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            ##             MR. BUNGLE FAQ             ##
            ##                  v3.0                  ##
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  1. The Band Members
    1. What are all the members' real names and what instruments do they usually play?

      Trevor Roy Dunn - bass
      Daniel Mark Heifetz - drums
      Clinton (Bär) McKinnon - tenor sax, and other wind instruments
      Michael Allen Patton - vocals, keyboards
      Preston (Trey) Lea Spruance III - guitar, keyboards

    2. Wait, my CD says their names are Scummy and Vlad Drac and stuff like that.

      They're called pseudonyms. Even though at least one ad for the Mr. Bungle album said, "their record company won't let us" tell their names, it probably wasn't a mandatory thing. It's likely they just did it for fun, or possibly to avoid capitalizing on their singer's name.

    3. Mike Patton? He was the singer for Faith No More, right?

      Yep.

    4. Bär? What does that mean? And how do I say it? And why do they call him that?

      It's a German word. It's pronounced like the English "bear", which is convenient, because that's what it means. Although we're not totally sure how he got the nickname, the likeliest explanation came from Ethan Danberry who said, "I always figured Bär was as in Baritone and that's how it's pronounced...Bär-itone."

    5. Heifetz? Is Danny related to violinist Jascha Heifetz?

      Yes. Danny is Jascha's grandson. For those unaware of the prodigious violinist/composer's talents, try looking up "Heifetz" in the dictionary, and visit the classical section of your local music store.

    6. Isn't Trey Spruance the one who played guitar for Faith No More's King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime album?

      Yes he is. Trey left the band before touring for King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime commenced, and was replaced by Dean Menta. His ex-bandmates claimed that Spruance left the band due to his inability to commit to a rigorous, overseas tour schedule in support of Faith No More's new album. The truth about Trey's departure is shocking and will cause headaches and cramps. Our lawyers suggested we not mention it in the FAQ.*

    7. I saw them live on the Disco Volante tour, and they had one more guy with them. Who's he?

      His name is William Winant, and he toured with Mr. Bungle in 1995 and 1996 after the release of Disco Volante. He's a percussionist, and he's also worked with artists such as Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Oingo Boingo, and Thurston Moore. Winant is credited as a "guest musician." on both Disco Volante and California.

    8. Who else has toured with them?

      William Winant joined them again, touring in support of California, in 1999. Tito Puente's nephew, Ches Smith, filled in for Willie at a few shows. The first leg of that tour also included keyboardist Jeff Attridge (Don Salsa), who was later replaced by James Rotundi (Grassy Knoll). Ches and James toured with the band full-time for Sno-Core 2000 and the Australian tour in support of California.

    9. Roddy Bottum, the keyboardist from Faith No More, is thanked in the liner notes of the self-titled album. Did he play anywhere on the album?

      No, Roddy is thanked for letting the band borrow some of his equipment for the album.

    10. I think I saw them switch with each other. What other instruments do they all play?

      The guys are all really talented and versatile musicians. While this is in no way a complete list, here's an idea of the variety of things they each have been spotted playing, or credited with on an album or demo:

      • Bär McKinnon - sax, clarinet, percussion, keyboards, drums, guitar, bass
      • Danny Heifetz - drums, keyboards, vocals, bass, guitar, trumpet
      • Mike Patton - vocals, keyboards, electronics, bass, guitar, drums
      • Trevor Dunn - electric bass, upright bass, percussion, vocals, keyboards
      • Trey Spruance - guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, trumpet, electronics
    11. What other bands are the guys from Bungle in?

      See Section III.

    12. Who are all of the ex-members of the band?

      Drummer Jed Watts played, and Martin Fosnaugh and Scott Fritz made brief appearances as Jew's harpist and trumpet player, on the first demo tape, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny. Bungle's second demo, Bowel of Chiley, featured drummer Hans Wagner, and again Scott Fritz on trumpet. Demo number three, Goddammit I Love America! had Hans Wagner on drums and "Luke" on lips. Theo Lengyel, credited with everything from hawaiian nose humming to flute, saxophone, trombone & percussion, appeared on every Mr. Bungle release from 1986's The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny to 1995's Disco Volante, and last performed with the band in San Francisco, California in 1996.

    13. What happened to Theo?

      Theobald Brooks Lengyel left Mr. Bungle before California was released in 1999. Management cited "artistic differences" as the reason for his departure.

    14. What is this about a feud between Mike Patton and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Did it really get Mr. Bungle kicked off of a festival?

      Based on various interviews with the people involved, it seems to boil down to this: In 1989 Faith No More released an album called "The Real Thing," and several singles from that album for which videos were made. The video for "Epic" became very popular, and Patton was suddenly seen in silly clothing, swinging his long hair around, rapping to Faith No More's funk-metal sound, all over the world. Anthony Kiedis seems to have been oblivious to the fact that this sort of combination of funk, metal, and rap (always accompanied by bad clothing and hair) had been the trend on the West Coast for some time, and wasn't actually invented by his band. Envious of Faith No More's success, and angry that it seemed to have been achieved at least in part due to the wild frontman who he thought had stolen his "moves," he accused Patton of ripping him off in the press. Members of Mr. Bungle responded by gleefully threatening Kiedis with bodily harm in the press. Eventually Patton and Kiedis met in person, were polite to one another, and everyone lost interest.

      Many years later, after Faith No More was long gone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were hugely successful, the release of Mr. Bungle's California was pushed back by Warner Bros. so it wouldn't come out at the same time as the Red Hot Chili Pepper's similarly-named Californication. Then, when Mr. Bungle were asked to play at some European festivals in the Summer of 1999, Kiedis threatened to cancel his band's appearance, and Bungle were dropped. That Halloween, Mr. Bungle retaliated by playing a show in Pontiac, Michigan dressed as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, complete with freqent heroin injections and covers of really bad songs. This resulted in Kiedis having them kicked off of some Australian festivals.

