|
|
|
Red Hot Chilli Peppers |
| |
Biography |
| |
These engaging Hollywood
ruffians' mixture of funk, punk and rock
encouraged a legion of other bands to regurgitate the formula. Led
by "Antwan The Swan" (b. Anthony Kiedis, 1 November 1962, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, USA; vocals), the band's original line-up also featured
"Flea" (b. Michael Balzary, 16 October 1962, Melbourne, Australia;
bass), Hillel Slovak (b. 31 March 1962, Israel, d. 25 June 1988; guitar)
and Jack Irons (b. California, USA; drums). They began life as garage
band Anthem before Balzary departed for seminal 80s punks Fear. When
Irons and Slovak moved on to join the less notable What Is This?,
the nails appeared to be firmly in place on the Anthem coffin. However,
under their new name, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with Flea back on
board, acquired a speculative recording contract with EMI Records
America. Unfortunately, as Irons and Slovak were under contract with
their new band, their debut album had to be recorded by Kiedis and
Balzary with Jack Sherman on guitar and Cliff Martinez (ex- Captain
Beefheart, Weirdos ) on drums. Production was handled, somewhat surprisingly,
by the Gang Of Four's Andy Gill. The band set about building their
considerable reputation as a live outfit, much of which was fuelled
by their penchant for appearing semi-naked or worse. Slovak returned
to guitar for the second album, this time produced by George Clinton.
Also featured was a horn section comprising Maceo Parker and Fred
Wesley, veterans of James Brown, among others. Martinez returned shortly
afterwards to reinstate the original Anthem line-up, and their third
album saw a shift back to rock from the soul infatuation of its predecessors.
In 1988, they released the Abbey Road EP, featuring a pastiche of
the famous Beatles album pose on the cover (the band were totally
naked save for socks covering their genitalia). However, the mood
was darkened when Slovak took an accidental heroin overdose and died
in June. Deeply upset, Irons left, while the band recruited John Frusciante
(b. 5 March 1970, New York, USA; guitar) and Chad Smith (b. 25 October
1962, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; drums). After the release of Mother's
Milk, the single "Knock Me Down" was released as a tribute to Slovak.
For the commercially successful Blood Sugar Sex Magik they accurately
diagnosed their motivation, and much of their attraction: "Just recognizing
that I was a freak, but knowing that was a cool place to be." Producer
Rick Rubin, usually associated with the harder end of the metal and
rap spectrum ( Slayer, Danzig ), nevertheless brought out the band's
first ballads, including the classic US number 2 hit single "Under
The Bridge". Such sensitivity did little to deter the vanguard of
critics who raged at what they saw as the band's innate sexism. Frusciante
left in May 1992 and was replaced by a succession of guitarists, before
Dave Navarro (b. David Michael Navarro, 7 June 1967, Santa Monica,
California, USA; ex- Jane's Addiction ) joined in time to participate
in the recording of One Hot Minute, released in 1995. The band enjoyed
another transatlantic hit two years later with "Love Rollercoaster",
taken from the soundtrack of Beavis And Butt-Head Do America. Navarro
left the band in 1998 and was replaced by ex-member John Frusciante.
Having endured various personal upheavals, it was encouraging to hear
the band in such good shape on 1999's US/UK Top 5 album, Californication,
featuring stand-out tracks such as "Scar Tissue" (a US Top 10 single),
"Parallel Universe", and "Easily"
.
|
|
|
Recent
Albums
|
| |
|
|
|
The Best of Red ....
Released: 2000
Formats: CD |
| |
|
|
|
Californication
Released: 1999
Formats: Cassette, CD, Vinyl |
| |
|
|
|
Essential... [Limited
Edition]
Released: 1998
Formats: CD |
|
Buy them before they are outsold.
|
| Photos |
|
Click the pictures to have the
Large view
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
