Get to know funk-rock legends Red Hot Chili Peppers
They're one of the best-selling artists of all time!
Since their inception in Los Angeles almost four decades ago, Red Hot Chili Peppers have carved a unique niche in the musical landscape with their instantly recognisable funk-tinged rock sounds.
One of the best-selling artists of all time with 120 million album sales under their collective belts, they’ve also been lavished with countless awards and headlined arenas, festivals and stadia across the world.
With fabled guitarist John Frusciante recently re-recruited to their ranks after a long decade away, plus two recent UK stadium dates, Absolute Radio takes a look a Red Hot Chili Peppers’ legendary career.
How long have Red Hot Chili Peppers been together?
Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Trailblazing with their distinct blend of punk and funk, the band has proved to be as successful as they are influential.
Indeed, so successful are Red Hot Chili Peppers that they’ve sold an estimated 120m records worldwide, have won six Grammys, three BRIT Awards and a whole lot more. Little wonder, then, they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012.
What was the band originally called?
Get ready for this... The original band name was Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. According to Kiedis, they were hoping to "reflect the majestic and chaotic nature of the band," but after just two performances under the moniker, they changed it up.
In his 2004 autobiography Scar Tissue, Anthony wrote about the origin of their final name: "We started going through these huge laundry lists of idiotic, meaningless, boring names. To this day both Keith 'Tree' Barry and Flea claim they came up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
"It's a derivation of a classic old-school American blues or jazz name. There was Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five, and also other bands that had 'Red Hot' this or 'Chili' that. But no one had ever been the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a name that would forever be a blessing and a curse."
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Band members
Red Hot Chili Peppers have employed something of a revolving door policy when it comes to band members, specifically drummers and guitarists.
Their band currently consists of singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante and is widely regarded as the definitive and classic line-up. It’s certainly the one behind the classic albums, ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ (1991), ‘Californication’ (1999), ‘By The Way’ (2002) and ‘Stadium Arcadium’ (2006).
Interestingly, if you add up all the current and past members of Red Hot Chili Peppers, you’ll have enough people to field a football team with a decent subs’ bench thrown in for good measure.
Previous members have included guitarists Hillel Slovak and Josh Klinghoffer, as well as Jane’s Addiction plankspanker Dave Navarro. Elsewhere, Jack Irons – later of Pearl Jam – and Chris Martinez have occupied the drum stool.
Jack Sherman served as the second guitarist for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, between Hillel's stints in the band. Sadly, Jack passed away in August 2020. The band took to their Instagram to write: 'We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed.
'Jack played on our debut album as well as our first tour of the USA. He was a unique dude and we thank him for all times good, bad and in between. Peace on the boogie platform.'
Which is their best album?
That all really depends on what you’re after. But really, any of the classic line-up albums are worth diving into, but they do contain caveats.
For example, ‘Stadium Arcadium’ clocks in at whopping 28 tracks spread over two CDS and runs for over two hours! That’s a quadruple album if you’re talking a vinyl equivalent. But it does contain the hits ‘Dani California’, ‘Tell Me Baby’ and ‘Snow (Hey Oh)’.
‘Californication’ is the band’s most successful commercial release and has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide, making it 5x Platinum. Which is hardly surprising as it houses the perennial favourites ‘Scar Tissue’, ‘Around The World’, ‘Parallel Universe’ and, of course, the title track.
But their high watermark is arguably their 1991 breakthrough album, ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magic’, which was released on the same day as Nirvana’s second album, ‘Nevermind’.
Bolstered by Rick Rubin’s production, this is an album informed by life experience that manifests itself in singles ‘Give It Away’, ‘Under The Bridge’, ‘Suck My Kiss’, ‘Breaking The Girl’ and ‘If You Have To Ask’. It’s also one of those rare albums whose appeal stretches beyond genres.
What is ‘Under The Bridge’ about?
There’s a grim irony at play here given that ‘Under The Bridge’ – the single that brought Red Hot Chili Peppers to the attention of mainstream audiences – is a song about despondency and drug addiction.
A heavy topic for a hit, for sure, which makes it all the more jaw-dropping that it was later covered by girl group All Saints! Badly Drawn Boy told us about how the song had inspired him in January 2020.
WATCH: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge Official Music Video
Have Red Hot Chili Peppers been in any movies?
Not as a band, but individual members have cropped up in films. Singer Anthony Kiedis appeared in the Keanu Reeves cult classic Point Break, as well as the movie adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis’ novel Less Than Zero (1987).
Drummer Chad Smith has made a number of TV appearances with his lookalike, comedian Will Ferrell.
Busiest of all is bassist Flea, who has appeared in over 30 films! His most memorable appearances are in Back To The Future Part II (1989) and Back To The Future Part III (1990), My Own Private Idaho (1991) and the Coen Brothers crime comedy classic The Big Lebowski (1998).
WATCH: Anthony Kiedis discusses the latest Red Hot Chili Peppers album
Did Red Hot Chili Peppers change guitarists?
They have on more than one occasion, but most recently guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who’s been Red Hot Chili Peppers’ plankspanker for 10 years, was given his marching order just before Christmas 2020. He was replaced by former guitarist John Frusciante, who returned to the band after a decade away.
According to Klinghoffer, all the material that he’d been working on with the band has been scrapped!
When is the new album coming out?
Red Hot Chili Peppers released their 12th and 13th albums, 'Unlimited Love' and 'Return of the Dream Canteen' in 2022. The former, released in April, went to Number 1 in both the US and UK, with the latter - released in October - going to Number 2 in the UK and Number 3 in the US.
Are Red Hot Chili Peppers touring?
After postponing plans in 2020, the band toured countries such as Italy, France, Greece and Belgium in 2022 for a 32-city trek, their first with guitarist John Frusciante back in the band.
The tour kicked off on 4th June 2022 in Seville, Spain, including special guests such as the Strokes, Beck, Haim, St. Vincent, Anderson .Paak, and more. Thundercat and King Princess on select dates, too.
The group announced in December 2022 that they'd be performing two UK stadium dates in July 2023 - taking to the stage at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Glasgow Hampden Park.
WATCH: Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers on riding the London Underground
You can hear the biggest hits from Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Absolute Radio playlist.
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