Introduce Yourself

For the album by Gord Downie, see Introduce Yerself.

1987 studio album by Faith No More

Introduce Yourself

Standard artwork

Studio album by

Faith No More

Released| April 23, 1987 (1987-04-23)
Recorded| Mid-1986[citation needed]
Studio| Studio D in Sausalito, California
Genre|

* Alternative metal
* funk metal[1]
* rap metal[2]

Length| 37:42
Label|

* Slash
* Warner Bros.

Producer|

* Matt Wallace
* Steve Berlin
* Faith No More

Faith No More chronology
| We Care a Lot
(1985)  | Introduce Yourself
(1987)  | The Real Thing
(1989)

|
|

Alternative covers

Artwork for US CD and digital releases

Singles from  Introduce Yourself

1. "Chinese Arithmetic"
Released: November 1987
2. "We Care a Lot"
Released: January 18, 1988
3. "Anne's Song"
Released: May 18, 1988

Introduce Yourself is the second studio album by American rock band Faith No More, released in 1987. Due to the limited availability of the first album, We Care a Lot (until it was re-released on CD years later), many, including the band, once considered this Faith No More's true debut album. Being the group's major label debut, this album features better production than its predecessor, which is most evident on this album's version of the song "We Care a Lot," which also features updated, more topical, lyrics. It is the final album to feature vocalist Chuck Mosley before he was fired from Faith No More in 1988.

## Background

[edit]

Faith No More's debut album We Care a Lot was released in 1985 through independent label Mordam Records.[3] In late 1986, Faith No More was signed to Los Angeles label Slash Records by Anna Statman.[4] The label had entered a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records in 1982, ensuring a widespread release, distribution and marketing for the band's forthcoming album.

"We Care a Lot" and "Chinese Arithmetic" were released as radio singles in the fall of 1987, in promotion of the band's tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers.[5] Music videos were later made for the songs "We Care a Lot" (released in January 1988) and "Anne's Song" released (released in May 1988).

### Songs

[edit]

The title track was originally called "The Cheerleader Song".[6] It was written on Faith No More's first nationwide tour of the United States in 1986, as they were on their way from South Dakota to Portland, Oregon, and driving through Missoula, Montana.[6] Keyboardist Roddy Bottum became inspired to write the song when the band went to a truck stop for coffee.[6] He came up with the lyrics on the next leg of the journey, while sitting in the passenger seat of the band's Dodge.[6]

Regarding the song "Death March", singer Chuck Mosley said in 1988, "A friend of mine, doing a lot of drugs, just went out in the ocean and drowned. I used to be on the beach all the time and I got the feeling that he was so fucked up when he drowned that he doesn't even realise he's dead. He's out there, still swimming around. 'Death March' is someone talking to their dead lover, the soul lingering on."[7]

Unlike with the band's prior release We Care a Lot, much of the album has been played regularly with Mosley's replacement, Mike Patton. However, there is only one known performance of "Faster Disco" with Patton on vocals, at a 1990 concert in Kaiserslautern, Germany.[8] "Anne's Song" is one of three Mosley songs to have never been sung live by Patton, with the others being "Arabian Disco" and "New Beginnings", both from We Care a Lot.[8]

### Touring and promotion

[edit]

After the album's release, Faith No More joined fellow funk metal/punk band Red Hot Chili Peppers on The Uplift Mofo Party Tour.[9] Faith No More opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the first two and a half months of the North American tour.[9][10][11] Guitarist Jim Martin recalled: "We were travelling in a box van with no windows. We drove all the way to the east coast for the first show. Flea asked me if we liked to smoke weed. I said: ‘Yes’ and he said: ‘We're going to get along just fine’. We did something like 52 dates in 56 days."[12] The band's future singer Mike Patton later became involved in several controversies and disputes with Anthony Kiedis, frontman of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.[13] To further promote the album, Faith No More embarked on their first tour of the UK in 1988.[7]

## Release history

[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

The album was originally released in April 1987 on vinyl and cassette. The album cover for this release is a centered ink splatter, with text to the extremes of the cover. The tape has a larger smear of the ink that looks more like a green spot. Bassist Billy Gould's initial idea was a red splatter, but the color was then changed at the request of the record label.[14] The second release of this album was on November 15, 1996, through Slash/Uni Records, and also featured the centered ink splatter. The last North American release of this album was on October 17, 2000,[15] through Slash/Rhino Records; they later released This Is It: The Best of Faith No More in 2003. This version has a close-up of the ink splatter with the wording a bit further from the edges.

Vinyl release history  |

|

| Region  | Label  | Catalogue #  | [16]

|
|
|

USA | Slash | 9 25559-1 |
UK | Slash, London | SLAP 21 |
Germany | Slash, London | 828 051-1 |
France | Slash, London, Barclay | 828 051-1 |
Holland | Slash, London, Barclay | 828 051-1 |
Australia | Slash, Liberation | LIB5095 |
Cassette release history  |

|

| Region  | Label  | Catalogue #  | Pressing  | Notes  | [16]

|
|
|
|
|

USA | Slash | 9 25559-4 | First | "Green Splatter" cassette sleeve |
UK | Slash, London | SMAC 21 | First |  |
Germany | Slash, London | #? | First |  |
France | Slash, London | #? | First |  |
Australia | Slash, Liberation | #? | First |  |
USA | Slash | #? | Second | yellow profile cassette sleeves |
CD release history  |

|

| Region  | Label  | Catalogue #  | Pressing  | Notes  | [16]

|
|
|
|
|

USA | Slash | 9 25559-2 | First | white profile sleeves |
Canada | Slash | CD25559 | First |  |
UK | Slash, London | 828 051-2 | First |  |
Germany | Slash, London | 828 051-2 | First |  |
France | Slash, London | 828 051-2 | First |  |
Australia | Slash, Liberation | D19617 | First |  |
Japan | Slash, London | POCD-1022 | First | Comes with Japanese discography, lyric pamphlet and bonus picture |
USA | Slash | 9 25559-2 | Second | yellow profile sleeves |
Australia | Polydor, Slash, London | 828 051-2 | Second | Polydor generation re-release |
Canada | Slash | CD25559 | Second |  |
USA | Slash, London | 422-828 051-2 | Third | PolyGram generation re-release |
Canada | Slash, London | 422-828 051-2 | Third |  |
UK | Slash, London | 3984 28201-2 | Third |  | [17]

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [18]

The record has garnered positive reviews from music critics, although as with the band's previous studio effort We Care a Lot, some criticisms have been directed at vocalist Chuck Mosley. AllMusic stated that "the album is consistent and interesting, with Mosley's out-of-tune vocals being an acquired taste to most".[18] In 1988, Neil Perry of Sounds Magazine referred to the album as "a breathtaking harmonisation of molten metal guitar, deadly dance rhythms and poignant, pointed lyrics".[7]

### Legacy

[edit]

Producer Matt Wallace claimed it was an "overlooked FNM record" in 2016.[7]

Louder Sound wrote in 2020, "Introduce Yourself is an irresistibly charming record [...] In the same way that Paul Di'Anno’s voice on early Iron Maiden sounds lovably rugged when contrasted with their slick later work, Chuck Mosely’s goofy, purposefully-underachieving vocals smother these songs in a huge dollop of infectious playfulness – something that Patton’s studied delivery could never quite emulate."[19]

While Mike Patton dismissed the band's debut We Care a Lot as "bad hippie music", he has admitted to having a fondness for Introduce Yourself.[19]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Faster Disco"| Mosley| Gould, Bottum, Martin| 4:16
2.| "Anne's Song"| Gould, Bottum| Gould, Bottum| 4:46
3.| "Introduce Yourself"| Bottum, Mosley| Gould, Bottum, Bordin, Martin| 1:32
4.| "Chinese Arithmetic"| Mosley| Martin, Bordin| 4:37
5.| "Death March"| Mosley| Gould, Bottum, Martin| 3:02
6.| "We Care a Lot"| Bottum, Mosley| Gould, Bottum| 4:02
7.| "R n' R"| Gould, Mosley| Gould, Martin| 3:11
8.| "The Crab Song"| Mosley| Gould, Bordin| 5:52
9.| "Blood"| Mosley| Mosley| 3:42
10.| "Spirit"| Gould| Gould| 2:52
Total length:| 37:42

## Personnel

[edit]

Band members

* Mike Bordin – drums, congas, backing vocals
* Roddy Bottum – keyboards, backing vocals
* Billy Gould – bass, backing vocals
* Jim Martin – guitar, backing vocals
* Chuck Mosley – lead vocals

Production

* Steve Berlin – producer
* Matt Wallace – producer, engineer
* Jim "Watts" Verecke – assistant engineer
* John Golden – mastering
* Lendon Flanagan – photography
* Bob Biggs – artwork
* Jeff Price – artwork

