One Hot Minute
Encyclopedia
One Hot Minute is the sixth studio album by American rock
band Red Hot Chili Peppers
, released on September 12, 1995, on Warner Bros. Records
. The worldwide success of the band's previous album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
(1991), caused guitarist John Frusciante
to become uncomfortable with their status, eventually quitting mid-tour in 1992.
One Hot Minute was the only album that guitarist Dave Navarro
recorded with the band. His presence altered the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound considerably. It contains fewer sexual themes than previous records and explores darker subject matters, such as drug use, depression, anguish and grief. It also (re-)integrated use of heavy metal
guitar riffs. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis
, who had resumed addictions to cocaine
and heroin in 1994 after being sober for more than five years, approached his lyricism with a reflective outlook on drugs and their harsh effects.
One Hot Minute was a commercial disappointment despite producing three hit singles and reaching number four on the Billboard 200
chart. It sold less than half as many copies as Blood Sugar Sex Magik and received much less critical acclaim. Navarro was ultimately fired from the band in 1998 due to creative differences.
was having difficulty coping with the band's newfound fame and started to dislike it. Frusciante often argued with his bandmates, and sabotaged performances. He began experimenting with heroin and steadily increased his usage of the drug over time. Frusciante quit the band in 1992, during its Japanese leg of the tour. He returned to his home in California and became a recluse.
Stunned, the remaining Chili Peppers, who had no suitable replacement for Frusciante, hired Arik Marshall
to play the remaining dates after being forced to reschedule. Upon returning to Hollywood, the band placed an ad in the L.A. Weekly for open guitar auditions, which Kiedis considered to be a waste of time. After several months of unsuccessfully looking for a suitable guitarist, drummer Chad Smith
suggested Dave Navarro
. He had always been the band's first choice, but had been too busy following the 1991 breakup of Jane's Addiction
. Navarro eventually accepted the position after productive jam session
s.
, a recording studio in Los Angeles, to record the album. The band completed a few basic tracks, when Kiedis began having difficulty singing. He had been through a dental procedure in which an addictive sedative, Valium
, was used; this caused him to relapse, and he once again became dependent on drugs. Kiedis had slipped from five years of sobriety and began reusing narcotics he'd sworn never to use again. The band took a short hiatus from recording to perform at Woodstock '94
, which was the first show Navarro played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
After resuming production, Navarro questioned the methods of the Chili Peppers' recording procedures. He wondered why such a considerable amount of jamming was involved with the album's conception. Various qualms followed, and the process soon became uncomfortable for the band. Months went by, and only small amounts of material were written. Kiedis made a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan
in December, where his family realized he'd resumed an active addiction once again. He returned to Hollywood in late January 1995, when he finally finished recording his vocals. The rest of the recording was completed within the next month.
] to create music, even though I'd known Hillel for years. I just figured that was how all guitar players were, that you showed them your lyrics and sang a little bit and the next thing you knew you had a song. That didn't happen right off the bat with Dave." Drummer Chad Smith suggested it was writer's block that was holding Kiedis back from coming up with lyrics however Kiedis strongly denied this. With the writing process taking too much time and Kiedis returning to his drug habit, Flea took over and wrote some of the songs on the album including "Transcending", his tribute to River Phoenix
and various parts of other songs. Also for the first time on any album, Flea contributed lead vocals which he performed on his solo track titled "Pea".
Stylistically, One Hot Minute diverged from the Chili Peppers' previous records—especially Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The album was characterized by prominent use of heavy metal guitar riffs and hints of psychedelic rock
. Navarro, unlike Flea and Kiedis, was not influenced by funk music. He told Guitar World
in 1996, "It doesn't really speak to me. But then again, when I'm playing with three other guys who I love and feel camaraderie with, it's enjoyable to play funk." Navarro's own style was influenced mainly by classic rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix
and Jimmy Page
, as well as gothic rock
guitarists Robert Smith
and Daniel Ash
. Continuing a trend that started on Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Kiedis diverged even further away from his signature rapping, only doing so on a few tracks. One Hot Minute took almost two years to write, and its recording and production was not a smooth process. Navarro felt as though he were an outsider to the other members. His writing in Jane's Addiction was independent from other contributors, whereas the Red Hot Chili Peppers was a far more collaborative group. Navarro himself noted that the band's dynamic was more balanced than that of Jane's Addiction, which was often dominated by frontman Perry Farrell
.
