Red Hot Chili Peppers consists of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Chad Smith (drums), , Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar).
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a Californian Los Angeles-based band birthed from the Funk-Rock movement of the 1980s and early 1990s. The Peppers have gone on to further diversify their sound adding elements of Rap, Punk, Psychedelia,and Pop to their songwriting. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Michael Balzary (better known as Flea), guitarist Hillel Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons formed the band in 1983.
Well known for their previous drug use and their numerous line up changes, the current line up features Kiedis, Flea, guitarist John Frusciante, and drummer Chad Smith. Past members in addition to Slovak and Irons include Dix Denney, Jack Sherman, Cliff Martinez, Dwayne "Blackbird" McKnight, D.H. Peligro, Arik Marshall, Jesse Tobias, and Dave Navarro. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have eight studio albums (their ninth, the long awaited double-album Stadium Arcadium to be released in May 2006), eight #1 modern rock hits, and sold nearly 50 million copies of their albums worldwide. Originally signed to a record deal by EMI in 1983, they switched to Warner Brothers Records in 1991 and they have been with them since. Past producers include Andy Gill who produced their debut album, George Clinton who produced Freaky Styley, and Michael Beinhorn who produced The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Mother's Milk. Rick Rubin produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik and every album thereafter.
Kiedis' father, actor Blackie Dammet is the head of the official RHCP fan club.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are mainly known for two things: Flea's powerful bass and their diverse musical precision.
Flea's bass styles lie in punk rock traditions and in funk and blues, borrowing mainly from the likes of Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. His bass is typically the lead instrument and sets the rhythm of the Peppers songs. The groove heavy, low tuned melodies, composed through either normal strumming, slapping, or picking, has made for memorable bass riffs throughout the Peppers musical catalogue.