Here's the abbreviated version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers history
as originally published in Guitar World 1996
Scroll down to see the longer version compiled by Mutha.
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed by singer Anthony Kiedis, Flea (Michael Balzary), and Hillel Slovak. |
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Hillel Slovak quits the band, and is replaced by Jack Sherman. The first, self-titled record is released. |
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Sherman is tossed out when Slovak opts to return. Freaky Styley is released. |
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The band releases Uplift Mofo Party Plan. |
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The Abbey Road EP is released. Hillel Slovak dies of a heroin overdose in June. Duane McKnight takes over guitar duties in August. At the end of the year, McKnight is replaced by John Frusciante. |
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Frusciante provides the band with some of its best guitar work on the album Mother's Milk. |
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The band releases Blood Sugar Sex Majik, its commercial breakthrough. |
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While touring in support of Blood Sugar Sex Majik, Frusciante quits the band, allegedly due to the rigors of the road. He is immediately replaced by Arik Marshall, an L.A guitar fixture who had played in a band called Trulio Disgracias with Flea. Marshall fills in for the remaining dates on the tour. Before work even begins on the next record, Marshall is replaced by Jesse Tobias. Nine years after the fact, Jack Sherman files suit against the band, claiming he was mistreated by them and not adequately compensated for his contributions. By the end of 1993, Tobias is out, his stint in the band lasted about as long as Duane McKnight's. By September, the Peppers begin practicing with former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. |
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Although Navarro's hiring is still considered an industry rumor, the band is scheduled to play Woodstock '94 and produce another album by year's end. The band appears at Woodstock with Navarro and begins recording in July. |
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Numerous delays keep the Red Hot Chili Peppers from completing One Hot Minute; it is finally released in September. |
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Chili Peppers record an Ohio Players cover song "Love RollerCoaster" and release it on the Beavis and Butthead Movie Soundtrack. "Love RollerCoaster becomes an instant hit on the music charts and the number one song on the soundtrack. All members remain active in the Music Industry with various side and solo projects. |
The Following biography of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is more detailed and was compiled by Rockinfrekapotamus member #8041 Mutha. Copyright 1997 Mutha. Use by permission only. Georgina - A.K.A. Mutha - Member #8041 - http://www.rpi.net.au/~mutha |
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Michael Balzary, Hillel Slovak, and Jack Irons were three high school pals. They had musical ambitions and together formed a band they named 'Anthym'. The pals managed to score themselves a few gigs but many club owners hid the youngsters backstage for fear of getting busted with minors on the premises. Anthym even had regulars at the shows, none more of a regular than a guy called Anthony Kiedis. The four, who all attended Fairfax High school, became mates and Anthony even began opening the bands shows by reading some lines from his poetry. Flea however left Anthym to join the L.A punk band 'Fear'. Hillel and Irons stayed on, renaming the band, 'What is This?'.
Anthony, Flea, Hillel and Jack were reunited when they were asked to play for a friend at the 'Rhythm Lounge Club'. A week before the show all they had was a few funky bass lines of Flea's and one of Anthony's poems. Unperturbed, the guys dropped some acid and headed onstage under the name of, 'Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Within days, news of the bands performance had spread due to their rendition of 'Out in L.A'. Word reached as far as E.M.I and within 6 months they had an 8 album record deal.
They renamed the band the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band did their 1st out of town gig in Aspen at the Cathay Grand Club. Their most notorious peformance however was at the Kit Kat Klub. During the show the guys performed surrounded by a bevvy of beauties in various stages of undress. Not wanting to be outdone the guys performed their encore of , Jimi Hendrix's 'Fire' with socks on their cocks. Word of the onstage romp spread like wildfire,-the guys were trying to get their music noticed, not their physical attributes.
Due to Hillel and Jack having prior commitments with their band 'What Is This?', they had to choose which musical project they would follow through. Having already spent 6 years on 'What Is This?', the two friends decided to leave the RHCP's. Replacements came with Jack Sherman on guitar and Cliff Martinez, (former bands included Lydias Lunch 13. 13 and Captain Beefheart and The Weirdos.)
Andy Gill, from The Gang Of Four, was asked to produce the debut album.The Chili's wanted a sound similar to the Gang of Four but Gill had other ideas. The relationship between Gill and the band was at best-tepid. At one stage it is rumoured that Flea and Anthony sent Gill a pizza box with a fresh turd inside. The album was released but the Chili's weren't happy with the result. They wanted no more to do with Gill.
