Red Hot Chili Peppers
...Chili Peppers (originally Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem) were formed after what was supposed to be a one-time performance in 1983 by Fairfax High School alumni Michael "Flea" Balzary, Jack Irons, Anthony Kiedis, and Hillel Slovak. Later in that same year, they secured a record deal with EMI.
Irons and Slovak were committed to their original band, What Is This?, so the sessions for their self titled debut, Red Hot Chili Peppers were recorded with Jack Sherman on guitar and Cliff Martinez on drums. Produced by Gang of Four's Andy Gill, the album did not achieve commercial success. The ensuing tour did not fare much better, with internal fighting resulting in Sherman 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 left 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.
Their first album to enter the Billboard Top 200, 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, was produced by Michael Beinhorn. This would be the only album to feature the four original high school friends. Its first single, "Fight Like a Brave", would later be featured on the soundtrack to the video game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 in 2001.
During the supporting tour, drug problems, which have haunted the band throughout its career, came to public light when Slovak relapsed; resulting in erratic behaviour and botched performances. Shortly after the band returned from some performances in Europe 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, Kiedis' father) assumed it was Kiedis,...
View Full Essay