      Fun quotes:

      "OK, here's what happened, 'cause I know he has his opinion, now here's mine. In that interview the writer said, 'Are you guys sick of people ripping you off?' I said, 'Who are you referring to?' and he said, 'Well, Mike Patton in Faith No More.' So I told him what our drummer said, and yeah I watch that 'Epic' video, and I see him jumping up and down, rapping, and it looked like I was looking in the mirror. The thing is, I had no problem with him personally. I mean, I love 'The Real Thing,' and I liked his vocals on that record. I mean, when I heard the record I noticed subtle similarities, but when I saw that video it was like, 'Wait a second here, what the fuck?'" -- Anthony Kiedis

      "I mean, the Chili Peppers is something I hadn't really thought of in years. And I'll go ahead and tell you this. Why not? I haven't told anybody else yet. We were looking at booking some Mr. Bungle shows in Europe this past summer, some big festivals, which is something we'd never done before. We figured it'd be a good thing: We'd get to play in front of a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise hear us. Our agent was in the process of booking these festivals, and it was becoming apparent that we'd landed some pretty good ones—one in France, another one in Holland, some big-name festivals. Turns out someone's holding a grudge! We were booted off several bills, including a really big festival in Australia, specifically because Anthony Kiedis did not want us on the bill. He threatened to pull the Chili Peppers if Mr. Bungle was on the bill. Now, rationalize that one! That's so fucking pathetic! I mean, this guy's selling a million records! We are not even a speck of dust on this guy's ass! What's the fucking problem? It's unbelievable." -- Mike Patton

      "I would not have given two fucks if they played with us there, but after I heard about some Halloween show where they mocked us and read another interview where Patton talked shit about us, and I was like, you know what, fuck him and fuck the whole band." -- Anthony Kiedis

      "We were booked, months in advance, to do eleven festival dates in Europe. Come Summer, we get a call from the three biggest of those festivals, all of them the same day, saying that we can't play, because the headlining band retains the right to hire and fire whomever they wish. We found out it was the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so our manager called their manager to find out what the hell was going on, and their manager was very apologetic, and said, 'We're really sorry, we want you to know this doesn't reflect the management's position, or the band's for that matter, it's Anthony Kiedis who wants this.'" -- Trey Spruance

  2. Band History
    1. When and where did Mr. Bungle come into being?

      The band got its start in Eureka, California in 1985, and consisted of Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, trumpet player Scott Fritz, and drummer Jed Watts. Watts was subsequently replaced by Hans Wagner, and he by current drummer Danny Heifetz.

    2. Where did the name "Mr. Bungle" come from?

      An old educational film devised to teach children good manners & hygiene. The main character was a puppet named Mr. Bungle, who represented the kind of person no clean, polite kid would aspire to be. There is a sample from this show on the self-titled Mr. Bungle album between "Love Is A Fist" and "Dead Goon."

    3. What about that porno that's also sampled on the album?

      The band was unaware of that film until after lead singer Mike Patton joined Faith No More in 1989. Faith No More bassist Bill Gould reportedly gave Patton a copy of the video.

  3. Side Projects
    1. Trey Spruance

      Trey Spruance's first side project appearance was Scourge in 1990. It was a first attempt to bring heavy music back to life, which has been done successfully by his crippled pals in Faxed Head, who have their albums out on Amarillo Records. In the country/folk/rock band Dieselhed he has played live, helped produce one album, and played on one song. With Gregg Turkington he played in the experimental group The Three Doctors, produced the nationally well-known comedian Neil Hamburger, and helped with taping and producing various other releases from Amarillo, such as his latest composition, the Arabian-flavored Secret Chiefs 3 (which Danny Heifetz & Trevor Dunn also appear on). Another song, which the SC3 contributed to the Christmas Album Sampler, had Gregg Turkington, William Winant, and Danny Heifetz as guests. Trey and other Mr. Bungle members have worked with John Zorn, performing Cobra live a couple of times, recording Elegy, an ambient experimental piece, and played on the Burt Bacharach tribute album. He also appears on the recent Pop'o'Pies release. He was the lead guitarist on Faith No More's 1995 album King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime. For the advanced listener he contributed a song to the very noise oriented Stereo Test Record Millers Higher Life, and performs every now and then under the name Noddingturd Fan. He has also collaborated with violin wizard Eyvind Kang, acts like Machine For Making Sense (6 piece experimental), the International Bustmonster Allstars, the Faxed Head-hating boogie woogie blues Bon Larvis Band, and the garage rock band Plainfield. Currently he's working on finishing a composition called Apokatastasis (out on Birdman records), and a new Secret Chiefs 3 album. Also, the black metal and techno influenced Holy Vehm project should be facing a release in the near future.

    2. Danny Heifetz

      Danny Heifetz is in The Killer Views Band, fronted by Virgil Shaw (http://www.virgilshaw.com/), and produces and plays drums for San Diego band Barefoot Hockey Goalie. He was in Dieselhed (http://www.dieselhed.com/) until their recent break-up, and remains a member of Trey's Secret Chiefs 3. He's also appeared on the Zip Code Rapists album, Granfaloon Bus' Good Funeral Weather and Exploded View, Corduroy's Dead End Memory Lane, Badly Drawn Boy's Have You Fed the Fish?, and has played with Plainfield.

