Jump to content

Hillel Slovak

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hillel Slovak
הלל סלובק‎
Slovak performing in 1985
Slovak performing in 1985
Background information
Also known asSlim, Pick Handle Slim, The Israeli Cowboy, Mr. Huckleberry
Born(1962-04-13)April 13, 1962
Haifa,Israel
OriginLos Angeles,California, U.S.
DiedJune 25, 1988(1988-06-25)(aged 26)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • sitar
Years active1976–1988
Labels
Formerly of

Hillel Slovak(Hebrew:הלל סלובק;April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988) was anIsraeli-American musician, best known as the founding guitarist of theLos Angelesrock bandRed Hot Chili Peppers,with whom he recorded two albums. His guitar work was rooted infunkandhard rock,and he often experimented with other genres, includingreggaeandspeed metal.He is considered to have been a major influence on Red Hot Chili Peppers's early sound.

Born inIsrael,he later moved to the United States. Slovak met future bandmatesAnthony Kiedis,Flea,andJack Ironswhile attendingFairfax High Schoolin Los Angeles. There, he formed the groupWhat 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 1984debut albumwithout him, including five songs he co-wrote. Slovak rejoined the Chili Peppers in 1985 and recorded the albumsFreaky Styley(1985) andThe Uplift Mofo Party Plan(1987) with them.

During his career, Slovak developed a seriousheroin addiction.He attempted torehabilitateseveral 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 theRock and Roll Hall of Fameas a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on April 14, 2012, with his brother accepting the award on his behalf.

Life and career[edit]

1962–1980: Early life and Anthym[edit]

Hillel Slovak was born inHaifa,Israel,toJewishparents who were survivors ofthe Holocaust.His mother was originally fromPolandwhile his father grew up inYugoslavia.[1][2][3][4]They settled in theQueensborough ofNew York City,then in 1967 relocated toSouthern California.As a child, Slovak developed an interest in art, and often spent time painting with his mother, Esther.[5]He attended Laurel Elementary School inWest Hollywoodand Bancroft Jr. High School inHollywood,where he met future bandmatesJack IronsandMichael "Flea" Balzary.[6]Slovak received his first guitar at age 13 as abar mitzvahpresent, and regularly played the instrument into the late hours of the night.[7]During this time, he was highly influenced byhard rockmusic such asJimi Hendrix,Led Zeppelin,andKiss.[2]

As a freshman atFairfax High School,Slovak formed a band with Irons on drums and two other high school friends,Alain JohannesandTodd Strassman.They called their band Chain Reaction, then changed the name to Anthem after their first gig. After one of the group's shows, Slovak met audience memberAnthony Kiedis,and invited him to his house for a snack.[8]Kiedis later described the experience in his autobiographyScar Tissue:"Within a few minutes of hanging out with Hillel, I sensed that he was absolutely different from most of the people I'd spent time with... He understood a lot about music, he was a great visual artist, and he had a sense of self and a calm about him that were just riveting."[8]Slovak, Kiedis and Flea became best friends and often usedLSD,heroin,cocaineandmethamphetaminerecreationally.[9]

The original bassist for Anthem, which renamed to Anthym, was deemed unsatisfactory, so Slovak began teaching Flea to playbass.[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 localBattle of the Bandscontest 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 toWhat Is This?.Around the same time, Flea left the band to accept an offer to play bass in the prominent L.A. punk bandFear.What Is This?continued on and performed many shows along theCaliforniacoast.[11]

1980–1982: Red Hot Chili Peppers formation[edit]

Slovak, Kiedis, and Flea began to create their own music after finding inspiration in a punk-funk fusion band calledDefunkt.[12]The three formed a band with former Anthym-drummerJack Ironscalled 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 "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes",and the band's concert repertoire quickly grew to nine songs as a result of months of playing local nightclubs and bars.[16]Over the course of the next six months, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played many shows in L.A. clubs and became something of an underground hit. Slovak, Kiedis, and Flea moved into a small house in a high-crime area in Hollywood where they collaborated musically and continued their drug addictions.[17]The threesome traveled to New York City to perform more shows and to "spread Chili Pepperdom".[18]Shortly after the trip, Slovak moved out of the group's shared house to live with his girlfriend.[19]

1982–1988: What is This? stint,Freaky Styley,andThe Uplift Mofo Party Plan[edit]

