Red Hot Chili Peppers 2007-05-06
Max Masters, MaxTV, Australia
Set 1
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were founded in LA in 1983 by fellow Fairfax High School alumni Anthony Kiedis, guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Michael “Flea†Balzary and drummer Jack Irons. After several lineup changes, the core members became Kiedis, Flea, guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith. The band incorporate elements of funk, rap, rock and hardcore punk, a scene that fascinated a young Kiedis in early eighties LA.
Beginnings
“All of us had latched onto the energy of Defunkt and the raw edginess of Gang Of Four and, of course, the cosmic freedom implicit in Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing, so we would channel all these influences. But most of all, we wanted to do something based in funk,†Kiedis said in his autobiography of their fateful first show as Tony Flow and the Miraculous Masters of Mayhem.
Kiedis also cites Grandmaster Flash’s 1982 hit, The Message as a song that made the young party maniac and realise there was a place in the music world for him.
After several powerful live shows, the LA music press began to take notice and eventually the band secured a record deal with EMI. At this point founding members Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons left for their other band, What Is This and they recruited new drummer Cliff Martinez and guitarist Jack Sherman. Their first self-titled record was produced by Andy Gill of Gang Of Four – but the band resented his attempts to subdue their raw punk rock energy into a more commercial, radio-friendly record - vastly different to his early work. The record made no dent in the charts.
As devoted students of P-Funk, their next album, 1987’s Freaky Styley was produced by Parliament/Funkadelic’s “Great God Uncle of Funk†George Clinton, a firm believer in the band. By this time, Hillel had rejoined the fold. Before the next record, the Michael Beinhorn-produced The Uplift Mofo Party Plan came out, original drummer Jack Irons also returned to the band. During this time, Anthony Kiedis and Hillel Slovak had developed substantial drug problems, which culimated in Hillel’s heroin overdose in 1988. Jack Irons left the band soon after, declaring “I do not want to be part of something where my friends are f***ing dying.â€
After a brief spell with another guitarist, a longtime Chili Peppers fan, John Frusciante was recruited, and his ability to translate Kiedis’ lyrical ideas into music meant the band evolved even further. Though drummer Chad Smith’s “really bad Guns n Roses hairdo†put them off, his ability to “overaggress†Flea’s fierce bass playing at his audition made him the band’s permanent drummer. 1989’s Mother’s Milk produced two hits - Hillel tribute track, Knock Me Down and a rousing cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground.
Breakthrough
BloodSugarSexMagick, the band’s fourth album was their breakthrough record. The new foursome was more solid than ever, and working with super producer Rick Rubin brought out the best in the band. Under the Bridge, Breaking The Girl and the Grammy-winning Give It Away propelled the album up the charts, selling more than 10 million records.
Sadly, the pressures of skyrocketing fame, rigorous touring and drug and alcohol addiction, plus a Cobain-esque resentment of being so popular led Frusciante to quit the band at a show in Japan. In 1993, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction became the band’s guitarist.
The next record, 1995’s One Hot Minute was loaded with references to Anthony Kiedis’ spiralling drug addiction, in particular the singles Warped and My Friends. Internal band relations were strained with Navarro, who left the band in 1998.
John Frusciante had carved out a solo career, but had also descended deep into heroin addiction. After a spell in rehab, Flea actively sought out the key Pepper to rejoin the band – six years after his abrupt departure. Kiedis was jubiliant, he declared at the time, “the magic is about to happen again.â€
After a year of shaking off the cobwebs, the band produced Californication in 1999 – their most successful record so far – featuring hit singles Scar Tissue and Around The World. Next up wass 2002’s By The Way, a more melodic outing and a nod to Frusciante’s penchant for melodious riffs.
In 2006, the band produced the multi-Grammy award winning Stadium Arcadium – a double album that debuted at #1, their first record to do so. The record was once again produced by Rick Rubin in the same fateful house that Blood Sugar Sex Magick was recorded. Singles Dani California and Snow (Hey Oh) were well-received and the band embarked on an exhaustive world tour.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were founded in LA in 1983 by fellow Fairfax High School alumni Anthony Kiedis, guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Michael “Flea†Balzary and drummer Jack Irons. After several lineup changes, the core members became Kiedis, Flea, guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith. The band incorporate elements of funk, rap, rock and hardcore punk, a scene that fascinated a young Kiedis in early eighties LA.
