Hillel Slovak

Um, and it's about the early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and it kind of touches on a few of the things we're talking about here, the relationship with creativity and self-destructive behavior.

And, and, you know, the, the guy really who that documentary shows was the absolute genius and creative force behind that band, Hillel Slovak.

It was his band.

He got it all going.

When I was listening to it, I was like, "This is not a million miles away from early Red Hot Chili Peppers." So whether Dee Dee was conscious of that burgeoning LA alternative rock movement or not, I don't know.

Maybe you could shed some light.

But there are moments in that song where I feel like you could be listening to early Hillel Slovak-

Freaky Styley? Like Freaky Styley?

But he was talking in this interview about how when he was young and wanting to get into a band, he was scared to play.

And his good friend Hillel Slovak, who passed way too early, convinced him and kind of gave him the confidence to do it.

And he became part of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

And then decades later, Flea, who has always been a multi-instrumentalist, plays trumpet and bass and other things.

This would be around 1984, just as the band released their debut album.

He was always hanging around their shows, looking for a chance to talk to guitarist Hillel Slovak.

John was such a fan that he learned all the Chili songs.

But then Hillel died of a heroin overdose on June 25th, 1988, as the band was working on a new album.

For now, though, the Chili Peppers had to write and record a new album, and despite wanting to get high all the time, John was the guy who made this record happen, and he's the guy who turned the band into a monster.

Let me show you what I'm talking about.

Let's go back to the last full album with Hillel Slovak on guitar.

That's 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.

Do they have the socks on their junk? Yeah.

I don't remember the Sox so much as, you know, as, you know, Hillel Slovak was playing, you know, was still in the band and still alive.

And they were just the most amazing live thing I'd ever seen in my life.

You know, very exciting.

They've had, in their, especially in their earlier years, they had a lot of guitar players.

Hillel Slovak, obviously.

Jean Fruchante.

Dave Navarro and Josh

It was the band's second album.

It was the first to feature founding guitarist Hillel Slovak.

It was produced by George Clinton and it did nothing on the charts, unfortunately.

It did, however, become a cult classic.