When it came to naming what is likely the most anticipated rock album of the year, why did Red Hot Chili Peppers pick the simple moniker, I’m With You? As frontman Anthony Kiedis explains, the epiphany came after dreaming up and ditching a long list of possible titles.
“As an experiment, I started making lists of titles, and all of them, in retrospect, were quite lame, and none of them really captured the spirit of this record, which we had all very much fallen in love with,” Kiedis told MTV News.
Then, new lead guitarist Josh Klinghoffer had a moment of genius.
“Josh showed up one day, maybe a day before there was some sort of deadline for a title, and he wrote [I’m With You] on a piece of paper,” he said, “And very subtly scooched it [in front of me], and I was like, ‘What’s that?’”
Band members glanced at the name “at the same time and went: ‘That is the title of our record.’”
Klinghoffer said the name seemed sublime. It represents where the Peppers are at this point in their careers.
“It seems pretty open, pretty apropos to where the band is, what the band’s doing, how the record wants to be related to, or related with,” Klinghoffer said.
I’m With You hits stores and online retailers on August 30.
Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday night in an interview filled with stories of drug-laden Bentleys, the Beatles-Stones rivalry and giant lemons. Among the many tales, though, was a spicy tidbit about Richards’ own plans for 2011.