The last time we sat down with Michael Beinhorn we took a look at “The Dope Show” by Marilyn Manson which he produced! Now we’re breaking down “Coma White,” which was the promo single from Marilyn Manson’s third album, Mechanical Animals.
Throughout his career, Michael has worked with artists like Herbie Hancock, The Violent Femmes, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soul Asylum, Hole, Ozzy Osbourne, Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, Social Distortion, Korn, Golden Palominos, and Mew.
The albums he’s worked on have a combined worldwide sales of more than 45 million copies! Michael is also one of only a few producers to have two albums debut in Billboard’s Top Ten in the same week: Manson’s Mechanical Animals (#1) and Hole’s Celebrity Skin (#9). This achievement earned him a 1998 GRAMMY nomination for Producer of the Year.
Having the chance to sit with Michael and break down an iconic Marilyn Manson track was nothing short of amazing!
Please enjoy this in-depth look at Michael Beinhorn’s production on “Coma White.”
Marilyn Manson switched up his persona on 1998’s Mechanical Animals.
When Manson released his sophomore record—Antichrist Superstar—in 1996, he sparked quite a bit of controversy amongst religious fundamentalists. Noted then for his shock value and theatricality, he wanted to prove to average rock fans that he was “more than cartoon.” Manson feared falling into a similar category as bands like KISS and Alice Cooper, who are known more for their theatrics than anything else.
To do that, Manson took quite a bit of inspiration from 1970s glam rock—particularly David Bowie, who’s wardrobe choices in that era heavily influenced Manson’s own in 1998. Mechanical Animals, which Michael produced, was a switch-up for Manson.
“Coma White” is the final song on Mechanical Animals.
Marilyn Manson has spoken openly about some of the inspiration behind the song and album, saying, “There is a bit of a love story that exists on this record. The name I gave to the thing I was in love with was ‘Coma White.’ It starts as the name of a girl I’m in love with, then ends up to really be a drug I’ve been taking. So I’m not really sure what I’m in love with.”
Manson has said that “Coma White” was inspired by his relationship with Rose McGowan, elaborating: “A lot of the pain she’s gone through, I started to feel, and the record kind of documents me coming to terms with emotions and caring about somebody for the first time. And I guess I still express the fear of doing that as well.”
