Chickenfoot

Last updated

Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot Live.jpg
Live at the Bospop festival, 2009. Left to right: Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Chad Smith.
Background information
Origin Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Genres
Years active2008–2012; 2016 (on hiatus)
Labels
Website www.chickenfoot.us

Chickenfoot is an American hard rock supergroup formed in 2008. The group consists of vocalist Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, and drummer Chad Smith. Due to Smith's consistent recording and touring commitments with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kenny Aronoff joined the group in 2011 as a touring replacement drummer. While the band has not formally announced a breakup, in June 2016 Smith said that he had doubts about its survival due to their busy schedules.

Contents

The group has released two studio albums, one live album, and one box set.

Bassist Michael Anthony asserts that the name originated from initial jam sessions between Hagar, Smith, and himself: "there are three talons on a chicken's foot and there are three of us." [1] Anthony later stated: "it was just supposed to be a bullshit name that we'd used for a while, and then [when] the rumors spread about the band, everybody used that name so we thought, 'fuck it, let's call it Chickenfoot'—it all comes down to the music anyway." [2] Chickenfoot's second studio album, Chickenfoot III , was released on September 27, 2011. [3]

History

Chickenfoot (2008–2009)

According to vocalist Sammy Hagar: "Chickenfoot started off with me, Michael Anthony, and Chad Smith jamming at my club, Cabo Wabo, in Mexico. Then people started asking us when we were going to tour, make a record, etc. So I said if we're going to do this properly then we're going to have to get a guitarist, so let's talk to Joe Satriani. As far as I'm concerned he's the best guitarist in the world." [2] Hagar, Anthony and Satriani had previously collaborated in 2002 under the name Planet Us. The band also appeared in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force .

The band's first performance together was in February 2008 at a Hagar concert in The Pearl Concert Theatre @ The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. [4] The show included a three-song set which included Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll", Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Going Down", a song often performed by Hagar and Anthony in their other band, Los Tres Gusanos. [5]

During breaks in Satriani's touring schedule, the four-piece gathered in Hagar's home to record demos, and ultimately recorded a full-length album at Skywalker Sound. The band's eponymous debut album, Chickenfoot , was released on June 4, 2009. [6] On its release date, Chickenfoot performed the single "Oh Yeah!" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien . Chickenfoot subsequently began touring in Europe and America.

In October 2009, Smith reconvened with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to begin work on their tenth studio album, ultimately causing Chickenfoot to enter a temporary hiatus. Despite this, the band still appeared on television once more to perform "Sexy Little Thing" and "Oh Yeah" on the November 6, 2009 broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (taped November 5). [7]

Chickenfoot III (2010–2012)

On May 6, 2010, Chad Smith confirmed that Chickenfoot would be recording their second album in late 2010 after he completes the recording of the next Red Hot Chili Peppers album. [8] Around the same time, Satriani confirmed that a number of songs had been written, including one called "Come Closer", which began simply as a piano and vocal number. [9]

On September 3, 2010, Chickenfoot announced that they were preparing to record their second album. On January 21, 2011, Michael Anthony confirmed that the band would enter the studio on January 29, 2011, along with Chad Smith, who recorded the drums for the album. [10] On March 11, 2011, Hagar confirmed that the band had been recording with Mike Fraser, a Canadian producer, engineer, and mixer. He also confirmed that they had 12 songs, and the official title for the new album is Chickenfoot III (three). Hagar said "It's the working title, but I guarantee it'll stick." [11] Chickenfoot III was announced to be released in fall 2011 with the album cover being in 3-D. [12] Hagar also stated the band were planning to do a third, fourth, and greatest hits albums sometime in the future. [13]

On July 6, 2011, it was announced that the band signed a new distribution deal with eOne Music in North America. On July 8, 2011, the band posted a teaser of one of their new songs online with this message: "Attention Foot Soldiers... Get Your Boots On".

Chad Smith did not take part in the promotion or touring of Chickenfoot III due to his prior commitments to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose album I'm with You was released on August 30, 2011, and the album's subsequent tour. [14] Satriani later stated that Kenny Aronoff would likely take over the drumming duties from Smith for the tour promoting the second album, [15] and this was confirmed on August 27. [16]

On September 27, for the release of III, the band played a live concert via webcast from TRI Studios in California. A fan Q&A followed the performance. They also played a show at the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico on October 9, 2011. The 2012 "Different Devil" summer US tour started on May 4 in South Lake Tahoe, and included at least 20 dates. It was announced on August 28, 2012, that since Chickenfoot's former record label went out of business, and the debut album couldn't be found anywhere, they are re-releasing the debut album with eOne music with bonus live tracks "Lighten Up", "Big Foot", "Last Temptation", and "Something Going Wrong", recorded during the Different Devil tour of Spring 2012. [17] On November 30, 2012, Chickenfoot's first live album LV was released as part of the limited edition box set I+III+LV paired with their first and second album in their Limited Edition releases. On December 7, 2012, LV saw a release on its own.