Overall, One Hot Minute lyrically confronted the dark, melancholy and remorseful feelings Kiedis kept to himself. Many of the songs were written at a time when he was hiding his resumed addiction. "Warped
" directly faced Kiedis's distraught moods as a hysterical cry for help: "My tendency for dependency is offending me/It's upending me/I'm pretending to be strong and free from my dependency/It's warping me." He also felt disappointed that "no one had suspected that I'd slipped from my more than five years of sobriety." The track itself was composed of heavy guitar riffs and echoing vocals which attempted to convey a distressed state.
"Aeroplane", the album's third single, was more upbeat than many of the album's songs; but it still contained various references to Kiedis's personal issues: "Looking into my own eyes/I can't find the love I want/Someone better slap me before I start to rust/before I start to decompose." The song also featured Flea's daughter Clara and her kindergarten class singing backing vocals on the last verse. "Tearjerker" was a tribute to Nirvana
lead singer Kurt Cobain
. Kiedis felt Cobain's death "was an emotional blow, and we all felt it. I don't know why everyone on earth felt so close to that guy; he was beloved and endearing and inoffensive in some weird way. For all of his screaming and all of his darkness, he was just lovable."
One Hot Minute marked the first time Flea contributed lyrics to one of the band's albums, as Kiedis had become overwhelmed with his addiction and it hindered the creative output. Flea wrote most of "Transcending" and the intro to "Deep Kick", a song that told the story of his and Kiedis's youth. Flea even wrote the lyrics to an entire song—"Pea", which he both sang and played bass on. "My Friends
" addressed more of Kiedis's own somber thoughts rather than those of "his friends": "My friends are so distressed/And standing on the brink of emptiness/No words I know of to express/This emptiness."
One Hot Minute was released September 12, 1995. It was certified Gold just more than two months later on November 11; since then it has gone Double Platinum in the United States. The album peaked at number four on the Billboard Top 200. "My Friends" peaked at number one on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The song also peaked at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart
, and "Aeroplane" at number 11. Several days following the album's release, Kiedis continued to use drugs despite the numerous interviews he was scheduled to attend.
said "One Hot Minute dives into the emotionally deep end of drug addiction and loss", and that the album "is a ferociously eclectic and imaginative disc that also presents the band members as more thoughtful, spiritual—even grown-up. After a 10 plus-year career, they're realizing their potential at last." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
said that "One Hot Minute wails and flails like a mosh-pit workout tape, but it also has moments of outright subtlety and maturity." He goes on to praise Kiedis for "keeping his boorish tendencies under control." Browne, however, criticizes the band for "attempts at cosmic philosophy which often trip up on hippie-dippie sentiments", and some songs "fall back on tired frat-funk flop sweat." Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
said that "following up Blood Sugar Sex Magik proved to be a difficult task for the Red Hot Chili Peppers", and "Navarro's metallic guitar shredding should have added some weight to the Chili Peppers' punk-inflected heavy-guitar funk, but tends to make it plodding." Erlewine went on to add that "by emphasizing the metal, the funk is gradually phased out of the blend, as is melody." Robert Christgau
gave the album a rating of "dud".
"My Friends" was considered by Erlewine to be a blatant attempt to hold on to the mainstream audience gained by "Under the Bridge", and that in contrast, "the melodies are weak and the lyrics are even more feeble." The song also "tries to be a collective hug for all [of Kiedis's] troubled pals." Rolling Stone, on the other hand, said the song was "lovely", and incorporated a "vaguely folky chorus, and sports the same sad wishfulness of 'Under the Bridge' and 'Breaking the Girl'." The article went on to praise "Warped" claiming it "mixes harrowing lyrics with a multi-toned, layered intro and a whirling dervish of noises and big-rock rhythms surfing through and over big, funky hooks. It's like, well, a drug rush." Rolling Stone went on to say that the title track was "funky and fun. It's about love and sex. What the hell. Some things don't have to change." Entertainment Weekly said "some of these songs last a little too long and could have benefited from a trimming", though they credited Kiedis for sounding "nearly spiritual" on "Falling into Grace".
Sixteen years since it's release, One Hot Minute is still met with mixed feelings from fans and critics. Many still praise Navarro's sound and the darker tone while many were thankful for the return of Frusciante. The band members throughout the years have praised the record however felt it could've been much better than it was. To date, only "Pea" has been performed live since the One Hot Minute tour. Many feel that due to the darker tone and personal problems the band went through, especially with Kiedis, it makes the songs unlikely to be performed again. When Frusciante returned he acknowledged to never hearing the entire album and only the hits and had no desire to listen to it. With Frusciante gone, hope returned that the band would finally re-visit some of the songs from the album although so far it hasn't happened. In a 2011 interview prior to the release of I'm with You
, Kiedis and Smith were asked about performing songs from One Hot Minute. Both acknowledged they liked the songs, mentioning "Aeroplane" as being a fun song to perform however Kiedis stated the songs from that album wouldn't fit the feel of the upcoming setlists.
