The Uplift Mofo Party Plan

''The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'' is the third studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 29, 1987 by EMI Manhattan. Due to prior obligations resulting in temporary personnel changes following the band's formation in 1983, ''The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'' is the only studio album to feature all four founding members of the band on every track: vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. This is also the last album with Slovak before his death from a drug overdose in 1988, and the only full-length album to feature Irons. "Fight Like a Brave" was released as the album's only single, although "Me and My Friends" received minor radio airplay. In 1992, " Behind the Sun" was released as a single and music video to promote ''What Hits!?''.

The album features the band's signature funk rock musical style, but also is influenced by reggae and heavy metal. For the album, the Red Hot Chili Peppers recruited new producer Michael Beinhorn, who encouraged the members to expand their musical horizons in order to create a more diverse work. Bass player Flea later referred to the album as "the 'rockingest' record" the band has ever made.

The album was much more successful than its predecessors, both critically and commercially, and was the band's first album to enter the ''Billboard'' 200, where it charted at number 148. Although ''Uplifts follow-up ''Mother's Milk'' would reach Gold first, ''The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'' would go on to become the band's earliest effort to do so. Following the tour to promote the album, Slovak died of a heroin overdose, and shortly thereafter, Irons decided to leave the band, unable to cope with his friend's death.

Background

After Red Hot Chili Peppers signed a record deal with EMI in 1983, founding members Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons left the group to focus on their group What Is This?, which had also signed a record deal. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea hired Jack Sherman as guitarist and Cliff Martinez as drummer, and established themselves as a prominent funk rock band with their 1984 debut album ''The Red Hot Chili Peppers''. Disappointed with the results of the production, Kiedis and Flea replaced Sherman with Slovak, who had quit his band, What Is This?, several weeks earlier.(2002) "Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers episode". VH1. The group's George Clinton-produced second album, ''Freaky Styley'' (1985), was Slovak's first studio album with the band. In early 1986, the band began work on their upcoming album, and EMI gave the Chili Peppers a budget of $5,000 to record a demo tape. The band chose to work with producer and former Public Image Ltd. guitarist Keith Levene, because he shared the members' interest in drugs.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 187 Levene and Slovak put aside $2,000 of the budget to spend on drugs without telling the rest of the group, which created tension between the members. Martinez' "heart was no longer in the band", but he did not quit, so Kiedis and Flea fired him.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 188 After the firing of Martinez, original drummer Jack Irons rejoined the band, which marked the first time all four founding members were together since 1983.

Both Kiedis and Slovak struggled with debilitating heroin addictions, which grew worse as the band was preparing to record ''Uplift''. Due to his addiction, Kiedis lacked the motivation to contribute to the band musically, and appeared at rehearsal "literally asleep." He was asked to leave the band in order to undergo drug rehabilitation. During that time, the band won the ''LA Weekly'' Band of the Year award, prompting Kiedis to quit using heroin cold turkey. He visited his mother in Michigan for guidance, who drove him to drug rehabilitation immediately after picking him up from the airport upon seeing his unhealthy appearance. He checked into Salvation Army rehabilitation clinic in Grand Rapids, an experience which he initially detested until he noted that the other people in the clinic were understanding of his struggles and were trying to help him. He moved in with his mother after 20 days at the clinic, a time which marked the first time he was completely abstinent from drugs since he was 11 years old. After Kiedis completed his stint in rehab, he felt a "whole new wave of enthusiasm" due to his sobriety and wrote the lyrics to a new song entitled "Fight Like a Brave" on the flight home. He rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles to record the group's next album.

Recording

While Kiedis was in rehab, the band sought a new producer for their next album. Aspiring producer Michael Beinhorn was looking for work at EMI Records after several unsuccessful projects on other labels, when a man working at EMI approached Beinhorn and suggested that he work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as "no one newwhat to do with them".Mullen, 2010. p. 161 Beinhorn recalled of the situation, saying, "Though their music all seemed kind of abstract, there was definitely an excitement to it. I thought they needed a lot of arrangement help ... I also quickly learned that xecutivesat the record label actually hated the Chili Peppers, like openly reviled them so bad that they didn't even want them to succeed. It was the weirdest thing." He contacted the band to meet up, and instead of arranging a formal meeting, the band proposed to meet him at a club in New Orleans called Tipitina's

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