    3. Mike Patton

      Mike Patton has been the vocalist for Faith No More since 1988. He has recorded solo albums that are issued on John Zorn's Tzadik label (Adult Themes For Voice, Pranzo Oltranzista). In addition to that, he is a steady participant in many different types of improv/noise-oriented live shows, including Bob Ostertag's House of Discipline, and many different outfits led by John Zorn. He also makes random live appearances w/other artists such as the ROVA Saxophone Quartet. He makes many guest appearances on other recordings, including albums by Bob Ostertag, Sepultura, Milk Cult, and the Tin Hat Trio. He has formed a record label with Bungle manager Greg Werckman called Ipecac Recordings (http://www.ipecac.com), and his latest projects include new albums by Fantômas (with Trevor Dunn, Buzz Osbourne, and Dave Lombardo) and Tomahawk (with Duane Denison, Kevin Rutmanis, and John Stanier).

    4. Trevor Dunn

      Trevor Dunn is most active in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City jazz scenes. He plays live with many artists such as Philip Greenlief, Ben Goldberg, John Schott, Graham Connah, and John Zorn's Masada. He has also played on each of those artist's album(s), with the exception of Masada. Other albums Trevor has appeared on include Bob Ostertag's "Fear No Love," Tipsy's "Trip Tease," and The Jess Jones Quartet's "Family." He is responsible for the Trevor Dunn Trio-Convulsant, and is in Fantômas with Mike Patton. An excellent web site listing Trevor's many projects and where to get them can be found at http://trevordunn.n3.net/.

    5. Clinton McKinnon

      Clinton McKinnon has performed with Dieselhed and the Secret Chiefs 3, and appears on Eyvind Kang's The Story of Iceland and Barefoot Hockey Goalie's One Part Thomas Edison.

  4. Discography
    1. What all has been released by Mr. Bungle?

      Demo tapes:

      • The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny (1986)
      • Bowel of Chiley (1987)
      • Goddammit I Love America! (1988)
      • OU818 (1989)

      Full-length albums:

      • Mr. Bungle (1991)
      • Disco Volante (1995)
      • California (1999)
      • The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo (2020)
    2. Sure, the record store down the street has the full-length albums, but where do I get those early demo tapes?

      They aren't available anymore. None of them have been produced or sold in years, with the exception of Bowel of Chiley, released without band permission in 1991 (Playhouse Productions) as a bootleg cassette erroneously titled "Bowl of Chiley," and again in 1997 (Rastacore Records) as a CD that was sold by several large music stores until the band put a stop to it. Lots of the rarer Mr. Bungle recordings are readily available through tape and CD trading, or, if you prefer MP3s, through various file-sharing programs & FTP sites.

  5. Rare stuff
    1. Mr. Bungle

      That album comes in various packages. The European disc does not have the black & white clown on it. It is pink or lilac with the Mr. Bungle logo and a track list. The booklet has two fewer pages (4 panels instead of 6). A picture LP does exist, with the P. Earwig artwork from the cover on it. There is also a plain black vinyl version.

    2. Disco Volante

      The LP comes with a 7" that features a song by the Secret Chiefs 3. The tape has a colored illustration of the "Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz" picture; the CD only features the extra noise after "Merry Go Bye Bye" and the artwork for the other songs.

    3. California

      Not available on vinyl. Cassette and CD contain the same material.

    4. The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo

      Available in multiple limited formats:

      • CD Yearbook (5000 made)
      • Cassette (500 made)
      • Double LP Translucent Ruby Red Vinyl (6500 made)
      • Double LP International Retail Exclusive Transparent Red Smoke Vinyl (3500 made)
      • Double LP US Retail Exclusive Clear with Blood Red Splatter Vinyl (2000 made)
      • Double LP Webstore Exclusive Clear with Black Splatter Vinyl (1000 made)
      • Double LP US Webstore Exclusive Silver with Red/Black Splatter Vinyl (1000 made)
      • Double LP Livestream Exclusive Neon Green Vinyl (1000 made)
      • Double LP Revolver Magazine Exclusive "Piss Yellow" Vinyl (666 made)
    5. Promotional items

      "Raping Your Mind" from their first demo tape can be found on a 7-inch and CD from Warner Bros. A promo CD for "Travolta" ("Quote Unquote") has also been released. In 1991 a Mr. Bungle bubble bath found its way to the stores to promote the self-titled album.

    6. Live

      There are at least two bootlegs of Mr. Bungle that are sold by some stores. One is a CD called Excrement, which is just a somewhat decent quality copy of the demo OU818 in its entirety, although the tracks are mixed up. The other is a nifty Italian 7-inch that goes by various names, including "Live In America," "The Stroke," and "Uremia." It contains two soundboard recordings of songs from a live show in Chicago on March 26, 1992.

      Besides these there are numerous audio and videotapes of live performances, best acquired through tape and CD trading, or by downloading MP3s from file-sharing programs such as Soulseek (create room "Bungle Fever" on Soulseek to find others interested in trading and talking about Mr. Bungle-related artists).

    7. Speaking of bootlegs, what's the band's stance on live recordings and tape trading?

      The band's stance on live recordings has traditionally been to look the other way. As long as nobody is making a profit off of their work (ie: trading), the band and management don't seem to have a problem with it. However, as the sale of live recordings has increased and become more flagrant (with the rise of the internet and eBay), Warner Bros. in particular has started to notice & shut down such activity when they can. There has been some concern that the sale & and easy download of bootlegs on the internet will interfere with possible future official live releases by Mr. Bungle, and the re-release of older demos & other material (Warner Bros. fears that there may no longer be enough of a market for it).

    8. What do I get if I send for that $2 scam thing in Disco Volante?

      Some additional, color artwork, lyrics to "Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz" & "Chemical Marriage," and a sticker or two.