Hiatus and other projects (2013–2015)

In a Rolling Stone interview released in October 2014, Hagar stated that although he had enjoyed working with the group, disappointing album sales probably precluded a third Chickenfoot studio album. [18] Satriani also has made similar comments about album sales being a factor that has prevented them from continuing quickly.

In September 2015, Joe Satriani confirmed that the band were working on a new song with possibly more to come: "I think all my complaining and foot stomping really had an effect, because it was really bothering me and I still, philosophically, just felt like there was a really big disconnect there between me and some of the other members of Chickenfoot". He went on to add "and I can happily tell you now that there is a track that is circulating through the band". There was no time line given for the release of the new music, but according to Satriani "there's hope". [19]

Reunion and possible third album (2016–present)

The band briefly reunited for two shows on May 7 and 8, 2016 at Harrah's Showroom at South Lake Tahoe. [20] During the show, the band debuted a song titled "Divine Termination". [21]

Chad Smith discussed the future of Chickenfoot in a June 2016 interview with Rolling Stone . He was asked if Chickenfoot was ever going to tour again, to which he replied "We just played a few weeks ago up in Tahoe, but everyone has different things going on. Sam [Hagar] has his own thing with Mike [Anthony] and Joe [Satriani] is on his own tour. We really enjoy playing together, but with my schedule I don't see us playing too much. I would love to make some new music with those guys, but we'd have to be in the same room at the same time. I just don't know. It's up in the air. I love playing with those guys, though. It's a real treat." [22]

Hagar shared his plans for the band in November 2017, during an appearance on the "Trunk Nation" show on SiriusXM channel Volume: "Joe and I have been talking, when he finishes his [solo] tour next June, if he has enough time and if Chad's available, about doing another Chickenfoot record. And if they can't do it, if we can't all get together, then I'm gonna do a Circle record. It's gonna be one or the other. Those are my two favorite bands in the world. And I would like to do a Circle record." [23]

Members

Touring members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSales Certifications
US
[24]
AUS
[25]
AUT
[26]
CAN
[27]
FIN
[28]
FRA
[29]
NL
[30]
SWE
[31]
SWI
[32]
UK
[33]
Chickenfoot
  • Released: June 5, 2009
  • Label: Redline Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, LP, music download
450365366725361123
Chickenfoot III
  • Released: September 27, 2011
  • Label: eOne Music
  • Formats: CD, LP, music download
94611194181364512102
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilations

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[24]
Best + Live
  • Released: March 10, 2017
  • Label: eOne Music
  • Formats: CD, music download
186

Live albums

TitleAlbum details
LV
  • Released: December 7, 2012
  • Label: Edel
  • Formats: CD, LP, music download

Box sets

TitleDetails
I+III+LV

Singles

YearSingle US
Main.
Album
2009"Oh Yeah"21Chickenfoot
"Soap on a Rope"
"Sexy Little Thing"40
2010"Get It Up"
"My Kinda Girl"
2011"Big Foot"32Chickenfoot III
"Three and a Half Letters"
2012"Different Devil"
2013"Something Going Wrong"LV
2017"Divine Termination"Best + Live
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
2009"Oh Yeah" [38] Jon Luini & Arthur Rosato
"Soap on a Rope"Jon Luini & Arthur Rosato
"Sexy Little Thing"Meat & Potatoes
2010"Get It Up"Darin Bristow (see TV animation credits as producer and music video work with Canadian rock artists Kim Mitchell and Big Sugar )
"My Kind of Girl"Meat & Potatoes
2011"Big Foot"Zan Passante & Jon Hill
"Three and a Half Letters"Arthur Rosato
2017"Divine Termination" [39] Jon Luini & Arthur Rosato

Video

YearTitle
2009Chickenfoot Deluxe Limited Edition CD+DVD
2010Get Your Buzz On Live

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Hot Chili Peppers</span> American rock band

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk, punk rock, hard rock, hip hop, and psychedelic rock. Their eclectic range has influenced genres such as funk metal, rap metal, rap rock, and nu metal. With over 120 million records sold worldwide, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the top-selling bands of all time. They hold the records for most number-one singles (15), most cumulative weeks at number one (91) and most top-ten songs (28) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. They have won six Grammy Awards, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, and in 2022 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Satriani</span> American guitarist (born 1956)

