Me and My Friends

Last updated
"Me and My Friends"
Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
ReleasedOctober 17, 1987
Formatairplay only
RecordedMay 1987
Genre Funk rock, [1] rap rock, [2] funk metal
Length3:09
Label EMI/Capitol
Songwriter(s) Flea, Jack Irons, Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak
Producer(s) Michael Beinhorn

"Me and My Friends" is a song by The Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 1987 album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan . It is the third song on the album and while never released as a single it received minor radio airplay. The song is an ode to friends and in it Anthony Kiedis sings of his friends, especially former guitarist Hillel Slovak. The band has played this song throughout their career as they've released new albums. The song was one of the band's most played tracks before their breakthrough album Blood Sugar Sex Magik . This is not to be confused with another Red Hot Chili Peppers song, "My Friends" (from 1995's One Hot Minute ). "Me and My Friends" has been performed on every tour since 1986 making it the band's sixth most performed song behind only "Give It Away", "Under the Bridge", "Scar Tissue", "Californication" and "By the Way". [3] This is the oldest song that the Red Hot Chili Peppers continue to perform in concert on a regular basis, and it one of the very few songs from their pre-stardom albums that are performed live in any capacity longer than a teaser. For Kiedis, the song hs a deep meaning, as it reminds him of what he had lost. [4]

Spill Magazine considered "Me and My Friends" to be among the best songs from the album. [5]

Related Research Articles

Red Hot Chili Peppers American rock band

Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of alternative rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock and psychedelic rock. When played live, their music incorporates elements of jam band due to the improvised nature of many of their performances. Currently, the band consists of founding members vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, longtime drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide, they have been nominated for sixteen Grammy Awards, of which they have won six, and are the most successful band in alternative rock radio history, currently holding the records for most number-one singles (13), most cumulative weeks at number one (85) and most top-ten songs (25) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In 2012, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<i>Blood Sugar Sex Magik</i> 1991 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991 by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, its musical style differed notably from the techniques employed on the band's previous album Mother's Milk (1989), and featured minimal use of heavy metal guitar riffs. The album's subject matter incorporates sexual innuendos and references to drugs and death, as well as themes of lust and exuberance. The album is dedicated to Minutemen bassist Mike Watt who Flea declared "a fucking cool guy".

Anthony Kiedis American singer

Anthony Kiedis is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. He is best known as a founding member and the lead vocalist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and has appeared on every album released by the band. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

<i>One Hot Minute</i> 1995 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

One Hot Minute is the sixth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995 by 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. 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. It is the only studio album to feature Dave Navarro as the band's lead guitarist, who had joined the band in 1993 after a series of short-term replacements for Frusciante. Drummer Chad Smith and founding bassist Flea round out the main band personnel. The album was produced by Rick Rubin, who also produced their prior album.

<i>Mothers Milk</i> 1989 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mother's Milk is the fourth studio and video album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released August 16, 1989 by EMI America. After the death of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak and the subsequent departure of drummer Jack Irons, vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea regrouped with the addition of guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith. Frusciante's influence altered the band's sound by placing more emphasis on melody than rhythm, which had dominated the band's previous material. Returning producer Michael Beinhorn favored heavy metal guitar riffs, as well as overdubbing perceived by Frusciante as excessive, and as a result, Beinhorn and Frusciante constantly fought over the album's guitar sound.

<i>The Uplift Mofo Party Plan</i> 1987 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Uplift Mofo Party Plan is the third studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 29, 1987 by EMI America. Due to prior obligations resulting in temporary personnel changes following the band's formation in 1983, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan is the only studio album to feature all four founding members of the band on every track: vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. "Fight Like a Brave" was released as the album's only single; however "Me and My Friends" received minor radio airplay even though it was never released as a single. In 1992, "Behind the Sun" was released as a single and music video to promote What Hits!?.

<i>By the Way</i> 2002 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

By the Way is the eighth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released July 9, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. It sold more than 286,000 copies in the first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Singles from the album included "By the Way," "The Zephyr Song," "Can't Stop," "Dosed" and "Universally Speaking." The lyrical subject matter vocalist Anthony Kiedis addresses in By the Way is a divergence from previous Chili Peppers albums, with Kiedis taking a more candid and reflective approach to his lyrics.

Under the Bridge Rock song

"Under the Bridge" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is the eleventh track on the group's fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and was released as its second single on March 10, 1992. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics to express feelings of loneliness and despondency, and to reflect on narcotics and their impact on his life. Kiedis was driving home from rehearsals when "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" was in pre-production and said he sang the lyrics to himself. Kiedis initially did not feel that "Under the Bridge" would fit into the Chili Peppers' repertoire, and was reluctant to show it to his bandmates until producer Rick Rubin implored him to do so. The rest of the band was receptive to the lyrics and wrote the music.

<i>Californication</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Californication is the seventh studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released on June 8, 1999, on Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Rick Rubin. Californication marked the return of John Frusciante, who had previously appeared on Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik, to replace Dave Navarro as the band's guitarist. Frusciante's return was credited with changing the band's sound altogether, producing a notable shift in style from the music recorded with Navarro. The album's subject material incorporated various sexual innuendos commonly associated with the band, but also contained more varied themes than previous outings, including death, contemplations of suicide, California, drugs, globalization, and travel.

Suck My Kiss 1992 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Suck My Kiss" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released as the third single from their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. "Suck My Kiss" was released in 1992 as an airplay single in the United States and as a physical single in Australia and New Zealand. It reached the top 10 in the two latter countries and peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. A music video was made for the song using footage from the Funky Monks documentary directed by Gavin Bowden. It also featured shots in shades of red of the American army returning from the Gulf War, revealed by Anthony Kiedis on the audio commentary in the band Greatest Videos compilation. The song was included on the band's Greatest Hits compilation.

Breaking the Girl 1992 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Breaking the Girl" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It was released as the fourth single from their studio album in 1992 and is a melodic ballad that refers to a turbulent relationship between frontman Anthony Kiedis and his former girlfriend, Carmen Hawk.

Around the World (Red Hot Chili Peppers song) 1999 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Around the World" is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers released as the second single from their 1999 album, Californication. The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and number sixteen on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song's intro was influenced by Budgie's Breadfan.

Aeroplane (Red Hot Chili Peppers song) 1996 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Aeroplane" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 1995 album One Hot Minute. It was the third single released from the album and a music video accompanied its release. Although the song was left off the band's Greatest Hits album, the music video was included on the accompanying DVD.

My Friends (Red Hot Chili Peppers song) Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"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 for "Aeroplane" appears on the DVD. It became the band's third number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it remained for four consecutive weeks, and their first number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

Flea (musician) American-Australian musician

Michael Peter Balzary, known professionally as Flea, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He is best known as a founding member and the bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and has appeared on every album released by the band. Flea briefly appeared as the bassist for such bands as What Is This?, Fear, and Jane's Addiction. He has performed with rock supergroups Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Pigface, and Rocket Juice & the Moon, and collaborated with the Mars Volta, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Alanis Morissette, and Young MC. Flea also performed live with Nirvana in 1993 playing the trumpet.

<i>Im with You</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

I'm with You is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released by Warner Bros. Records on August 26, 2011 in Europe and on August 29, 2011 in the US. The album made its debut at number one in 18 countries including the United Kingdom, while reaching number two in the United States and Canada.

The Uplift Mofo Party Tour

The Uplift Mofo Party Tour was a concert tour by Red Hot Chili Peppers to support their third studio album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Founding drummer, Jack Irons returned the band the previous year to finish out the band's tour and record the next album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, which ended up being the only album and full tour to feature the four founding band members: Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak and Irons. It was the band's biggest tour at the time and featured their first trip to Europe. Kiedis, who started to develop a major drug problem on the previous tour, started to fall deeper into his addiction and Slovak's addiction to heroin only grew stronger as well. Slovak died of a heroin overdose a few weeks after the end of the tour on June 25, 1988. The surviving three members regrouped for a small boat trip with then manager, Lindy Goetz. It was there that Irons decided he could no longer deal with being in the band and Slovak's death was too hard for him to handle so he decided to quit the band again, this time for good.

Freaky Styley Tour

The Freaky Styley Tour was a concert tour by Red Hot Chili Peppers to support their second studio album Freaky Styley. The album and tour saw the return of founding member and guitarist, Hillel Slovak who had replaced his own replacement, Jack Sherman. The Freaky Styley Tour was even more successful than the band's previous tours and started to gain them much more underground attention. A music video for the band's single, "Jungle Man" was filmed by then manager Lindy Goetz, during various tour dates.

<i>The Getaway</i> (Red Hot Chili Peppers album) 2016 studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Getaway is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released through Warner Bros. on June 17, 2016. This is the band's first studio album since 2011's I'm with You. It was produced by Danger Mouse, who replaced Rick Rubin after 25 years and six albums as the band's producer. This is the band's final album with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, as previous guitarist John Frusciante returned to the band in 2019.

The Getaway World Tour 2016–17 concert tour by Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Getaway World Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers that was in support of their eleventh studio album, The Getaway which was released on June 17, 2016. It marked the first time since June 2014 that the band has toured. The tour began with benefit shows and North American festival dates in February 2016 followed by a summer festival tour with dates in Europe, Asia and North America starting in May 2016 and ending in August 2016. The headlining tour to support the album began in Europe in September 2016 and lasted until the end of the year with the North American tour beginning in January 2017 and concluded in July 2017. Another European leg and dates in South America followed along with rescheduled shows and festival dates in North America in October 2017 to wrap up the tour. The band had festival dates in March 2018 for South America but they were not considered part of this tour.

References

  1. "The Red Hot Chili Pepper's Top 10 Albums". 25 January 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  2. "Red Hot Chili Peppers: top three albums" . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  3. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Tour History". The Side. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  4. https://books.google.hr/books?id=cd1Mfte7wuEC&pg=PT194&dq=me+and+my+friends+red+hot+chili+peppers&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2u8rP8tHmAhVKzqYKHblZCMIQ6AEIOzAD#v=onepage&q=me%20and%20my%20friends%20red%20hot%20chili%20peppers&f=false
  5. http://spillmagazine.com/spill-feature-ranking-red-hot-chili-peppers-worst-best/