In a November 2011 interview, Flea openly discussed the chemistry with Dave saying that he never gave the band his heart. He's a great guitarist but he never trusted in the band. He neither wanted our love nor out backing/support. Flea said maybe that's how it works in other bands but we need the mutual love for bloossoming. In our band he never felt safe with us, he was paranoid for whatever reason. A big difference compared to the Dave I played with in Jane's Addiction
.
began several days after the release of the album. The band opened the tour with a European leg. Kiedis felt that as a musician, he was becoming somewhat lackluster. The short European leg ended in early November, and the U.S. portion was scheduled to begin 10 days later; however, it was postponed until early February. A few shows into the commencement of the U.S. leg, Kiedis badly injured his leg while engaging in what he calls "eyes-closed robotic dancing." He tripped over a monitor and fell off the stage ending up hanging by his calf from his microphone cable, resulting in a cast
which he wore for the next two months. Kiedis reflected that it "was nice to see that people were still interested in coming out to see what we do," as there had been a four-year gap since the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Following the conclusion of the U.S. tour, the Chili Peppers took two weeks off before several Australia and New Zealand performances. The band then played at the Tibetan Freedom Concert
in San Francisco, before finishing the tour in Europe.
Kiedis had remained sober the entire tour and maintained positive disposition during shows. Navarro, however, was growing tired of touring, and that was beginning to grate on his fellow band-mates. Kiedis suffered an additional injury in Prague after falling off the stage while attempting to execute a back flip. He was forced to wear a back brace for the next few shows, which restricted his actions to the area around his microphone. After shows in Paris and London, the band returned home to Los Angeles. Kiedis began taking drugs once again, though he forced himself to discontinue after several weeks. The band was then asked to play in the North Pole for roughly 100 contest winners of a concert set up by Molson
, a Canadian beer company. While the show was mildly motivating to the band, they returned home after two days.
Months went by without any scheduled concerts due to the album's poor sales. Following another relapse and a stint in rehab, Kiedis and the rest of the band prepared for a summer tour, their first in almost seven months. Unfortunately, before the tour could begin, Kiedis had an accident on his motorcycle and was rushed to the hospital after severely injuring his hand. Due to his drug addiction, it took seven doses of morphine before the pain was assuaged. Following discharge from the hospital, he was forced to wear a full-arm cast for several months, resulting in the cancellation of all remaining scheduled concerts. Halfway through Kiedis's recovery, the band was asked to play the Fuji Rock Festival
in July 1997. By that time, Kiedis's cast had receded down to the elbow and he felt well enough to play. A large typhoon had been forecast to hit the festival several hours before the show. The concert took place anyway, and when the Chili Peppers got on stage to play, the audience was being soaked in torrential rains, and the band found it virtually impossible to play their instruments. After eight songs, the lighting and sound equipment was torn from the stage and the band was obliged to an impromptu finish.
Returning home, the Chili Peppers parted ways and, for the most part, remained secluded from each other through the rest of 1997. No new material was written during that time, and it was not until the beginning of 1998 that the band began rehearsal. At this point, Navarro had become dependent on drugs, with Kiedis also struggling to remain clean. The band decided they would have a talk with Navarro and attempt to convince him to enter rehab. The discussion escalated into a heated dispute, and Navarro fell over an amplifier in a drug-induced daze. In April 2010, Navarro discussed this incident, stating that: "One [of the reasons I was fired] was [because of] my drug use at the time. The other was musical differences. Anthony says it was because I tripped and fell over an amp while on drugs. I say that he was on more drugs than me at that point. We both had a loose relationship with reality. Who do you want to believe?"
The band made an attempt to begin writing for a follow-up and had written and began recording one song titled, "Circle of the Noose" but the song was never completed or released and likely never will be. On June 7, 2011, Navarro was asked by a Chili Peppers fan on his blog about "Circle of the Noose" and said he didn't have the recordings but would love to hear them. At this point in 1998, Kiedis and Flea decided it was time to fire their guitarist. Navarro was furious when confronted by Kiedis and Flea, but eventually accepted his termination. The Chili Peppers were fighting, and on the verge of breaking up. Flea was beginning to question the band's future and thought it may be necessary to break the band up. He made one last attempt to keep the band together, asking Frusciante to rejoin. Frusciante had recently completed a drug rehabilitation program after more than five years of heroin addiction, and gladly accepted the invitation.