Beginnings
“All of us had latched onto the energy of Defunkt and the raw edginess of Gang Of Four and, of course, the cosmic freedom implicit in Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing, so we would channel all these influences. But most of all, we wanted to do something based in funk,†Kiedis said in his autobiography of their fateful first show as Tony Flow and the Miraculous Masters of Mayhem.
Kiedis also cites Grandmaster Flash’s 1982 hit, The Message as a song that made the young party maniac and realise there was a place in the music world for him.
After several powerful live shows, the LA music press began to take notice and eventually the band secured a record deal with EMI. At this point founding members Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons left for their other band, What Is This and they recruited new drummer Cliff Martinez and guitarist Jack Sherman. Their first self-titled record was produced by Andy Gill of Gang Of Four – but the band resented his attempts to subdue their raw punk rock energy into a more commercial, radio-friendly record - vastly different to his early work. The record made no dent in the charts.
As devoted students of P-Funk, their next album, 1987’s Freaky Styley was produced by Parliament/Funkadelic’s “Great God Uncle of Funk†George Clinton, a firm believer in the band. By this time, Hillel had rejoined the fold. Before the next record, the Michael Beinhorn-produced The Uplift Mofo Party Plan came out, original drummer Jack Irons also returned to the band. During this time, Anthony Kiedis and Hillel Slovak had developed substantial drug problems, which culimated in Hillel’s heroin overdose in 1988. Jack Irons left the band soon after, declaring “I do not want to be part of something where my friends are f***ing dying.â€
After a brief spell with another guitarist, a longtime Chili Peppers fan, John Frusciante was recruited, and his ability to translate Kiedis’ lyrical ideas into music meant the band evolved even further. Though drummer Chad Smith’s “really bad Guns n Roses hairdo†put them off, his ability to “overaggress†Flea’s fierce bass playing at his audition made him the band’s permanent drummer. 1989’s Mother’s Milk produced two hits - Hillel tribute track, Knock Me Down and a rousing cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground.
Breakthrough
BloodSugarSexMagick, the band’s fourth album was their breakthrough record. The new foursome was more solid than ever, and working with super producer Rick Rubin brought out the best in the band. Under the Bridge, Breaking The Girl and the Grammy-winning Give It Away propelled the album up the charts, selling more than 10 million records.
Sadly, the pressures of skyrocketing fame, rigorous touring and drug and alcohol addiction, plus a Cobain-esque resentment of being so popular led Frusciante to quit the band at a show in Japan. In 1993, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction became the band’s guitarist.
The next record, 1995’s One Hot Minute was loaded with references to Anthony Kiedis’ spiralling drug addiction, in particular the singles Warped and My Friends. Internal band relations were strained with Navarro, who left the band in 1998.
John Frusciante had carved out a solo career, but had also descended deep into heroin addiction. After a spell in rehab, Flea actively sought out the key Pepper to rejoin the band – six years after his abrupt departure. Kiedis was jubiliant, he declared at the time, “the magic is about to happen again.â€
After a year of shaking off the cobwebs, the band produced Californication in 1999 – their most successful record so far – featuring hit singles Scar Tissue and Around The World. Next up wass 2002’s By The Way, a more melodic outing and a nod to Frusciante’s penchant for melodious riffs.
In 2006, the band produced the multi-Grammy award winning Stadium Arcadium – a double album that debuted at #1, their first record to do so. The record was once again produced by Rick Rubin in the same fateful house that Blood Sugar Sex Magick was recorded. Singles Dani California and Snow (Hey Oh) were well-received and the band embarked on an exhaustive world tour.
Set 2
Set 3
Comment
Australian TV documentary.
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Created At
Sun Jul 01 2007 11:57:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Updated At
Sun Jul 01 2007 11:57:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
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