Hillel Slovak
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Hillel Slovak הלל סלובק | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Slim, Pick Handle Slim, The Israeli Cowboy, Mr. Huckleberry |
Born | Haifa, Israel | April 13, 1962
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Died | June 25, 1988 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 26)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1976–1988 |
Labels | |
Formerly of |
Hillel Slovak (Hebrew: הלל סלובק; April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988) was an Israeli-American musician, best known as the founding guitarist of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded two albums. His guitar work was rooted in funk and hard rock, and he often experimented with other genres, including reggae and speed metal. He is considered to have been a major influence on Red Hot Chili Peppers's early sound.
Born in Israel, he later moved to the United States. Slovak met future bandmates Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and Jack Irons while attending Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. There, he formed the group What Is This? with Irons, Alain Johannes, and Todd Strassman; Flea later replaced Strassman.
Slovak, Flea, Kiedis, and Irons founded Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1983, gaining popularity in Los Angeles through their energetic stage presence and spirited performances. Slovak eventually quit to focus on What is This?, which had been signed to a record deal, leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers to record their 1984 debut album without him, including five songs he co-wrote. Slovak rejoined the Chili Peppers in 1985 and recorded the albums Freaky Styley (1985) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987) with them.
During his career, Slovak developed a serious heroin addiction. He attempted to rehabilitate several times but died of an overdose on June 25, 1988, at age 26. Several Red Hot Chili Peppers songs have been written as tributes to Slovak, including "Knock Me Down", "Otherside" "My Lovely Man", and "Feasting on the Flowers". In 1999, his brother James published a book, Behind the Sun: The Diary and Art of Hillel Slovak, which features Slovak's diaries and paintings. Slovak was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on April 14, 2012, with his brother accepting the award on his behalf.
Life and career
1962–80: Early life and Anthym
Hillel Slovak was born in
As a freshman at
The original bassist for Anthem, which renamed to Anthym, was deemed unsatisfactory, so Slovak began teaching Flea to play bass.[9] Following several months of commitment to the instrument, Flea developed proficiency and a strong musical chemistry with Slovak. When Strassman saw Flea playing Anthym songs on his equipment he quit the band, with Flea quickly replacing him.[10] Shortly afterwards Anthym entered a local Battle of the Bands contest and won second place.[9] Anthym started to play at local nightclubs, despite the fact that the members were all underage. After graduating from high school, the band changed their name to What Is This?. Around the same time, Flea left the band to accept an offer to play bass in the prominent L.A. punk band Fear. What Is This? continued on and performed many shows along the California coast.[11]
1980–82: Red Hot Chili Peppers formation
Slovak, Kiedis, and Flea began to create their own music after finding inspiration in a punk-funk fusion band called Defunkt.[12] The three formed a band with former Anthym-drummer Jack Irons called Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. The band had only one song, entitled "Out in L.A.", and was formed for the purpose of playing the song once.[13] The song was based on a guitar riff that Slovak wrote while "jamming" with Irons, and was not meant to become a real song until Kiedis decided to rap over the music.[14] Following the group's first show at The Rhythm Lounge, the owner of the bar asked them to return, but with two songs instead of one. After several more shows, and the addition of several songs to their repertoire, the band's name was changed to Red Hot Chili Peppers.[15]
After the band started to gain popularity amongst the L.A. club scene, Kiedis began writing more lyrics. The lyrics would eventually become songs such as "Green Heaven" and "
1982–88: What is This? stint, Freaky Styley, and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
The
Slovak returned to the Chili Peppers for their second album, Freaky Styley, which was released on August 16, 1985. What Is This? had finally disbanded, and Irons returned to the Chili Peppers in mid 1986 after Martinez was fired. The relationship between Flea, Slovak and Kiedis began to deteriorate as a result of excessive heavy drug use and addiction. Flea recalled that "it began to seem ugly to me and not fun; our communication was not healthy".[24] Kiedis became dependent on heroin, leaving the rest of the group to work on much of the album's material by themselves. The band lived in Detroit for a portion of the recording of the album, where Kiedis and Slovak indulged in heavy cocaine use. When Slovak was under the influence, he would often wear brightly colored clothing and dance in a "shuffling" fashion, which became the inspiration for the song "Skinny Sweaty Man" from the band's next album.[25] After Kiedis completed a stint in rehab, he rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles to record their third album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Slovak felt a deep connection to the album; he reflected in his diary "It was so fun. I'm so extremely proud of everybody's work—it is at times genius."[26] Slovak was the subject of the songs "Skinny Sweaty Man", "Me and My Friends", & "No Chump Love Sucker".[27] He was nicknamed "Slim Bob Billy", "Slim", or "Huckleberry", and throughout the albums Kiedis calls him by these nicknames before he starts a guitar solo. On The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, Slovak experimented with different musical styles, playing the sitar on the song "Behind the Sun".
Health decline
Slovak and Kiedis became addicted to heroin early on in their careers, and Slovak often attempted to conceal his addiction from his friends and family.[28] At first, the band were more concerned about Kiedis' addiction, which had become more apparent to the other members due to his willingness to openly discuss his issues. Kiedis was more upfront about his problems while Slovak according to Kiedis was "much more subtle and much more cunning in his disguise."[28] During the tour in support of Freaky Styley, Slovak's health began to deteriorate. Slovak and Flea would wrestle regularly on tour, but Slovak became too weak to participate. Kiedis commented on the situation: "I could tell that Hillel had no inner core of strength; he had been robbed by his addiction of the life force that allows you to at least defend yourself. It was a sad moment."[29] A roadie of the band who was concerned for Slovak's health contacted his brother, James, who had been unaware that Slovak had ever used heroin.[30]
Deciding to give sobriety a chance, both Kiedis and Slovak stopped using drugs prior to their European tour in support of The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and decided to help each other "steer clear" of heroin.
Death
Hillel was a huge influence on my life. Were it not for him, I would never had begun to play the bass ... Hillel is always with me and my love for him only grows stronger with time.
Upon returning home, Slovak isolated himself from the rest of his bandmates, and struggled to resist drug abuse without the support of his friends, and Kiedis in particular.[12][38] He stopped painting and writing in his diary during this time, and little is known about his life during the weeks following the tour, aside from a phone call to his brother on June 24, in which Slovak told him that he was having difficulty staying clean despite his desire to stop taking heroin.[39] A few weeks after the band returned from the tour, the members attempted to contact Slovak, but were unable to do so for several days.[40] Slovak died in his Hollywood apartment on June 25, 1988 although his body was not discovered until two days later.[41][42] On June 27, 1988, Slovak's body was found slumped over the painting he had been working on at the time of his death, he was found holding a cigarette which had burnt a hole in the canvas of the painting. After completion of the autopsy, authorities confirmed that the official cause of death was due to an accidental heroin overdose.[43] He is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California.[39]
Following his death, Kiedis fled town and did not attend the funeral, considering the situation to be surreal.
Musical style and legacy
Slovak was primarily influenced by hard rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Santana, and Led Zeppelin.[11] His playing method was markedly based on improvisation, a style commonly used in funk music.[6] He was also noted he would often play with such force that his fingers would "come apart."[6] Kiedis observed that his playing evolved during his time away from the group in What Is This?, with Slovak adopting a more fluid style featuring "sultry" elements as opposed to his original hard rock techniques.[49] On Uplift, Slovak experimented with genres outside of traditional funk music including reggae and speed metal.[50] His guitar riffs would often serve as the basis of the group's songs, with the other members writing their parts to complement his guitar work. His melodic riff featured in the song "Behind the Sun" inspired the group to create "pretty" songs with an emphasis on melody.[50] Kiedis describes the song as "pure Hillel inspiration".[51] Slovak also used a talk box on songs such as "Green Heaven" and "Funky Crime", in which the sounds of his amplified guitar would be played through a tube into his mouth and then back into a microphone, creating psychedelic, voice-like effects.[52] Slovak helped to incorporate new sounds in the group's work, including adding occasional drum machines. Despite the fact that the group billed itself as "The Organic Anti-Beat Box Band", Kiedis states that Slovak showed the group that drum machines could be used as artistic instruments.[53]
Slovak's work was one of the major contributing factors to Red Hot Chili Peppers' early sound. When Kiedis and Flea were searching for a new guitarist to replace Slovak, Kiedis likened the experience to "shopping for a new Mom and Dad" because of his influence over the band.
