Jane's Addiction: The Volatile History of The Band Behind 'Jane Says, Mountain Song & Stop!'
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Published 2023-05-10
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#janesaddition #perryfarrell #davenavarro
I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.
Navarro would summarize the four styles the members brought to the group telling Spin us. Perry had a whole freakish look of his own, like some skinny, bugged-out goth surfer in whore makeup with flailing dreadlocks. Eric was more traditional punk rock, and Stephen had this crazy Afro hair thing. I was kind of a hippie kid, a little ’60s-influenced Deadhead gone heavy metal. But you throw us together and it was a patchwork quilt—it doesn’t look like it makes sense, but it keeps you warm.
The band for their part didn’t really have a formula to writing songs with Navarro telling billboard Eric would sometimes have a bass line, and we’d write off that. Perry would sometimes have a weird guitar part, and we’d write off that. Sometimes Perry would just have lyrics and we’d have to come up with something based on that. There were times when Stephen was setting up his drums and would be playing something and we’d go, “Wow, what is that?” And he’s like, “I don’t know,” and they’re like, “Keep playing it.” And there were times when I was tuning up and just kind of playing random chords and somebody in the room would say, “What are those chords?” And I would say, “I don’t really know,” and I’d have to spend a half an hour trying to remember what they were. That’s how we wrote songs.
Monday through Friday the band continued to rehearse at the infamous Wilton House in the garage out back. They’d share the rehearsal space with another band named Lions and Ghost Navarro would recall to Billbaord I would liken it to a miniature musical Warhol Factory kind of environment. Any time you’d walk in the front door, you had no idea who you were going to run into, who you were gonna see. There were a lot of drugs happening. There was a lot of darkness. There was a lot of laughter. I’ve spent some of my best nights in that house — and some of my worst nights in that house.
The band would gig around what Perry refers to as and i quote “the underground Los Angeles” – a mixture of of junkies, artists, bohemian types and. The later of which the band counted themselves part of as well.
Drugs aside Farrell made it his mission to change the rock landscape which he deemed boring by the time Jane’s Addiciton sprouted up telling Loudersound “Rock’n’roll had been around for thirty years,” s. “It was almost impossible to come up with a new sound, a new way. But I had to have it. We had to do it. And what happened was, I saw what I didn’t like.”
One of those early songs written by the band that would get them record label attention was an acoustic number called Jane Says, which was inspired by the same Jane who inspired the group’s name.. Eric Avery would tell Spin Sometimes we’d do acoustic jams on the porch at the Wilton House. I’ll never forget when Jane asked us if we’d play a sad song for her, and I had to shake my head and say, “Jane, we just got through playing ‘Jane Says,’ one of the saddest songs in the world.” References to drugs were littered throughout the song.
In 1985 a local record label and management company named Triple X had sprouted up and soon had Jane’s Addiction on their radars. Initially wanting to sign the group to a three record deal, Farrell was a little antsy wanting to only do a one record deal before pursuing the majors who were already courting the band Triple X would release the group’s first album a live concert at the Roxy that was self titled and featured several songs that would show up on their first studio record... The owners of the band’s indie label not having a lot of money went as far as selling their cars to finance the album which cost about 4-5 thousand dollars.. In the audience that night at the Roxy were Bob Forrest and Anthony Keidis who were stunned at what they had witnessed.
By 1986 Jane’s Addiction had gotten ex-communicated from pretty much every club in LA with their destructive and unpredictable shows, but they would form a kinship with the club Scream who didn’t care about their antics. The scene at Scream was a lot different than the clubs you’d typically associate with LA
All Comments (21)
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Whose more influential? Jane's Addiction or Nirvana?
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Jane’s was my first concert. Had to make the trek from southern Idaho to Salt Lake City, and my high school basketball coach punished me for missing the one practice by not letting me start at the next game. It was still the best choice I ever made in that stage of life. The concert was beyond amazing, including being introduced to Primus for the opener, and despite the supposed “hurt I was doing to the team” with his chosen discipline I scored a season high and we won that next game. I made sure to tell the coach it was due to the abundance of inspiration I gained from my experience. He never brought it up again, and I played Jane’s Addiction in the locker room for the rest of the season.
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Janes's is timeless. I'm 50 and i was listening to them since high school. Saw them with the pumpkins in Anaheim and they were absolutely phenomenal.
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Liked his before even staring the video. Jane's Addiction is one of the greatest and don't get enough recognition.
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"It doesn't look like it makes sense but it keeps you warm" is the best description I've ever heard.
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Jane’s invokes some of the most uniquely profound emotions, feelings and notes ever! Thanks for the documentary!🤙🏽
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I’m glad you give good focus to Eric. He is often an unsung hero but no doubt is the true backbone for Jane’s.
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Why does no one ever mention Gift, the docudrama Perry and Casey made together? It was a dark journey into their drug addiction. I never hear anyone speak of it. I'm sure I'm not the only one that remembers it?
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When I was 18 I bought Ritual De Lo Habitual on cassette wore that sucker out! Classic album, great band definitely pioneers of alternative.👍
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The Scream Club, especially the location by MacArthur Park in downtown LA, was an amazing space. The band and that club and the patrons all complimented each other well. Such fun.
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"Three Days" gives me goosebumps just thinking about. Best. Song. Ever.
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I saw Jane’s Addiction on Lollapolooza in 1991. Saw Porno for Pyros in 1993. Both great! It was the end of Jane’s and a new beginning for Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins in Porno for Pyros!
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In 1989 I first heard Ted Just Admit It, and it changed music for me forever. I started playing bass 4 years before and I had never heard anything like it. I still play, and still to this day Eric is my favorite bassist. Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual..? Try to imagine any of those songs without him driving with those amazing bass lines. All that shit was all him. Such an incredibly underrated and unappreciated musician. Anyone remember the Deconstruction album Eric and Dave made after he left the band?
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I'm so glad Jane made it to Spain, thanks for following up on that.
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Greatest live band I’ve ever seen. Nothing else even comes close to hearing the first notes to “Up the Beach”.
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Love this deep dive!! Ritual is one of the best albums of the 90s! Pure Masterpiece!! PLAY LOUD!!
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I was into Rap, & Hip Hop when I first heard Jane’s Addiction, & fell in love with the music instantly!! Man I miss the 90’s….
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Nobody sounds like Janes they are absolutely original and March to the beat of their own drum. Thank you for a great time every time I listen so unique and hits home emotionally
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Jane's is and will always be one of my most favorite bands ever. so talented!!! they come on & I stop in my tracks to listen & get down. Nirvana is nice, but Jane's Addiction is IT! xx
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Excellent deep dive man. I’m even friends with the kid that ‘nobody’s leaving’ is about, and I didn’t know this much. Being 14 in 1992, no band told our story better, song for song, than Jane’s did. Thanks for this. A lot of mysteries resolved here.