  6. Albums, Songs, & Lyrics
    1. Mr. Bungle
      1. The self-titled album seems to be loaded with samples. Where are they all from?

        They include but are not limited to:

        • "Slowly Growing Deaf"

          The music from the videogame "Super Mario Bros." appears in the middle of the song, though it is somewhat hidden by other sounds.

        • "Squeeze Me Macaroni"

          The "boy" at the end of the line "I'm gonna pinch a ravioli on the Pillsbury dough boy" is Angus Scrimm (playing The Tall Man) from the movie Phantasm. Mr. Bungle gave credit (somewhat) for this sample by printing the lyric as "I'm gonna pinch a ravioli on the Pillsbury dough ...tall man" in the album liner notes.

          Raymond, where's the fucking beer man?
          Do you want me to pour it?
          No I want you to fuck it... Shit yes, pour the fucking beer!
          Where's the glasses? That beer's going to get warm... One thing I can't fucking stand is warm beer, it makes me fucking puke.
          Darling, where're the glasses?

          - Dennis Hopper (as Frank Booth) and Dean Stockwell (as Ben) from the movie Blue Velvet.

        • "Carousel"

          Ride the ferris wheel!
          Welcome to my house
          Hey you!
          Cat meowing

          - The pinball game "Cyclone."

        • "The Girls of Porn"

          I'd buy that for a dollar.
          - The videogame "Smash TV"

        • "Stubb (a Dub)"

          The sound of someone sobbing is Kyle MacLachlan (as Jeffrey) from the movie Blue Velvet.

        • "My Ass Is on Fire"

          "Earthshaker," yelled at the beginning of the song, is from the pinball game of the same name.

          What do you want?
          I want you to hurt me.

          - Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini (as Dorothy Vallens) from the movie Blue Velvet.

        • "Love Is A Fist"

          The "Mr. Bungle goes to lunch" narrative after "Love Is A Fist" is from a film dating back to the fifties that was used in classrooms to teach young children good hygiene and manners. It was also featured on the old "Pee Wee's Playhouse" stage show on HBO, and was where the band got the idea to call themselves Mr. Bungle.

        • The videogame "RBI Baseball"
        • The porno Sharon's Sex Party
    2. "Travolta"/"Quote Unquote"
      1. The first song on the self-titled Mr. Bungle album is clearly labeled "Quote Unquote" on my copy. Why do I always hear it referred to as "Travolta?"

        The track was originally titled "Travolta," but this was changed (with the encouragement of Warner Bros.) to avoid the possibility of legal action from that actor guy. Early pressings of the album say "Travolta," most say "Quote Unquote." (Quote Unquote is also the title of an unauthorized John Travolta biography by Bob McCabe).

    3. "Carousel"
      1. The eleventh line in "Carousel" is written as, "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee" in the cover, but I think I hear something else.

        Popular opinion makes it out as, "Will Warner Bros. put our record on the shelf?" In earlier versions of "Carousel," it's "Into the house of mirrors goes a clown and his elf."

    4. "Egg"
      1. What's the backward stuff in "Egg," after the last verse?

        The opening lines of the song played backwards:

        Rotting from the inside
        Over-incubated by the heat of fear and love
        The self's coagulated

      2. What are the lyrics missing from the album cover after the second verse in "Egg?"

        I can't seem to differentiate
        Between the yellow love you give and the white sex I take
        I just want to fertilize you

      3. What is that stuff at the end of "Egg?" It sounds like a train is involved.

        It is the sounds of at least three members of Mr. Bungle (Trey, Trevor, and Mike) jumping a train together. Later that same day they recorded the events which can be heard at the end of "The Girls of Porn" as well.

    5. "The Girls of Porn"
      1. What is going on at the end of "The Girls of Porn?"

        Some of the members of Mr. Bungle were on their way home after recording themselves jumping a train (heard at the end of "Egg") when they came across a man described as a skin-head who appeared to be assaulting his son. They decided to record this as well.

    6. Disco Volante
      1. What is that thing on the cover of Disco Volante being held above a woman's eye?

        Viperfish It appears to be a small, dried viperfish. The viperfish is defined in The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language as "Any of various small deep-sea fish of the family Chauliodontidae, having fanglike teeth, a long first ray of the dorsal fin, and photophores along the sides."

    7. "Carry Stress In The Jaw"
      1. What's that quote attributed to Poe in "Carry Stress In the Jaw" from?

        "Berenice" by Edgar Allen Poe. It can be found on the web at http://eserver.org/books/poe/berenice.html.

      2. "Carry Stress In The Jaw" is also called "Sleep: Part II" and "Phlegmatics" is "Sleep: Part III." What happened to Part I?

        "Slowly Growing Deaf" from the self-titled album is "Sleep: Part I." Trevor Dunn wrote all three Sleep songs, and didn't decide to make "Slowly Growing Deaf" part I until after the other two were written for Disco Volante. The three songs share themes dealing with body parts.

    8. "The Secret Song"
      1. What's "The Secret Song?"

        "The Secret Song" is the song after "Carry Stress In The Jaw" on Disco Volante.

      2. Why isn't "The Secret Song" listed on the album cover, and why doesn't it show up as a separate track from "Carry Stress In The Jaw" on my CD player?

        Because it's "The SECRET Song."

      3. What are you guys talking about? I don't hear any "Secret" song on my record. I'm confused.

        That's because you have the LP, which is double-grooved so that "The Secret Song" and "Carry Stress In The Jaw" are actually located in the same place, believe it or not. You cannot hear "The Secret Song" unless you place your needle very carefully on the record using trial & error, and listen until you hear something that you know isn't "Carry Stress In The Jaw."

