Red Hot Chili Peppers (sometimes referred to as RHCP) is an American rock band. They formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983.

The band's current line-up consists of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), Chad Smith (drums) and Josh Klinghoffer (guitar). The group's musical style has fused traditional funk with elements of other genres, including punk and psychedelic rock.

The group's original line-up featured guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. Slovak died of a heroin overdose in 1988, resulting in Irons's departure.[2] Former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro briefly replaced Irons before the band found a permanent replacement in Smith. Guitarist John Frusciante replaced Slovak. This line-up recorded the band's fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth albums, Mother's Milk (1989), Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), Californication (1999), By the Way (2002), and Stadium Arcadium (2006).

Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the group's first commercial success, has sold over seventeen million copies. Frusciante grew uncomfortable with the success of the band and left abruptly in 1992, in the middle of the album tour. His use of heroin increased. After recruiting guitarist Arik Marshall to complete the tour, Kiedis, Flea, and Smith employed Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction for their subsequent album, One Hot Minute (1995). Although commercially successful, the album failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, selling less than half as well as its predecessor. Navarro left the band shortly after the album's release. Frusciante, fresh out of drug rehabilitation, rejoined the band in 1998 at Flea's request. The reunited quartet returned to the studio to record Californication (1999), which sold fifteen million copies – the band's most commercially successful album. That album was followed three years later by By the Way (2003), which was also successful. In 2006, the group released the double album Stadium Arcadium, their first number one album in America. After a world tour, the group went on an extended hiatus. Frusciante announced he was amicably leaving the band to focus on his solo career.[3] Josh Klinghoffer, who had worked both as a sideman for the band on their Stadium Arcadium tour and on Frusciante's solo projects, joined as lead guitarist.[4] The Red Hot Chili Peppers have recently finished their tenth studio album, entitled I'm With You, which will be released on August 30, 2011 and will be their first release with Klinghoffer.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have won 7 Grammy Awards. The band has sold over 85 million albums worldwide, charting eight singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 (including three in the Top 10), five number one singles on the Mainstream Rock charts, and a record of eleven number one singles on the Modern Rock charts.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2011 (from left to right) Flea, Josh Klinghoffer, Chad Smith, Anthony Kiedis
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Funk rock Alternative rock Punk rock[1]
Years active	1983–present
Labels	EMI, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Ataxia, Jane's Addiction, The Mars Volta, What Is This?
Website	www.redhotchilipeppers.com
Members
Anthony Kiedis Flea Chad Smith Josh Klinghoffer
Past members
John Frusciante Hillel Slovak Dave Navarro Jesse Tobias Arik Marshall D.H. Peligro DeWayne McKnight Jack Irons Cliff Martinez Jack Sherman

Mother's Milk (1989–90) :

Attempting to cope with Slovak's death and Irons's departure, Kiedis and Flea temporarily employed Dead Kennedys drummer D. H. Peligro and former P-Funk guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight. Neither fit and they were each replaced rapidly. However, Peligro's brief tenure did have one vital, long-term consequence: he introduced John Frusciante, an acquaintance, and got him to audition for the band's empty guitarist role. Frusciante was fascinated with the band and was interested in auditioning. Following a constructive jam (which would later appear on Mother's Milk as "Pretty Little Ditty"), the band members unanimously decided to accept him.[40]

Three weeks prior to the beginning of recording, the band was still without a drummer. Philip "Fish" Fisher from fellow LA based Punk-Funk band Fishbone briefly joined the band and is featured on the track "Taste the Pain". Eventually, a 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".[41] Kiedis had qualms about allowing Smith to try out; however, he agreed to give him 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. Smith was told to shave his head to fit into the band's style, but was nonetheless still allowed into the band when he showed up the next day with the same bandana.

In April 1989, the Chili Peppers embarked on a short tour to familiarize Smith and Frusciante with how the band managed live performances.[42] The "Positive Mental Octopus tour" saw the band play small venues throughout the United States, including several concerts on the East and West Coast. During this period, Frusciante began to assert more energy and his ego "got a little swollen", according to Flea, "He was running around being rude to girls and getting them pissed off. But that's to be expected, I mean, shit, you're 18 years old and you want to get laid really bad and all of a sudden you're in a band, the girls want to fuck. You're bound to go crazy."[43] Another incident, following a performance at the George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, caused legal repercussions; a student accused Kiedis of engaging in sexual misconduct and indecent exposure. The vocalist was subsequently arrested and released on bail pending a trial that was to be set for a later date.[43]

Recording 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.[44] Although there had been stress and conflict during the recording of other Chili Peppers albums, the Mother's Milk sessions were especially uncomfortable due to Beinhorn's incessant desire to create a hit. Beinhorn recalled that he and the band were at odds: "Suffice to say that I had a very intense personal relationship [with the band] and somewhere along the line I fell out with [them]."[45] He constantly clashed with Frusciante over guitar effects. According to Kiedis, "[Beinhorn] wanted John to have a big, crunching, almost metal-sounding guitar tone whereas before we always had some interesting acid-rock guitar tones as well as a lot of slinky, sexy, funky guitar tones."[46] Frusciante was frustrated with the producer's attitude and ultimately resented his playing on the record, feeling it was too "macho".[47] Kiedis recalled that, in the end, "I couldn't tolerate his direction any longer. He was trying to squeeze something out of me that I wasn't feeling, and we got in a fight and I knew that I was done with him."[46]

Mother's Milk was released in August 1989, and gave them their first top modern rock hits—a tribute ballad to Slovak, "Knock Me Down",[5] their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", and the song "Taste the Pain", which formed part of the film Say Anything... 's soundtrack. The anthem "Magic Johnson", a tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers pointguard and fellow Michigander, is still sung at Los Angeles Lakers games. The album reached No.52 on the American album charts and became the band's first gold record.