TheRed Hot Chili Peppersentered Bijou Studios to record a demo tape and subsequently secured a record deal withEMI.[20]Flea leftFearto pursue theRed Hot Chili Peppers.At the same time,What Is This?had also gotten a record deal. Since Slovak considered theChili Peppersto merely be a side project and not a serious commitment, he left them to concentrate onWhat Is This?.[21]Flea ultimately respected the decision, but felt the band would suffer musically without him and Irons. He and Kiedis hired drummerCliff Martinezand guitaristJack Shermanto fill Irons' and Slovak's places, respectively.[21]During the recording of the secondWhat Is This?album, Slovak became frustrated with the band and contacted Flea about rejoining theRed Hot Chili Peppers.This came at an opportune time, as the group was dissatisfied with Slovak's replacement,Jack Sherman.Kiedis felt that Sherman's guitar work "didn't have the same spirit" that Slovak contributed to the band's sound.[22]When Flea asked Kiedis how he felt about Slovak rejoining the band, Kiedis responded by saying, "I'd give my firstborn son to get him back in the band."[23]After the culmination of the promotional tour for their first album, Sherman was fired and Slovak rejoined the band.

Slovak returned to theChili Peppersfor their second album,Freaky Styley,which was released on August 16, 1985.What Is This?had finally disbanded, and Irons returned to theChili Peppersin 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 inDetroitfor 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 theRed Hot Chili PeppersinLos Angelesto record their third albumThe 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. OnThe Uplift Mofo Party Plan,Slovak experimented with different musical styles, playing thesitaron the song "Behind the Sun".

Health decline[edit]

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 ofFreaky Styley,Slovak's health began to deteriorate. Slovak and Flea wouldwrestleregularly 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 ofThe Uplift Mofo Party Plan,and decided to help each other "steer clear" of heroin.[31][32]An entry from Slovak's diary on January 21, 1988, discusses his attempts to "begin a new drug-free phase of life".[33]During the tour both experienced intenseheroin withdrawal,with Slovak much more unstable than Kiedis. His withdrawal symptoms took a toll on his ability to play his instrument; at one point Slovak had a mental breakdown and was unable to play a show, leaving the rest of the band to play an entire set with no guitar.[34]He recovered a few days later, but was briefly kicked out of the band and replaced byDeWayne McKnightfor a few shows.[35]After a few days with McKnight, the band decided to give Slovak another chance, and he rejoined for the European leg of the tour. Kiedis attempted to take Slovak to drug addiction counseling, but Slovak had difficulty admitting that his addiction was serious enough to require medical help.[36]

Death[edit]

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.

—Fleaon Slovak's death[37]

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 atMount Sinai Memorial Park CemeteryinHollywood Hills,California.[39]

Following his death, Kiedis fled town and did not attend the funeral, considering the situation to be surreal.[44]Although he found the death to be a shock, he was not initially "scared straight" and continued to use heroin.[45]However, a few weeks later, his friend convinced him both to check into rehab and visit Slovak's grave, which inspired him to get clean.[46]Irons was unable to cope with his death and subsequently left the band, saying that he did not want to be part of something that resulted in the death of his friends. Irons has suffered from severe depression since his death.[47]This did not end Irons' musical career, however, as he would work with Johannes on several projects, including the bandEleven,and would joinPearl Jamfor a period in the 1990s after initially declining to join the band upon its founding. Kiedis and Flea decided to continue making music, hoping to continue what Slovak "helped build".[48]They hiredDeWayne McKnightandD.H. Peligroas replacements, who were later replaced byChad SmithandJohn Frusciante.

Musical style and legacy[edit]

Red Hot Chili Peppers "Behind the Sun" (1987)
This song was heavily influenced by Slovak's "sultry" guitar sound. The guitarist's melodic riff forms the basis of the song, and Slovak'ssitarplaying can be heard during the verses.
Problems playing this file? Seemedia help.

Slovak was primarily influenced by hard rock artists such asJimi Hendrix,Santana,andLed 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 originalhard rocktechniques.[49]OnUplift,Slovak experimented with genres outside of traditional funk music includingreggaeandspeed 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 atalk boxon 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 occasionaldrum 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.[54]Flea, who originally listened exclusively tojazz,added that Slovak introduced him to a new genre of music, saying that "it was Hillel who first got me into hard rockin'".[11]He was also a huge influence on a youngJohn Frusciante,who would later replace him as guitarist in the band.[55]Frusciante based a lot of his playing style on Slovak's work, and explained, "I learned everything I needed to know about how to sound good with Flea by studying Hillel's playing and I just took it sideways from there."[56]Just like Slovak before him, Frusciante developed a heroin addiction. Unlike Slovak, Frusciante eventually managed to break and defeat the habit. The songs "Knock Me Down"(fromMother's Milk), "My Lovely Man" (fromBlood Sugar Sex Magik), "This is the Place" (fromBy the Way), and "Feasting on the Flowers" (fromThe Getaway) were written about or as tributes to Slovak.[2][57]The title of the song "Otherside"(fromCalifornication) is also a tribute to Slovak.[58]The band's 1987 cover version ofJimi Hendrix's song "Fire",recorded with Slovak and previously only released on the"Fight Like a Brave"single andThe Abbey Road EP,was included on 1989'sMother's Milkalong with an image of one of Slovak's paintings inside the album's booklet. In 1999, a book titledBehind the Sun: The Diary and Art of Hillel Slovakwas published. The book was authored by Slovak's brother, James Slovak, and features writings from his brother's diaries, paintings, photos and hand-written notes from Kiedis and Flea.

