justin Broadrick and Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker were reportedly offered to join FNM after Martin's departure, but declined to join.[17] The position was filled by Mike Patton's bandmate from Mr. Bungle, Trey Spruance, who left soon after recording 1995's King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime and just before the band was to begin their world tour. Spruance was replaced by Dean Menta, the band's keyboard tech.

King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime, Album of the Year and break-up (1995–1998)

1995's King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime varies greatly from song to song in style; post-hardcore/punk, country, jazz, bossa nova, thrash metal, gospel music, along with other signature FNM elements, are woven together seamlessly throughout the album, making it a favorite among loyal fans. Singles included "Digging the Grave", "Evidence", and "Ricochet". The album featured Mr. Bungle's Trey Spruance on guitar. The record went Gold in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and Germany, which gave the album a respectable sales figure of around 1.5 million copies; this was significantly lower than sales of their previous albums. A 7 x 7-inch box set of singles was released, which included the B-sides and some interviews between the songs.

Album of the Year was released in 1997 and featured yet another new guitarist, Jon Hudson, who was a former roommate of Billy Gould. The album debuted much higher than expected in some countries (for example, in Germany, the album debuted at No. 2 and stayed in the chart for 5 months). In Australia, Album of the Year went to No. 1 and was certified Platinum. The album charted in many countries in Europe. To date,[clarification needed] Album of the Year has sold around 2 million copies worldwide. The singles "Ashes to Ashes" and "Last Cup of Sorrow" had minimal success (notably, the music video for "Last Cup of Sorrow", which featured actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, was inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo). "Stripsearch" was released as a single in various countries (excluding the US and UK).

In early 1998 rumors of Faith No More's imminent demise began. Starting with a rumor posted to the Faith No More newsgroup alt.music.faith-no-more claiming Mike Patton had quit the band in favor of side projects, this rumor, although denied at the time, proved to be at least partly true. Faith No More played their last show in Lisbon, Portugal on April 7, 1998.[10] The band cancelled their planned support tour for Aerosmith and on April 20, Billy Gould released a statement by email and fax, saying "[T]he decision among the members is mutual" and "the split will now enable each member to pursue his individual project(s) unhindered." The band "thank[ed] all of those fans and associates that have stuck with and supported the band throughout its history." After the dissolution of Faith No More, the members went on to numerous different projects.

Reformation (2009–2012)

Rumours that Faith No More would reunite for shows in the U.K. in the summer of 2009 were circulating in late November 2008,[18] but were originally dismissed by bassist Billy Gould. He explained: "If anything like this were to happen, it would have to come from the band, and I haven't spoken with any of them in over a year. So as far as I know, there isn't anything to talk about, and I'm pretty sure that if you were to contact Patton, he would tell you the same thing."[19]

However, on February 24, 2009 after months of speculation and rumors, Faith No More announced they would be reforming with a line-up identical to the Album of the Year era,[20] embarking on a reunion tour called The Second Coming Tour. To coincide with the band's reunion tour, Rhino released the sixth Faith No More compilation, The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection, a double album that includes their hit singles and b sides & rarities, in the UK on June 8.[21] Faith No More then played in major European festivals including, Download Festival in the U.K. in June, Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany,[22] Greenfield Festival in Switzerland,[23] Hove Festival in Norway and Roskilde Festival in Denmark,[24] among other dates. The tour continued into 2010 with appearances at the Soundwave Festival in Australian cities throughout February and March.[25] During their tour, the band added covers to their repertoire including "Switch" by Siouxsie and The Banshees.[26]

After an eleven month hiatus, Faith No More played four shows in South America in November 2011. On the first date (November 8, 2011), the band played a "mystery song," which led to speculation of new material.[27] They played Sonisphere France on July 7, 2012.[28]

Hiatus, return and Sol Invictus (2013–present)