Lindy Goetz became the band's manager and, as a result, they played more live shows than ever. Time on the road was tough in the band's little van, and they often stayed in seedy hotels between gigs. 'What Is This?' wasn't fairing as well in the stormy musical seas. It therefore was no surprise, that in January 1984, Sherman was dumped for Hillel-they're old pal.
It was during the coming months that the band's experimentations with drugs took a new turn-Flea tired of it, but Anthony and Hillel decided to up the pace. Hillel denied he had a problem, Anthony didn't.
The Master of Funk, George Clinton, (Funkadelic, Parliament and other derivitives of the two), had been a big influence on the band and was asked to produce their 2nd album 'Freaky Styley'. Clinton moved the guys to his studios outside Detroit. Here the band wrote and recorded 13 songs. This album, due to the cohersion of both parties was able to capture the Chili's lusty punk/funk musical style. The album bought the band more recognition. Still overseas only 'Hollywood Africa' received meagre airplay even though the band did a stopover show at a festival in Germany and a one-off show in England.
The the Chili's returned to home to L.A and suddenly, but not surprisingly Martinez was dumped for Jack Irons. The original line-up was once more. The tour which followed was an explosion of Pepper energy and it scored the band the recognition they deserved as an intense live band. Hillel however was falling deeper in his drug crazed world and was becoming alienated from the rest of the band. He, also began to mess up while playing, often forgetting the notes.
'Uplift Mofo Party Plan' outsold the previous two albums put together. Michael Beinhorn, the producer, had previously worked with the likes of Nona Hendryx, and Herbie Hancock. Beinhorn knew exactly how he wanted the album to turn out. He also liked the music of Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone-bands the Chili's also aspired to. The tour which followed had the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing in much larger venues with bands such as The Beastie Boys and Faith No More playing support. This was also the time the band faced critism from various parent groups for their often 'colourful' lyrics. Flea likened the situation to kids hearing their parents say 'fuck'. The Chili's had no desire to tone down their antics. Irons (the supposed more sedate member of the band), walked through Heathrow Airport with a 'tit' hat on. The fact of the matter was, the Red Hot Chili Peppers made great music and stuff the critics. 'Uplift Mofo Party Plan' peaked at no.143 on 'Billboards Top 150 Albums'.
The guys decided to release a new album by June 1988 but before then they needed to do something about Hillel.His drug addiction was steadily worsening and the Chili family was suffering along with him. A decision was made to let Hillel go after the show in Washington. Angelo Moore, of the support band 'Fishbone', heard what was planned and talked Anthony out of it. Moore reasoned with Anthony that Hillel needed his friends, now more than ever. Hillel stayed with the band whilst they travelled to England to shoot the now infamous, socks on cocks photo of the Red Hot Chili Peppers walking across that same pedestrian crossing that the Beatles had made famous. The Abbey Road cd included the cover of 'Fire' by Jimi Hendrix which had been cut from Freaky Styley.
They returned to the U.S and decided to release a new album. 4 weeks after a joyous homecoming though Hillel was gone. The months of drug abuse finally captured his life and he overdosed. Hillel's death shook the band to it's roots. Anthony hid out in a small mexican village-ridding himself of any lingering, narcotic cravings. Jack Irons left the band also, shutting himself from the rest of the world. He blamed the Red Hot Chili Peppers for his friends demise, therefore he wanted nothing more to do with any of it. Flea too immersed himself in other musical side projects-it seemed the end Of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Anthony returned home and Flea's wife Loesha gave birth to a little girl they named Clara. Anthony and Flea decided to set about rebuilding the band, in memory of their friend Hillel at least. It was during this time that the two pals tried to help out John Fruiscante (who was one of their biggest fans), by going along with him to an audition for the band 'Thelonius Monster'. (John was to shy to go on his own). Flea and Anthony sat in a corner while John did his set. Everyone was surprised how well he could play as he sounded so much like his idol Hillel-he'd copied his style to a tee. It seemed only natural that John walked out of the audition as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Finding a replacement drummer would prove to be much more tedious. Ads were placed in the newspaper and scores of drummers lined up for a chance to display their skills on the skins. Nearing the end of another long day, all hope had almost been lost when in walked Chad Smith. He perched himself atop the drumkit and belted out a swirling, frenzied tune backed up by his own 'obscene' lyrics. Chad was in and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were a foursome once more. It was March 1989 and the hit the road to tour.
