Californication (album)

Untitled

Californication is the seventh album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on June 8, 1999 (see 1999 in music) John Frusciante, their former guitarist from the Blood Sugar Sex Magik days, returned to the band replacing Dave Navarro, the former guitarist of the alternative band Jane's Addiction. With John back in the band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers faced a new musical direction with the albums following. Many fans believe this is the turning point of the band since the "Blood Sugar" days towards a more mature Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"Californication" produced many staple hits for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, such as "Around the World", "Otherside", the title track and the Grammy-award winning song, "Scar Tissue". This is currently their best selling album, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200 at the first week, eventually selling 15 Million copies over the world in a few more years.

The title "Californication" is mistaken as a portmanteau between California and fornication. Band member Anthony Kiedis had mentioned that the album title was chosen for other reasons, and not meant to be related to fornication.

History

With a returned John Frusciante on guitar (replacing Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction), the Red Hot Chili Peppers managed to regain their critical acceptance after the harshly reviewed One Hot Minute. Much to the surprise of most industry-watchers, Californication became the best-selling album in the band's catalogue.

Many of the singles released from the album, such as "Californication", "Around the World", "Otherside", and "Scar Tissue" are now considered fan-favourites. In 2000, the song "Scar Tissue" won a Grammy-award for best rock song. In 2006, the Chili Peppers recorded a five-set playlist for AOL Sessions, including former hits "Californication" and "Scar Tissue".

In March 2006 the Red Hot Chili Pepper's albums were made available to purchase on iTunes, and not long after, on iTunes' online music sharing rival Rhapsody. Previously unheard tracks were included if the buyer purchased the entire albums, causing many fans to be displeased at the prospect of having to buy an album they already own just to hear these b-side tracks. Californication's tracks were "Fat Dance", "Over Funk" and "Quixoticelixer". Template:RS500

Musical style

With an increased number of subdued melodies in place of their signature funk-rock/metal tracks, Californication was a departure from the Chili Peppers' previous albums. It dropped both the heavy psychedelic sound from One Hot Minute and the dry, stripped-down funk sound of the Blood Sugar Sex Magik days. As a whole the album balances - and on many tracks combines - both the Chilis' classic signature style ("Get on Top, "I Like Dirt") with their relatively newfound embrace for melodic balladry ("Porcelain", "This Velvet Glove") together. On some tracks, however, the band head into entirely new territory ("Parallel Universe", "Easily").

Once again, ever-developing guitarist, John Frusciante, pushes more experimentation with his instrument. One song in particular, "Emit Remmus", features a repeating guitar riff that was deliberately recorded backwards - hence the title "Emit Remmus", backward for "Summer Time". Many of the songs are semi-protest songs, such as the hit single "Californication", which distributes against globalization.

Track listing

All songs written by Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Flea, and Chad Smith.

1. "Around the World" – 3:58
2. "Parallel Universe" – 4:30
3. "Scar Tissue" – 3:37
4. "Otherside" – 4:15
5. "Get on Top" – 3:18
6. "Californication" – 5:21
7. "Easily" – 3:51
8. "Porcelain" – 2:43
9. "Emit Remmus" – 4:00
10. "I Like Dirt" – 2:37
11. "This Velvet Glove" – 3:45
12. "Savior" – 4:52
13. "Purple Stain" – 4:13
14. "Right on Time" – 1:52
15. "Road Trippin" – 3:25

B-Sides, Outtakes and Non-Album Tracks

1. "Gong Li" – 3:43 (B-Side of Scar Tissue)
2. "Instrumental #1" – 2:48 (B-Side of Scar Tissue)
3. "Parallel Universe" (Demo) – 5:33 (B-Side of Around the World CD1)
4. "Teatro Jam" – 3:06 (B-Side of Around the World CD1)
5. "How Strong" – 4:43 (B-Side of Otherside CD1)
6. "Road Trippin'" (Without Strings) – 3:25 (B-Side of Otherside CD1)
7. "Fat Dance"* – 3:40 (Bonus track)
8. "Over Funk" – 2:58 (Bonus track)
9. "Quixoticelixer" – 4:48 (Bonus track)
10. "Instrumental #2" (Non LP Track)
11. "Bunker Hill" – 3:29 (Recorded during Californication but released with Fortune Faded)

• There was also a differently mastered version of Fat Dance known as "Phat Dance".

