Home · Songs · Red Hot Chili Peppers · The Velvet Glove
From album
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers · 2000 · Track 11
Details
TonalidadDm
Compás4/4
Tempo120 BPM
Duración3:45
ÁlbumCalifornication
Año2000
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The story behind
Something that stands out in This Velvet Glove, the eleventh track on the album Californication, is the story behind its lyrics. It is revealed to be a love song dedicated to Anthony Kiedis's wife. A key line, "John says you gotta live above the hell / My will is strong", refers to a shared understanding between friends who have overcome hardships. While Kiedis clarifies that it is not a literal allusion, the "John" he refers to is, indeed, John Frusciante, and the phrase appears to be a quote taken from one of his solo works.
The recording of Californication, which includes This Velvet Glove, marked John Frusciante's return to guitar, replacing Dave Navarro. This change brought about a sonic evolution for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, moving away from the style of their previous album, One Hot Minute (1995). The band, formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, California, is known for fusing funk with rap, pop rock, and other genres, and is considered a pioneer of punk funk. The current lineup includes Anthony Kiedis, Josh Klinghoffer, Michael "Flea" Balzary, and Chad Smith. This Velvet Glove was heard live for the first time on January 13, 2000, in Yokohama, Japan. Although it was not played very frequently during the Californication tour, the band resumed playing it regularly in 2007, during the Stadium Arcadium tour, with Josh Klinghoffer on acoustic guitar.
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