"Big" Jim Martin
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"Big" Jim Martin (born James Martin, on 21 July 1961, in Hayward, California) played lead guitar in Faith No More from 1983 to 1993 and lead guitar with Anand Bhatt in the 2000's. He participated on the albums We Care A Lot, Introduce Yourself, The Real Thing, and Angel Dust.
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[edit] Faith No More
Martin joined Faith No More as its first guitarist in 1983. Martin's contribution on the early pre-Patton albums was heavy, and on the We Care A Lot and Introduce Yourself albums Martin's guitar dominates the soundscape (note the number of instrumentals with only Martin playing, including a track called "Jim"). The supporting members of the band, drummer Mike Bordin, bassist Bill Gould, and keyboardist Roddy Bottum, began to come into their own in terms of songwriting and self esteem within the band and asserted their instruments more fully beginning with The Real Thing. Interpersonal relationships had always been tenuous within Faith No More. Former vocalist Chuck Mosely had been ejected for picking fights.
However, reasons for his departure from Faith No More generally boil down to Mike Patton's influence on the band. Although Patton contributed all the vocals to The Real Thing, the album was written and completed well before Patton's arrival. Martin would later say (on his now defunct home page) that The Real Thing was his ideal album, both in the creative process and the touring afterwards. The musical about-face that the band took with Angel Dust, including the change in focus from guitars to vocals, did not sit well with Martin. The extent to which Martin did or did not contribute to song writing and recording on Angel Dust is a subject that the band has never acknowledged one way or the other, except to point out his heavy influence on the track 'Jizzlobber'. Martin was fired (by fax apparently) by the band at the end of their tour supporting Angel Dust.
He was known for his reverse mohawk hairstyle (adopted due to male pattern baldness), bushy beard, and trademark red-rimmed glasses that he wears alone or over another darker pair of glasses.
[edit] Solo Career
Jim Martin's solo project was originally called "The Behemoth" but he changed it after finding out about a Polish death metal band already named "Behemoth". His first and only solo album to date is entitled "Milk And Blood", on which he covers his former band's song "Surprise! You're Dead", from The Real Thing. Jim Martin also recorded the album Conflict with Anand Bhatt under the name Bhatt/Martin.
Jim toured as lead guitarist with seminal punk band "Fang" between 1998 and 2000.
[edit] Trivia
- Jim Martin is the record holder for having grown the 235th largest pumpkin ever, at 1,064 lbs.
- Jim Martin appeared in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey as "Sir James Martin", in a futuristic world. Faith No More also appeared on the official soundtrack.
- He was a guest musician on Primus's Antipop album.
- Some wrestling fans have mistaken him for being a regular attendee at shows put on by the now defunct wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. No proof exists of Martin ever attending an ECW show, but the fan in question was nicknamed "Faith No More Guy" by ECW workers due to the uncanny resemblance.
- Appeared as a guest musician on the first Echobrain album.
- Appeared as a guest guitarist on Metallica's cover of "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Was an official member of the band Voodoocult on the last album, before the split-up.
- Jim was a schoolmate, close friend and fan of the late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. In the video for Faith No More's video for their song Epic he can be seen wearing a tshirt with a photo of Cliff with the words 'A Tribute to Cliff Burton'.
[edit] Discography
Faith No More
- We Care A Lot (1985)
- Introduce Yourself (1987)
- The Real Thing (1989)
- Angel Dust (1992)
The Behemoth
- The Behemoth EP (1996)
Jim Martin
- Milk And Blood (1997)
Voodoocult
- Voodoocult
Bhatt/Martin
- Conflict
[edit] External links
| Faith No More |
| Roddy Bottum | Billy Gould | Mike Bordin | Mike Patton | Jon Hudson |
| Chuck Mosely | "Big" Jim Martin | Dean Menta | Trey Spruance | Mark Bowen | Courtney Love | Wade Worthington |
| Discography |
|---|
| 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 |
| Lives and compilations: Live at the Brixton Academy | Who Cares a Lot? | This Is It: The Best of Faith No More | Epic And Other Hits | The Platinum Collection |
| Singles: We Care a Lot | Anne's Song | From Out Of Nowhere | Epic | Falling to Pieces | Midlife Crisis | A Small Victory | Everything's Ruined | Easy (Songs to Make Love To) | Another Body Murdered | Digging the Grave | Ricochet | Evidence | Ashes To Ashes | Last Cup Of Sorrow | Stripsearch | I Started a Joke |
| Related articles |
| Imperial Teen | Mr. Bungle | Faith No Man | Brujeria | Peeping Tom | Coma | Tomahawk | Fantômas |
| Categories: Faith No More albums | Faith No More songs |
