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############################################
##                                        ##
##             MR. BUNGLE FAQ             ##
##                  v2.1                  ##
##                                        ##
############################################

Frequently Asked Questions about Mr. Bungle
Version 2.1

Contents:
  1. The Band Members
    1. What are all the members' real names and what instruments do they usually play?
    2. Wait, my CD says their names are Scummy and Vlad Drac and stuff like that.
    3. Mike Patton? He was the singer for Faith No More, right?
    4. Bär? What does that mean? And how do I say it? And why do they call him that?
    5. Heifetz? Is Danny related to violinist Jascha Heifetz?
    6. Isn't Trey Spruance the one who played guitar for Faith No More's King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime album?
    7. I saw them live on the Disco Volante tour, and they had one more guy with them. Who's he?
    8. Who else has toured with them?
    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?
    10. I think I saw them switch with each other. What other instruments do they all play?
    11. What other bands are the guys from Bungle in?
    12. Who are all of the ex-members of the band?
    13. What happened to Theo?
  2. Band History
    1. When and where did Mr. Bungle come into being?
    2. Where did the name "Mr. Bungle" come from?
    3. What about that porno that's also sampled on the album?
  3. Side Projects
    1. Trey Spruance
    2. Danny Heifetz
    3. Mike Patton
    4. Trevor Dunn
    5. Clinton McKinnon
  4. Recordings
    1. What all has been released by Mr. Bungle?
    2. Sure, the record store down the street has Mr. Bungle, Disco Volante, and California, but where do I get those early demo tapes?
  5. Rare Stuff
    1. Mr. Bungle
    2. Disco Volante
    3. California
    4. Promotional items
    5. Live
    6. Speaking of bootlegs, what's the band's stance on live recordings and tape trading?
    7. What do I get if I send for that $2 scam thing in "Disco Volante?"
  6. Songs & Lyrics
    1. "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?"
    2. "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.
    3. "Egg"
      1. What's the backward stuff in "Egg," after the last verse?
      2. What are the lyrics missing from the album cover after the second verse in "Egg?"
    4. "Carry Stress In The Jaw"
      1. What's that quote attributed to Poe in "Carry Stress In the Jaw" from?
      2. "Carry Stress In The Jaw" is also called "Sleep: Part II" and "Phlegmatics" is "Sleep: Part III." What happened to Part I?
    5. "The Secret Song"
      1. What's "The Secret Song?"
      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?
      3. What are you guys talking about? I don't hear any "Secret" song on my record. I'm confused.
      4. I thought that one was called "Spy."
      5. Who does the Grampa Simpson-ish voice on "The Secret Song?"
      6. I thought/heard/read that "The Secret Song" was written with ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin in mind.
    6. "Desert Search For Techno Allah"
      1. What do the lyrics in "Desert Search For Techno Allah" mean?
      2. A couple of the lines from "Desert Search For Techno Allah" aren't printed in the booklet. What are the missing lyrics?
    7. "Violenza Domestica"
      1. What is the English translation of the lyrics to "Violenza Domestica?"
    8. "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?
    9. "Nothing"
      1. What's "Nothing?" It's the name of that hidden song after "Merry Go Bye Bye," right?
      2. How do you know?
    10. Where can I find the lyrics to the songs on California? They aren't in the album cover!
    11. "None of Them Knew They Were Robots"
      1. What are the lyrics to "None of Them Knew They Were Robots" about?
    12. "Ars Moriendi"
      1. What does "Ars Moriendi" mean?
      2. And "ride si sapis?"
      3. And "ave atque vale?"
    13. "Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy"
      1. What is Golem II, and what happened to Golem I?
    14. "Vanity Fair"
      1. What is the "Skoptsi" mentioned in "Vanity Fair?"
    15. "Goodbye Sober Day"
      1. What is the origin of the chanting at the end of "Goodbye Sober Day?"
  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?
    2. You forgot "Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears! I have an MP3 file of them performing it that's hilarious!
    3. Man, the last Bungle show I saw was crap. They just played noise.
    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?
  8. The Future
    1. What's next?
    2. I read somewhere that they are going to release two EP's. One being poppy and the other experimental.
    3. Where is that circus organ EP?
  9. Mr. Bungle Resources on the Internet
    1. Are there any World Wide Web pages about Mr. Bungle?
    2. Is there a mailing list?
    3. Is there a USENET newsgroup for Mr. Bungle?
    4. Is there an IRC channel?
  10. The End (Acknowledgments and Other Obligatory Stuff)

  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 (Estradasphere, Don Salsa), who was later replaced by James Rotondi (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.

  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 the drummer for Dieselhed (http://www.dieselhed.com/) and Trey's Secret Chiefs 3. He's also appeared on the Zip Code Rapists album, Virgil Shaw's solo album, and has played with Plainfield.

    3. Mike Patton

      Mike Patton was the vocalist for Faith No More from 1989 to 1998. 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. His latest projects have included starting a record label with Bungle manager Greg Werckman called Ipecac Recordings, and releasing albums by his Fantomas and Maldoror projects.

    4. Trevor Dunn

      Trevor Dunn is most active in the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene. 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." An excellent web site listing Trevor's many projects and where to get them can be found at http://www.ozramp.net.au/~alien/trd.html.