Up until 2014, Faith No More's status was disputed. In a January 2013 interview, Mike Patton suggested that the band would not remain active beyond the reunion tour, stating that "it's sort of petered out" and the band was "maybe a little too conscious for [their] own good."[29] In July 2013 Billy Gould hinted the band may record new material in the future, saying "We will do something again only when all members are with the focus on that, and ready for the challenge. This is not the time... yet."[30] On May 29, 2014, Faith No More posted a message (along with a photograph of Mike Patton) on their Twitter account, saying that "the reunion thing was fun, but now it's time to get a little creative." On July 4, Faith No More played their first show in two years at Hyde Park in London, supporting Black Sabbath.[31] At that show, Faith No More debuted two new songs "Motherfucker" and "Superhero" (also known by fans as "Leader of Men").[32][33] On August 20, the band posted "The Reunion Tour is over; in 2015 things are going to change." These tweets led to speculation that the band was working on new material.[34][35] On August 30, Gould said that the band is "considering doing something new", and may begin work on a new studio album at some point in the not-too-distant future, explaining, "to do something creative would be a really good thing to do."[36] On September 2, Bill Gould revealed to Rolling Stone that Faith No More has begun work on a new album, which is set for release in April 2015.[37][38]

In November, Faith No More revealed that their new material was influenced by The Cramps, Link Wray and Siouxsie and the Banshees.[39] Speaking to Revolver, Gould described the song "Cone of Shame" as "blues-based rock and roll". Describing another track "Matador", he said: "parts of it remind me of the first Siouxsie and the Banshees album. We used real pianos and that brings this organic quality to it to the music".[39] Faith No More will headline Australia's Soundwave in February and March 2015.[40]

On February 10, 2015 the band announced that their new album, Sol Invictus, will be released in May 2015.[2] The second single from the album, "Superhero", was shared by the band on March 1st 2015.[41]

Musical style and influences

While Faith No More's first single "Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty", was a "solid post-punk/pre-goth single",[42] the band is well known for combining elements of heavy metal with funk, hip hop, progressive rock,[43] alternative rock, hardcore punk, polka, easy listening, jazz, samba,[44] bossa nova,[45] hard rock, pop,[46] soul,[47] gospel,[48] and lounge music.[49]

Early on in the band's career after the release of The Real Thing, they were often compared to funk rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers, with frontman Anthony Kiedis accusing Mike Patton of stealing his style.[50][51] Regarding the perceived conflict between the two bands, bassist Flea said "There was never any fight between us, that was a bunch of bullshit created by the media. I mean i think they're a good band. Maybe there was some things said between Anthony and the singer, but it all means nothing to me. Those guys in the band are nice people and there's no fight."[52] Later in 1999 and 2000 the feud between Patton and Kiedis escalated, with Kiedis getting Patton's other band Mr. Bungle kicked off from a festival in Australia, resulting in Mr. Bungle performing a mock concert aimed at Red Hot Chili Peppers in retaliation.[51]

Members of Faith No More have acknowledged certain bands as an influence early on, including: Killing Joke, PIL, and Theatre of Hate.[53]

Legacy

Nirvana's bassist, and co-founder, Krist Novoselic cited Faith No More as a band that "paved the way for Nirvana" in the late 1980s.[54] Bands rising at their prime, such as Metallica,[citation needed] Alice in Chains,[citation needed] Anthrax[55] and Guns N' Roses,[56] have cited Faith No More as one of their favorite bands. Corey Taylor, lead vocalist of Slipknot, stated that seeing FNM perform Epic at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards changed his life: "I was mesmerized by that. I never felt a moment like that until that moment. It completely turned me around."[57]

They were voted No. 52 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".[58] The band are credited for inventing the alternative metal genre which began in the 1980s and that fuses metal with other genres, including alternative rock.[59] Tim Grierson of About.com said the band "helped put alternative metal on the map."[60] Faith No More has also been credited for influencing nu metal bands, such as Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Sevendust,[61] primarily due to the popularity of "Epic", and other early material that featured rap and rock crossovers.

