Blood Sugar Sex Magik is Red Hot Chili Peppers' fifth studio album. It was their first album that Rick Rubin produced.
The album was recorded over a 2 month period at a deserted haunted mansion deep in the Hollywood Hills. All band members (apart from Chad who rode back and forth everyday) stayed there the entire time. Rick Rubin would eventually go on and buy the property. A documentary was made during the recording titled 'Funky Monks'.
It was released the same year as the fIREHOSE album Flyin' the Flannel (1991), the third of three pairs of albums the two bands released the same year.
It is the band's best-selling album in America with 7 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.
The band dedicated it to former Minutemen and then fIREHOSE co-lead vocalist and bassist Mike Watt.
CHART POSITION/CERTIFICATIONS:
USA - #3 / 7xPlatinum
UK - #25 / 3xPlatinum
Australia - #1 / 6xPlatinum
Canada - #1 / 4xPlatinum
France - #12 / 1xPlatinum
Germany - #33 / 1xPlatinum
New Zealand - #1 / 1xPlatinum
Track Listing[]
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Power of Equality | 4:03 |
| 2. | If You Have to Ask | 3:37 |
| 3. | Breaking the Girl | 4:55 |
| 4. | Funky Monks | 5:23 |
| 5. | Suck My Kiss | 3:37 |
| 6. | I Could Have Lied | 4:04 |
| 7. | Mellowship Slinky in B Major | 4:00 |
| 8. | The Righteous & the Wicked | 4:08 |
| 9. | Give It Away | 4:43 |
| 10. | Blood Sugar Sex Magik | 4:31 |
| 11. | Under the Bridge | 4:24 |
| 12. | Naked in the Rain | 4:26 |
| 13. | Apache Rose Peacock | 4:42 |
| 14. | The Greeting Song | 3:13 |
| 15. | My Lovely Man | 4:39 |
| 16. | Sir Psycho Sexy | 8:17 |
| 17. | They're Red Hot | 1:12 |
iTunes Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks[]
- Little Miss Lover - 2:40
- Castles Made of Sand - 3:21
Singles[]
B-Sides and Outtakes[]
In addition to "Little Miss Lover" and "Castles Made of Sand" by Jimi Hendrix, the band also recorded a cover of Iggy Pop's "Search and Destroy" (which appears in the Beavis and Butthead's Experience CD) as well as three original songs that did not make the final album cut; "Soul to Squeeze" (later released as a single in 1993 for the Coneheads movie soundtrack) , "Sikamikanico" (used in the movie Wayne's World) and "Fela's Cock" (an instrumental jam). They were all released multiple times as B-sides to various singles from the album and on several compilations such as Live Rare Remix Box and The Plasma Shaft.
Personnel[]
- Anthony Kiedis: Lead vocals, percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
- John Frusciante: Lead and rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
- Flea: Bass, backing vocals, piano on "Mellowship Slinky in B Major", trumpet on "Apache Rose Peacock", percussion on "Breaking the Girl"
- Chad Smith: Drums, percussion on "Breaking the Girl" and "Give It Away"
Extra Musicians:
- Brendan O'Brien: Mellotron on "Breaking the Girl" and "Sir Psycho Sexy", B3 Organ on "Suck My Kiss" and "Give It Away", toy celeste on "Apache Rose Peacock"
- Pete Weiss: Jew's Harp on "Give It Away"
- Gail Frusciante and her friends: Choir vocals on "Under the Bridge"