*+..R[e]d H[o]t Ch[i]l[i] P[e]pp[e]rs..+*
Few rock groups of the '80s broke down as many
musical barriers and were as original as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Creating
an intoxicating new musical style by
combining funk and punk rock together (with an explosive stage show, to boot),
the Chili Peppers spawned a slew of imitators in their wake, but still managed
to be the leaders of the pack by the dawn of the 21st century. The roots of
the band lay in a friendship forged by three school chums, Anthony Kiedis, Michael
Balzary, and Hillel Slovak, while they attended Fairfax High School in California
back in the late '70s/early '80s. While Balzary and Slovak showed great musical
promise (on trumpet and guitar, respectively), Kiedis focused on poetry and
acting during his high school career. During this time, Slovak taught Balzary
how to play bass, while the duo encouraged Kiedis to start putting his poetry
to music, which he soon did. Influenced heavily by the
burgeoning L.A. punk
scene (the Germs, Black Flag, Fear, Minutemen, X, etc.) as well as funk (Parliament-Funkadelic,
Sly & the Family Stone, etc.), the trio began to rehearse with another friend,
drummer Jack Irons, leading to the formation of Tony Flow & the Miraculously
Majestic Masters of Mayhem, a group that played strip bars along the sunset
strip during the early '80s. It was during this time that the quartet honed
their sound and live act (as they stumbled across a stage gimmick that would
soon become their trademark -- performing on-stage completely naked, except
for a tube sock covering a certain part of their anatomy). By 1983, Balzary
had begun to go by the name "Flea," and the group changed their name
to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Word spread quickly about the up-and-coming band, resulting in a recording contract
with EMI. But before the Chili Peppers could begin work on their debut, Flea
and Kiedis were dealt a disappointing blow when both Slovak and Irons announced
that they were leaving to focus more on another band they were in, What Is This.
With replacement members Jack Sherman (guitar) and Cliff Martinez (drums) filling
in, the Peppers released
their self-titled debut in 1984. But the absence of
the two original members showed, as the album failed to capture the excitement
of their live show. While the album didn't set the world on fire sales-wise,
the group began to build a dedicated underground following with college radio
buffs. By 1985, What Is This was kaput (after issuing a single self-titled album),
as Slovak and Irons returned back to the Peppers, resulting in the George Clinton-produced
Freaky Styley. While the album was an improvement over its predecessor, it still
lacked the fire of the band's in-concert experience, a problem that would finally
be solved with their next album, 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. The album
was the group's first to make an impression on the charts, and they followed
it up a year later with stopgap five-track release, The Abbey Road EP, in 1988.
But just as the world was warming up to the Peppers, tragedy struck when Slovak
died from a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988.
In the wake of Slovak's death, Irons left the group for the second and final
time, while Kiedis (who was also battling drug addiction at the time) and Flea
decided to soldier on. After a new lineup consisting of former Parliament guitarist
Blackbyrd McKnight and former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro didn't work
out, the duo found worthy replacements in newcomers John Frusciante and Chad
Smith. The new-look Chili Peppers hit pay dirt straight away, as their first
album together, 1989's Mother's Milk, became a surprise hit due to MTV's exposure
of their videos for a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" and
a song about their fallen friend Slovak, "Knock Me Down," as the album
was certified gold by early 1990. The group knew that their next release would
be the most important one of their career, so they moved into a mansion-turned-recording
studio with producer Rick Rubin to work on what would become their most successful
release yet, the stripped-down Blood Sugar Sex Magik (their first for the Warner
Bros. label). The album became a monster hit upon its September 1991 release
(going on to eventually sell a staggering seven million copies in the U.S. alone),
as it spawned such hits as "Give It Away" and the group's first Top
Ten single, "Under the Bridge."
