Red Hot Chili Peppers 1985
Introduction
Late 1985/early 1986 (it may have been later) Red Hot Chili Peppers entered my radar, probably due to the performance on the German television show Rockpalaßt. Energy, George Clinton, funk and “socks on cocks”. It was different and unique.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
In 1982 the predecessor to Red Hot Chili Peppers was founded by singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons, under the moniker Miraculously Majestic Masters Of Mayhem. At the request of a fiend an offshoot was founded by Kiedis and Flea, which was named Red Hot Chili Peppers. As Slovak and Irons were also part of the band What Is This?, Red Hot Chili Peppers was complemented with drummer Cliff Martinez and guitarist Jack Sherman. Both What Is This? and Red Hot Chili Peppers were offered record deals.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Socks On Cocks
Socks on Cocks
Early on Red Hot Chili Peppers created an infamous image with their “socks on cocks” act. At the end of a show the band appeared on stage dressed in nothing more than socks, wrapped around their penises. The gimmick was first used on July 4, 1983, at a show in a strip club.
Some time in the middle of July 1983 we played what would be a legendary Chili Pepper gig headlining the Kit Kat Club, which was a strip club that had been putting on rock shows. Since we were playing at a strip club and the girls would be dancing on stage with us, we decided to come out naked, except for long athletic socks that we’d wear over our stuff. We had already been playing shirtless, and we realised the power and beauty of nudity onstage.
Anthony Kiedis interview, GQ magazine, 2006
The act would often be repeated, especially during the band’s formative years. In 2000 the band retired the “socks on cocks” act.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Red Hot Chili Peppers
On August 10, 1984, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ debut album, titled The Red Hot Chili Peppers, was released. The album was produced by Gang Of Four guitarist Andy Gill, who presented the band in a radio-friendly manner, much to the band’s disappointment. Following a short and hefty tour relations between Kiedis and Sherman were volatile. By that time Slovak had left What Is This? and was enlisted in the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
N.B.:
Is the band name with or without ‘The’? The first three albums by the band were released using the moniker The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Afterwards ‘The’ disappeared, with the exception of the 1995 album One Hot Minute. The majority of the band’s albums are credited to Red Hot Chili Peppers, so this article follows that convention, even though Freaky Styley was officially released by the band with the prequel ‘The’.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley
Freaky Styley
On August 16, 1985, Red Hot Chili Peppers released their second album: Freaky Styley. The album was not successful, but critics received the album way better than the debut album.
More importantly, the band had had real fun during the album’s recording process, and it shows within every groove. The album was produced by George Clinton, the funk pioneer who had turned the music world on its head in the preceding decade with his influential Parliament Funkadelic empire. The band and Clinton connected, in a huge way.
George had a party atmosphere in the studio all the time, but a productive party atmosphere. You took care of business, but he made sure you had a lot of fun doing it.
Cliff Martinez, An Oral/Visual History by the Red Hot Chili Peppers by Brendan Mullen, 2010
The connection wasn’t just musical, drugs also played a big part. Clinton was a bulk consumer, of cocaine in particular. As a result the band used large quantities as well. The debt with the local dealer was huge, so huge that Clinton offered him the opportunity to appear on the album.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley – Recording session
When recording sessions commenced on April 8, 1985, at the United Sound Studios in Detroit, songs came quick. Early May the sessions were over, which had yielded 18 complete songs, many in several versions.
Musically, the band had embraced the funk in full. Bassist Flea plays the lead role on the album, his playing is forceful and leads the band to great heights. Guitarist Slovak makes his guitar cry at times, beautiful. Drummer Martinez builds a glorious groove. Singer Kiedis has never been that good (as a singer), but his raps fit the music perfectly. And, both covers actually contribute to the album. The addition of horns (Maceo Parker! Fred Wesley!) makes the album even more funky.