Credits

• The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Art Direction
• Michael Balzary (Flea) - Bass
• John Frusciante - Guitar, Backup Vocals
• Anthony Kiedis - Vocals
• Chad Smith - Drums
• Rick Rubin - Producer, Engineer
• Greg Kurstin - Keyboards
• Vladimir Meller - Mastering
• Rick Rubin - Producer, Engineer
• David Schiffman - Engineer
• Jim Scott - Engineer, Mixing
• Patrick Warren - Organ
• Greg Fidelman - Engineer
• Lawrence Azerrad - Art Direction
• Tony Woolliscroft - Back Cover
• John Sorenson - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
• Eric Greenspan - Advisor
• Greg Collins - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
• Lindsay Chase - Production Coordination
• Ok Hee Kim - Assistant Engineer
• Jennifer Hilliard - Assistant Engineer
• Sonya Koskoff - Photography

Sound Quality

Californication is often held up as an example of the damage caused by the loudness war. Almost every second of the album contains digital clipping noise caused by an overly aggressive application of the soft limiter in the HDCD mastering process. Many audio enthusiasts and fans alike find the album unlistenable without applying sophisticated clip restoration algorithms to the tracks.

For this album, the method of having the tracks segue into each other, which had been used for the two preceding RHCP albums Blood Sugar Sex Magik and One Hot Minute, was dropped in favour of a conventional short pause at the end of each song. Both their subsequent albums By the Way and Stadium Arcadium have continued this trend.

Chart positions

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album

Year	Chart	Position
1999	The Billboard 200	No. 3
1999	Top Canadian Albums	No. 4
1999	Top Internet Albums	No. 3
2000	Top Internet Albums	No. 6

Billboard (North America) singles

Year	Song	Chart	Position
1999	Scar Tissue	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 9
1999	Around The World	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 16
1999	Scar Tissue	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 1
1999	Around The World	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 7
1999	Scar Tissue	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 1 (16weeks)
1999	Scar Tissue	Top 40 Mainstream	No. 12
1999	Scar Tissue	Top 40 Tracks	No. 18
1999	Scar Tissue	Adult Top 40	No. 11
1999	Scar Tissue	Canadian Singles Chart	No. 9
2000	Californication	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 69
2000	Otherside	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 14
2000	Californication	Latin Pop Airplay	No. 33
2000	Californication	Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay	No. 36
2000	Californication	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 1
2000	Otherside	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 2
2000	Californication	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 1 (1week)
2000	Otherside	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 1 (13weeks)
2000	Otherside	Top 40 Adult Recurrents	No. 17
2000	Scar Tissue	Top 40 Adult Recurrents	No. 4
2000	Californication	Top 40 Mainstream	No. 37
2000	Otherside	Top 40 Mainstream	No. 26
2000	Californication	Adult Top 40	No. 28
2000	Otherside	Adult Top 40	No. 11
2001	Parallel Universe	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 37

Album Chart Position

Chart	Position	Weeks
Sweden Top 60	1(1)	71
New Zealand	1(6)	76+
Canada Top 100	4	90
Netherlands	2	100
Japan	9	17
Germany Top 100	2	112
UK Top 100	5	130
UK Top 200	5	242
USA Top 200	3	101
France Top 75	2	80
Austria Top 75	2	127
Finland Top 40	1(1)	60
Irish Top 75	4	161
Italy Top 50 "Tv Sorrisi & Canzoni"	1(6)	73
Norway Top 40	1(1)	70
Swiss Top 100	3	123