## Accolades

[edit]

Year  | Publication  | Country  | Accolade  | Rank  |

|
|
|
|
|

1987  | Sounds | United Kingdom | "Albums of the Year"  | Unordered | [20]

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 10, 2017). "Chuck Mosley, Former Faith No More Frontman, Dies at 57". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 16, 2020. "Mosley joined the band in 1983. He sang on their first two albums, 1985's We Care a Lot and 1987's Introduce Yourself. With those two albums, the band helped establish the sound of California funk-metal,"
2. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Faith No More Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2011. "...for the first time, the rap and metal elements didn't sound like they were fighting each other."
3. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 1992). "Faith No More: Angel Dust in the wind". Issue 25. Reflex Magazine. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
4. ^ "FAITH NO MORE BAND OF THE YEAR 1990". March 7, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
5. ^ "Have Faith" (PDF). Billboard. December 5, 1987. p. 20.
6. ^ a b c d Harte, Adrian (2018). Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More. Jawbone Press.
7. ^ a b c d "FAITH NO MORE - 23.01.1988 - Sounds". January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
8. ^ a b "Faith No More Gig Database". www.fnmlive.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
9. ^ a b Apter, Jeff (December 15, 2009). Fornication: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-065-6.
10. ^ Bowie, Andrew. "1987 Faith No More Shows". Faith No More Gig Database. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
11. ^ "1987 Red Hot Chili Peppers Shows". Red Hot Chili Peppers Live Archive. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
12. ^ "Faith No More: The Real Story". April 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
13. ^ Kangas, Chaz (April 21, 2015). "Do Faith No More and the Red Hot Chili Peppers Still Hate Each Other?". Retrieved January 17, 2017.
14. ^ "Faith No More: How Rock's Most Contrarian Band Made Up and Came Back". Rolling Stone. May 12, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
15. ^ "Introduce Yourself - Faith No More -- From Rhino Records". January 17, 2001. Archived from the original on January 17, 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
16. ^ a b c Faith No More discography, text alternative. FNM.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016
17. ^ Introduce Yourself – Dec 1999 CD release (3984 28201-2). Discogs.com. Retrieved May 30, 2008
18. ^ a b Introduce Yourself AllMusic Review
19. ^ a b January 2020, Metal Hammer18 (January 18, 2020). "Faith No More: your essential guide to every album". Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved July 16, 2020.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
20. ^ "Sounds – Albums of the Year". Sounds. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2008.

* v
* t
* e

Faith No More

* Mike Bordin
* Billy Gould
* Roddy Bottum
* Mike Patton
* Jon Hudson

* Mike Morris
* Wade Worthington
* Mark Bowen
* Courtney Love
* Chuck Mosley
* Jim Martin
* Trey Spruance
* Dean Menta

Studio albums|

* We Care a Lot
* Introduce Yourself
* The Real Thing
* Angel Dust
* King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
* Album of the Year
* Sol Invictus

Live albums|

* Live at the Brixton Academy

Compilations|

* Who Cares a Lot? The Greatest Hits
* This Is It: The Best of Faith No More
* Epic and Other Hits
* The Platinum Collection
* The Works
* The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection

Singles|

* "Quiet in Heaven"/"Song of Liberty" (as Faith. No Man)
* "We Care a Lot"
* "Anne's Song"
* "From Out of Nowhere"
* "Epic"
* "Falling to Pieces"
* "Midlife Crisis"
* "A Small Victory"
* "Everything's Ruined"
* "(I'm) Easy"
* "Another Body Murdered"
* "Digging the Grave"
* "Ricochet"
* "Evidence"
* "Ashes to Ashes"
* "Last Cup of Sorrow"
* "Stripsearch"
* "I Started a Joke"
* "Motherfucker"

Other songs|

* "Land of Sunshine"

Videos|

* You Fat Bastards: Live at the Brixton Academy
* Video Croissant
* Who Cares a Lot? The Greatest Videos
* Double Feature: Live at the Brixton Academy, London (You Fat Bastards) / Who Cares a Lot? The Greatest Videos

Concert tours|

* Album of the Year Tour
* The Second Coming Tour
* Sol Invictus Tour

Related bands|

* Brujeria
* Dead Cross
* Fantômas
* General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners
* Imperial Teen
* Mr. Bungle
* Ozzy Osbourne
* Peeping Tom
* Primitive Race
* Tomahawk

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs recorded
* Members
* Tribute of the Year: A Tribute to Faith No More

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template