Funkin’ Up The Milky Way
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
“I’d rather feel than steal,” Kiedis resigns. “But it was all based on friendship. It was just a matter of us being friends and what a fine idea it would be to have four close friends as bearers of the zany new funk we had in our minds and bodies.”
At this point there’s much talk of individuals getting out on their own, Flea playing with hardcore aggro-jokers Fear, the shelf life of various L.A. bands and other one-liners that this writer cannot properly record due to EMI Records’ air conditioner blowing so hard it threatens to take the office and the three of us to the land of Oz to hang with Dorothy and her posse.
“I’ll give it to you straight, real quick,” says Flea. “Chili Peppers started as Hillel, Jack, Anthony and Flea. Jack and Hillel were both playing in What Is This?. We started the Peppers first for a joke, and all of a sudden it became’we opened this show for a friend of ours; just one song. It was really fun, and…”
“That’s all we played’one song,” swears Anthony.
How long was it?
“About three minutes.”
“Anyway,” Flea continues, “it was really fun, and we started to play more shows and write more songs. Then, all of a sudden, people were starting to take us seriously-’management, lawyers trying to get us record contracts and shit.”
“And at the same time I said fuck it and quit Fear. It was kind of mutual; they didn’t want me, and the Chili Peppers were much closer to my heart. They rejected me.”
Adds Kiedis: “And they rejected his bold musical concepts.”
Flea: “So, when the Chili Peppers got offered a record contract, What Is This? got offered a record contract. And Jack and Hillel had been playing for at least six years, so what were they supposed to do: Go with the joke band that got a deal after six months, or with the band they dedicated themselves to for six years? So they went with What Is This?, which is completely understandable.”
“Although I cried,” deadpans Kiedis.
“I didn’t cry,” says Flea.
“I did. I was emotionally devastated at the time.”
Really? (Sometimes I can’t tell when these guys are winding me up).
“I cried because I was so happy to finally be in a band and to be strutting my flesh around town, and for my friends to fall out like that… I thought we were over.”
“I didn’t care,” says a matter-of-factly Flea.
The Red Hots’ self-titled debut album was released in 1984. The Flea and the Swan hooked up with guitarist Jack Sherman and former Captain Beefheart/13.13 alumnus Cliff Martinez, and the national assault commenced. The album was produced by Andy Gill, the duke-of-dissonance guitarist from the late, great Gang Of Four. Did you ever hear the phrase, “Hindsight is always 20/20?”
Loading ...
