Mr. Bungle
| Mr. Bungle | |
|---|---|
Mr. Bungle live in 1999
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Eureka, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1985–2000 |
| Labels | Warner Bros. |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | www |
Mr. Bungle was an American experimental rock band from Eureka, California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school, and was named after a 1950s children's educational film regarding bad habits which was later featured in a 1981 Pee-wee Herman HBO special. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and releasing three full-length studio albums between 1991 and 1999. The band toured in 1999 and 2000 to support their last album before going on hiatus; ultimately revealing that they had dissolved in 2004. Although Mr. Bungle went through several line-up changes early in their career, the longest-serving members were vocalist Mike Patton, guitarist Trey Spruance, bassist Trevor Dunn, saxophonists Clinton "Bär" McKinnon and Theo Lengyel, and drummer Danny Heifetz. Members were based in San Francisco during the band's tenure with Warner Bros.
Mr. Bungle was known for its highly eclectic style, often cycling through several musical genres within the course of a single song. Many of its songs had an unconventional structure and utilized a wide array of instruments and samples. Live shows often featured members dressing up (usually in masks earlier in the band's career) and an array of cover songs.
Mr. Bungle formed in 1985 in Eureka, California, while the members were still in high school. The band initially consisted of Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, Theo Lengyel, and Jed Watts. Watts was subsequently replaced by Hans Wagner, and then by Danny Heifetz, while Clinton "Bär" McKinnon joined in 1989. The band's name was taken from Lunchroom Manners, a 1959 children's educational film which was featured in a Pee-wee Herman Show HBO special in the early 1980s. In it, an elementary school class watch a puppet show about an ill-mannered boy named Mr. Bungle. The short film was a very straight-laced attempt to teach children good deportment. The version featured on The Pee-wee Herman Show had a laugh track added, which gently ridiculed the strict code of conduct promoted in the film.
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