Additional musicians
Recording personnel
Additional personnel
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, released on September 12, 1995, on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. The worldwide success of the band's previous album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Rick Rubin, it was the band's first record released on Warner Bros. Records...
(1991), caused guitarist John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
to become uncomfortable with their status, eventually quitting mid-tour in 1992.
One Hot Minute was the only album that guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
recorded with the band. His presence altered the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound considerably. It contains fewer sexual themes than previous records and explores darker subject matters, such as drug use, depression, anguish and grief. It also (re-)integrated use of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitar riffs. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
, who had resumed addictions to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and heroin in 1994 after being sober for more than five years, approached his lyricism with a reflective outlook on drugs and their harsh effects.
One Hot Minute was a commercial disappointment despite producing three hit singles and reaching number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. It sold less than half as many copies as Blood Sugar Sex Magik and received much less critical acclaim. Navarro was ultimately fired from the band in 1998 due to creative differences.
Background
The Red Hot Chili Peppers had released Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991. The album was an instant hit, selling over seven million copies in the United States, and turned the band into an international sensation. Guitarist John FruscianteJohn Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
was having difficulty coping with the band's newfound fame and started to dislike it. Frusciante often argued with his bandmates, and sabotaged performances. He began experimenting with heroin and steadily increased his usage of the drug over time. Frusciante quit the band in 1992, during its Japanese leg of the tour. He returned to his home in California and became a recluse.
Stunned, the remaining Chili Peppers, who had no suitable replacement for Frusciante, hired Arik Marshall
Arik Marshall
Arik Marshall is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, poet, and author, best known as a one-time member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He has earned the respect and praise of artists as diverse as Joe Strummer, Prince, Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow, and Carlos...
to play the remaining dates after being forced to reschedule. Upon returning to Hollywood, the band placed an ad in the L.A. Weekly for open guitar auditions, which Kiedis considered to be a waste of time. After several months of unsuccessfully looking for a suitable guitarist, drummer Chad Smith
Chad Smith
Chad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
suggested Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
. He had always been the band's first choice, but had been too busy following the 1991 breakup of Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
. Navarro eventually accepted the position after productive jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
s.
Recording and production
Kiedis knew that the band's sound would inevitably change when Navarro joined. In July 1994, the band entered The Sound FactoryThe Sound Factory
The Sound Factory is a recording studio in Hollywood, California.The Sound Factory was built in the 1960s on Selma Avenue in Hollywood. At the time, it served as the home of Moonglow Records and the Moonglow Recording Studio...
, a recording studio in Los Angeles, to record the album. The band completed a few basic tracks, when Kiedis began having difficulty singing. He had been through a dental procedure in which an addictive sedative, Valium
Diazepam
Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche is a benzodiazepine drug. Diazepam is also marketed in Australia as Antenex. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms , restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal,...
, was used; this caused him to relapse, and he once again became dependent on drugs. Kiedis had slipped from five years of sobriety and began reusing narcotics he'd sworn never to use again. The band took a short hiatus from recording to perform at Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
, which was the first show Navarro played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
After resuming production, Navarro questioned the methods of the Chili Peppers' recording procedures. He wondered why such a considerable amount of jamming was involved with the album's conception. Various qualms followed, and the process soon became uncomfortable for the band. Months went by, and only small amounts of material were written. Kiedis made a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in December, where his family realized he'd resumed an active addiction once again. He returned to Hollywood in late January 1995, when he finally finished recording his vocals. The rest of the recording was completed within the next month.
Writing and composition
Considering Kiedis had resumed heavy drug use and Frusciante was no longer present for collaboration, songs were written at a far slower rate. Working with Frusciante had been something Kiedis took for granted: "John [Frusciante] had been a true anomaly when it came to song writing. He made it even easier than Hillel [SlovakHillel Slovak
Hillel Slovak was an Israeli-American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
] to create music, even though I'd known Hillel for years. I just figured that was how all guitar players were, that you showed them your lyrics and sang a little bit and the next thing you knew you had a song. That didn't happen right off the bat with Dave." Drummer Chad Smith suggested it was writer's block that was holding Kiedis back from coming up with lyrics however Kiedis strongly denied this. With the writing process taking too much time and Kiedis returning to his drug habit, Flea took over and wrote some of the songs on the album including "Transcending", his tribute to River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
and various parts of other songs. Also for the first time on any album, Flea contributed lead vocals which he performed on his solo track titled "Pea".