On December 7, 2011, Red Hot Chili Peppers were announced as 2012 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Slovak's brother James accepted the award on his behalf and gave a speech honoring his brother. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kiedis expressed his excitement with Slovak's induction, explaining "He's a beautiful person that picked up a guitar in the 1970s and didn't make it out of the 1980s, and he is getting honored for his beauty".[59] Flea echoed those comments on the same day: "Hillel grew up loving rock and roll so much, he hasn't been here for some time, but I know how much it would mean to him. It's a powerful thing."[60]
Discography
- With Addie Brik
- Wattsland – EP – (1984)
- With What Is This?
- Squeezed – EP– (1984)
- What Is This? – (1985)
- 3 Out Of 5 Live – EP – (1985)
- With Red Hot Chili Peppers
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers – (1984)
- Co-wrote "Get Up and Jump", "Green Heaven", "Out in L.A.", and "Police Helicopter"
- Co-wrote "
- Freaky Styley – (1985)
- The Uplift Mofo Party Plan – (1987)
- The Abbey Road E.P. – (1988)
- Mother's Milk – (1989)
- Performs on only one track, "Fire"
- What Hits!? – (1992)
- Out in L.A. – (1994)
- Under the Covers: Essential Red Hot Chili Peppers – (1998)
- The Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers – (1994)
References
Notes
- ^ "The Red Hot Chili Peppers heat up the Holyland". October 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c Prato, Greg. "Hillel Slovak Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ Peterson, Robert (July 21, 2009). "Dead Too Soon: Musicians Who Died Before Age 30". Yahoo!. Yahoo.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (December 15, 2011). "Jewish Stars 12/16". Cleveland Jewish News.
- ^ Slovak, 1999. p. 37
- ^ a b c Sayers, Blaine (July 23, 2008). "Icons of Rock: Hillel Slovak". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 7:52 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ a b Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 64.
- ^ a b c Apter, 2004. pp. 40–45
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 72–73
- ^ a b c Mullen, 2010. p. 21
- ^ a b Page, Scarlet (July 2004). "Red Hot Chili Peppers: The LA Punks Who Defied Death, Grunge And A Burning Crack Den". Mojo.
- ^ Apter, 2004. p. 60
- ^ Mullen, 2010. p. 16
- ^ Apter, 2004. p. 61
- ^ Apter, 2004. p. 62
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 108
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 115
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 117
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 9:14 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ a b Apter, 2004. pp. 70–74
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 132
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 162
- ^ Apter, 2004. p. 133
- ^ Slovak, 1999. p. 110
- ^ Slovak, 1999. p. 65
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 203–204
- ^ a b Thompson, Dave (August 3, 1993). "Bridge Over Troubled Water (p. 48)". Spin. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 180
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 10:32 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 10:46 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 208
- ^ Slovak, 1999. p. 9
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 216
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 219
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 221
- ^ Slovak, pp. 9–10
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 11:07 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ a b Slovak, 1999. p. 6
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 11:16 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 11:24 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ "Hillel Slovak; Guitarist in Flamboyant Rock Band". Los Angeles Times. June 30, 1988. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 11:30 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 222
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 223
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 226
- ^ "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers". Behind the Music. 11:49 minutes in. VH1.
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 224
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, p. 168
- ^ a b Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 204
- ^ Slovak, 1999. p. 12
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 112
- ^ Mullen, 2010. p. 35
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 126
- ^ Nelson, Artie (November 23, 1994). "Space Cadet". Raw Magazine, Issue #163. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
- ^ Apter, 2004, p. 181.
- ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 273
- ^ "411MANIA - The 8 Ball 5.18.14: Top 8 Red Hot Chili Peppers Music Videos". The 8 Ball 5.18.14: Top 8 Red Hot Chili Peppers Music Videos. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
- ^ Andy Greene (December 7, 2011). "Anthony Kiedis on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: 'My Dad Cried When I Told Him'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
- ^ "Pop & Hiss". Los Angeles Times. December 7, 2011.
Sources
- Apter, Jeff (2004). Fornication: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story. ISBN 1-84449-381-4.
- ISBN 1-4013-0101-0.
- Mullen, Brendan (October 19, 2010). An Oral/Visual History by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Los Angeles, California: It Books. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-06-135191-4.
- Slovak, James (August 1, 1999). Behind the Sun: The Diary and Art of Hillel Slovak. Los Angeles, California: Slim Skinny Publications. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-9673956-0-9.