The Red Hot Chili Peppers (album)

This article is about the album The Red Hot Chili Peppers. For the band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, see Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Untitled

The Red Hot Chili Peppers is the eponymous debut studio album by American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on August 10, 1984 on EMI. The album was produced by Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, and is the only album to feature guitarist Jack Sherman.

Background and recording

The Red Hot Chili Peppers struck a deal with EMI records. However, guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons were also in What Is This?, who had signed with MCA records two weeks prior - thus, the two were unable to play with the band. The Chili Peppers found replacements with former Weirdos drummer Cliff Martinez and studio guitarist Jack Sherman.

The recording of the album was not a smooth process. Andy Gill and the band fought over creative issues, with Gill directing them towards a more "radio-friendly" sound. In Kiedis' autobiography Scar Tissue, he says that he was demolished when he saw that Gill had written the word "shit" next to the title of the song "Police Helicopter" on a notepad as it was one of the first songs they had written and in Kiedis' words "It embodied the spirit of the band which was the kinetic, stabbing, angular, shocking assault force of sound and energy". The band were said to not be pleased with the production on the album, preferring the demo versions they had recorded earlier with Slovak and Irons.

They went on tour to support the record but the rest of the band did not get along with Sherman. They only earned about $500 each from the tour. Both albums, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Squeezed by What Is This? did not do well, so Jack Sherman was fired from the Peppers and Hillel Slovak returned to perform on Freaky Styley, the Chili Peppers' second album.

Critical and commercial response

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	(B-)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers was released with the Chili Peppers disappointed in the production. It failed to chart on the Billboard 200. The album received college airplay and MTV rotation, and built the band's fan base. The reviews that were published of the album were mixed, with the first issue of Spin magazine giving, according to Anthony Kiedis in his autobiography Scar Tissue, a positive review. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album a negative review , and stated that "their first effort didn't quite gel into a cohesive album.", giving the album only 2½ stars out of 5. As of 2007, it had sold about 300,000 copies worldwide. Many of the songs off the album would be played often at live shows most noteably Green Heaven, Get Up and Jump, and Out in L.A.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"True Men Don't Kill Coyotes"	Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Cliff Martinez, Jack Sherman	3:40
2.	"Baby Appeal"	Flea, Jack Irons, Kiedis, Hillel Slovak	3:40
3.	"Buckle Down"	Flea, Kiedis, Martinez, Sherman	3:24
4.	"Get Up and Jump"	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	2:53
5.	"Why Don't You Love Me"	Hank Williams	3:25
6.	"Green Heaven"	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	3:59
7.	"Mommy, Where's Daddy?"	Flea, Kiedis, Martinez, Sherman	3:31
8.	"Out in L.A."	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	2:00
9.	"Police Helicopter"	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	1:16
10.	"You Always Sing the Same" (listed as "You Always Sing" on later releases)	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	0:19
11.	"Grand Pappy du Plenty"	Flea, Andy Gill, Kiedis, Martinez, Sherman	4:14
12.	"Get Up and Jump (demo)" (bonus track on 2003 remastered version)	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	2:37
13.	"Police Helicopter (demo)" (bonus track on 2003 remastered version)	Flea, Irons, Kiedis, Slovak	1:12
14.	"Out in L.A. (demo)" (bonus track on 2003 remastered version)	Flea, Kiedis, Irons, Slovak	1:56
15.	"Green Heaven (demo)" (bonus track on 2003 remastered version)	Flea, Kiedis, Irons, Slovak	3:57
16.	"What It Is (demo)" (also known as "Nina's Song", bonus track on 2003 remastered version)	Flea, Kiedis	3:57

Personnel

The following people contributed to The Red Hot Chili Peppers:

Band

• Anthony Kiedis – vocals
• Flea – bass, backing vocals
• Jack Sherman – guitar
• Cliff Martinez – drums

Additional musicians

• Keith Barry - horn arrangements, viola
• Cliff Brooks - timbales, congas
• Gwen Dickey - backing vocals
• Patrick English - trumpet
• Kenny Flood - tenor sax
• Phil Ranelin - trombone

Recording personnel

• Andy Gill – producer
• Dave Jerden – engineer
• Carolyn Collins – assistant engineer
• Rob Stevens – mixing
• Barry Conley - mixing assistant
• Greg Fulginiti - mastering

Artwork

• Gary Panter - cover art
• Ed Colver - photography
• Howard Rosenberg - photography
• Henry Marquez - art direction

2003 remastered version personnel

• Kevin Flaherty - producer for reissue
• Ron McMaster - remastering
• Kenny Nemes - project manager
• Michelle Azzopardi - art direction
• Kristine L. Barnard - design
• John Dinser - photo imaging and additional design
• Edward Colver - photography
• Howard Rosenberg - photography
• EMI Archives - photography

References

Kiedis, Anthony (2004). Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 1-4013-0101-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)