Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California,
formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name, the band
performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man.
Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and
drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band,
having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several
early lineup changes, and some major changes later on. The current
lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead
guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.After
releasing six studio albums, including best-selling records The Real
Thing (1989) and Angel Dust (1992), Faith No More officially announced
its breakup on April 20, 1998. The band has since reunited, conducting
The Second Coming Tour between 2009 and 2010, and releasing its
seventh studio album, Sol Invictus, in May 2015. Following the touring
cycle of Sol Invictus, Faith No More went on hiatus once again. In
November 2019, the band made the announcement that they would be
reuniting to embark on a 2020 UK and European tour. However, due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the tour was postponed until June
2021.The genesis of Faith No More was the group Sharp Young Men,
formed in 1979 by vocalist Mike Morris and keyboardist Wade
Worthington. Drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Billy Gould joined
afterwards. Mike Morris described the name as "a piss-take on all the
‘elegant’ groups at the time". Later on, Morris proposed the name
Faith In No Man, but, eventually, the band settled on Bordin's
suggestion Faith No Man (stylized as Faith. No Man). The band recorded
"Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty", released in 1983. The songs were
recorded in Matt Wallace's parents' garage, where Wallace had set up
and been running a recording studio while the band was still recording
under the name Sharp Young Men, with Mike Morris, Billy Gould, Mike
Bordin and Wade Worthington. Worthington left shortly thereafter. They
changed their name to Faith No Man for the release of the single,
which featured two of the three songs recorded in Wallace's garage,
and hired Roddy Bottum to replace Worthington. Bottum, Gould and
Bordin quit the band shortly after and formed Faith No More. They
chose the name to accentuate the fact that "The Man" (Mike Morris) was
"No More". The band played with several vocalists and guitarists,
including a brief stint with Courtney Love, until they settled on
vocalist Chuck Mosley in 1983 and later, guitarist Jim Martin.After
the name change, the band initially started recording We Care a Lot
without backing from a record label and, after pooling their money,
recorded five songs. This gained the attention of Ruth Schwartz, who
was then forming the independent label Mordam Records, under which the
band, after getting the necessary financial support, finished and
released the album. It was the first official release for both the
band and the label.
formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name, the band
performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man.
Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and
drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band,
having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several
early lineup changes, and some major changes later on. The current
lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead
guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.After
releasing six studio albums, including best-selling records The Real
Thing (1989) and Angel Dust (1992), Faith No More officially announced
its breakup on April 20, 1998. The band has since reunited, conducting
The Second Coming Tour between 2009 and 2010, and releasing its
seventh studio album, Sol Invictus, in May 2015. Following the touring
cycle of Sol Invictus, Faith No More went on hiatus once again. In
November 2019, the band made the announcement that they would be
reuniting to embark on a 2020 UK and European tour. However, due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the tour was postponed until June
2021.The genesis of Faith No More was the group Sharp Young Men,
formed in 1979 by vocalist Mike Morris and keyboardist Wade
Worthington. Drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Billy Gould joined
afterwards. Mike Morris described the name as "a piss-take on all the
‘elegant’ groups at the time". Later on, Morris proposed the name
Faith In No Man, but, eventually, the band settled on Bordin's
suggestion Faith No Man (stylized as Faith. No Man). The band recorded
"Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty", released in 1983. The songs were
recorded in Matt Wallace's parents' garage, where Wallace had set up
and been running a recording studio while the band was still recording
under the name Sharp Young Men, with Mike Morris, Billy Gould, Mike
Bordin and Wade Worthington. Worthington left shortly thereafter. They
changed their name to Faith No Man for the release of the single,
which featured two of the three songs recorded in Wallace's garage,
and hired Roddy Bottum to replace Worthington. Bottum, Gould and
Bordin quit the band shortly after and formed Faith No More. They
chose the name to accentuate the fact that "The Man" (Mike Morris) was
"No More". The band played with several vocalists and guitarists,
including a brief stint with Courtney Love, until they settled on
vocalist Chuck Mosley in 1983 and later, guitarist Jim Martin.After
the name change, the band initially started recording We Care a Lot
without backing from a record label and, after pooling their money,
recorded five songs. This gained the attention of Ruth Schwartz, who
was then forming the independent label Mordam Records, under which the
band, after getting the necessary financial support, finished and
released the album. It was the first official release for both the
band and the label.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.