      4. I thought that one was called "Spy."

        "Spy" is often used as a setlist code for "The Secret Song," and was the working title of the song before Disco Volante's release. Since there's no official title printed on the album cover, call it whatever you want.

      5. Who does the Grampa Simpson-ish voice on "The Secret Song?"

        Trevor Dunn. Mike Patton is responsible for the other vocals on the song.

      6. I thought/heard/read that "The Secret Song" was written with ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin in mind.

        No. The story behind the song goes something like this: It was originally recorded without Trevor, and no one told him about it. He found a copy of it, and in response to its being kept a secret from him, he added the "old man" lyrics like, "I know the secret song now," and, "they kicked me out of the band."

        To add another dimension to the secret nature of the song, knowledge of the new lyrics was kept from Mike until shortly before Disco Volante was released. Basically, the name of the song and the lyrics are an inside joke, meaning relevant to the people in Mr. Bungle...not former guitarists of other bands.

        "'The Secret Song' has absolutely NOTHING to do with Jim you know who, for whoever thinks that. We have NOTHING to do with that band." --Danny Heifetz

    9. "Desert Search For Techno Allah"
      1. What do the lyrics in "Desert Search For Techno Allah" mean?

        Mr. Porest offers the following explanation:

        "Peter Lamborn Wilson's book 'Scandal-Essays in Islamic Heresy' is probably what directly inspired Mr. Bungle for that track. This book best describes the concept...AND it's a great book! The Qiyamat was, or is a powerful proclamation, a doctrine. It was proclaimed in 1164 AD by Hassan i Sabbah. It was an invitation to 'participate in the pleasures of paradise on Earth.' Quoting Wilson... 'Qiyamat remains as a state of consciousness which anyone can adhere to or enter, a garden without walls, a sect without a church, a lost monument of Islamic history that refuses to be forgotten, standing outside time, a reproach or challenge to all legalism and moralism, to all the cruelty of the exoteric. An invitation to paradise.' The actual definition is 'The great resurrection ...it's about breaking the chains of law.' The concept of Qiyamat is much more involved than this and I'd recommend the book! Ta'wil is the concept that Ismaili mysticism is based on. Ta'wil actually means 'to take something back to its original or deepest significance.'

        "Insan al-kamel means 'the perfect man.'"

        "Qiyamat a tawil'" and "Qiyamat insan al kamel" translate roughly to "the great resurrection of the beginning" and "the great resurrection of the perfect man."

        For more see http://www.matthewrooney.com/haqq/.

      2. A couple of the lines from "Desert Search For Techno Allah" aren't printed in the booklet. What are the missing lyrics?

        Haqiqat itself is drunk
        So drinks the Hidden Imam

    10. "Violenza Domestica"
      1. What is the English translation of the lyrics to "Violenza Domestica?"

        In Italian and then English:

        VIOLENZA DOMESTICA

        Cattivo come adesso non lo sono stato mai
        Cattivo come adesso non lo sono stato mai

        Ti faro' male in posti che nessuno potra' mai vedere...NESSUNO!
        In posti che ti faranno male per il resto della tua vita!

        "Perche'?"
        "Ma perche' (Perche' fai cosi'?)"
        "Ma sempre, sempre cosi'"
        "Guarda"
        "Ma... guarda!"
        "Ma senti!"

        "Ma, ma voglio dire che... che..."
        "Ma io non sono una persona che..."

        "Basta! Basta...basta! Hai capito!"
        "Ti prego!"

        Sai che puoi fidarti solo di me
        Non ti crederanno mai

        Ascolta [incorrectly spelled "escolta" in album cover]
        Ascolta
        Ascoltami bene

        Occhio!

        Ti ricordi chi tiene famiglia?

        I denti non possono dire niente... senza la lingua...
        Perche' la tua lingua e' mia! Mia! MIA!

        DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

        Angry as now, I have never been before
        Angry as now, I have never been before

        I'll hurt you in places that no one will ever see...NO ONE!
        In places that will hurt you for the rest of your life!

        Why?
        But why?
        Why are you doing this?
        But always like this
        Look!
        But... look!
        But listen!

        But I want to say that... that...
        But I am not the kind of person that...

        Stop it! Stop it!
        Stop it! Do you understand?
        I beg you! I beg you!

        You know that you can trust only me
        They will never believe you

        Listen to me
        Listen to me
        Listen to me well

        Be careful!

        Do you remember who is the head of the family?

        The teeth can say nothing without the tongue...
        Because your tongue is mine! Mine! MINE!

    11. "The Bends"
      1. I can't tell where all of those different parts of "The Bends" end and the next ones begin! How long is each section?
        1. Man Overboard (0:41)
        2. The Drowning Flute (0:52)
        3. Aqua Swing (1:56)
        4. Follow the Bubbles (0:14)
        5. Duet For Guitar and Oxygen Tank (0:51)
        6. Nerve Damage (0:38)
        7. Screaming Bends (0:40)
        8. Panic In Blue (0:57)
        9. Love on the Event Horizon (1:29)
        10. Re-Entry (1:46)
    12. "Nothing"
      1. What's "Nothing?" It's the name of that hidden song after "Merry Go Bye Bye," right?

        No. "Nothing" is listed as a track on the album cover & accredited to Theo Lengyel and Danny Heifetz in reference to the fact that neither of them wrote any of the songs on Disco Volante. The improvisation after "Merry Go Bye Bye" has no (known) official name.

      2. How do you know?

        Because the noise after "Merry Go Bye Bye" only occurs at the end of the CD version of Disco Volante, and "Nothing" is still listed as the last track on the cassette & LP.