The only downsides are the somewhat tinny production (on some of the songs on the album’s second half) and the at times problematic lyrics. That goes for Catholic School Girls Rule in particular, as it originated from Kiedis having sex with a 14 year old minor, also after Kiedis found out her real age. He addresses it in his 2004 autobiography Scar Tissue in a way that only worsens the story. Also, a song like Sex Rap is rather juvenile. On the other hand, Kiedis also wrote a number of lyrics which are truly great, like Jungle Man (a tribute to bassist Flea), American Ghost Dance (the fall-out the arrival of Europeans brought to the original population in America) and Blackeyed Blonde. Besides, not all sex related lyrics are annoying. In Battleship the band chants “Blowjob park” (at one time considered as the song title), because of drummer Martinez’s experience, who was offered a blowjob time and again on Mulholland Drive where he was practicing his vocal lessons.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley – Ad
Cover and name
The album cover contains a photo of the band members jumping up and down in front of an image of the painting Giudizio Universale (The Last Judgment) by Michelangelo, which is originally part of the Sixteenth Chapel in Rome, Italy.
The title Freaky Styley represents something that’s ‘cool’:
At that time we called everything that was cool ‘Freaky Styley.’ A dance, a girl, a drumbeat, anything. When this whole process was finished and we were sitting around the kitchen table going, ‘What should we call the album?,’ Cliff looked up and said, ‘Why don’t we just call it what we call everything else? Freaky Styley.’
Anthony Kiedis, Scar Tissue, autobiography, 2004
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley – Inner sleeve
Flea on Freaky Styley
In the liner notes for the 2003 Freaky Styley re-release, Flea wrote:
I know the music on this record was just way too obscure to ever be popular in a mainstream kind of way, but to me it really holds its own as a definitive and substantial musical statement. More than any other record we ever made it falls into the category of “too funky for white radio, too punk rockin’ for black.” Of course, the songs were very far away from any pop format; I realise it is/was not just the racial segregation at radio that precluded it from being a popular record.
© 2003 Flea
Read the full liner notes in the sub article Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley – Reissue liner notes.
Review
Freaky Styley is my favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers album. The album is unpredictable, odd, funky and utterly unique in the band’s body of work. The music originates in funk, punk, psychedelic rock and even metal, which would be explored further on their next album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.
Even though the majority of the songs stem from the time before Slovak was included in the band again, his high quality and sparkling playing adds a lot to the overall sound. His freaky playing on the album’s title song is wonderful. The album’s 2003 remaster contains the full instrumental version, on which Slovak’s playing is even more impressive.
Arguably, the main ingredient of the album is the fact the band sounds relaxed and at ease. George Clinton really got the band to deliver at the top of their then current abilities. Which is a lot. Unfortunately, the band has never been able to recreate that, with the band shifting their focus to pop/rock songs, instead of the free jams and laisser-faire like approach, which made Freaky Styley such a great experience.
To me, Freaky Styley is the go-to Red Hot Chili Peppers album. Highly recommended!
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley – Singles
Singles
The album produced two singles, both of them released in 1985:
- Jungle Man
- Hollywood (Africa)
A video was made for the song Catholic School Girls Rule, which was only shown on Playboy TV, as the video contained images of a naked woman. Catholic School Girls Rule was not released as a single.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley – Back cover
Songs
All songs written by Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Jack Sherman & Cliff Martinez ($); Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak & Cliff Martinez (%); Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak & Jack Irons (#), unless stated otherwise.
- Jungle Man ($)
- Hollywood (Africa) (The Meters cover, Ziggy Modeliste, Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter Jr.)