Joseph Satriani is an American rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Early in his career he worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former students achieving fame, including Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter, Kevin Cadogan, and Alex Skolnick. Satriani went on to have a successful solo music career, starting in the mid-1980s. He is a 15-time Grammy Award nominee and has sold over ten million albums, making him the bestselling instrumental rock guitarist of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Halen</span> American rock band (1973–2020)

Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and for the virtuosity of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Anthony (musician)</span> American bassist

Michael Anthony Sobolewski is an American musician who was the bassist and backing vocalist for the hard rock band Van Halen from 1974 to 2006. He performed on Van Halen's first 11 albums and was their longest-tenured bassist. Following his 2006 departure, Anthony has collaborated with fellow former Van Halen bandmate Sammy Hagar for the supergroups Chickenfoot and Sammy Hagar and the Circle. In addition to his music career, he markets a line of hot sauces named Mad Anthony and related products. Anthony was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Smith</span> American drummer

Chad Gaylord Smith is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot, formed in 2008, and of the all-instrumental outfit Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, formed in 2007. He worked with the Chicks on Taking the Long Way, an album that won five Grammy Awards in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammy Hagar</span> American rock singer (born 1947)

Sam Roy Hagar, also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose before launching a successful solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with "I Can't Drive 55". He enjoyed further commercial success when he replaced David Lee Roth as the lead vocalist of Van Halen in 1985, but left in 1996. He returned to the band from 2003 to 2005. In 2007, Hagar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen. His musical style primarily consists of hard rock and heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montrose (band)</span> American hard rock band

Montrose was an American hard rock band formed in 1973 and named after guitarist and founder Ronnie Montrose. The band's original lineup featured lead vocalist and frontman Sammy Hagar, who later found greater success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen. Rounding out the original foursome were bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi. The band experienced moderate success before disbanding in early 1977. The 1973 debut album Montrose eventually proved to be an international sleeper hit, selling in excess of one million copies and attaining platinum status in 1986.

Planet Us was a short-lived supergroup that formed in 2002 with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, Neal Schon on guitar, Michael Anthony on bass, and Deen Castronovo on drums. The band later recruited a fifth member—famed guitarist Joe Satriani—when their original choice, Slash, turned them down. The band's name Planet Us has been alternatively spelled as Planet US in various publications.

Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve was a rock supergroup band featuring lead vocalist Sammy Hagar, lead guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve. The group reportedly rehearsed for less than a month before playing in concert. They released a semi-live album, recorded during two live performances at The Warfield in San Francisco, entitled Through the Fire. The album includes a cover of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

"'Bad Motor Scooter" is a song by American hard rock band Montrose, released on the band's 1973 debut album. Along with "Rock Candy", it is arguably the band's best-known song.

<i>Chickenfoot</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Chickenfoot

Chickenfoot is the debut studio album by the American hard rock band of the same name, released on June 5, 2009 in Europe and the US. The first pressing of the album was packaged with exclusive "heat sensitive" artwork that revealed an image when touched or exposed to heat above 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

New Device are a UK-based hard rock band, established in late 2007. The band's style is rooted in classic rock of the 1980s, influenced by bands such as: Aerosmith, Skid Row, Metallica and Guns N' Roses. They first gained a modicum of fame via their Myspace site, when they uploaded early demos which were successfully received by fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desireé Bassett</span> American singer (born 1992)

Desiree Apolonio Ragoza (Bassett) (born September 11, 1992) is an American rock guitarist and recording artist. She has performed alongside mainline performers such as Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, Living Colour, Barry Goudreau, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jennifer Batten, Vinnie Moore, Uli Jon Roth, Andy Aledort, Devon Allman, James Montgomery, members of the Allman Brothers Band, among others. She has released two studio albums and has performed on both coasts of the United States. Now married, she continues to pursue her music career writing songs for her next coming albums as well as performing in a multitude of groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Satriani discography</span>

This is the discography of Joe Satriani, an American multi-instrumentalist known primarily for his work as an instrumental rock guitarist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations. This discography includes all of his albums, including collaborations with Chickenfoot, Blue Öyster Cult, Stuart Hamm, Alice Cooper, and Spinal Tap, as well as early Squares material and G3 projects.

<i>Chickenfoot III</i> 2011 studio album by Chickenfoot

Chickenfoot III is the second studio album by American hard rock band Chickenfoot, released on September 27, 2011. Despite the title, it is not actually the band's third album; other rumored titles that were mentioned include Chickenfoot IV (four). The first pressing of the album was packaged with a 3-D cover; it was later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package at the 2012 ceremony.

<i>Sammy Hagar & Friends</i> 2013 studio album by Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar & Friends is the sixteenth studio album by American hard rock musician Sammy Hagar, released on September 24, 2013, by Frontiers Records.

