Biography
Mike Patton could very well be one of the most versatile and talented singers in rock music. He may be rock's most valuable player as well, since he has divided his time between at least three projects: Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, and an experimental solo career.
Born in Eureka, CA, on January 27, 1968, Patton discovered his vocal talents when he and some high school friends formed the wacked-out Mr. Bungle. The group touched upon almost every musical style imaginable and became popular in their region. The members of Faith No More first met Patton around 1988, when they were playing a show in the area. The group was having problems with their singer at the time, Chuck Mosley, and gave a careful listen to a Mr. Bungle demo that Patton gave the group. They were blown away. When Mosley finally got the boot a short time later, the band set out to find a replacement. Since Patton was quite content with being a college student and playing with Mr. Bungle, he didn't exactly jump at the invitation (interestingly, the band also asked Chris Cornell of Soundgarden). Eventually he did change his mind, but made it clear that he would be a member of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. Patton proved to be an important addition to FNM, as they gained worldwide fame and notoriety with releases like The Real Thing, Angel Dust, and Album of the Year. Mr. Bungle signed to Warner Bros., due in part to Patton's newfound fame, and released their self-titled debut in 1991 (produced by experimentalist John Zorn) and the critically acclaimed Disco Volante in 1995. Although they didn't acquired massive FNM-like success, they obtained a loyal and constantly growing fan base. Patton continued to work with John Zorn, releasing a pair of solo albums for Zorn's Tzadik label, in addition to guesting on tracks by Sepultura, the Kronos Quartet, and the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., among others. A year after Faith No More called it a day in mid-1998, Patton launched his own record label, Ipecac. The label's first release was the self-titled debut by the Patton-led, all-star experimental outfit Fantomas, who also included former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, Melvins guitarist Buzz Osbourne, and Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn. Patton then returned to Mr. Bungle, contributing to one of their finest albums, the Beach Boys-tinged California, in 1999, and subsequently formed other outfits, including rockers Tomahawk (featuring ex-Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison, ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier, and Melvins bassist Kevin Rutmanis) and the R&B/pop/electronic experiment Peeping Tom (a collaboration with hip-hop producer the Automator), as well as contributing tracks to Tzadik Records' tributes to Burt Bacharach, Serge Gainsbourg, and Marc Bolan. 2001 saw the release of Fantomas' sophomore effort, The Director's Cut, and the debut recordings of both Tomahawk and Peeping Tom, while Patton also tried his hand at acting in such motion picture projects as Firecracker and Amnesia.
Discography
Faith No More
The Real Thing:1989
Faith No More Live At Brixton Academy:1990
Angel Dust:1992
I'm Easy:1992
Faith No More Interviewed:1992
Another Body Murdered:1993
King For A Day,Fool For A Lifetime:1995
Digging The Grave:1995
Digging The Grave:1995
Evidence:1995
Album Of The Year:1997
Ashes To Ashes:1997
Ashes To Ashes:1997
Who Cares A Lot? :1998
Mr Bungle
The Raging Wraith Of The Easter Bunny:1986
Goddammit I Love America:1988
See next post for the rest of the albums.
