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Ministry is basically the one man behemoth Al Jourgensen ably assisted over the years by many other people. Uncle Al (as he is fondly known by fans and many people alike) is one of Wax Trax's most beloved artists with a prolific recording history, but also somewhat of an enigma - that is, if you want to try and pigeon-hole/stick him in a particular genre. He's also created plenty more music outside of Ministry in many other related side projects and releases. To get a better understanding of his crazy life, you are highly recommended to read his auto-biography "Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen":


His first foray into a serious band was joining Special Affect in 1979 which also included Frankie Nardiello aka Groovie Mann (who would go on to My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult fame - see our previous #WaxTraxFriday March 2018 articles). They soon disbanded and after a brief stint with the Carmichaels (who didn't release anything) he met up with Jim Nash and Danny Flesher who owned the Wax Trax! Records store in Chicago. They got him to play live guitar for a few Divine gigs before he busted out of that. Al, Jim and Danny traded music and band recommendations (Jim and Danny made the store a very artist friendly/melting pot of ideas), and as Al was working in the music department of a local college, he had access to equipment and so he was able to use a rhythm box and a reel-to-reel tape recorder at home to put together the song "I'm Falling". To say the rest is history is an understatement…

Playing this track to Jim and Danny they instantly asked for more and so Al got a few friends together and formed the first official version of Ministry the band. They recorded "Cold Life". Jim and Danny wanted a third track so Al threw together an instrumental called "Primental". I'm Falling / Cold Life became the third ever Wax Trax! Records single and ultimately reached number 45 in the US dance charts! Situation Two released the single over in the UK with different versions in March 1982 and it sold like crazy in the UK and Europe. There were subsequently several repressings on Wax Trax! but all with different picture sleeves!

Ministry - COLDLIFE original UK 12" single

This single attracted the attention of major labels and Arista managed to get Al to sign on the dotted line. The story of that infamous situation will be dealt with in a future #WaxTraxFriday article. Come back every Friday in September to find out more…

After the Arista craziness/debacle/fiasco/genius album* (*take your pick), Al returned back to the Wax Trax! Records stable trying to hone in on the sound that he really wanted to record and released three more awesome singles All Day, The Nature Of Love and Halloween (Remix), the middle release even gaining a very early Wax Trax! UK 12" vinyl edition!

Ministry - The Nature Of Love original UK 12" single

With Ministry being so popular, Wax Trax! started to put together a box set of material and it was even given a catalogue number of WAX 019. However, Al was offered a suitcase full of cash by Sire Records to record an album - this was finally Al's opportunity to record the harsher sounding music that he wanted to (with a teeny-tiny amount of white powder, 40% proof and sexual services on the side), so he wholeheartedly embraced it and ultimately released the incredible Twitch album. But that's for another story/article…

Wax Trax! in the meantime could only gather up all his singles and release the Twelve Inch Singles 1981-1984 compilation on cassette/CD (originally USA only but later reissued as an expanded edition, including digitally, by Cleopatra in 2014).

Ministry - Twelve Inch Singles 1981-1984 original USA Wax Trax! CD album

Over time, Uncle Al has been involved with many other side projects including:

Member of Surgical Meth Machine from 2015 to current
Member of Ministry from 1980 to current
Member of Revolting Cocks from 1985 to current
Member of Buck Satan And The 666 Shooters from 2011 to 2011
Member of Lard from 1989 to 2000
Member of 1000 Homo DJs from 1988 to 1990
Member of Acid Horse from 1989 to 1989
Member of P.T.P. from 1989 to 1989
Member of Pailhead from 1987 to 1988
Member of Carmichaels from 1981 to 1981
Member of Special Affect from 1979 to 1980

All of Ministry's Wax Trax! era material along with a lot of other previosuly unreleased, extraordinarily good stuff and related side projects (what more could you ask for?) was released by Cleopatra in 2015, initially as a limited edition physical super deluxe Trax! Box set for Record Store Day. Thankfully, now, you can still get the whole thing digitally, even in FLAC quality, at a ridiculously excellent price.

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Article number = 72