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History

Formation and first album (1983–1984)

A promotional flyer featuring the band from 1986.
Red Hot Chili Peppers (originally Tony Flow and the Miraculous Masters of Mayhem)[3] were formed by Fairfax High School alumni Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak, Jack Irons, and Michael "Flea" Balzary following what was supposed to be a one time performance in 1983.[4] As Slovak was already committed to another group, What Is This?, the foursome never intended to become part of the ubiquitous Los Angeles punk scene. Their first performance was at the Rhythm Lounge, to a crowd of roughly 30 people.[5] One song had been created for the occasion, which involved the band improvising music while Kiedis rapped a poem he had written called "Out in L.A.".[6] The performance was so lively that those in charge of promoting the show asked the band to return the following week.[5] Due to this unexpected success, the members changed the band's name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, playing several more shows at various LA clubs and musical venues. Six songs from these initial shows were recorded onto the band's first demo tape.[7]
Several months after their first performance, the band was signed to the record label EMI. However, two weeks earlier, What Is This? had obtained a record deal with MCA, and as Slovak and Irons considered the Red Hot Chili Peppers a side project, they quit to pursue their first project. Instead of dissolving the band, Kiedis and Flea decided to recruit new members.[8] Cliff Martinez, an acquaintance of Flea's, was asked to join the Chili Peppers shortly thereafter. Auditions for a new guitarist produced Jack Sherman.
Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill was hired to produce their first album. Despite Kiedis and Flea's misgivings, he pushed the band to play with a cleaner, crisper and more radio-friendly sound.[9] The Red Hot Chili Peppers was released on August 10, 1984, and was a commercial flop.[10] It initially sold approximately 25,000 units, and garnered little marketable recognition.[11] The ensuing tour fared little better, as continuing musical and lifestyle tension between Kiedis and Sherman complicated the transition between concert and daily band life.[12][13] Sherman was fired soon after, with Slovak returning to the Chili Peppers after growing tired of What is This?

Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1985–1988)
George Clinton was selected to produce the next Red Hot Chili Peppers album, Freaky Styley. The album was recorded in Detroit's famed R&B and funky United Sound Systems studios on the edge of Wayne State University's campus. Clinton combined various elements of punk and funk into the band's repertoire,[14] allowing their music to incorporate a variety of distinct styles. However, though the band had a much better relationship with Clinton than with Gill,[15] Freaky Styley, released on August 16, 1985, was hardly more successful than the band's first release, failing to make an impression on any chart. The subsequent tour was also considered unproductive by the band.[16]
Cliff Martinez departed from the group in the summer of 1986, and the band temporarily hired Chuck Biscuits to finish the tour. Jack Irons, out of work and finally separated from other commitments, rejoined the group, to Anthony, Flea, and Hillel's great surprise. The band chose Michael Beinhorn to produce their next album.[17] Songs began to form quickly, and the album's shape came into view, blending the same funk feel and rhythms as Freaky Styley, but also taking a harder, more immediate approach to punk rock and funk metal.[18] Reuniting all four original members renewed their creativity, enlivening the recording process.[19]

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' original lineup c. 1988. Left to right: Jack Irons, Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak.
On September 29, 1987 The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was released. It was the first Red Hot Chili Peppers' album to appear on the charts; although it peaked at only #148 on the Billboard Hot 200,[20] this was a significant success compared to the Chili Peppers' first two albums.
During this period, however, Kiedis and Slovak had both developed serious drug addictions,[21] often abandoning the band, each other, and their significant others for days on end. Slovak's addiction led to his death on June 25, 1988, not long after the conclusion of the Uplift tour.[22] Kiedis fled the city and did not attend Slovak's funeral, considering the situation to be surreal and dreamlike.[23] Jack Irons subsequently left the group, saying that he did not want to be part of a group where his friends were dying.[24]

Mother's Milk (1989–1990)
In an attempt to cope with the death of Slovak and the departure of Irons, Kiedis and Flea temporarily employed Dead Kennedys drummer D. H. Peligro and former P-Funk guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight. Neither sparked any notable chemistry and they were each replaced rapidly. However, Peligro's brief tenure did have one vital, long-term consequence for the Red Hot Chili Peppers - his association with the band led an acquaintance of his, John Frusciante, to audition for the band's empty guitarist role. Frusciante was fascinated with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and, as a result, was particularly interested in auditioning. Following a constructive jam (which would later appear on Mother's Milk as Pretty Little Ditty), there was a unanimous decision to accept Frusciante into the band.[25]
Three weeks prior to the beginning of recording, the band was still without a drummer, despite several auditions. Eventually, a close friend of the band told them about a drummer she knew, Chad Smith, who was so proficient on the drums he "ate [them] for breakfast".[26] Kiedis had qualms about allowing Smith to try out; however, he agreed to give the drummer a chance. At his audition, Smith overwhelmed the band by not only matching Flea's intricate and complex rhythm, but even beginning to lead him. After this successful jam session, Kiedis, Frusciante and Flea admitted Smith into the band.
The recording of the band's fourth album was hindered by conflict with producer Michael Beinhorn, whose primary agenda was to give Frusciante's guitar playing a loud, overpowering sound, similar to the abrasive tones utilized in heavy metal.[27] This modification caused Frusciante great discomfort, as it did not fit with his preferred style of guitar playing.[28]
The Chili Peppers' fourth album, Mother's Milk was released in August of 1989, and gave them their first top modern rock hits - a tribute ballad to Slovak, "Knock Me Down",[4] and their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground". The album reached #52 on the American album charts and became the band's first gold record.[29]