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The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a California-based rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983.

They've maintained commercial and critical success since their breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik was released in 1991.

Even though they have experienced numerous line-up changes and personal problems, the band has successfully created a sound that combines elements of Funk, Punk, Rap, Psychedelic rock and lately Pop Rock.

Over the past 23 years, they have produced nine studio albums which have sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide and hold the record for most #1 Modern Rock hits with 9.

The current band members are: Anthony Kiedis (lead vocals), Michael Balzary, or Flea (Bass), John Frusciante (Guitar/Backing vocals), and Chad Smith (Drums).

Music style

The band's musical styles are very diverse, and range from punk to funk, from rock to metal and rap, electronic music and even jazz and blues.

Flea's bass style is an amalgamation of punk rock, funk and blues, borrowing from artists such as Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. The groove-heavy, low-tuned melodies, composed through either normal finger style or slapping, have contributed to the RHCP's signature style. While Flea's slap bass style was prominent in earlier albums, later albums (post Mother's Milk) have more melodic basslines.

The guitar styles of the four guitarists that have recorded albums with the group share common traits, featuring distorted, sharp sound with strong range. Replacement players appear to have tried to stay as close as possible to original guitarist Hillel Slovak's style with its heavy blues and funk elements. Current guitarist John Frusciante brought a more melodic, textured, and deep sound; Dave Navarro focused on a style rooted in heavy metal, progressive, and psychedelic rock.

Kiedis provides a range of vocal styles for RHCP songs, with his style of rapping and spoken verse (the latter being characteristic of his vocals up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik) complemented with more traditional vocals have helped the band maintain a relatively consistent style.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have written several songs addressing political topics. The song "Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky" from Mother's Milk is about the plight and affliction of the Native Americans, and this particular song made the public see Kiedis as part-Native, "I was born in a land, I don't think you understand god damn what I am I'm a native of this place." The song "Green Heaven" from Red Hot Chili Peppers discusses police brutality and racism in America. "The Power of Equality" also speaks out against racism, and the lyrics are very similar in style to those of rap group Public Enemy, who are referenced in the song. "Californication" is critical of globalization. The song "Pea" from the album One Hot Minute is about a personal experience Flea had being harassed by rednecks.

History

Fairfax High School alumni Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary (Flea), Hillel Slovak, and Jack Irons founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers (originally "Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem"), after what was supposed to be a one-time performance in 1983. Later in that same year, they secured a record deal with EMI.

Irons and Slovak were committed to their original band, What Is This?, and for the recording sessions for their self titled debut, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Sherman was brought in on guitar and Cliff Martinez on drums. Produced by Andy Gill, the album did not achieve commercial success. The ensuing tour did not fare much better, with internal fighting resulting in Sherman's leaving the band, at which point Slovak returned.

Parliament-Funkadelic's George Clinton was hired to produce their second album, 1985's Freaky Styley. Martinéz would leave the band soon after the release of the album, allowing the return of original drummer Jack Irons in early 1986.

While the album did garner some attention from college radio, mainstream radio gave it little notice.

The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Slovak's death

In September of 1987 The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was released. Produced by Michael Beinhorn, this would be the only album with the four original high school friends performing, and would be their first to enter the Billboard Top 200. It's first single, "Fight Like a Brave", would later be featured in 2001 on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 video game.

Drug problems, which have haunted the band throughout it's career, came to public light when Slovak relapsed during the Uplift Mofo tour, resulting in erratic behaviour and botched performances. Shortly after the band returned from touring, on June 27, 1988, Slovak was found dead of a heroin overdose. When news spread of the death of one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, everyone (including Blackie Dammett, Anthony Kiedis' father) assumed it was Anthony, because of the severity of Anthony's drug addiction. It wasn't until later that they discovered the truth. Anthony couldn't be immediately tracked down, as he was somewhere in Los Angeles, getting high. Jack Irons left the band soon after, saying he didn't want to be in a band where all his friends were dying.

The band temporarily employed Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro and former P-Funk guitarist DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight, later replacing them with Chad Smith and John Frusciante. Mother's Milk was released in August 1989, providing the band with their first top modern rock hit with their tribute ballad to Slovak, "Knock Me Down" . The album reached #52 on the album charts, the best chart position yet for the band at that point. Frusciante proved to be a prodigious and talented guitarist, and that contributed to that album being their breakthrough album. Although it's their breakthrough album to the mainstream, the band usually refrains from playing it in live concerts due to John's dislike of the "macho" way he used to play on it.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

The group moved to Warner Brothers Records and Rick Rubin was hired in 1991 to produce their fifth album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, which would sell seven million copies in the United States.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik was listed at number 310 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and in 1992 it climbed all the way to #3 on the U.S. album charts almost a year after its release.

Success was taking its toll on Frusciante, who decided to quit the band during the BSSM tour in May of 1992. After headlining Lollapalooza festival in 1992 with replacement guitarist Arik Marshall, and briefly with Jesse Tobias of the California based band Mother Tongue in 1993, former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro joined in 1993.

One Hot Minute and Navarro

Dave Navarro first appeared with the band at Woodstock 1994, and a year later appeared on the album One Hot Minute.

The album featured the familiar blend of funk, metal, and jazz, but this time showed increased heavy, psychedelic influences. The album was a commercial success, selling five million copies internationally and reaching double-platinum status in the USA. The band parted ways with Navarro in 1998, after four years together.

Californication and Frusciante's return

Frusciante rejoined the band in 1998 after spending time in rehab for drug problems and releasing two solo albums. The refreshed, refocused, and re-energized guitarist was on board for the band's 1999 release, Californication. Unexpectedly, it became a massive success, outselling Blood Sugar Sex Magik and reintroducing them to a new generation of fans.