Stylistically, One Hot Minute diverged from the Chili Peppers' previous records—especially Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The album was characterized by prominent use of heavy metal guitar riffs and hints of psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
. Navarro, unlike Flea and Kiedis, was not influenced by funk music. He told Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
in 1996, "It doesn't really speak to me. But then again, when I'm playing with three other guys who I love and feel camaraderie with, it's enjoyable to play funk." Navarro's own style was influenced mainly by classic rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, as well as gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
guitarists Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
and Daniel Ash
Daniel Ash
Daniel Gaston Ash is the guitarist for Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and solo projects.-Life and work:After going to concerts in his teenage years, Ash made a decision to be on a stage in some way...
. Continuing a trend that started on Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Kiedis diverged even further away from his signature rapping, only doing so on a few tracks. One Hot Minute took almost two years to write, and its recording and production was not a smooth process. Navarro felt as though he were an outsider to the other members. His writing in Jane's Addiction was independent from other contributors, whereas the Red Hot Chili Peppers was a far more collaborative group. Navarro himself noted that the band's dynamic was more balanced than that of Jane's Addiction, which was often dominated by frontman Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
.
Overall, One Hot Minute lyrically confronted the dark, melancholy and remorseful feelings Kiedis kept to himself. Many of the songs were written at a time when he was hiding his resumed addiction. "Warped
Warped
"Warped" is a song by the American alternative rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers, from their 1995 album, One Hot Minute. It was released as the first single from the album. It is the first track on One Hot Minute, beginning with an unusually quiet intro, before suddenly kicking into a very heavy,...
" directly faced Kiedis's distraught moods as a hysterical cry for help: "My tendency for dependency is offending me/It's upending me/I'm pretending to be strong and free from my dependency/It's warping me." He also felt disappointed that "no one had suspected that I'd slipped from my more than five years of sobriety." The track itself was composed of heavy guitar riffs and echoing vocals which attempted to convey a distressed state.
"Aeroplane", the album's third single, was more upbeat than many of the album's songs; but it still contained various references to Kiedis's personal issues: "Looking into my own eyes/I can't find the love I want/Someone better slap me before I start to rust/before I start to decompose." The song also featured Flea's daughter Clara and her kindergarten class singing backing vocals on the last verse. "Tearjerker" was a tribute to Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
lead singer Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
. Kiedis felt Cobain's death "was an emotional blow, and we all felt it. I don't know why everyone on earth felt so close to that guy; he was beloved and endearing and inoffensive in some weird way. For all of his screaming and all of his darkness, he was just lovable."
One Hot Minute marked the first time Flea contributed lyrics to one of the band's albums, as Kiedis had become overwhelmed with his addiction and it hindered the creative output. Flea wrote most of "Transcending" and the intro to "Deep Kick", a song that told the story of his and Kiedis's youth. Flea even wrote the lyrics to an entire song—"Pea", which he both sang and played bass on. "My Friends
My Friends (song)
"My Friends" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the fourth track on their 1995 album One Hot Minute. It is a melodic ballad and was released as the second single from the album. It is the only song from One Hot Minute to be included on their Greatest Hits compilation, though the music video...
" addressed more of Kiedis's own somber thoughts rather than those of "his friends": "My friends are so distressed/And standing on the brink of emptiness/No words I know of to express/This emptiness."
Promotion and release
While piecing together the final components of the album, the band recorded a video for "Warped". They asked Flea's brother-in-law, Gavin Bowden, to direct it. The video involved Kiedis and Navarro kissing towards the end as a way of breaking the monotony of cumbersome video recording. Thinking nothing of it, they continued to shoot and finished several days later. Warner Bros., however, saw the video and instantly wanted it thrown away, considering it to be unmarketable and that the kiss would alienate a large portion of the band's fan base. The band came to a consensus to let the kiss remain on the final cut, prompting a backlash from the college segment of their audience, who took offense at the action. Kiedis said of the situation: "If they couldn't accept what we were doing, we didn't need them anymore."One Hot Minute was released September 12, 1995. It was certified Gold just more than two months later on November 11; since then it has gone Double Platinum in the United States. The album peaked at number four on the Billboard Top 200. "My Friends" peaked at number one on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The song also peaked at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and "Aeroplane" at number 11. Several days following the album's release, Kiedis continued to use drugs despite the numerous interviews he was scheduled to attend.
