"Sick Love" is the third single from '' The Getaway'', an album by the American rock band

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

. Elton John performs on the song which was also co-written by John and longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin.

Background

According to

Josh Klinghoffer Josh Adam Klinghoffer (born October 3, 1979) is an American musician best known for being the guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, with whom he recorded two studio albums, '' I'm with You'' (2011) and '' The Geta ...

, "Sick Love" "was a song that we were working on for a while before we started recording it, and it just sounded like Elton John was involved somehow, someway. So we thought we should just invite him down and see if he likes it and wants to play on it."

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...

said of the recording "He was kind of nervous. It was actually really kind of cute. When he came in, he looked for somewhere to sit really quick, and he sat down." Anthony Kiedis added "As soon as he touched the piano it was magical. You try not to be a fan boy, but it is Sir Elton John...It’s a real honor for us to have him on the record." The chord structure and melody of the song were inspired by John's song "

Bennie and the Jets "Bennie and the Jets" (also titled "Benny & the Jets") is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. The song first appeared on the ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' album in 1973. "Bennie and ...

Music video

A music video was confirmed by

to be in production on November 13, 2016. The animated video was directed and illustrated by

Beth Jeans Houghton Beth Jeans Houghton (a.k.a. Du Blonde) (born 3 January 1990) is an English multi-disciplinary musician, composer, artist, animator and video director. Their influences range from psychedelic rock, punk, blues, 1960s garage rock and soul. They ...

and animated by Joseph Brett and Houghton, was released on December 4, 2016. The adult-swim animation features several references to the Australian model Helena Vestergaard (Anthony Kiedis' former girlfriend) and the relationship between her and the Chili Peppers' vocalist. On the clip, an Australian girl leaves home heading to Hollywood, California, where she finds a vastly different reality than the dreamy scenario commonly portrayed by the media. She then relates with Kiedis and their relationship nuances are literally and metaphorically presented. There are also a few references to Elton John's song "Bennie and the Jets" in the beginning of the music video (on the girl's shirt, TV and on a Music Store in Hollywood).

Live performances

"Sick Love" made its live debut on May 26, 2016 at the band's iHeartRadio album preview show in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Personnel

Red Hot Chili Peppers * Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals *

– guitar, backing vocals, keyboards *

Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

– bass *

– drums Additional musicians * Elton John – piano *

Mauro Refosco Mauro Refosco is a Brazilian percussionist. He is best known for working with singer David Byrne and as the former touring and session percussionist for the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is a member of the experimental supergrou ...

– percussion * Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton – synthesizers

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2016 singles 2016 songs Red Hot Chili Peppers songs Danger Mouse Warner Records singles