Chili pepper

The chili pepper (also chile pepper or chilli pepper, from Nahuatl chīlli [ˈt͡ʃiːli]) is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. In Britain, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, India, and other Asian countries, it is usually known simply as the chilli.

The substances that give chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids.

Chili peppers originated in the Americas. After the Columbian Exchange, many cultivars of chili pepper spread across the world, used in both food and medicine. Chilies were brought to Asia by Portuguese navigators during the 16th century.

India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of chili peppers.Guntur in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh produces 30% of all the chilies produced in India. Andhra Pradesh as a whole contributes 75% of India's chili exports.

History

Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BCE. The most recent research shows that chili peppers were domesticated more than 6000 years ago in Mexico, in the region that extends across southern Puebla and northern Oaxaca to southeastern Veracruz, and were one of the first self-pollinating crops cultivated in Mexico, Central and parts of South America.

Tiny Dancer

"Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 19 May 2005, and Platinum on 19 August 2011 by the Recording Industry Association of America. It has sold 115,501 copies in the UK, despite never being released as a proper single.

Background and writing

The words of the song were written by Bernie Taupin to capture the spirit of California in 1970 encapsulated by the many beautiful women he met there. A common misconception is that the song was written for Maxine Feibelman, Taupin's first wife. Rather, it was simply dedicated to her on the album Madman Across the Water.

History

The song features a piano-based melody during verses and an arrangement that at the start features pedal steel guitar and light percussion but, transitioning subtly halfway through one of the choruses, by the end is driven by Paul Buckmaster's dynamic strings, along with a barely heard backing choir.

Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)

"Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" is a song by Ironik, from his debut album No Point in Wasting Tears, released on 11 May 2009. The song heavily samples British singer Elton John's 1972 single "Tiny Dancer". This is the first single by Ironik to be released without a maxi single.

Music video

The video features both Ironik and Chipmunk while Elton John is played on TV screens in the background. The video is completely black and white. It begins with Ironik and Chipmunk walking down a hotel corridor in suits on the way to their room. They knock on their room and are let in by a woman dressed in bondage and stockings. The video unfolds with Ironik and Chipmunk dancing with the females and flirting.

Formats track listing

CD single
(27 April 2009)

Digital download
(27 April 2009)

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers, also sometimes shortened to "The Chili Peppers" or abbreviated as "RHCP", are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock and psychedelic rock. When played live, their music incorporates elements of jam band due to the improvised nature of much of their performances. Currently, the band consists of founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (bass), longtime drummer Chad Smith; and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who joined in late-2009, replacing John Frusciante. Red Hot Chili Peppers have won seven Grammy Awards and have become one of the best-selling bands of all time, selling over 80 million records worldwide. In 2012, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers (album)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers is the debut studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on August 10, 1984 on EMI Records. The album was produced by Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, and is the only album to feature Jack Sherman on guitar who was fired by the band at the end of the tour in support of the album and replaced by founding member, Hillel Slovak.

Critical and commercial response

The Red Hot Chili Peppers was released with the band disappointed in the production. It failed to chart on the Billboard 200, reaching #201 (meaning it "bubbled under" the main album chart for 8 weeks in the autumn of 1984). The album received college airplay and MTV rotation, and built the band's fan base. The reviews that were published of the album were mixed, with the first issue of Spin magazine giving, according to Anthony Kiedis in his autobiography Scar Tissue, a positive review.Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album a negative review, and stated that "their first effort didn't quite gel into a cohesive album," giving the album only 2½ stars out of 5. As of 2007, it had sold about 300,000 copies worldwide. Kiedis and Flea have mentioned over the years that they prefer the demo versions of most of these songs which were recorded with the original lineup featuring Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons. However, the band acknowledged in various books that Jack Sherman's contributions to the band, particularly his knowledge of funk music and music theory, were things that helped the band's development, which they hadn't had with Hillel.