Critical reception and legacy
One Hot Minute was not as universally well received as Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and was ultimately considered to be a poor follow-up. Some, however, praised the record. Daina Darzin of Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said "One Hot Minute dives into the emotionally deep end of drug addiction and loss", and that the album "is a ferociously eclectic and imaginative disc that also presents the band members as more thoughtful, spiritual—even grown-up. After a 10 plus-year career, they're realizing their potential at last." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said that "One Hot Minute wails and flails like a mosh-pit workout tape, but it also has moments of outright subtlety and maturity." He goes on to praise Kiedis for "keeping his boorish tendencies under control." Browne, however, criticizes the band for "attempts at cosmic philosophy which often trip up on hippie-dippie sentiments", and some songs "fall back on tired frat-funk flop sweat." Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
said that "following up Blood Sugar Sex Magik proved to be a difficult task for the Red Hot Chili Peppers", and "Navarro's metallic guitar shredding should have added some weight to the Chili Peppers' punk-inflected heavy-guitar funk, but tends to make it plodding." Erlewine went on to add that "by emphasizing the metal, the funk is gradually phased out of the blend, as is melody." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album a rating of "dud".
"My Friends" was considered by Erlewine to be a blatant attempt to hold on to the mainstream audience gained by "Under the Bridge", and that in contrast, "the melodies are weak and the lyrics are even more feeble." The song also "tries to be a collective hug for all [of Kiedis's] troubled pals." Rolling Stone, on the other hand, said the song was "lovely", and incorporated a "vaguely folky chorus, and sports the same sad wishfulness of 'Under the Bridge' and 'Breaking the Girl'." The article went on to praise "Warped" claiming it "mixes harrowing lyrics with a multi-toned, layered intro and a whirling dervish of noises and big-rock rhythms surfing through and over big, funky hooks. It's like, well, a drug rush." Rolling Stone went on to say that the title track was "funky and fun. It's about love and sex. What the hell. Some things don't have to change." Entertainment Weekly said "some of these songs last a little too long and could have benefited from a trimming", though they credited Kiedis for sounding "nearly spiritual" on "Falling into Grace".
Sixteen years since it's release, One Hot Minute is still met with mixed feelings from fans and critics. Many still praise Navarro's sound and the darker tone while many were thankful for the return of Frusciante. The band members throughout the years have praised the record however felt it could've been much better than it was. To date, only "Pea" has been performed live since the One Hot Minute tour. Many feel that due to the darker tone and personal problems the band went through, especially with Kiedis, it makes the songs unlikely to be performed again. When Frusciante returned he acknowledged to never hearing the entire album and only the hits and had no desire to listen to it. With Frusciante gone, hope returned that the band would finally re-visit some of the songs from the album although so far it hasn't happened. In a 2011 interview prior to the release of I'm with You
I'm with You (album)
I'm with You is the tenth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released by Warner Bros. Records on August 26, 2011 in several countries and on August 29 in the US, a day earlier than originally planned...
, Kiedis and Smith were asked about performing songs from One Hot Minute. Both acknowledged they liked the songs, mentioning "Aeroplane" as being a fun song to perform however Kiedis stated the songs from that album wouldn't fit the feel of the upcoming setlists.
In a November 2011 interview, Flea openly discussed the chemistry with Dave saying that he never gave the band his heart. He's a great guitarist but he never trusted in the band. He neither wanted our love nor out backing/support. Flea said maybe that's how it works in other bands but we need the mutual love for bloossoming. In our band he never felt safe with us, he was paranoid for whatever reason. A big difference compared to the Dave I played with in Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
.
One Hot Minute tour and Navarro's departure
The One Hot Minute tourOne Hot Minute tour
The One Hot Minute tour was a concert tour by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1995-1997 to support their album One Hot Minute. This was the first and only major tour guitarist Dave Navarro performed on with the band...
began several days after the release of the album. The band opened the tour with a European leg. Kiedis felt that as a musician, he was becoming somewhat lackluster. The short European leg ended in early November, and the U.S. portion was scheduled to begin 10 days later; however, it was postponed until early February. A few shows into the commencement of the U.S. leg, Kiedis badly injured his leg while engaging in what he calls "eyes-closed robotic dancing." He tripped over a monitor and fell off the stage ending up hanging by his calf from his microphone cable, resulting in a cast
Orthopedic cast
An orthopedic cast, body cast or surgical cast, is a shell, frequently made from plaster, encasing a limb to hold a broken bone in place until healing is confirmed...
which he wore for the next two months. Kiedis reflected that it "was nice to see that people were still interested in coming out to see what we do," as there had been a four-year gap since the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Following the conclusion of the U.S. tour, the Chili Peppers took two weeks off before several Australia and New Zealand performances. The band then played at the Tibetan Freedom Concert
Tibetan Freedom Concert
Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of rock festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and 2001 to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund...
in San Francisco, before finishing the tour in Europe.
