Freaky Styley

''Freaky Styley'' is the second studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released August 16, 1985 on EMI America. ''Freaky Styley'' marks founding guitarist Hillel Slovak's studio album debut, following his return to the band earlier in the year. The album is the last to feature drummer Cliff Martinez. ''Freaky Styley'' was produced by George Clinton, of Parliament-Funkadelic, and the sessions benefitted from Clinton's chemistry with the band but suffered from the band's drug use during recording.

The music on the record draws influence from funk, punk rock, and psychedelic rock, while the lyrical content was inspired by the band members' lives in Hollywood. " Jungle Man" and "Hollywood (Africa)" were released as promotional singles while " Catholic School Girls Rule" and "Jungle Man" had music videos made for them. Critics viewed the album as an improvement upon the band's debut album, praising ''Freaky Styleys musical experimentation and production. However, it did not achieve mainstream success and failed to enter the ''Billboard'' 200. The band embarked on the Infinity Tour to promote the album.

Background

Red Hot Chili Peppers was formed by Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak, Flea, and Jack Irons while they attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. Originally named Tony Flow & the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem, the group was originally meant as a one-off band for playing only one show. However, after a positive crowd reception, the band changed its name to Red Hot Chili Peppers. The group was noticed by EMI, and the band signed with the record label. Slovak and Irons still considered the Peppers a side project, so they quit to focus on their band What Is This?; that group had signed a record contract two weeks earlier. Kiedis and Flea subsequently recruited guitarist Jack Sherman and drummer Cliff Martinez to complete the band's lineup for its debut album. The band ended disappointed in the first album's overall sound, thinking it was overly polished, as if it had "gone through a sterilizing Goody Two-shoes machine".

During the tour in support of the band's first album, continuing musical and lifestyle tension between Kiedis and Sherman complicated the transition between concert and daily band life. Sherman was fired soon after, with Slovak returning to the Chili Peppers after growing tired of What is This?. Because the Peppers did not have a positive experience working with Andy Gill on their previous record, they began searching for a new producer for their next album.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 169 The first potential producer the band worked with was Malcolm McLaren, who had worked with the Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow. However, McLaren suggested they changed their style to play more simplified, 1950s-style rock and roll and make Kiedis the central character, a change the group vehemently opposed. After receiving comparisons from fans to Parliament-Funkadelic, the band indicated to EMI Records its desire to work with frontman George Clinton. The band contacted Clinton and sent him their debut album and demo tapes, and Flea and the band's manager, Lindy, traveled to Detroit to meet him. Clinton agreed to work with the band, and EMI paid him $25,000 to produce the album.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 170 The song "Blackeyed Blonde" was performed by the band in the 1985 skateboarding movie ''Thrashin''' starring Josh Brolin.

Recording

The band had already written approximately 70 percent of the album (mostly with Sherman, not Slovak) by the time the group traveled to Michigan to record the album. Clinton decided that the band would spend a month with him before recording to bond and create ideas for new songs. Before renting a house of their own, the group members stayed in Clinton's house in the village of Brooklyn, about an hour away from Detroit, for a week. The band was excited to live with Clinton, but as soon as Kiedis moved in, he began experiencing severe heroin withdrawal, and became very ill. He attempted to offset his desire for heroin by using cocaine instead, but his relief was short-lived.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 171 After a few days, however, his symptoms subsided and he was able to join the group in playing music and connecting with Clinton. The Red Hot Chili Peppers felt a strong chemistry with Clinton and enjoyed his quirky personality and storytelling abilities. After a week of living with him, the band moved into a house on a nearby golf course.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 172

''Freaky Styley'' was recorded at United Sound Studios in Detroit. Martinez recalled that "George had a party atmosphere in the studio all the time, but a productive party atmosphere. You took care of business, but he made sure you had a lot of fun doing it."Mullen, 2010. p. 157 The band and Clinton began using copious amounts of cocaine together, which had a negative effect on the band's overall health. When the time came for Kiedis to record his vocals, he decided to abstain from cocaine use for two weeks, an experience he likened to "deciding to be celibate when you're living in a brothel."Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 175 The track "Yertle the Turtle" incorporates several verses directly from Dr. Seuss

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases