As one of the founding members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea’s outrageous showmanship and superhuman thumb have made him the throbbing heart of the band’s musical mayhem. Flea has also immersed himself in studio sessions with everyone from Johnny Cash and Alanis Morissette to Thom Yorke and “wild-ass drum music” with original Peppers drummer Jack Irons.
Not content with playing bass guitar in one of the world’s biggest rock bands, there are still a handful of musicians who Flea would love to collaborate with – if he could revive the dead, that is.
“The first band that I really loved was the Beatles,” he told Bass Player. “But if I was starting my own fantasy supergroup I would have Jimi Hendrix on guitar and Billie Holliday on vocals. I’d play bass and I’d have Tony Allen on drums. I would want to play some trumpet as well, so I wouldn’t pick Clifford Brown because he would hog the stage!”
At this point, Flea picked out the music that he would hope to accompany him if he was castaway on a desert island. Flea named the Beatles among his pick of desert island discs. “The White Album was the first thing that I connected with as a kid, but if I could only listen to five albums for the rest of my life? I would also take Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, (GI) by the Germs, Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division and The Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet Recordings.”
With an early grounding in jazz, Flea was introduced to rock music via a chance meeting with local guitarist, Hillel Slovak. “I met Hillel when I was 17. He played me some Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin records, and I started really getting into rock music. I took up the bass guitar and joined his band.”
Flea’s musical influences continued to evolve as he merged his love of jazz with his new found appreciation for classic rock. “In the beginning I got really into prog rock. I was listening to Bill Bruford’s One of a Kind, Weather Report, Allan Holdsworth, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and The Tony Williams Lifetime. Coming from jazz as a kid, I could really relate to the virtuosity of that music.”
The final phase that preceded the Red Hot Chili Peppers came with the arrival of punk rock. “Punk rock was a huge awakening for me. It was almost like a spiritual awakening. It dawned on me that if you just played one chord, but with the right intent, it could be as emotionally powerful as the greatest John Coltrane solo. That’s when the concept of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was born.”
With six Grammy Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 13 studio albums, countless platinum certifications and sold-out world tours, the Red Hot Chili Peppers remain one of the most influential acts in music history. And while Flea admits that much has changed since their rise to fame in the late ‘80s, he’s optimistic about the future.
“I’ve noticed that young people are starting to think more for themselves. It’s like they’re plumbing music history and finding what they really love, as opposed to getting the latest corporate release rammed down their throat by MTV. There’s a bigger sense of camaraderie, which fosters a lot of creativity among kids. There’s potential for great things to happen.”
Despite his renewed optimism, Flea’s fundamental approach to making music hasn’t changed. “For me, music has always been about reaching for that thing that feels beautiful. It’s always been about what feels good, and how my body reacts to that. I’m just devoting myself to being the best musician that I can be.”
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