Released December 4, 2016 Label Warner Bros. | Length 3:41 Producer(s) Danger Mouse | |
Genre Funk rock
alternative rock
pop rock Writer(s) Anthony Kiedis
Flea
Josh Klinghoffer
Chad Smith
Elton John
Bernie Taupin | ||
"Sick Love" is the third single from The Getaway, an album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Elton John performs on the song which was also co-written by John and longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin.
Contents
Background
According to Josh Klinghoffer, "Sick Love" "was a song that we were working on for awhile before we started recording it, and it just sounded like Elton John was involved somehow, someway. So we thought we should just invite him down and see if he likes it and wants to play on it.” Chad Smith said of the recording "He was kind of nervous. It was actually really kind of cute. When he came in, he looked for somewhere to sit really quick, and he sat down. Anthony Kiedis added “As soon as he touched the piano it was magical. You try not to be a fan boy, but it is Sir Elton John… He talked about everything and was really cool… It’s a real honour for us to have him on the record.” The chord structure and melody of the song were inspired by John's classic "Bennie and the Jets".
Music video
A music video was confirmed by Chad Smith to be in production on November 13, 2016. The animated video was directed and illustrated by Beth Jeans Houghton and animated by Joseph Brett and Houghton, was released on December 4, 2016. The adult-swim animation features several references to the Australian model Helena Vestergaard (Anthony Kiedis' former girlfriend) and the relationship between her and the Chili Peppers' vocalist. On the clip, an Australian girl leaves home heading to Hollywood, California, where she finds a vastly different reality than the dreamy scenario commonly portrayed by the media. She then relates with Anthony and their relationship nuances are literally and metaphorically presented. There are also a few references to Elton John's Bennie and the Jets song in the beginning of the music video (on the girl's shirt, TV and on a Music Store in Hollywood).
Live performances
"Sick Love" made its live debut on May 26, 2016 at the band's iHeartRadio album preview show in California. The song has been performed over 50 times on The Getaway World Tour making it so far the fourth most performed song from the album.