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In May of 1996, with a handful
of releases under their belts, the
kings of the insanity sound, then
known simply as: The Champs,
began recording their magnum
octopus, III. This time their sights

were set beyond the still diminu-
tive cassette format and trained

squarely on a gatefold double
album-the perfect medium for
Total Music. Over the next year,
in between touring up and down
the west coast, the band molded
the Kubrickian monolith known
as III.
In May of 1997, after lugging

a console, tape machines, speak-
ers and a smattering of outboard

gear up three flights of stairs, the

band mixed the album in the bed-
room of a third floor apartment,

directly overlooking the 280 free-
way. The noise floor was such

that all windows remained closed
for the duration of the process.
Over the next six weeks they
played wherever people thirsted
for something compelling and
different, something to rock out
with their Bach out, in a word,
well two words, Total Music.
While on the road, the band also
searched for a suitable record
label willing to make the financial
commitment a gatefold double
album requires-a tall order for
a band virtually unknown outside

of the west coast and the bor-
ough of Manhattan. Ultimately,

the eclectic San Francisco label,
Frenetic, took the plunge and
generously emptied their modest

coffers to fund the manufacture
of III, which was released under
the legally distinct band name:
C4AM95. In print, the name was

easily decoded by use of the ubiq-
uitous "devil horns" or "maloik",

with the index finger covering the
awkward section of the 4 and the
underrated pinkie finger covering
the southern portion of the 9. This
deliberate obfuscation shielded

the band from increasingly omi-
nous communications emanating

from Nashville concerning the
similarity in name to a certain
band from the 1950's.
After the release of III, The
Champs continued to tour the

US, embarking on (and com-
pleting) six tours before the turn

of the millennium. It was at this
point the powers that be at Drag
City International realized they

could sit on the sidelines no lon-
ger and committed to release

the band's aptly titled follow-up,
IV (on which I was honored to
guest, playing bass on the only
Champs song ever to feature
that instrument). However, one
obstacle stood in the band's way
to global dissemination of Total
Music: the seemingly benign

moniker they had saddled them-
selves with so many years ear-
lier. After much discussion and

consultation with The Oracle, it
was determined that adding the
supplemental "Fucking" to The
Champs name would clear up
any confusion regarding another
band of the same name from the

1950's and provide lasting legal
indemnification.
The band subsequently
released four albums with Drag
City, an EP with Thrill Jockey,
and a collection of greatest hits
on Matador. They contributed
music to moving pictures (both
television and film) and wrote
music for video games, such as
The Sims. They collaborated
with French sensations Justice.
They toured the US, Europe,

Japan, Australia and New Zea-
land, and spread the totality of

Total Music far and wide. Name
dropped by luminaries such as
Chlo Sevigny, they were often
cited as inspiration by sources
from Metallica to The Strokes
to that guy from Guided by
Voices. The Fucking Champs

left an indelible mark on the musi-
cal consciousness of the second

to last and final millennia.

For this special 26th anniver-
sary edition of III, the album was

remastered by the band from the
original master tapes, lacquers
expertly cut by John Golden

and artwork restored by foren-
sic experts in Drag City's employ.

Long sought after on eBay, Dis-
cogs and the like, this will be the

first time that this master stroke
of musicality will be made widely
available.
I hope you enjoy this timeless
classic as much I have these past
25 years.