- American Ghost Dance ($)
- If You Want Me To Stay (Sly & The Family Stone cover, Sylvester Stewart)
- Nevermind (#)
- Freaky Styley ($)
- Blackeyed Blonde ($)
- The Brothers Cup (#)
- Battleship ($)
- Lovin’ And Touchin’ ($)
- Catholic School Girls Rule ($)
- Sex Rap (#)
- Thirty Dirty Birds (%)
- Yertle The Turtle (Theodor Geisel)
The 2003 Freaky Styley remaster contained 4 bonus songs:
- Nevermind (demo)
- Sex Rap (demo)
- Freaky Styley (original long version)
- Millionaires Against Hunger
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Concert 09/17/1986 Ad (drummer Martinez had already been replaced by the time the show was played)
Musicians
- Anthony Kiedis – vocals
- Hillel Slovak – guitar, background vocals, co-vocals on Thirty Dirty Birds
- Flea – bass, background vocals
- Cliff Martinez – drums
With help from:
- Benny Cowan / Maceo Parker / Fred Wesley – trumpet / saxophone / trombone on Hollywood (Africa), American Ghost Dance, If You Want Me To Stay, Nevermind, The Brothers Cup, Yertle The Turtle
- Larry Fratangelo – percussion
- Steve Boyd, George Clinton, Shirley Hayden, Robert “Peanut” Johnson, Lous “Bro” Kabbabie, Pat Lewis, Mike “Clip” Payne, Garry Shider, Joel Virgel, Andre Foxxe – background vocals
- Uncredited, drug dealer Louie – “Look at that turtle go bro” on Yertle The Turtle
Red Hot Chili Peppers & George Clinton – Live Rockpalaßt 08/17/1985
After Freaky Styley
Red Hot Chili Peppers went out on tour (titled the Infinity Tour) to promote the Freaky Styley album, which consisted of 165 (!) shows. In August 1985 the band played Europe for the first time, in (West-)Germany and England. The performance on August 17, 1985, was part of the well-known German live music show Rockpalaßt, where George Clinton was also part of the bill. He guested on the song Hollywood (Africa). The complete performance was filmed and broadcast, which introduced the “socks on cocks” act to Europe.
Early 1986 the band received $5,000 to record a demo for their next album. With producer Keith Levene (of Public Image Ltd) Slovak spent $2,000 on drugs. Drummer Martinez had had it with the band’s shenanigans, but actually waited to be fired. On May 10, 1986, he played his last show with the band. To the band’s happiness and amazement, Jack Irons wanted to join the band, his first performance with Red Hot Chili Peppers took place on August 17, 1986. The original founders were together again for the first time since 1983.
Unfortunatley, both Kiedis and Slovak gradually descended deeper and deeper into their addictions. Kiedis “didn’t have the same drive or desire to come up with ideas or lyrics” and even fell asleep during rehearsals.
The recording sessions for the band’s third album, with producer Michael Beinhorn (of Material), were halted in the early stages. Kiedis was out of control and ended up being fired. Kiedis went into rehab, and the band went in search for a new singer, and was subsequently surprised by a reborn Kiedis. Re-enter Kiedis. The songs came quickly and built on the punk funk of Freaky Styley, leaning more to metal. Kiedis was so happy with the new music he wanted to celebrate, with drugs, ultimately ending the (successful) recording sessions on a sour note.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
On September 29, 1987, the third Red Hot Chili Peppers album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was released, which reached the Billboard Top 200. A North American tour followed, upon which the band went on their second stint through Europe. Red Hot Chili Peppers also played at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, Holland, but I wasn’t impressed by the show. During the show I ended up sitting at the bar. To introduce the band in the UK The Abbey Road E.P. was released in May 1988. During the tour the drug problems of Kiedis and Slovak worsened, sometimes with both disappearing for days on end. One of those times turned out to be fatal: on June 25, 1988, Slovak died of an overdose. Kiedis fled the country and refused to visit his friend’s funeral. Irons didn’t want to be part of a band that killed his friends and quit.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Abbey Road E.P.
The original Red Hot Chili Peppers line-up was over and a second period was about to start. The band found its new and definitive line-up with guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith, and the band evolved ever more towards pop and rock, instead of (the combination of) punk, funk and metal. One thing didn’t change, it would take years and years before all drug related problems, and the comings and goings of guitar players would finally be over. In the eyes of the general public, the band grew bigger and bigger with each album. In 1999 Red Hot Chili Peppers hit their commercial zenith with the release of Californication, which sold over 18 million copies. The band’s discography after the implosion of the original line-up is as follows:
- Mother’s Milk (1989)
- Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
- One Hot Minute (1995)
- Californication (1999)
- By The Way (2002)
- Stadium Arcadium (2006)
- I’m With You (2011)
- The Getaway (2016)
- Unlimited Love (2022)
- Return Of The Dream Canteen (2022)
The band released a couple of singles, which turned into huge hits, like Higher Ground, Give It Away, Under The Bridge, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication and Dani California.
In closing
To me, Red Hot Chili Peppers is the band that brought Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. The time that funk had the upper hand and the energy spat out of the speakers.
What’s your take on Red Hot Chili Peppers? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Red Hot Chili Peppers and George Clinton work together, Freaky Styley was the funky result. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