But not all was well in the Chili Peppers camp. Like his predecessor, Frusciante
had become addicted to hard drugs, and abruptly left the band mid-tour in early
1992. Undeterred, the band enlisted new member Arik Marshall, and headlined
Lollapalooza II in the summer. When the band returned to the studio to work
on their sixth release overall, it quickly became apparent that Marshall didn't
fit in, and was replaced by Jesse Tobias. But before Tobias could record a note
with the group, he was handed his walking papers as well, and former Jane's
Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro signed on. After a layoff of four years, the
Peppers' much-delayed follow-up to BSSM was released in 1995, One Hot Minute.
While the album was a sizeable hit, it failed to match the success and musical
focus of its predecessor, as it became apparent during the album's ensuing tour
that Navarro wasn't fitting in as well as originally hoped, and left the band
in early 1998.
After Frusciante had left the group, he released a pair of obscure solo releases,
1995's Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt and 1997's Smile from the Streets
You Hold, yet rumors circulated that the guitarist was homeless, penniless,
and sickly with a death-defying drug habit. After checking himself into rehab
and putting his demons behind him, Frusciante emerged once again refocused and
re-energized, and promptly accepted an invitation to rejoin the Peppers once
more. The group's reunion album, 1999's Californication, proved to be another
monster success, reconfirming the Chili Peppers as one of alternative rock's
top bands. The band put in a quick guest appearance on Fishbone's Psychotic
Friends Nuttwerx before hitting the road to support the album. The following
months found the band getting involved in bizarre situations and controversies.
First, their refusal to play songs from One Hot Minute during the tour was an
unpopular decision with some fans and a sore spot for Dave Navarro. Next, they
reignited a personal feud between Kiedis and Mr. Bungle singer Mike Patton by
refusing to play a series of European concerts with Bungle. Patton responded
with a "tribute" show for the Peppers, where Bungle mocked their stage
moves, faked shooting up heroin, and imitated Kiedis' comments about Patton.
They also played the ill-fated Woodstock '99 festival, where their headlining
performance was met with piles of burning rubble and a full-scale riot. Tours
with the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam brought them into the next year without
problems, but they stepped off the road after a planned stop in Israel was halted
due to security worries. They returned to the studio in November of 2001 and
by the summer of 2002 they had a new album ready to drop, By the Way. Warner
Brothers released a Greatest Hits compilation in 2003, followed by a chart-topping
two-CD album of all-new material, Stadium Arcadium, in 2006. ~ Greg Prato, All
Music Guide
Red Hot Chili Peppers Members:
• Anthony Kiedis
• Michael Balzary (AKA Flea)
• John Frusciante
• Chad Smith
• Formerly: Jack Sherman, Jack Irons, Dave Navarro and Hillel Slovak
The Red Hot Chili Peppers Get Their Start
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' were formed in 1983 when Anthony Kiedis and Flea
(real name, Michael Balzary) who had met in high school, decided to start up
a band. Soon Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons joined the guys and began doing gigs
around L.A. It was not instant success, but The Red Hot Chili Peppers did become
well known for their crazy stage antics and bizarre clothing. The Red Hot Chili
Peppers had an ever-changing list of members for a while and in 1988, founding
member Hillel Slovak died from a heroin overdose.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers Hit
It Big
A year after Hillel Slovak's death, the Red Hot Chili Peppers hit it big with
the release of the CD Mother's Milk. After that the Red Hot Chili Peppers released
the wildly successful Blood Sugar Sex Magik, which had mainstream hits like
Under the Bridge and Give It Away. 1999's Californication was another huge hit.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' were also honored that year with a Video Vanguard
Award. Today the band is made up of lead singer Anthony Kiedis, "Flea" on bass, John Frusciante on guitar and Chad Smith on drums.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Did U know?
• Anthony Kiedis is a vegetarian.
• Former Red Hot Chili Pepper Dave Navarro recently collaborated with Michelle
Branch and Christina Aguilera.
• Hillel Slovak was born in Israel.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Say....
"We're making music that we love, and whether it's 20 people or 20,000
people, we're doing it for the right reasons."