    5. Clinton McKinnon has performed with Dieselhed and the Secret Chiefs 3.

  4. Recordings

    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)

    2. Sure, the record store down the street has Mr. Bungle, Disco Volante, and California, 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 available through tape trading. If you feel you truly need these kinds of recordings, a good place to start is the CV Fleamarket at http://www.cv.org/fleamarket/.

  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.

    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. 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.

    5. 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 decent quality copy of the demo OU818 in its entirety, although the tracks are mixed up. The other is an 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 trading. A list of people (including email addresses & links to home pages) with items to trade, plus a message board for posting requests and offers, can be found at http://www.cv.org/fleamarket/.

    6. 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).

    7. 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. Songs & Lyrics

    1. "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).

    2. "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."

    3. "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

    4. "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://web.idea-inc.com/~tolhurst/poetry/poe/berenice.poe and http://wiretap.spies.com/ftp.items/Library/Classic/Poe/berenice.poe.

      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.

    5. "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

    6. "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."

      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

    7. "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!

    8. "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)

    9. "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.

    10. 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.

    11. "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..."

    12. "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"

    13. "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."

    14. "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.

    15. "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.'"

  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 cover songs (snippets or the whole thing) 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, 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)
      "Begin The Beguine" (Cole Porter)
      "Benny Hill Show Theme"
      "The Breeze And I" (Ernesto Lecuona)
      "Bring The Noise" (Public Enemy)
      "The Cantina Band" (Star Wars Soundtrack)
      "Casanova 70" main title (Armando Trovaioli)
      "Citta Violenta" (Ennio Morricone)
      "The Clown In Me" (Mr. Rogers)
      "Cold War" (Siege)
      "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"
      "Everybody's Working For The Weekend" (Loverboy)
      "Existential Blues" (Tom "T-Bone" Stankus)
      "The Family Theme" (Charles Bronson Movie)
      ? "Fast Satoh" (Masaru Sato)
      "Free Falling" (Tom Petty)
      "Freedom" (George Michael)
      "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Metallica)
      "Goldfinger" (James Bond Theme)
      ? "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)
      "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)
      "Metti, Una Sera A Cena" (Ennio Morricone)
      "Muscoli Di Velluto" (Ennio Morricone)
      "Nothing Compares 2 U" (Sinead O'Connor)
      "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)
      ? "Slow Satoh" (Masaru Sato)
      "Smooth" (Santana)
      "Spill The Blood" (Slayer)
      "Star Wars Theme"
      "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)
      "Upside Down" (Diana Ross)
      "Vision Of Love" (Mariah Carey)
      "We Are The Champions" (Queen)
      "We Didn't Start The Fire" (Billy Joel)
      "Welcome Back" (John Sebastian)
      "What the World Needs Now Is Love" (Burt Bacharach)
      "When The Lights Go Down In The City" (Journey)
      "Wicked Game" (Chris Isaak)
      "Yardbird Suite" (Charlie Parker - originally by Bob Dorough)

      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 continues to tour supporting California, at least through the first half of the year 2000. Some sort of official live release is a POSSIBILITY, but nothing is firm yet.

    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:


      And there is an official Mr. Bungle site, brought to us by Warner Brothers Records (http://www.wbr.com/mrbungle/). Don't expect too many updates or much current news out of this one, but there are occasionally sound files from the latest release and tour dates to be found here.

    2. Is there a mailing list?

      While not entirely dedicated to Mr. Bungle, the Caca Volante (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, send an e-mail to list-request@cv.org and put the word 'subscribe' (without the ' of course) in the body of your message.

      IF YOU GET SICK OF THE LIST AND YOU WANT OFF, all you need to do is send another message to list-request@cv.org and this time put 'unsubscribe' in the body of your message.

      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 at least three 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 http://www.deja.com/.

      alt.music.caca-volante - This newsgroup is not widely carried. It does exist, but posts to it are rare.

      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.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Chat/IRC/). Some good Windows clients for IRC are Pirch & mIRC, and a good one for Macintosh is IRCle. AmIRC for Amiga is, of course, unbeaten.

      Here are a couple 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://www.cv.org/~mcpatrick/bf/)
      This channel is on IRC's EFNET, which means you need to use a server such as irc.frontiernet.net, irc.concentric.net, irc.ais.com, irc.phoenix.net or another EFNET server to get there. Once connected to the EFNET, type /join #bungle.fever to enter the channel.

      #patton can be found on Undernet. Servers include Antwerpen.BE.EU.Undernet.Org, Vancouver.BC.CA.Undernet.Org, & Chicago.IL.US.Undernet.Org. Type /join #patton to enter.

  10. The End (Acknowledgments and Other Obligatory Stuff)

    This FAQ was written by:

    Stefan Negele
    Simone Don
    Heather Scott
    Corey Fogel
    Star Leigh Wall
    Heather Leah Kennedy

    With greatly appreciated contributions by the following people:

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

    It is maintained by Heather Leah Kennedy. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME! Please send questions & corrections to hlk@cv.org.

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

    Last update: May 11, 2000

    * Not true