    13. California
      1. Where can I find the lyrics to the songs on California? They aren't in the album cover!

        All of the California lyrics are available at the WEB of MIMICRY (http://www.webofmimicry.com/) and Bungle Fever (http://www.bunglefever.com/), as well as several other Mr. Bungle websites. The WEB of MIMICRY even features a printable .pdf file of the lyrics formatted to fit inside a CD jewel case.

    14. "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare"
      1. What are the lyrics in the background after "you will hate life more than life hates you?"

        "Happiness is your illness in an air-conditioned nightmare."

    15. "None of Them Knew They Were Robots"
      1. What are the lyrics to "None of Them Knew They Were Robots" about?

        The lyrics to "None of Them Knew They Were Robots" were written by Trey Spruance, who had the following to say about them:

        "I just want to clarify that reference to Omega Point in NOTKTWR does not make the song 'about' that subject. Tipler's brand of scientific cryptotheology is just one of the elements taken into consideration in the song - I use it to help illustrate a point. Namely, that the reductionist tendency in physics/sciences springs from the same source as the worst religious Dogmatism. Gnostics would argue that both serve the Demiurgos, or False God - creator of the physical universe, who unwittingly conceals the True Hidden God while imagining himself to be The One. In any case, the reference to St. Augustine is not there to bash religion, but to help chart the linear history of where science and religion converge in their satanic pact (In the beginning was a Bang!). Most importantly, these images deal with the timeless tendency to overly-literalistic reductionism - how we render the universe to ourselves prematurely, and round out the edges to make it consistent with our beliefs. No area of inquiry is immune - we're lucky if we can penetrate any respective channel of 'human knowledge' deep enough to discover the three or four totally shit-upon luminaries who are sitting there dispersed through time in backed-up sewer-systems of brainbending superfluous nonsense.

        "I hope people will at least see that the song doesn't consider science or religion to be particularly opposed in this regard. Sure, with the Inquisition we all have historical precedent for the severity of 'religious' atrocities - but it [cyclical time] might make you wonder which cloak the Beast will don to the next be-heading party... has it already begun? Either it never started, or it will never end. None of them knew..."

    16. "Ars Moriendi"
      1. What does "Ars Moriendi" mean?

        It is Latin for "the art of dying."

      2. And "ride si sapis?"

        "Laugh if you are wise" or "laugh if you know."

      3. And "ave atque vale?"

        "Hail and farewell"

      4. And "in extremis?"

        "At the very point of death"

    17. "Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy"
      1. What is Golem II, and what happened to Golem I?

        Quoting Trey:

        "Golem 1 is simply 'the Golem,' the disturbing story of a superhuman clay homunculous that is brought to life Qabalisticaly in the Jewish tradition. Often this heavy tale is framed in the context of a children's story. Golem II is a Sesame Street/Muppet Movie style treatment of the the subject of Artificial Intelligence and the 'old' Golem's counterpart in the modern world - a growing mythic reality coming ever closer to the surface."

    18. "The Holy Filament"
      1. What are the lyrics to "The Holy Filament" about?

        They reflect the musings of Trevor Dunn on the controversial theory put forth in the book The Big Bang Never Happened by plasma physicist Eric J. Lerner. Lerner writes about String Theory, and that the universe is infinite in time and space; that it was never created from "nothing."

    19. "Vanity Fair"
      1. What is the "Skoptsi" mentioned in "Vanity Fair?"

        The Skoptsy (Skopzi, Skoptsi) were a sect that broke away from the official Russian Orthodox church in the 18th century. Famous for their self-castration, they believed that after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve had the halves of the forbidden fruit grafted onto their bodies forming testicles & breasts, and that the removal of these organs restored the Skoptsy to a pristine prelapsarian state.

    20. "Goodbye Sober Day"
      1. What is the origin of the chanting at the end of "Goodbye Sober Day?"

        It is Mr. Bungle's version of a Balinese chant that is part of a performance conceived specifically for tourists known as "kecak" or "ketjak." It is based on the Indian epic of the "Ramayana," and parts of the story are acted out while up to a hundred men play the part of a monkey chorus.

        Trey explains:

        "It started as a form of exorcism - cak singers would be brought in when a village or town was hit by a plague or some such malady... in this century, groups of cak singers were absorbed into the Ramayana epic, where they are referred to as the "monkey chant" singers - this is a newly constructed operatic drama based on the Ramayana. It's a pretty touristy affair. It was concieved by a GERMAN - how exotic! But amazingly enough, it's INCREDIBLE. The Kecak stuff isn't even the best part. The speaking in tongues and screaming is what gets me. The best recording of this music is 'Kecak Ganda Sari: Ramayana Monkey Chant.'"

    21. The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny demo
      1. The sides of the double LP are labelled "Zane," Jacobs," "Winship," and "Zoe Barnum." What do those names mean?

        Those are all names of schools in Eureka, CA.

        Side A: "Zane" = Zane Middle School
        Side B: "Jacobs" = George C Jacobs Junior High School
        Side C: "Winship" = Winship Middle School
        Side D: "Zoe Barnum" = Zoe Barnum High School

  7. Live Shows & Cover Songs
    1. What were all the songs they played at the show I saw, that I didn't recognize from any of the albums?