The album peaked at #3 in USA and produced three more modern rock hits--the Grammy-winning "Scar Tissue", "Otherside" and "Californication", and also made it onto the modern rock charts with "Around the World", "Road Trippin'" (UK single), and "Parallel Universe", which broke the Top 40 modern rock charts despite not being released as a single. Compared to their previous albums, Californication contains few rap-driven songs. The band went on a tour which lasted nearly two years and featured some of their largest shows, including a Moscow performance in front of 200,000 people and a performance at the controversial Woodstock 1999 festival. In 2001, they released their first concert DVD, Off The Map which was directed by longtime friend, Dick Rude, who also directed the music videos for "Catholic School Girls Rule" and "Universally Speaking".

The band returned to the studio in early 2001 and finally released By The Way more than a year later on July 9th 2002. The album at the time was their biggest chart debut entering the charts at #2 and produced the hit singles "By The Way", "The Zephyr Song" , "Can't Stop", "Dosed", and "Universally Speaking" which was only released in Europe as a single and video. The group went on another two year tour, releasing their second concert DVD, Live at Slane Castle in 2003 and recorded two new songs, "Fortune Faded" and "Save The Population" for their Greatest Hits album released later that year.

In 2004, the group released their first ever live album, Live in Hyde Park. Recorded during their 2004 performances in London, it featured two new songs: "Rolling Sly Stone" and "Leverage Of Space".

Stadium Arcadium

In 2006 they completed their ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium. Although 38 songs were created with the intention to be released as 3 mini-albums spaced six months apart it was released in May 2006 as a 28-track double album to positive reviews. The first disc is titled "Jupiter", the second "Mars", and each contains 14 songs.

In the album's first week, it sold 442,000 units in the United States alone, becoming their best-selling album after one week, surpassing the record held by By the Way. The record's first single "Dani California," was the band's fastest-selling single, topping the charts in the US and going to #2 in the UK.

The album debuted at #1 - their first album to top the charts in the United States, where it stayed for two weeks. It also debuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart and topped the charts in 25 other countries.

On the 16th of June the Red Chili Peppers video for their new single "Tell me baby" was shown on British TV. It is due for release on the 17th July.

There has been slight controversy over small similarities between the intros of "Dani California" and Tom Petty's 'Mary Jane's Last Dance". There has been no action from Tom Petty on this issue.

TV and film

Band members Flea and Kiedis have been featured individually and together in many movies and TV appearances.

The group has been featured on many movies soundtracks, most notably "Show Me Your Soul" from the Pretty Woman soundtrack; "Soul to Squeeze" from the Coneheads, "Love Rollercoaster", a cover of The Ohio Players hit song from Beavis and Butthead Do America, and "Sikamikanico" from Wayne's World. "Dani California" was also featured in the Japanese motion picture Death Note.

The 1992 version of the band, with Marshall standing in for Frusciante, appeared in an episode of The Simpsons in which Bart and Lisa helped Krusty save his career by showing a Krusty Komeback Special featuring many celebrities. They performed their song "Give it Away," although Krusty suggested that they change the lyrics to the song which is a reference to Ed Sullivan instructing The Doors to change the lyrics to their song, "Light My Fire."

Members

Current

• Michael Balzary (Flea) – 1983-present
• Anthony Kiedis – 1983-present
• John Frusciante – 1988-1992, 1998-present
• Chad Smith – 1989-present

Former

• Chuck Biscuits – 1985
• Dix Denney – 1983
• Jack Irons – 1983-1984, 1986-1988
• Arik Marshall – 1992-1993
• Cliff Martinez – 1984-1986
• DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight – 1988
• Dave Navarro – 1993-1998
• D.H. Peligro – 1988
• Jack Sherman – 1984-1985
• Hillel Slovak – 1983-1984, 1985-1988
• Jesse Tobias – 1993

Former touring backup musicians

• Keith "Tree" Barry – 1987-1990 (saxophone)
• Rain Phoenix – 1995-1996 (backing vocals)
• Rob Rule – 1995-1996 (backing vocals/guitar)
• Acacia Ludwig – 1995-1996 (backing vocals)

Discography

Videography

• Red Hot Skate Rock (1989) - live
• Positive Mental Octopus (1989) - music videos
• Psychedelic Sexfunk Live from Heaven (1990) - live
• Funky Monks (1991) - making of Blood Sugar Sex Magik album
• Best Of The Cutting Edge Volume II (1991) - music videos
• What Hits!? (1992) - music videos
• Woodstock 1994 (1994) - live
• Free Tibet (1998) - live
• Woodstock 1999 (1999) - live
• Off the Map (2001) - live
• Rock Your Socks Off (Unauthorized) (2001) - documentary
• "By the Way" (2002) - music video single/making of By The Way video
• Rockthology 1: Hard N Heavy (2002) - music videos/interviews
• Greatest Hits and Videos (2003) - music videos/behind the scenes
• Live at Slane Castle (2003) - live
• The Last Gang In Town (2004) - documentary
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers Phenomenon (2006) - documentary
• Dani California (2006) - making of music video/interviews/behind the scenes

References

1. VH1 biography
2. Catucci, Nick. "Red Hot Chili Peppers: Stadium Arcadium" (review). Blender magazine, June 2006 (Issue 48), p. 146
3. Flea on IMDB
4. Anthony Kiedis on IMDB
5. RHCP on The Simpsons

External Links

• Official site
• Red Hot Chili Peppers at MySpace
• Stadium-Arcadium.com Unofficial Fansite
• Red Hot Chili Peppers at All Music Guide
• Tour dates at pollstar.com

• Funk musical groups
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• 1980s music groups
• 1990s music groups
• 2000s music groups
• American musical groups
• Los Angeles musical groups
• Rock music groups
• Alternative musical groups
• Bands from California