It was during the tour of '89 that Anthony was charged with sexual battery. The incident occured backstage after a gig at George Mason University. He dropped his pants in front of a female concert goer-a seemingly innocent prank, and the serious charges that were served on him came as quite a surprise. It was a case of bad timing though when Anthony's charges became public knowledge, as Flea found himself in hot water too. An incident at the MTV Spring Break Party, involving a bikini clad fan, Chad spanking her bum, and Flea simulating sex with her on the stage, was eventually dismissed as just fun and games. Anthony started dating actress Ione Skye and his lifestyle changed dramatically.
Mother's Milk was released in 1989, again Beinhorn was the producer. The album contained eleven original tracks and covers of Stevie Wonder's 'Higher Ground' and Hendrix's 'Fire' on which Hillel featured. The first single 'Knock Me Down' was released in memory of Hillel. Flea also displayed his trumpeting prowess on the tracks 'Subway To Venus', 'Taste The Pain' and 'Pretty Little Dittty'. The tour that followed was immense. A stricter routine was kept with no drugs being allowed whilst toring. The guys did a huge show in Dam Square in Amsterdam. World media was finally taking notice. Anthony's frenzied onstage displays often left him battered and bruised, but he transformed before every show into a pumped up powerhouse. The smash hit movie 'Pretty Woman' ,featured 'Taste The Pain' on its soundtrack and the song became a UK top 30 hit. It wasn't long before the Red Hot Chili Peppers sought out a new record company and after having their photos taken with the bosses of Sony at the last minute switched to Warner Bros.
The band chose 'Def Jam' mainman, Rick Rubin to produce the next album. Rubin hired a house out of town and trucked in all the necessary gear. The house, seemily was haunted, and a physic was called in who confirmed the house was indeed being visited but it was ok as the entities seemed friendly. All tracks for this album were recorded live, one even being recorded outside with the traffic roaring past.' BloodSugarSexMagic' was a colossal smash. It earned the Red Hot Chili Peppers a platinum album and stayed in the U.S Billboard Chart for a year. The band appeared on every major magazine cover including Rolling Stone. The world tour was a total sellout. 'Give It Away' was released and received massive acclamations, earning for the band best breakthrough video in September 1992 at the MTV awards. 'Under The Bridge', where Anthony recalls his days of drug addiction, soared up every major music chart worldwide.
Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins were some of the bands who now supported the Peppers on tour. It was during the Asian leg of their tour that John announced he was quitting the band after the next show. It was 27 days before the Chili's were due to headline at Lollapolooza. Arik Marshall (of L.A band Marshall Law), was asked to fill in for the rest of the tour. Marshall practised for 5 hours a day for the next 3 weeks. His initiation into the lineup was in front of 60.000 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Francisco. Marshall however didn't fit in well. An advert was placed in the local newspaper to help track down a new guitarist. 5,000 turned up on the first day! Jesses Tobias was hired for a short while but he was found to be unsuitable also.
In 1993 Flea was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ordered to rest for 12 months. The hectic lifestyle had finally caught up with him. It was about this time too that Flea witnessed the death of his mate River Phoenix whilst playing in Johnny Depp's club the Viper Room.
Dave Navarro, who was with 'Deconstruction' at the time, was again asked to join the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Dave had previously knocked back the bands offer due to their heavy workload but this time decided to give it a go. Dave pocesses a very individual style which is exactly what the Peppers wanted (and needed), to lift their musical spirits oncemore. The band headed off to Hawaii to do a bit of male bonding, dive off cliffs into the deep blue sea and generally partake of the islands offerings. They took their Harley's with them and rode around under the pseudo of 'La Sensatives' MC Gang.
They again asked Rick Rubin to produce 'One Hot Minute'. It was released in 1995 and soon catapulted the Chili's back into the spotlight. Some major songs from the album include, 'Aeroplane', 'Walkabout', 'Friends', 'Warped' , and Fleas great tune 'Pea', to name a few. Dave Navarro seemed to fit very nicely in with the pack of pals. The world tour which followed received massive radio and newspaper coverage and all concerts were a sellout. The Red Hot Chili Peppers returned home and planned their next move.......
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