With Flea dropping a boundary-pushing solo album last week—packed with exploratory jazz and thoughtful covers—and a recent Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary revisiting their early years, it’s the perfect time to look back at the band’s raw, formative ’80s era.
Say what you will about Anthony Kiedis and his off-the-wall vocal style, but there’s no denying the musical firepower of Flea and the late Hillel Slovak—later carried forward by John Frusciante.
Bringing in funk legend George Clinton to produce their second album Freaky Styley, the band leaned fully into their scrappy, California-bred funk. While it didn’t rival the deep-rooted grooves of James Brown and the original masters, it served as a vibrant, chaotic blueprint for the fully realized sound they’d later perfect on Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
For a snapshot of that early energy, check out “American Ghost Dance”—featuring a rare shirted Kiedis alongside Flea, Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons in the studio recording with Clinton at the helm..
