The band signed to the Sony/Epic-label and released their self-titled debut-album in 1991. From the beginning they were actually called Mind Fuck, but Sony wouldn't let them release an album under such an offensive name. Hence the name Mind Funk, which seemed appropriate to a certain extent because of the funk-influence on the first album. Funk was not the only influence though, not even that dominating. There were very dark elements in there which were later developed on the 2nd album.
Jason Everman (June '93):
"We're just a rock band. Labels like 'independent' or 'grunge' are just some kind of fashion-statements. But if it helps someone way out in the mid-west to understand what we're about, then it's fine with me."
The first album got a varying amount of acclaim, and was #3 on Kerrang's list of that year's best albums. Well enough to grant their first video for Big House Burning some airplay on MTV's Headbangers' Ball. The fan-base was developing, as the time seemed right for their music. Bands like Extreme, Faith No More and the Red Hot Chili Peppers had already had great success at that time, and one could suppose that with the funk-influence as a common denominator Mind Funk would also get their fair share. Unfortunately the major success did not actually happen, but the band carried on releasing another video, this time for Sister Blue which gained marginal airplay.
The band toured for a while and made an appearance at the 1992 Roskilde Festival in Denmark. By then original guitar-player Jason Coppola and drummer Reed St. Mark had been replaced by Jason Everman (formerly with Nirvana and Soundgarden) and Shawn Johnson respectively, and the band had already started to work on their follow-up. The reason for the split was probably mostly due to musical differences, the band stated in an interview that they looked for people with a looser style to fit their new musical direction. It was also during this period that the band changed their name once again, however this change was not as big. The changed from Mind Funk to Mindfunk, from two words to one. The reason for this is not known to me.
A big push-back was when Sony dropped them as they were just getting ready to record, most probably due to lack of sales. The band was disappointed but not to the degree that one would expect.
Shawn Johnson (June '93):
"We were never that shaken by the fact that we were dropped. We knew we were good enough to continue anyway, it was probably just a good thing the way things happened. Now we're working with people who believe in us, that was not the case earlier on."
They managed to get a new deal, this time with Megaforce. They channeled their frustrations into the music and gave their new album the appropriate title, Dropped. The mood was a lot darker this time around and the funk-influences present on the predecessor were almost completely gone. The band chose to work with Terry Date as the producer, known for his work with for example Soundgarden, and this seemed to fit the new direction of the music. Slower, darker, heavier but still very Mindfunk-ish. The album was released in May 1993, a video for Goddess was released and the band immediately embarked on a European tour together with Nudeswirl. The video got some airplay, but it seemed like a rather unwise decision to go out on a headlining tour that soon after the release of the album. Not that many people knew about the band at that point and the attendance of the shows left much to be desired.
They did some outdoor festival-dates, for example the big Dynamo-festival in the Netherlands where they faced their largest audience. After that a long time passed, then MTV reported that original bass-player John Monte had quit the band. Rumours said that Jason Everman would handle the bass-duties from now on. (He played bass with Soundgarden on the Louder Than Love-tour) He instead left Mindfunk in September '94 to join the Army 2nd Ranger Battalion and the Special Forces. His sergeant told us "he's currently trekking in Tibet and will be attending the Vancouver film school". The band was then a four-piece with original members Patrick and Louis, together with drummer Shawn who played on Dropped, and temporary bassist Frank Ciampi who had previously played with the bands Generation Waste and High Tension Wire. Spike Xavier, from Mind Over Four and The Humble Gods, also played bass for a period of time.
Spike Xavier (sometime '98 or '99):
"I did one tour as bassist in Mind Funk and Jason and I become pretty good friends. I saw them first in Copenhagen, Denmark, never expecting I would end up playing bass for the band for a tour. When we toured, Jason and I were the only two guys who didn't smoke dope. It's very irritating to be in a locked van if you don't smoke. We just drove the equipment truck and ended up driving that thing through hell and high water."
Mindfunk then recorded and released their third album, People Who Fell From The Sky, without much support from their label. They didn't even have a contract in the US, hence the availability problems of the album. The music is even darker than on Dropped and reminiscent of early Black Sabbath mood-wise, preceding much of the stoner-rock movement that soon became trendy.
