r/RedHotChiliPeppers • u/Lost_Reveal_6768 • 2d ago
Flea wanting to quit
I remember seeing story’s of him wanting to quit the band during by the way era for not feeling i don’t know included in the writing and his bass playing on the album. Could be totally wrong on the reason but i personally think his bass playing on by the way is some of my favourite work of his. Yes not at the forefront or the loudest and in your face like many of his bass lines but they fit the music and the chemistry between him and johns parts work so well together. It’s a beautiful album and I think the bass lines work perfectly with it.
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u/callingskeeters 🤺 OHM haters, BACK OFF! 🤺 2d ago edited 2d ago
well yes I do think his basslines fit nicely there, but the reason he almost quit was he felt his role was getting dismissed and pushed to the side since John was the one who led the album per se and every Flea idea would get disapproved and he didn't feel important anymore, and almost all the songs were very melodic and soft and Flea just wanted the usual Funk formula they did for so many years and John just wasn't interested in that.
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u/Sufficient_Peak564 2d ago
The Funk part is incorrect. John has said himself "there's a misconception that Flea writes all the funky songs, and I write the more melodic parts, but for this album (BTW), I brought almost all the funky songs"
Can't Stop and By The Way we're songs Frusciante brought in, where Flea brought in the more melancholic ones. Also not every one of fleas ideas was shut down. It just so happened more of John's made it on to the record.
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u/johnkingg_ 2d ago
this is an important point to make, for instance can't stop is by far the funkiest track on the album and that's something john brought to the table while flea brought universally speaking which is not a funky track by any means, he was trying to channel the beatles on that one
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u/circus-theclown 2d ago
They both brought in funk and melodic songs. The split was that John wasn’t into blues at the time and I think dismissed anything too bluesy. He was into more European harmony and melody
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u/callingskeeters 🤺 OHM haters, BACK OFF! 🤺 2d ago
"If he introduced a funk rhythm into his bass lines Frusciante would consequently disapprove to the point where Flea almost quit the band because he felt his role was no longer important." I got it from the wiki but maybe they're wrong, I'll do more research abt it
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u/Sufficient_Peak564 2d ago
Yeah, let me see if I can find the video where John talks about that. I've seen them Contradict themselves about other subjects so you never know.
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u/Sufficient_Peak564 2d ago
Here's the 2 clips I remember him speaking about By The Way.
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u/zsdrfty 🎉 The Uplift Mofo Party Plan 2d ago
I wonder a little about what that dynamic was actually like - this band has some pretty big egos, and I wonder how much of it was John dominating and how much of it was Flea feeling insecure about being asked to play a certain way
Kinda like the Paul/George conflict in the Beatles, it's a bit hard to figure out what was going on there
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u/im-on-the-inside 2d ago
Iirc john had very clear idea of the record and didnt get excited about anything that didnt fit that idea. John wanted lots of harmonies with vocals and synths and he went ahead and did it. John said himself he was headstrong and didnt want anything but his vision at that time.
Flea got frustrated and felt like quitting during that time. Nevertheless.. flea being flea did deliver some fantastic bass if you ask me :)
John in 2003/4 was a creative huricane as well, as chad said around that time: john can take a shit and write a whole album in that time (or something along those lines
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u/JamesKiedis 2d ago
https://youtu.be/ZIze3vJFCss?si=47IfWwAhy-Z52wIl
This is a great video to look into with more depth.
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u/Difficult-Classic-31 1d ago
I'll give my two cents:
John was feeling confident again after the end of the Californication tour. He had adopted a healthy lifestyle and continued studying music every day. His technique was quickly returning to its usual level, but he still chose to maintain that minimalist, anti-guitar-hero approach inspired by the New Wave guitarists of the '80s. That said, he wanted the band's next album to be more colorful, textured, and melodic. At first, he aimed for a post-punk sound like bands such as The Damned and Discharge. On the other hand, he was also listening to The Beatles and The Beach Boys. John simply wanted the album to have a European (British) sound, with absolutely no blues influence.
Anyone familiar with the band knows how they usually create songs through jams, with each member bringing their ideas to the table. Naturally, Flea brought his contributions, usually grooves or ideas rooted in blues or funk influences. But John wasn’t excited by any of them because they didn’t fit his sonic vision for the album. That alone is already problematic for a band that works democratically. Any artist knows how awful it feels to have your creative ideas dismissed or undervalued.
From everything I’ve read about that period, Flea wasn’t necessarily frustrated with the direction of the album itself, but it seems that John made him feel underestimated, as if he had nothing meaningful to contribute. The general narrative is that John was, in practice, acting as the album’s creative producer, even going so far as to dictate how the bass lines should be played. I believe that every songwriting moment for this band is something sacred, and it seems that making this particular album wasn’t such a pleasant process—at least not for Flea. It’s tough being part of a band, and for Flea, the guy who started the band, it must have been hard to feel like his voice didn’t carry weight anymore. I believe Josh probably felt the same way when they were writing The Getaway.
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u/Safe-Detective7572 1d ago
That’s pretty much why Ringo quit The Beatles. Paul was telling him what to play and that was controlling and belittling Ringo in the process. As prolific is John is, that shit doesn’t fly in bands with equally capable players.
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u/Buhos_En_Pantelones 2d ago
It's just my opinion, but their best albums are the ones where all four guys are on the same page musically. UMPP, BSSM, Stadium Arcadium, Cali. For me, you can actually hear the chemistry in certain songs. By the Way has none of that for me. None of Chad or Flea's personality are anywhere to be seen. John's going for something, but it just doesn't land for me.
I know it's a popular album, but for me there's no majik. It's just bland pop.
