Band history

1980s: EMI Records

1990s: Warner Brothers Records

2000-present

Music style

Themes

• The Red Hot Chili Peppers have written several songs addressing political topics. The song "Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky" from Mother's Milk is about the plight and affliction of the Native Americans, and this particular song made the public see Kiedis as of native-american heritage^{[citation needed]}, "I was born in a land, I don't think you understand god damn what I am. I'm a native of this place, Please don't slap me in my face, My race has been disgraced."

• The song "Green Heaven" from the eponymous album Red Hot Chili Peppers discusses police brutality and racism in America.

• The song "The Power of Equality" also speaks out against racism, and the lyrics are very similar in style to those of rap group Public Enemy, who are referenced in the song.

• "Californication" is critical of Hollywood's perceived superficiality.

• The song "Pea", from the album One Hot Minute, is about a personal experience Flea had being harassed by rednecks.

• The songs "I Could Die for You", "Dosed" and "This is the Place", off of the album By the Way, deal with issues related to drugs (as well as "Under the Bridge" and many other Chili Pepper songs). In "This is the Place", several street names are mentioned, possibly where Kiedis previously found heroin.

• The last track on Stadium Arcadium, "Death of a Martian", details about the death of Flea's dog, Martian.

• In the songs Dani California, By the Way, and Californication a character named Dani California is mentioned. Kiedis has explained that the character of Dani California embodies all the women from his past relationships.

• The song Emit Remmus from Californication is the phrase "Summer Time," backwards. The song refers to Kiedis' former relationship with a woman in London.

Line-up

Current Members

• Anthony Kiedis – Lead vocals (1983–present)
• Flea – bass, backing vocals, trumpet (1983–present)
• John Frusciante – Lead guitar and backing vocals(1988–92; 1998–present)
• Chad Smith – drums (1989–present)

Former Members

• Cliff Martinez – drums (1984–86)
• Arik Marshall – guitar (1992–93)
• Jack Irons – drums (1983-1984; 1986–88)
• DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight – guitar (1988)
• Dave Navarro – guitar (1993–98)
• D.H. Peligro – drums (1988)
• Jack Sherman – guitar (1984–85)
• Hillel Slovak – guitar (1983–84; 1985–88)
• Jesse Tobias – guitar (1993)
• Sam McNulty- guitar for two shows in 1987

Former touring backing musicians

• Keith "Tree" Barry – saxophone (1987–90)
• Rain Phoenix – backing vocals (1995–96)
• Rob Rule – backing vocals, guitar (1995–96)
• Acacia Ludwig – backing vocals (1995–96)
• Rene Molina - Drums (1989-2006)
• Greg Bianchini - egg shaker (1989)

Discography

Music Videos

Videography

• Red Hot Skate Rock (1988) - live
• Positive Mental Octopus (1989) - music videos
• Psychedelic Sexfunk Live from Heaven (1990) - live
• Funky Monks (1991) - making of Blood Sugar Sex Magik album
• Best Of The Cutting Edge Volume II (1991) - music videos
• What Hits!? (1992) - music videos
• Woodstock 1994 (1994) - live
• Free Tibet (1998) - live
• Woodstock 1999 (1999) - live
• Off the Map (2001) - live
• Rock Your Socks Off (Unauthorized) (2001) - documentary
• By the Way (2002) - music video single/making of By the Way video
• Rockthology 1: Hard N Heavy (2002) - music videos/interviews
• Greatest Hits and Videos (2003) - music videos/behind the scenes
• Live at Slane Castle (2003) - live
• Rock Odyssey 2004 (2004) - live
• The Last Gang In Town (2004) - documentary
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers Phenomenon (2006) - documentary
• Dani California (2006) - making of music video/interviews/behind the scenes
• Tell Me Baby (2006) - music videos
• iTunes Originals - Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006) - Combination of live performances, interviews and music videos available exclusively on iTunes

TV, film and other media

• Band members Flea and Anthony Kiedis have been featured individually and together in many movies and television shows.^{[5] [6]}

• Both Kiedis and Flea appeared in the film "The Chase" starring Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson.

• Kiedis and Flea were also featured in the music video for Wicked by rapper Ice Cube.

• The group has been featured on many movie soundtracks, most notably "Show Me Your Soul" from the Pretty Woman soundtrack; "Soul to Squeeze" from the Coneheads; "Love Rollercoaster", a cover of The Ohio Players hit song and "Search and Destroy" from the Beavis and Butthead Do America soundtrack; "Taste the Pain" on the Mother's Milk album from the film Say Anything; "Sikamikanico" from Wayne's World; "Dani California" featured in the Japanese motion picture Death Note and Snow also features in Death Note the second movie; "Higher Ground" from the movies Center Stage and The Power Rangers Movie.

• The band played themselves performing Set It Straight in the 1986 movie Tough Guys starring Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, & Dana Carvey.

• They performed 'Black-Eyed Blonde' in the 80's skateboard film 'Thrashin.

• The 1992 version of the band, with Arik Marshall standing in for Frusciante, appeared in an episode of The Simpsons titled "Krusty Gets Kancelled", in which Bart and Lisa helped Krusty save his career by showing a 'Krusty Komeback Special' featuring many celebrities ^[7]. They performed their song "Give it Away", although Krusty suggested that they change the song's lyric "What I got you gotta get it put it in you" to "What I'd like is I'd like to hug and kiss you", to which Flea and Marshall enthusiastically agree while Anthony Kiedis merely smiles at the suggestion.

Trivia

• According to The New York Times, Red Hot Chili Peppers', along with other bands' music has been used at high volumes to pressure captured Al Qaeda members.^[8]

• The band was ranked #30 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

• The band was referenced in the video game Tekken 4. In the Tekken force mini game, there are 5 ninjas that are harder to beat than the average ninja near the end of the game. They are named after the members (and former members) of the band; Anthony (Anthony Kiedis); Flea (Michael "Flea" Balzary); John (John Frusciante); Chad (Chad Smith) and Dave (Dave Navarro)

• Red Hot Chili Peppers' version of the song Higher Ground was covered in the 2005 game Guitar Hero.

• The band are known for playing bare chested or even naked at their concerts and in their videos.

Notes

Books

• Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis with Larry Sloman. ISBN 0-7515-3566-4

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