Kiedis had remained sober the entire tour and maintained positive disposition during shows. Navarro, however, was growing tired of touring, and that was beginning to grate on his fellow band-mates. Kiedis suffered an additional injury in Prague after falling off the stage while attempting to execute a back flip. He was forced to wear a back brace for the next few shows, which restricted his actions to the area around his microphone. After shows in Paris and London, the band returned home to Los Angeles. Kiedis began taking drugs once again, though he forced himself to discontinue after several weeks. The band was then asked to play in the North Pole for roughly 100 contest winners of a concert set up by Molson
Molson
Molson-Coors Canada Inc. is the Canadian division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is the second oldest company in Canada after the Hudson's Bay Company. Molson's first brewery was located on the St...
, a Canadian beer company. While the show was mildly motivating to the band, they returned home after two days.
Months went by without any scheduled concerts due to the album's poor sales. Following another relapse and a stint in rehab, Kiedis and the rest of the band prepared for a summer tour, their first in almost seven months. Unfortunately, before the tour could begin, Kiedis had an accident on his motorcycle and was rushed to the hospital after severely injuring his hand. Due to his drug addiction, it took seven doses of morphine before the pain was assuaged. Following discharge from the hospital, he was forced to wear a full-arm cast for several months, resulting in the cancellation of all remaining scheduled concerts. Halfway through Kiedis's recovery, the band was asked to play the Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The 3 day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan...
in July 1997. By that time, Kiedis's cast had receded down to the elbow and he felt well enough to play. A large typhoon had been forecast to hit the festival several hours before the show. The concert took place anyway, and when the Chili Peppers got on stage to play, the audience was being soaked in torrential rains, and the band found it virtually impossible to play their instruments. After eight songs, the lighting and sound equipment was torn from the stage and the band was obliged to an impromptu finish.
Returning home, the Chili Peppers parted ways and, for the most part, remained secluded from each other through the rest of 1997. No new material was written during that time, and it was not until the beginning of 1998 that the band began rehearsal. At this point, Navarro had become dependent on drugs, with Kiedis also struggling to remain clean. The band decided they would have a talk with Navarro and attempt to convince him to enter rehab. The discussion escalated into a heated dispute, and Navarro fell over an amplifier in a drug-induced daze. In April 2010, Navarro discussed this incident, stating that: "One [of the reasons I was fired] was [because of] my drug use at the time. The other was musical differences. Anthony says it was because I tripped and fell over an amp while on drugs. I say that he was on more drugs than me at that point. We both had a loose relationship with reality. Who do you want to believe?"
The band made an attempt to begin writing for a follow-up and had written and began recording one song titled, "Circle of the Noose" but the song was never completed or released and likely never will be. On June 7, 2011, Navarro was asked by a Chili Peppers fan on his blog about "Circle of the Noose" and said he didn't have the recordings but would love to hear them. At this point in 1998, Kiedis and Flea decided it was time to fire their guitarist. Navarro was furious when confronted by Kiedis and Flea, but eventually accepted his termination. The Chili Peppers were fighting, and on the verge of breaking up. Flea was beginning to question the band's future and thought it may be necessary to break the band up. He made one last attempt to keep the band together, asking Frusciante to rejoin. Frusciante had recently completed a drug rehabilitation program after more than five years of heroin addiction, and gladly accepted the invitation.
Track listing
All songs written by Red Hot Chili Peppers (Flea , Kiedis, Navarro, Smith).- "WarpedWarped"Warped" is a song by the American alternative rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers, from their 1995 album, One Hot Minute. It was released as the first single from the album. It is the first track on One Hot Minute, beginning with an unusually quiet intro, before suddenly kicking into a very heavy,...
" – 5:04 - "Aeroplane" – 4:45
- "Deep Kick" – 6:33
- "My FriendsMy Friends (song)"My Friends" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the fourth track on their 1995 album One Hot Minute. It is a melodic ballad and was released as the second single from the album. It is the only song from One Hot Minute to be included on their Greatest Hits compilation, though the music video...