      Mr. Bungle is well known for adding covers (from tiny snippets to whole songs) and little improvisations to their shows. Stefan Negele has compiled setlists at the CV Database (http://www.cv.org/database/) which include the following cover songs. Where song titles are not known (note the "?"), setlist codes are substituted:

      "24.000 Baci" (Adriano Celentano)
      "3rd Floor Dungeon" (Dr. Seuss movie called "5000 Fingers of Dr.T")
      "A Taste Of Honey" (Ric Marlow & Bobby Scott)
      "Action" (Freddy Cannon)
      "Around The World" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
      "Begin The Beguine" (written by Cole Porter, performed like the Sammy Davis, Jr. version)
      "The Breeze And I" (Ernesto Lecuona)
      "Born To Be My Baby" (Bon Jovi)
      "Bring The Noise" (Public Enemy)
      "Casanova 70 Main Title" (Armando Trovaioli)
      "Citta Violenta" (Ennio Morricone)
      "The Clown In Me" (Mr. Rogers)
      "Cold War" (Siege)
      "Cosmic Keys To My Creations & Times" (Emperor)
      "Der Zinker" (Peter Thomas)
      "Dirty Movies" (Van Halen)
      "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (Elton John)
      "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (Lauryn Hill)
      "Dr. Feelgood" (Motley Crue)
      "Drug Me" (Dead Kennedys)
      "Ei Raat Tomar Amar" (Hemanta Mukherjee, from the film "Diip Jvele Jaai")
      "Eureka High"
      "Existential Blues" (Tom "T-Bone" Stankus)
      "Free Falling" (Tom Petty)
      "Freedom" (George Michael)
      "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Metallica)
      "Give It Away" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
      "Goldfinger" (James Bond Theme, by Shirley Bassey)
      "Got Your Money" (Ol' Dirty Bastard)
      ? "Hick" (?)
      "Heaven" (Warrant)
      "Home Sweet Home" (Motley Crue)
      "I Don't Need Society" (D.R.I.)
      "I Feel For You" (Jerry Reed)
      "I Sin For A Living" (The Meatmen)
      "If You Had My Love" (Jennifer Lopez)
      "Janie's Got A Gun" (Aerosmith)
      "The Jet" (Mikis Theodorakis)
      "The Jet Rock" (Mikis Theodorakis)
      "La Lucertola" (Ennio Morricone)
      "Let Me Out" (Babs Gonzales)
      "Lights" (Journey)
      "Living In Sin" (Bon Jovi)
      "Loss For Words" (Corrosion of Conformity)
      "Love Dance of the Saroos" (Joe Meek)
      "Love In Space" (Peter Thomas)
      "Love Shack" (B-52s)
      "Mesu" (Masaru Satoh)
      "Metti, Una Sera A Cena" (Ennio Morricone)
      "MTV News Theme"
      "Muscoli Di Velluto" (Ennio Morricone)
      "My Name Is Not Merv Griffin" (Gary Muller)
      "Nothing Compares 2 U" (Prince)
      "Parents Were Little Once Too" (Mr. Rogers)
      "Pencil Neck Geek" (Freddie Blassie)
      "Pictures of You" (Oingo Boingo)
      "Poison" (Bell Biv Devoe)
      "Porno" (Limbomaniacs)
      "Radar" (Bernard Herrmann)
      "Rapture" (Blondie)
      "Rhythm Nation" (Janet Jackson)
      "Riders On The Storm" (The Doors)
      "Right Here Waiting" (Richard Marx)
      "Say My Name" (Destiny's Child)
      "Scar Tissue" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
      "Smooth" (Santana)
      "Spill The Blood" (Slayer)
      "Star Wars - Cantina Band" (John Williams)
      "Star Wars - Imperial March" (John Williams)
      "Star Wars - Main Theme" (John Williams)
      "State Oppression" (Raw Power)
      "The Stroke" (Billy Squier)
      "Super Mario Bros. Theme"
      "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)
      "Taboo Tu" (Arthur Lyman)
      "Territorial Pissings" (Nirvana)
      "The Thing Strikes" (Henry Mancini)
      "The Thrill Is Gone" (Chet Baker)
      "Thunderball" (Tom Jones)
      "Time" (Alan Parson's Project)
      "Tower Of Strength" (Frankie Vaughan)
      "Under The Bridge" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
      "Upside Down" (Diana Ross)
      "Vision Of Love" (Mariah Carey)
      "We Are The Champions" (Queen)
      "We Care A Lot" (Faith No More)
      "We Didn't Start The Fire" (Billy Joel)
      "Welcome Back" (John Sebastian)
      "What the World Needs Now Is Love" (Burt Bacharach)
      "Wicked Game" (Chris Isaak)
      "Wild Thing" (Ton Loc)
      "Working For The Weekend" (Loverboy)
      "Yajyu Tosho" (Masaru Satoh)
      "Yakety Axe (Benny Hill Show Theme)" (Chet Atkins)
      "Yardbird Suite" (Charlie Parker - originally by Bob Dorough)
      "You Don't Know What Love Is" (Chet Baker)

      You can find more information on cover songs Mr. Bungle has performed, as well as soundclips, at Star Leigh Wall's Archive of Mr. Bungle Covers (http://www.efn.org/~star/bungle.html).

    2. You forgot "Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears! I have an MP3 file of them performing it that's hilarious!

      No, you most likely have an MP3 of The Ping Pang Band performing it. For a while there was a Ping Pang folder on the cv.org ftp site, a popular source for audio files of Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, and other related artists. How are The Ping Pang Band related? They aren't, but a few of their songs were uploaded anyway, including their Britney Spears cover. Somewhere along the way someone who downloaded it decided it was Mr. Bungle, renamed the file, and history was made. No misunderstanding was ever intended by Nick Chester or Mike Risolo of The Ping Pang Band, and they deserve all of the credit for their fine recording.

    3. Man, the last Bungle show I saw was crap. They just played noise.

      You definitely went to the wrong show. Demand your money back.

    4. Why don't they ever play their stuff from the first album, even though I reminded them by shouting out the names at the top of my drunken lungs?

      They're sick of playing the old stuff. Most of these songs are almost a decade old, and have been played from 1988-92. Shouting the names of songs has been proven to have no effect (other than irritating the band and other people in the audience) since the setlist is made before the show.

