Flea on his special connection with John, for Bass Player

In an interview for this month’s Bass Player, Flea was asked to talk about how Josh Klingoffer changed the band dynamic of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and he also shared some nice memories from when BloodSugarSexMagik was recorded. In both answers, he mentioned his special connection with John.

How much has the addition of Josh Klinghoffer on guitar changed the Chili Peppers band dynamic?
A lot! John [Frusciante] and I had established such a language together — if I started playing bass with John, we’d make awesome grooves that we didn’t need to talk about or think about. With Josh, we’d start playing something and I’d be like, ‘Okay, when is he going to do that magic thing where we create the cosmic perfect groove?” and he just wouldn’t do it. But then I realized that I was sitting there waiting for something because it’s what I was used to, and that I need to let Josh be Josh.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers album Blood Sugar Sex Magik is 20 years old this year. When you think of the player you were when you recorded that album, what goes through your mind?
It was a really exciting time. All of us, but John [Frusciante] and I in particular, were connecting in a way that was really beautiful. We lived together and were jamming all the time. We were coming up with grooves and ideas, hanging out, and having a good time. John was starting to grow as a songwriter, Anthony was starting to reach out as a melodic singer a lot more, and Chad began to feel comfortable in the band. We always had this live energy, but for the first time, we managed to not only get that energy in the studio but also to shape it into the craft of songwriting, which became a lot stronger. It was a very magical time for us and I’m grateful for that.

You can read the whole interview with Flea on the Bass Player website. And – as opposed to this, some weeks ago, in an interview with the UK tabloid Daily Mirror, Anthony Kiedis said that John’s departure “felt good because I knew he would be happier doing something else. We had accomplished so much with John, something we will live and die being very proud of.”