Josh Klinghoffer Names One Regret About Red Hot Chili Peppers, Reveals How John Frusciante Reacted to Him Joining the Band in 2009

Sure, we all remember Red Hot Chili Peppers for their classic lineup. But, to be fair, plenty of great musicians went through the band. And while John Frusciante’s return in late 2019 was widely celebrated, we shouldn’t ever forget Josh Klinghoffer and his contribution.

Of course, before officially joining the band, Josh Klinghoffer was a touring member. In 2009, he officially became one of the Chili Peppers, recording two albums during his time in the band. Klinghoffer and Frusciante go way back and were both collaborators and friends.

In his recent visit to the Tuna on Toast With Stryker podcast, ex-RHCP’s Klinghoffer recalled his early relationship with Frusciante, saying (via Ultimate Classic Rock):

“I spent a lot of time being friends with John when we were younger. He’s a very dedicated artist and musician. And we spent a lot of time together. And we made records together.”

However, when asked about the current status of their friendship and whether it’s “in flux right now,” Josh said:

“I wouldn’t say it’s in flux; it’s pretty non-existent…It’s been that way for 10 years.”

But since the two were friends when Josh joined the Chili Peppers, this probably felt a little awkward. Discussing whether John knew about him joining the band, Josh said:

“He knew. There was talk about it before I joined. Because Flea had asked me, there was lots of discussion about it in the summer of that year [2009], but because of people traveling and just being on sort of summer holiday, we didn’t actually make sounds together until October.“

“So, from July to October, I was in contact with John and he was in contact with them. And he was having a hard time with that fact that they could even consider going on without him.”

Fast-forward to 2019, and it was time for RHCP to part ways with Klinghoffer. But as the guitarist offers, he wasn’t aware that they were in talks of bringing Frusciante back. He said:

“It’s not like it was a monogamous relationship. Flea and John had been kinda hanging out and playing and stuff. They were fostering that relationship again. And I didn’t know that. It was sort of secret.”

Despite all these issues, Klinghoffer remains friends with Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, and Flea. There is, however, one thing he regrets:

“I couldn’t be more grateful to them for all the experiences I’ve had with them. My only regret is not making more music with them.”

Photo: Edimilson Neto (JohnFruscianteAugust2006), Stefan Brending (2016 RiP Red Hot Chili Peppers – Josh Klinghoffer – by 2eight – DSC0296)