Chart Position and Run in UK Top 200 (updated 20/5/06)

-242 Wks in total

• 19.06.1999 122 Wks Peak : 5 Californication (5-7-10-20-19-22-21-24-28-27-30-23-22-26-28-32-34-38-44-52-53-60-65-68-76-86-86-78-77-41-36-

36-25-23-25-33-31-26-31-22-28-37-48-42-42-46-43-36-34-36-42-46-47-68-65-32-23-34-28-27-17-9-13-13-17-16-21-28-32-37-42-46-46- 49-58-66-68-64-63-59-50-39-41-34-34-31-39-43-51-49-65-66-78-86-71-68-71-75-66-72-69-77-90-105-96-91-101-91-83-76-75-82-74-73-75-68-71-84-102)

• 27.10.2001 12 Wks Peak : 125 Californication (Re-Entry 1)

(175-191-130-125-143-163-175-180-181-177-173-198)

• 02.03.2002 7 Wks Peak : 143 Californication (Re-Entry 2)

(143-156-162-165-172-174-187)

• 27.04.2002 70 Wks Peak : 38 Californication (Re-Entry 3)

(174-162-104-83-78-110-151-130-158-122-66-56-38-51-61-64-62-73-85-95-102-94-115-39-42-61-81-80-79-94-103-102-113-118-116-116-51-54-58-72-86- 83-90-89-72-102-121-98-104-96-106-116-112-96-89-102-83-113-168-158-169-165-150-158-195-168-122-139-158-187)

• 04.01.2003 14 Wks Peak : 57 Californication (Re-Entry 3)

(107-121-131-128-132-129-143-129-119-60-63-61-57-74)

• 12.06.2004 15 Wks Peak : 34 Californication (Re-Entry 4)

(162-67-52-34-47-55-55-50-57-67-77-98-137-181-191)

• 13.05.2006 2 Wks Peak : 169 Californication (Re-Entry 5)

(188-169)

Chart Position and Run in Billboard USA Top 200

Billboard 200 Chart trajectory
Week	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
Chart position-101 weeks in total 26/06/1999 run :	3	7	12	12	9	8	8	10	11	11	12	17	17	17	23	33	37	28	29	31	34	40	56	65	69	68	63	54	51	47

Billboard 200 chart trajectory
Week	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60
Chart position	46	52	46	45	43	39	31	23	28	28	24	27	29	25	22	24	26	24	27	30	33	36	35	35	34	29	28	23	21	17

Billboard 200 chart trajectory
Week	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89	90
Chart position	18	14	13	13	18	14	19	24	39	44	50	53	57	65	64	79	80	74	75	76	72	71	70	84	91	100	117	122	120	118

Billboard 200 chart trajectory
Week	91	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	100	101
Chart position	124	135	142	149	157	167	165	170	176	179	187

Single Chart Positions

Scar Tissue

• UK : 15
• Netherlands : 24
• Germany : 75
• MTV European Top 20 : 2
• USA : 9
• France : 66
• Finland : 16
• Modern Rock Chart : 1(16*) *All-time Record

Around the World

• UK : 35
• Modern Rock Chart : 7

Otherside

• UK : 33
• Sweden : 19
• Netherlands : 14
• Germany : 44
• MTV European Top 20 : 7
• USA : 14
• Ireland : 41
• Swiss : 65
• Modern Rock Chart : 1(13)

Californication

• UK : 16
• Sweden : 27
• Netherlands : 9
• Germany : 63
• MTV European Top 20 : 9
• USA : 69
• Ireland : 24
• Italy : 19
• Modern Rock Chart : 1(1)

Road Trippin' (Europe Only)

• UK : 30
• Germany : 89
• Ireland : 27
• Italy : 21
• Swiss : 91

Parallel Universe (USA Only)

• Modern Rock Chart : 37

Total Sales

15 million worldwide [1] [2] [3] [4]