Still Red Hot; Chili Peppers Rock On!

In a day when the full length record album or the CD have all but disappeared, and songs are bought more often individually than as collections, The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the few great rock bands still making great records in 2013. The impact they’ve had on music can be seen across the board - on MTV, at festivals and world tours, in record sales and election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two consistent elements in their success are front man Anthony Kiedis, and the legendary bass playing of Flea, who ranks at the top of the list of all time rock bassists.  Throughout their years, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have had four main guitar players who have influenced the band with their own unique styles – including rock, alternative, funk, psychedelic rock and jam rock.

Hillel Slovak
Original guitarist, Hillel Slovak, was born in Israel and relocated to Southern California, where he was exposed to hard rock guitar players like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Ace Freely and endless 70’s funk guitarists. His hard-playing funk style, most-often scripted on a 1972 vintage Fender Stratocaster, was the main factor in creating the original Chili Peppers sound. His style evolved to include elements of punk rock, speed metal and reggae, and incorporated psychedelic effects with emphasis on melody.

Slovak played a major role in earning the Chili Peppers acclaim throughout the music industry and across the world with two killer records, Freaky Style and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. “Freaky” was produced by George Clinton and was an assemblage of funk that echoes Parliament Funkadelic style. Its punk rock attitude paved the way for a whole new type of funk that is still huge in alternative rock and hip-hop today. “Uplift” took the Peppers away from funk and shifted their focus to punk, jam and psychedelic rock. Slovak often experimented outside of funk with talk-boxes and even sitar, as heard on the immortal “Behind the Sun.” Throughout this period, a serious drug addiction got the best of him. To the great loss of music lovers everywhere, he was found dead on June 27, 1988.

John Frusciante

About a year before Slovak died, a young teenage guitarist by the name of John Frusciante became obsessed with Slovak’s playing and became the band’s biggest fan. He was an acquaintance of Slovak’s and spoke with him often about playing shows and how it felt from the audience. His first Chili Peppers show had been at age 15, and by that time he had already auditioned with Frank Zappa. When Frusciante met Anthony Kiedis outside a show, Kiedis knew that when the time came, John was the obvious choice to join the band. John had been involved in the L.A. Punk scene, listening to The Germs and The Dead Kennedys, and then elevating his playing to the styles of Jeff Beck, Page, David Gilmour and Hendrix. He had not previously played much funk, but quickly mimicked Slovak’s styles. The funk evolved immediately after mixing up his playing with Flea’s bass lines.

John first played on “Mother’s Milk” in 1989. Immediately, there was more emphasis on melody vs. rhythm.  A cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” took off on MTV and the Chili Peppers were Rock Gods.  Rick Rubin was hired to produce their next record. A studio was set up in a haunted house in L.A. and over a few months the band recorded one of the greatest records in the history of Rock. “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic” was released in 1991. It is a collection of every type of music and every emotion.  Band members’ experiences bottled up from 4 lifetimes of positive vibes mixed with 4 lifetimes of tragedy. The result was a creation of excellence that rarely appears in any one musician’s lifetime. Frusciante contributed more than any other member on this masterpiece with his vintage Fender Stratocaster, using a different style on every song. Blindsided by his newfound fame, Frusciante left the band in 1992.

  Dave Navarro
After using fill-in players to wrap up their tour, the Peppers hired former Jane’s Addiction guitarist, Dave Navarro, and in 1995 recorded the highly underrated album “One Hot Minute.” Navarro’s contributions during this time are often overlooked, as are his lifetime achievements. During his Chili Peppers days, Navarro often played Parker Fly Guitars and a vintage Fender Stratocaster.

In 1998, John Frusciante returned to the band and created a massive songwriting comeback. “Californication,” “By the Way” and “Stadium Arcadium” all achieved the highest possible success. In 2007, the band added a second “touring” guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, who was a long time associate of Frusciante.

Josh KlinghofferIn 2008, Frusciante quit the band for a final time and was replaced full-time by Josh  Klinghoffer who wrote, collaborated and toured with the band, ultimately releasing “I’m With You” in 2011. Josh succeeded in stepping in to the guitar and song writing role in the band seamlessly. His playing style, which mimics Frusciante and Slovak at times, has added new life to the band. Klinghoffer has quickly bought up a large collection of vintage guitars, favoring vintage Fender Stratocasters and vintage Fender Telecasters. He has also been seen with some extremely rare 12 strings such as a vintage Fender Coronado and an ultra rare 12 String Gibson Firebird.

Still RockingRarely, in the history of Rock Music, has one band experienced as much success as the Peppers. To have four notable players on board in that time span is an unbelievable feat. And today, they’re still red hot.