Biography

The Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Californian rock band that has combined aspects of funk and hip-hop with rock and roll, pioneering funk metal. One critic has summarized their lyrics as "sex, good times, rock and roll and more sex" with some truth, though some of their biggest hits, such as Under The Bridge, have been considerably more introspective. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of their sound is the bass playing of Flea, whose flashy, slap-heavy playing not only provides a groove but is also the source of many musical flourishes. They are also well known for playing bare chested; in fact Flea often goes one step further and performs naked on stage.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' label were originally signed to an EMI subsidiary known as EMI Manhattan. Epic Records offered the band a contract where each member would be paid a million dollars, but only if Epic would release them from their contract with EMI Manhattan by paying them off. Epic and EMI Manhattan hit a wall in negotiations, the deal fell through and the Red Hot Chili Peppers signed with Warner Brothers Records. Their breakthrough record Blood Sugar Sex Magik as well as all subsequent records were released on Warner Brothers Records and were produced by Rick Rubin.

Their earlier work was a fusion of funk and punk rock with a party attitude. After the sobering death of guitarist Hillel Slovak, the Red Hot Chili Peppers would also lose Jack Irons, which would lead to the addition of current members, John Frusciante and Chad Smith. It was after the death of Hillel that the band had their most success.

It wasn't until 1983, with Flea back on board and a new name - the Red Hot Chili Peppers - that the band began making serious inroads into the music industry. Despite the absence of Irons and Slovak (who were under contractual obligations to What Is This?), the new group, consisting of Flea, Kiedis, Jack Sherma, and Cliff Martinez, managed to release a self-titled debut. Soon Irons and Slovak would return, and the Chili Pepper's set about the ultimately successful task of achieving recognition for their energetic live show.

In 1985 the band released their second album Freaky Styley, produced by George Clinton. Although the album failed to achieve high sales with the album, it was a critically step in the development of the still young Red Hot Chili Peppers. It wasn't until their third album that the band returned to it's Anthem roots and presented its original lineup. The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was released in 1987 to better-than-expected record sales and featured one of the band's most legendary songs, "Party on Your Pussy".

Tragedy struck the band shortly after the release of their next album, the Abbey Road EP when guitarist Hillel Slovak died of an accidental heroin overdose in 1988. Dumbstruck and depressed, the band was on the verge of falling apart after Irons left to come to terms with what had happened. To replace the two departed members of their band, the remaining Chili Peppers recruited drummer Chad Smith and fan John Frusciante on guitars.

Mother's Milk was released in 1989 and it seemed as though the band would finally climb the music ladder. Building upon the success of their Slovak tribute " Knock Me Down" and the Stevie Wonder cover "Higher Ground", the band achieved modest MTV exposure and were set form something bigger. Hard times fell once again, however, as the band found its way into trouble. Kiedis was convicted of indecent exposure and sexual battery in 1989 and the band greater even larger problems during the taping of a MTV special. Flea and Smith had an altercation with a female audience member and were promptly charged and found guilty of numerous, moderately serious battery charges.

It was with the release of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's next album, BloodSugarSexMagik that the band slowly began to turn things around. The release was both a critical and commercial success, selling more than three million copies and featuring the hit singles "'Under The Bridge" and "Give It Away". Critics differed, however, on just what message the album held. While some felt that it was a mark in the career of the Chili Peppers, others "raged at what they saw as the band's innate sexism". If anything, the album announced to the world that the Red Hot Chili Pepper's had arrived. A headlining act followed on Lollapalooza, and record sales remained strong.

In May 1992 Frusciante left the band and was ultimately replaced ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. The Chili Pepper's remained fairly silent until 1995 when the monster animated film Beavis And Butt-Head Do America was released to theatres. "Love Rollercoaster", a Chili Pepper's track featured on the movie's soundtrack reached the charts and brought the band back into the public eye.

The Red Hot Chili Pepper's endless member-shuffle continued in 1998 as the newest member Navarro left and was replaced by ex-member John Frusciante. fter a lay-off 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 Ladies 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 re-focused 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's 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 haulted 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.

In the Summer of 2004 the band embarked on a tour of Europe, playing in stadium sized venues, their first tour of playing venues of this magnitude. New songs were revealed at these shows to the delight of fans, these songs were "Leverage of Space", "Rolling Sly Stone" and "Mini-Epic". The shows played at Hyde Park in London were recorded and compiled to form the band's only live album to date Live in Hyde Park. The album was released very quickly after these shows (about a month and half) and included two of the new songs "Leverage of Space" and "Rolling Sly Stone". The songs included on the album draw heavily from the albums Californication and By the Way with no material included from before Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

Another new song was revealed in November of 2004, at the Bridge Benefit Concert. The real name of this song is unknown but it is known amongst fans as 'Desecration Smile'. It is unknown if this song will appear on the band's next album.

It has recently been revealed that the band are finishing up work on their ninth studio album with the final vocals tracks being recorded. The songs that were debuted last summer are said not to be included on the album. John Frusciante has recently said the following: "There's heavier stuff than the band's ever done, and there's also a lot of beautiful, soaring melodies, I feel like everybody's taking their instrument to a new level." He has also cited that his favourite track off the album is entitled "Only 18". The band spent seven months writing and rehearsing before entering the studio to record. Flea has also said the following: "There are also a lot of fucked-up aspects to it, all kinds of flaws and dirt that I like to hear on records." The band is playing in Las Vegas to celebrate the city's 100th aniversary with Weezer on July 2nd. Many fans speculate that new songs will be performed at this night