" – 4:02 - "Coffee ShopCoffee Shop (Red Hot Chili Peppers song)"Coffee Shop" is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers and was the fifth and final single from their 1995 album, One Hot Minute. Despite the CD single being released only in Germany, the music video was aired in the United States. The music video featured the album track playing over live footage...
" – 3:08 - "Pea" – 1:47
- "One Big Mob" – 6:02
- "Walkabout" – 5:07
- "Tearjerker" – 4:19
- "One Hot Minute" – 6:23
- "Falling into Grace" – 3:48
- "Shallow Be Thy GameShallow Be Thy Game"Shallow Be Thy Game" is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers and was the fourth single from their 1995 album, One Hot Minute. The single was released in Australia only...
" – 4:33 - "Transcending" – 5:46
B-sides, out-takes and non-album tracks
| Song | Length | Release(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Melancholy Mechanics" | 4:30 | B-side of "Warped Warped "Warped" is a song by the American alternative rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers, from their 1995 album, One Hot Minute. It was released as the first single from the album. It is the first track on One Hot Minute, beginning with an unusually quiet intro, before suddenly kicking into a very heavy,... " / Japanese bonus track |
| "Bob" | 5:43 | iTunes ITunes iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.... bonus track |
| "Let's Make Evil" | 5:17 | B-side of "My Friends My Friends (song) "My Friends" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the fourth track on their 1995 album One Hot Minute. It is a melodic ballad and was released as the second single from the album. It is the only song from One Hot Minute to be included on their Greatest Hits compilation, though the music video... " |
| "Stretch" | 6:01 | B-side of "My Friends My Friends (song) "My Friends" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the fourth track on their 1995 album One Hot Minute. It is a melodic ballad and was released as the second single from the album. It is the only song from One Hot Minute to be included on their Greatest Hits compilation, though the music video... " |
Personnel
Red Hot Chili Peppers- FleaFlea (musician)Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Pea", additional lead vocals on "Deep Kick" - Anthony KiedisAnthony KiedisAnthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
– lead vocals - Dave NavarroDave NavarroDavid Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
– guitars, backing vocals - Chad SmithChad SmithChad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
– drums
Additional musicians
- Keith "Tree" Barry – violin on "Tearjerker"
- Jimmy Boyle – backing vocals
- Lenny Castro – percussion on "Walkabout", "My Friends", "One Hot Minute", "Deep Kick", and "Tearjerker"
- Aimee EchoAimee EchoAimee Echo is an American vocalist. She is the ex-frontwoman of Human Waste Project and currently the vocalist of TheStart and Normandie.Aimee is also a practitioner and Authorized teacher of Ashtanga Yoga. She began practicing Yoga with Noah Williams and Kimberly Flynn in Los Angeles in 1999...
– backing vocals on "One Hot Minute", "One Big Mob" - Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa – chants on "Falling into Grace"
- John LurieJohn LurieJohn Lurie is an American actor, musician, painter and producer. He is co-founder of The Lounge Lizards, a jazz ensemble. Lurie has acted in 19 films including Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law, composed and performed music for 20 television and film works, and he produced and starred in...
– harmonica on "One Hot Minute" - Stephen PerkinsStephen PerkinsStephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
– percussion on "One Big Mob" - Kristen Vigard – backing vocals on "Falling into Grace"
Recording personnel
- Stephen MarcussenStephen MarcussenStephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
– mastering engineer - Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
– producer - Dave Sardy – mixing engineer, recording engineer
- Dave Schiffman – engineer
- Don C. Tyler – digital editor
Additional personnel
- Mark RydenMark Ryden-Early life:Ryden is the son of Barbara and Keith Ryden, born in Medford, Oregon but raised in Southern California. He has two sisters and two brothers, one a fellow artist named Keyth Ryden....
– art direction
Album
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
6 |
| Swedish Top 60 | 1 |
| Austria | 4 |
| France | 3 |
| Finland | 1 |
| Norway | 2 |
| Switzerland | 2 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Warped" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 1995 | "Warped" | Modern Rock Tracks | 7 |
| 1995 | "My Friends" | Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1995 | "My Friends" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1996 | "Aeroplane" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 12 |
| 1996 | "Aeroplane" | Modern Rock Tracks | 8 |
| 1996 | "Aeroplane" | Top 40 Mainstream | 30 |