Bottum came out as gay in 1993.[62] He is recognized as a pioneering gay rock musician and admired as a role model for gay youth interested in a genre of music not traditionally associated with the gay community. In a 2001 article in The Advocate, Bottum stated that "I would never have thought as a gay teen I'd be in a band that would be considered heavy metal or hard rock." Other heavy metal musicians have come out as gay subsequently including Rob Halford of Judas Priest in 1998.

Concert tours

Main article: List of Faith No More concert tours
  • 1979–1984: Early shows
  • 1985–1986: We Care a Lot Tour
  • 1987–1988: Introduce Yourself Tour
  • 1989–1991: The Real Thing Tour
  • 1992–1993: Angel Dust Tour
  • 1995: King for a Day Tour
  • 1997–1998: Album of the Year Tour
  • 2009–2014: The Second Coming Tour
  • 2015: Soundwave Tour

Members

Main article: List of Faith No More band members
Current line-up
  • Mike Bordin – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009–present)
  • Billy Gould – bass, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009–present)
  • Roddy Bottum – keyboard, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009–present)
  • Mike Patton – lead vocals (1988–1998, 2009–present)
  • Jon Hudson – guitars, backing vocals (1996–1998, 2009–present)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards
MTV Video Music Awards

Discography

Main article: Faith No More discography
Studio albums

See also

Template:Wikipedia books

References

  1. ^ "Faith No Man | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  2. ^ a b https://www.facebook.com/officialfnm/photos/a.479883298414.268692.16942753414/10153068004248415/?type=1&theater
  3. ^ a b Morris, Mike. "Faith No Man bio by Mike Morris". Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  4. ^ Chirazi 1994, p. 22
  5. ^ Agatha Samborska. "Faith No More Frequently Answered Questions". fnm.com. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  6. ^ Chirazi 1994, pp. 21–23
  7. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 1992). "Faith No More: Angel Dust in the wind". Issue 25. Reflex Magazine. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  8. ^ "Faith No More BIOGRAPHY". Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  9. ^ Cee, Gary (November 30, 1990). "Faith No More: Inside the insatiable Mike Patton". Circus Magazine (#369): 62–64. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  10. ^ a b "Faith No More Biography". Faith No More Official Site. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  11. ^ "Inventory: 9 Music Videos Featuring Animals In Prominent Roles". A.V. Club. 9 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  12. ^ Lowell, Travis (20 June 2001). "Faith No More: The Real Thing Review". Toxic Universe. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  13. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Faith No More Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  14. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Faith No More Biography". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  15. ^ "Story Behind The Album: Faith No More". Metalhammer.co.uk. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  16. ^ Garry Sharpe-Young (2007). Metal: The Definitive Guide. London, England: Jawbone Press. p. 483. ISBN 1-906002-01-0.
  17. ^ Conspiracy of Two Kerrang magazine, 12 April 2003
  18. ^ Faith No More Reunion In The Works?
  19. ^ Faith No More Not Reuniting
  20. ^ Faith No More News
  21. ^ "Faith No More: 'The Very Best' Greatest-Hits Collection Due In June". Roadrunnerrecords.com. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  22. ^ Hurricane Festival 2009
  23. ^ Greenfield festival 2009
  24. ^ Faith No More Confirmed For Denmark's Roskilde Festival
  25. ^ Faith No More, Jane's Addiction, HIM Confirmed For Australia's Soundwave Festival
  26. ^ Faith No More covering "Switch" by Siouxsie and the banshees Melbourne 2010
  27. ^ Faith No More Performs Mystery Song In Argentina (Video)
  28. ^ Kiss, Queen With Adam Lambert And Faith No More Confirmed For U.K.'s Sonisphere
  29. ^ Mike Patton Says Faith No More Reunion Has 'Sort Of Petered Out'
  30. ^ Faith No More – Could there be more? ~ Faith No More Blog
  31. ^ Black Sabbath to headline Barclaycard British Summer Time | News | NME.COM
  32. ^ "Faith No More Debuts New Music At London's Hyde Park; Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. 2014-07-04. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  33. ^ "Faith No More Perform Two New Songs in Concert". Loudwire.com. 2014-07-06. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