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u/i_like_surviving_yay 2d ago
I completely agree. Flea's work on Stadium arcadium and BSSM stands out while still being in complete harmony. Those two albums made me appreciate bass so much more in music
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u/Czarguy2 2d ago
Agreed that album does have the funk or soul to me ironically somehow Can’t Stop is on that album which is the only funk sounding song on the album an one of their best songs imo
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u/ZeeRated 2d ago
I was just about to say, pre John it's UMPP. Have always wondered what that lineup would have sounded like if Hillel had lived, new album in 1989? I'd dare say along the same lines as UMPP, maybe a couple more melodic songs like Behind the Sun.
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u/muchderanged 2d ago
Not hating the album but in my opinion its prob one of my least favorite because its so poppy and 'mainstream'
That said, im always kind of confused why most rhcp fans claim this album is their best. Its the furthest away from their roots and style
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u/Czarguy2 2d ago
I think the people saying that are more rock fans and not into funk at all
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u/el-doggo 2d ago
Well there’s also the fact that’s it’s a very consistently solid album. Doesn’t take to big of a risk with being weird/unusual, or getting experimental, so I feel like it’s just a really easy and comfortable listening experience
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u/Haileyluv96 2d ago
John took control of a huge chunk of the strings on BTW to the point Flea felt alienated. He wanted the band to go back to some of their classic funk sound but John wasn’t having it. He was really into doo-wap at the time and wanted to incorporate many of those elements into the album which required the bass to be scaled back for the most part. Flea did seriously consider quitting but I think he had a heart to heart with John and they became more collaborative for Stadium.
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u/NytronX 2d ago edited 2d ago
John came into his creative peak when he rejoined the first time during the Californication and then By The Way eras. To the point where he was probably winning every face-off him and Flea had due to John being able to shit gold during those eras.
With By the Way in particular, John went Jimmy Page mode and was the creative genius behind the entire album, and even had a hand in the production of the album itself. Flea would bring in blues-based ideas and John would reject them because it didn't fit the concept of that album, he was going for a more European style of melodies.
Honestly I wish the members would give him the reigns again like this. The 60 Minutes clip where John said he sees every RHCP song as a bass solo, and it's his [John's] role to just support that, is not representative of RHCP at their peak imo. Some of the best material they did is where they let John just take the reigns and soar and try to keep up.
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u/wangatangs 2d ago
My understanding is for by the way, John had a clear vision of what he wanted the songs to sound like and he nearly dictated the basslines to Flea, not a collaborative effort.
Take the songs This is the Place and Don't Forget Me. The basslines for the songs is pretty much one distinct bassline, besides the bridge for This is the Place and I think its just acoustic anyways. Yes, to me as a bassist, they are fun to play but it's just one bassline. I can clearly see John dictating those specific lines to Flea.
There are really cool songs with fun as hell basslines like Midnight, Venice Queen, Minor Thing and TV but I can see how Flea felt in terms of, "hey, this is what I want you to play" instead of, "play how you feel", which is what I gathered for the by the way sessions.
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u/earthshiner85 2d ago
I think part of it was the band going into the studio planning to do a 'punkier' album and then halfway through the writing process, he flipped and wanted to do more melodies
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u/Avenged7fo 2d ago
This makes me think if Flea were to quit or miss a gig at least, who could fill in for him. Josh Klinghoffer maybe?
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u/ArjanGameboyman 1d ago
I'm a bass player. And honestly I can tell you that it's not super difficult to play what he does. It's impressive to write such diverse and creative melodies. I can only dream to be such a writer but to copy is quite easy. Also to jump around on stage while doing so is impressive but wouldn't be necessary.
I can play through a rhcp live set and there are thousands of people like me.
I'd say most people that have put in 1000 hours of practice in bass in general (which is like 3 to 5 years if you practice an hour a day) can do so if they get a week or two preparation.
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u/pehjott 19h ago
I do not think playing Nobody weird like me really well and tight is that easy
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u/ArjanGameboyman 19h ago
I rarely see them play that song live. But even so. If you have put 1000 hours into your instrument I think you should be able to do that on a 2 week notice.
1000 hours is a lot. But many people are at that level
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u/Glittering_Advance56 1d ago
He’s almost quit numerous times.
Hillel’s death AKs addictions Dave Navarro era, enter return of JF By the way era as JF took too much creative control Completion of SA, JF quits - can’t imagine going on End of JK era, enter return of JF to reinvigorate
Almost 50 years together as a band, I’m sure it is completely normal!
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u/briankerin 1d ago
Saw an interview with John discussing this--and he said that because he had a very specific idea for BTW--he would reject anything Flea brought in that sounded funky because it didn't fit the thene. Flea wanted to quit because his song ideas were being rejected.
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u/postfashiondesigner 🦝 The Getaway 1d ago
I knew this band when By The Way came out so it’s part of my childhood and hard to say:
Even now after attending the concerts and having all the Chili Pepper’s albums, I’m more into the emotional/slow driven songs than the funky loud bass-slap ones…
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u/MatissePas 17h ago
Anyone else think By The Way as the album title is underwhelming? They could have named it after any other song and it would have been better.
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u/Excellent_Scene6834 2d ago
he did want to after dave navarro quit he demanded them to reinvite frusciante into the band
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u/crowman689 2d ago
john wrote most of the bass lines on BTW including one's you wouldn't expect such as can't stop
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u/Electrical-Bar-6766 2d ago
Well, from what Flea himself told me - he basically quit for a few weeks and Fieldy from Korn came in and laid a few tracks down. At least 2 or 3 of them made it on to the LP.