<i>LV</i> (album) 2012 live album by Chickenfoot

LV is the first live album by American hard rock band Chickenfoot. It was originally released as a bonus to a packaging of the first two Chickenfoot studio albums, and was eventually released on its own. The first "side" includes tracks from the 2012 "Different Devil" tour. "Side B" includes tracks from the band's first tour that were also included in the DVD release, "Get Your Buzz On".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Tour 2009 (Chickenfoot)</span> 2009 concert tour by Chickenfoot

The Chickenfoot Summer Tour 2009 was a worldwide concert tour by the American supergroup Chickenfoot featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, former Van Halen members singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. The tour took place to promote their debut studio album Chickenfoot, released in 2009. The Rock band played a series of concerts in both North America and Europe spanning from June until December 2009. It followed the sell-out Road Test Tour which took place in spring of 2009.

John Cuniberti is an American recording engineer and producer.

References

  1. "One Genius & a Bunch of Idiots: An Interview with Chickenfoot's Michael Anthony". Classic Rock Revisited. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Classic Rock » Blog Archive » Exclusive Chickenfoot Interview! Archived August 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Classicrockmagazine.com (March 5, 2009). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  3. "Mad Anthony's Cafe". madanthonycafe.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  4. Chickenfoot Concert Setlist at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas on February 2, 2008. setlist.fm. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  5. "Rake It and Rock It". Vhboots.com. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  6. Chickenfoot Announce Debut Album Release | Chickenfoot. Chickenfoot.us. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  7. "Supergroup Chickenfoot builds its sound on booming drums and slashing guitars | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com". August 15, 2009. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  8. Chad Smith talks new Chickenfoot, Red Hot Chili Peppers albums. MusicRadar.com (May 6, 2010). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  9. Reesman, Bryan (May 29, 2010). "Joe Satriani Talks Solo Album, New Chickenfoot Songs, Politics". Attention Deficit Delirium. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  10. Chickenfoot Hitting The Studio This Month | News @. Ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  11. Sammy Hagar on Chickenfoot III | Music | Entertainment. Toronto Sun (March 12, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  12. Chickenfoot Wrapping Up 12 'Wonderful New Songs,' Due in Fall. Noisecreep (March 11, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  13. Chickenfoot Reveal Title of Their Next Album. Noisecreep (March 14, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  14. Chickenfoot | Smith Too Busy For Chickenfoot. Contactmusic (September 3, 2010). Retrieved on 2011-05-04.
  15. "Chickenfoot May Have Their New Drummer". Planet Rock. July 26, 2011. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  16. "Chickenfoot Announce Kenny Aronoff As Smith's Replacement | News @". Ultimate-guitar.com. August 26, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  17. "Chickenfoot to Re-Release Debut Album with Live Bonus Tracks". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  18. "Sammy Hagar: 'I Would Agree to a Van Halen Reunion Tour for the Fans'". RollingStone.com. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  19. "Joe Satriani Confirms That Chickenfoot Are Working on New Material".
  20. "Chickenfoot Website - "Due To Overwhelming Demand 2nd Reunion Concert Added May 8 In South Lake Tahoe!"".
  21. "Video: CHICKENFOOT Debuts Brand New Song 'Divine Termination' In Lake Tahoe". Blabbermouth.net. May 9, 2016.
  22. "Chad Smith on Writing New RHCP LP 'From Thin Air,' Befriending Will Ferrell". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  23. "SAMMY HAGAR's Next Recording Project Will Either Be CHICKENFOOT's Third Album Or THE CIRCLE's Studio Debut". Blabbermouth.net. November 8, 2017.
  24. 1 2 "Chickenfoot Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  25. "australian-charts.com – Australian charts portal". australian-charts.com. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  26. "austriancharts.at – Austria Top 40". austriancharts.at. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  27. "Chickenfoot Album & Song Chart History – Canadian Albums". Billboard . Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  28. "finnishcharts.com – Finnish charts portal". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  29. "lescharts.com – French charts portal". lescharts.com. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  30. "dutchcharts.nl – Dutch charts portal". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  31. "swedishcharts.com – Swedish charts portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  32. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". hitparade.ch. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  33. "The Official Charts Company – Chickenfoot". Official Charts Company . Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  34. "Sammy Hagar – Chemistry With Guitarists". The Grammys . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  35. "American album certifications – Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot". Recording Industry Association of America.
  36. "Canadian album certifications – Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot". Music Canada.
  37. "J. Cole Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Blink-182 Snags No. 2". Billboard . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  38. "Chickenfoot - "Oh Yeah" (Official Music Video HD)". Chickenfoot. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  39. "Chickenfoot "Divine Termination" from "BEST + LIVE" (Official Music Video HD)". Chickenfoot. Retrieved February 4, 2017.