  34. ^ "Is Faith No More Gearing Up For A New Album?". bloody-disgusting.com. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  35. ^ "Official Faith No More Twitter feed".
  36. ^ "Faith No More Is 'Considering Doing Something New,' Says Bassist Billy Gould". Blabbermouth.net. 2014-08-31. Retrieved 2014-09-02.
  37. ^ "Faith No More to Release First Album in 18 Years, Plot U.S. Tour". Rollingstone.com. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2014-09-02.
  38. ^ "It's Official: Faith No More Begins Recording First Studio Album". Blabbermouth.net. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2014-09-02.
  39. ^ a b Wiederhorn, Jon (4 November 2014). "Interview: Faith No More Give Update from the Studio". Revpmver. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  40. ^ "Slipknot, Faith No More, Judas Priest, Soundgarden Confirmed For Australia's Soundwave". Blabbermouth.net. 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  41. ^ Coughlan, Jamie. "Faith No More Share "Superhero"". http://overblown.co.uk. Overblown. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  42. ^ Torreano, Bradley. "Song of Liberty/All Quiet in Heaven – Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  43. ^ Thomas, Stephen. "Faith No More Biography on Yahoo! Music". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2010-11-15. With their fusion of heavy metal, funk, hip-hop, and progressive rock, Faith No More has earned a substantial cult following.
  44. ^ Neil Strauss (April 23, 1998). "The Pop Life; Horde Festival Offers a Surprise". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-03-18. Faith No More, the 15-year-old San Francisco rock band known for its energetic mix of punk, jazz, heavy metal, alternative rock, samba, polka and easy-listening, has broken up.
  45. ^ Agatha Samborska (ed.). "Faith No More Frequently Asked Questions". old.fnm.com. Retrieved 2011-12-24.
  46. ^ Greg Prato. "Album of the Year review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-03-14. Outstanding tracks blend hard rock and pop melodicism the way only FNM can. Album of the Year was a fitting way for one of alternative rock's most influential and important bands to end its career.
  47. ^ "Evidence is the quiet moment, a piece of easy listening and soul masterfully played (Translated from Spanish)". Hoyesarte.com. June 15, 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-24.
  48. ^ Greg Prato. "King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime – Faith No More". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-12-24.
  49. ^ The Real Thing Allmusic Review
  50. ^ http://articles.mcall.com/1992-10-04/entertainment/2894294_1_roddy-bottum-guns-n-roses-metallica
  51. ^ a b http://www.bunglefever.com/faq.htm
  52. ^ Flea. "Flea talks about Faith No More". M6. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  53. ^ http://zildjian.com/Artists/B/Mike-Bordin
  54. ^ Published Wednesday, Mar 11 2009, 2:50pm EDT (2009-03-11). "Novoselic: 'FNM paved way for Nirvana' – Music News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2012-04-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  55. ^ "The Kerrang! Podcast – 06 September 2007" (Podcast). 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  56. ^ Witter, Simon (December 1992). "Faith No More's finger to the world". SKY magazine. Retrieved 2008-08-30. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  57. ^ Bowar, Chad. "Slipknot / Stone Sour Singer Corey Taylor Says Watching Faith No More Perform Changed His Life". Loudwire. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  58. ^ "100 greatest artists of hard rock (60–41)". VH1. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  59. ^ Garry Sharpe-Young (2007). Metal: The Definitive Guide. London, England: Jawbone Press. p. 482. ISBN 1-906002-01-0.
  60. ^ "Mike Patton Doesn't See a Future for Faith No More". Rock.about.com. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  61. ^ Essi Berelian (2005), The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal, p. 259, "Faith No More must be counted among the pioneers [of nu metal]"
  62. ^ Roddy Bottum article – The Advocate 16 February 1999

Bibliography

  • Chirazi, Steffan (1994). Faith No More: The Real Story. Penguin USA. ISBN 1-8981411-5-0.
  • Prato, Greg (2013). The Faith No More & Mr. Bungle Companion. Createspace. ISBN 1-4936966-6-1.

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