And then there was the split-up, and from now on the picture gets even blurrier. There was talk about Pat, Shawn and Spike Xavier jamming after that, but Mindfunk was definitely no more. Pat is reported to have married, and reformed Uniform Choice, if only temporarily. Previous bassist John Monte played with the band Cheap Wine Graffitti, former drummer Reed St. Mark is reported to be a personal trainer at the Palisadium Health Spa in Cliffside Park, NJ, and Louis has been involved with Ministry since that, toured and played on their albums Filth Pig and Dark Side Of The Spoon, as well as with the Revolting Cocks. Pat and Spike are, as far as I know, currently in a band called Corporate Avenger.
Innocence
Mind Funk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just drown her sorrows in another's wine
daddy left us here to die
the hour is too late for the good life
made of flesh and bone
i'm a suicide hero, yes i will return
innocence is gone
so they kick me harder but i'm not riled
they can't break me, i got murder in my style
they sent me off on that no-chance train
must have lost my ticket, for the american dream
make me an idol
think they got the money, dollar to buy my soul
but i won't be controlled
and it hurts 'em so bad, knowing they can't hold me
they can't hold me
sit in front of the tv set, light another cigarette
always tryin' to forget you're lonely
man on the tv set, lights another cigarette
he's only tryin' to forget he's lonely
momma's hurtin' for yesterday
you can have it all, but there's a price to pay
you change the channel, but i don't go away
you took love from her, but you can't take it from me
made of flesh and bone
i'm a suicide hero, yes i will return
and innocence is gone
but lord it's so easy 'cause i got nothing to lose
innocence
in this song may refer to the loss of childhood innocence due to the harsh realities of life. The lyrics depict a family torn apart by abandonment and addiction, with the singer left to fend for himself. Despite the difficulties, however, the singer refuses to be broken by the struggles he faces. He has a "murderous" attitude towards his oppressors, indicating the depths of his anger and frustration.
The singer also touches on the idea of selling out, with the line "make me an idol, think they got the money, dollar to buy my soul, but I won't be controlled." This suggests that even in the face of poverty and desperation, the character values his own freedom and integrity above all else. This idea is reinforced by the repetition of the line "they can't hold me," signaling the singer's determination to remain independent no matter what.
Overall, "Innocence" is a song about resilience and determination in the face of adversity. The lyrics touch on themes such as abandonment, addiction, and the struggles of poverty, but ultimately, the singer chooses to focus on his own strength and resilience, refusing to be broken by the world around him.
Line by Line Meaning
momma's hurtin' but she don't cry
Mother is in emotional pain, but hides it by drinking.
just drown her sorrows in another's wine
She deals with her pain by drinking another's wine.
daddy left us here to die
Father abandoned the family.
the hour is too late for the good life
It's too late to live a good life.
made of flesh and bone
I'm human, not invincible.
i'm a suicide hero, yes i will return
I'm going to take risks that could lead to my self-destruction, but I will come back.
innocence is gone
I've lost my purity and naivety.
lord it's so easy, cause i've got nothing to lose
It's not hard for me to take risks when I have nothing left to lose.
so they kick me harder but i'm not riled
Although they are cruel to me, I remain unprovoked.
they can't break me, i got murder in my style
Even if they try to destroy me, I will retaliate with aggression.
they sent me off on that no-chance train
They gave me a hopeless situation.
must have lost my ticket, for the american dream
I'm not going to achieve the American Dream.
make me an idol
They want to idolize me.
think they got the money, dollar to buy my soul
They believe they can control me with money.
but i won't be controlled
I will not let them control me.
and it hurts 'em so bad, knowing they can't hold me
It's painful for them to realize they can't dominate me.
sit in front of the tv set, light another cigarette
I distract myself from loneliness by watching TV and smoking cigarettes.
always tryin' to forget you're lonely
Trying hard to forget the loneliness.
man on the tv set, lights another cigarette
The TV host on screen also smokes to ease his loneliness.
he's only tryin' to forget he's lonely
He is also trying to forget his own loneliness.
momma's hurtin' for yesterday
Mother longs for the past.
you can have it all, but there's a price to pay
Everything comes at a cost.
you change the channel, but i don't go away
I'm always present, even if you try to ignore me.
you took love from her, but you can't take it from me
You may have caused my mother pain, but I still have love in my heart.
Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@extoraxot
como mierda no llegaron a nada??! Que grupo tan fantastico!!!
@The89stang1
Mind Funk #1 still have no clue why these guys didnt go fucking epic!!!
@mcmastertube
Because this came out at the same time as the 3 chord heroin shitheads from Seattle.
@The89stang1
Tim McMaster I hope your not talking about Alice and Chains!