On December 7, 2011, Red Hot Chili Peppers were announced as 2012 inductees to theRock 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 withRolling 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[edit]

With Addie Brik
  • Wattsland – EP– (1984)
With What Is This?
With Red Hot Chili Peppers

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^"The Red Hot Chili Peppers heat up the Holyland".October 4, 2012.
  2. ^abcPrato, Greg."Hillel Slovak Biography".Allmusic.Rovi Corporation.RetrievedNovember 6,2010.
  3. ^Peterson, Robert (July 21, 2009)."Dead Too Soon: Musicians Who Died Before Age 30".Yahoo!.Yahoo. Archived fromthe originalon December 14, 2009.RetrievedNovember 12,2010.
  4. ^Bloom, Nate (December 15, 2011)."Jewish Stars 12/16".Cleveland Jewish News.
  5. ^Slovak, 1999. p. 37
  6. ^abcSayers, Blaine (July 23, 2008)."Icons of Rock: Hillel Slovak".Consequence of Sound.Archived fromthe originalon June 29, 2010.RetrievedDecember 22,2010.
  7. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.7:52 minutes in.VH1.
  8. ^abKiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 64.
  9. ^abcApter, 2004. pp. 40–45
  10. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 72–73
  11. ^abcMullen, 2010. p. 21
  12. ^abPage, Scarlet (July 2004). "Red Hot Chili Peppers: The LA Punks Who Defied Death, Grunge And A Burning Crack Den".Mojo.
  13. ^Apter, 2004. p. 60
  14. ^Mullen, 2010. p. 16
  15. ^Apter, 2004. p. 61
  16. ^Apter, 2004. p. 62
  17. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 108
  18. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 115
  19. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 117
  20. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.9:14 minutes in.VH1.
  21. ^abApter, 2004. pp. 70–74
  22. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 132
  23. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 162
  24. ^Apter, 2004. p. 133
  25. ^Slovak, 1999. p. 110
  26. ^Slovak, 1999. p. 65
  27. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 203–204
  28. ^abThompson, Dave (August 3, 1993)."Bridge Over Troubled Water (p. 48)".Spin.RetrievedJanuary 27,2011.
  29. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 180
  30. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.10:32 minutes in.VH1.
  31. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.10:46 minutes in.VH1.
  32. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 208
  33. ^Slovak, 1999. p. 9
  34. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 216
  35. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 219
  36. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 221
  37. ^Slovak, pp. 9–10
  38. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.11:07 minutes in.VH1.
  39. ^abSlovak, 1999. p. 6
  40. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.11:16 minutes in.VH1.
  41. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.11:24 minutes in.VH1.
  42. ^"Hillel Slovak; Guitarist in Flamboyant Rock Band".Los Angeles Times.June 30, 1988.RetrievedJanuary 15,2011.
  43. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.11:30 minutes in.VH1.
  44. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 222
  45. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 223
  46. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 226
  47. ^"Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers".Behind the Music.11:49 minutes in.VH1.
  48. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 224
  49. ^Kiedis, Sloman, p. 168
  50. ^abKiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 204
  51. ^Slovak, 1999. p. 12
  52. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 112
  53. ^Mullen, 2010. p. 35
  54. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 126
  55. ^Nelson, Artie (November 23, 1994)."Space Cadet".Raw Magazine, Issue #163. Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2007.RetrievedAugust 31,2007.
  56. ^Apter, 2004, p. 181.
  57. ^Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 273
  58. ^"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 fromthe originalon April 2, 2015.RetrievedMarch 23,2015.
  59. ^Andy Greene (December 7, 2011)."Anthony Kiedis on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: 'My Dad Cried When I Told Him'".Rolling Stone.RetrievedFebruary 14,2012.
  60. ^"Pop & Hiss".Los Angeles Times.December 7, 2011.

Sources[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hillel_Slovak&oldid=1233283786"