  8. The Future
    1. What's next?

      Mr. Bungle is on another one of their long breaks, following the release of 1999's California. As always, rumors abound that the band has broken up for good. While several members have traded tapes and ideas for new songs, the band is currently in a state of "hibernation," and it is unknown whether or not they will ever release another album or perform together again. Meanwhile everyone is keeping busy with various other musical projects.

    2. I read somewhere that they are going to release two EP's. One being poppy and the other experimental.

      It was mentioned once or twice. It never happened.

    3. Where is that circus organ EP?

      It doesn't exist. As with everything you might hear about unknown upcoming and older releases, don't believe it until you see it in the store. Usually the band members talk about plans that they throw overboard at their next meeting. None of that above stuff ever happened, nor will it.

  9. Mr. Bungle Resources on the Internet
    1. Are there any World Wide Web pages about Mr. Bungle?

      Lots. Notable sites include, but are not limited to:

      • Stefan Negele's Database (http://www.cv.org/database/) has just about every article ever written about the band, and setlists to just about every show they ever performed.
      • The Official Mr. Bungle Website (http://www.mrbungle.com/) will feature official band merchandise for sale, and who knows what else.
      • The Bungle Fever (http://www.bunglefever.com/) website has info., lyrics, photos, sound files, and links to other Bungle resources on the internet.
      • Mr. Bungle's guitar and keyboard player, Trey Spruance, runs a related internet site, called WEB of MIMICRY (http://www.webofmimicry.com/). At WoM, you can find current info on the band's projects, and get the latest word from the band on what's in its future.
      • The Bungle Grind (http://members.tripod.com/~Nirrosive/grind.htm) has lots of general info. & updated news.
    2. Is there a mailing list?

      Probably several, but The Caca Volante (CV) mailing list is the best one out there (back up as of August 2002).

      While not entirely dedicated to Mr. Bungle, the CV mailing list does facilitate discussion of this and other related bands. It was started by Hal Turner as a hand-circulated mailing list, and has lived several lives as an automated listserv. The latest version is run by Andy Couch and is moderated.

      On a mailing list, messages from other people subscribed to the list are distributed via e-mail to all the other list members. It allows people with similar interests to discuss them with each other. The CV List is a good way to get current information on Mr. Bungle, and to meet other Bungle fans.

      To subscribe to the list, visit http://www.cv.org/ and enter your email address in the appropriate field.

      Some nice things to remember while you're subscribed to the CV list:

      • READ THE FAQ. No one minds answering questions, just not the same one over and over again (a FAQ for Faith No More can be found at http://www.fnm.com/).
      • Everyone has the right to their own opinion, no matter how much it may annoy you.
      • The people attached to the e-mail addresses are just that, people. Be nice.
      • If you have something to say to one person, don't say it to the whole list. Private e-mail is your friend.
      • Some people actually have to pay for the amount of mail they receive, so make it worth it if you send something.
      • It's not necessary to quote an entire message to add the lines "I agree." In fact, it's usually not even necessary to quote the whole thing to make a point.
      • Hey, they're just a band. Bands make music. Music is fun. Don't take things so seriously.
    3. Is there a USENET newsgroup for Mr. Bungle?

      Yes, there are a few USENET groups where you may find discussion about Mr. Bungle and related artists.

      alt.music.mr-bungle - The heavily populated Mr. Bungle newsgroup. If you can't access this through your ISP, email your support requesting it, or try a web-based newsgroup reader such as Google. Also, please see the alt.music.mr-bungle FAQ before you post.

      alt.music.caca-volante - This newsgroup is not widely carried. It is virtually non-existent.

      alt.music.faith-no-more - While this group is primarily for the discussion of another band, it does get a significant amount of Mr. Bungle related posts.

    4. Is there an IRC channel?

      There is. IRC is a way of communicating live in "real time" with people from all over the world. For help understanding how it works, or how to set up IRC capabilities on your computer, check out an IRC FAQ (http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/altircfaq.html). Some good Windows clients for IRC are BersIRC & mIRC, and a good one for Macintosh is IRCle. AmIRC for Amiga is, of course, unbeaten.

      Here are a few of channels where you will find other Mr. Bungle fans. There are always more, as there are channels dedicated to music on nearly all IRC networks, and new channels can pop up at any time.

      #bungle.fever - (It even has a website at http://irc.bunglefever.com/)
      This channel is on IRC's EFNET, which means you need to use a server such as irc.qeast.net, irc.homelien.no, irc.lightning.net, irc.concentric.net, irc.prison.net or another EFNET server to get there. Once connected to the EFNET, type /join #bungle.fever to enter the channel.

      #mike_patton and #ipecac (the Ipecac Recordings channel) can be found on DALNET. Servers include dragons.ga.us.dal.net, liberty.nj.us.dal.net, and powertech.no.eu.dal.net. Type /join #mike_patton or /join #ipecac to enter.

  10. The End (Acknowledgments and Other Obligatory Stuff)

    This FAQ was written by:

    • Stefan Negele
    • Simone Turkington
    • Heather Scott
    • Corey Fogel
    • Star Leigh Wall
    • Heather Leah Kennedy
    • Andy Couch

    With greatly appreciated contributions by the following people:

    • Ethan Danberry
    • Flocca
    • Jake Merriman
    • Jeremy Bell
    • Misha Sedini
    • Michael Pierry
    • Mr. Porest
    • Thomas Olsen
    • Kayo Iglesias

    It is maintained by Heather Leah Kennedy. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME! Please send questions & corrections to info@bunglefever.com.

    A current version of the FAQ can be found at http://www.bunglefever.com/faq.html.

    Last update: October 30, 2020

    * Not true