Chickenfoot
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums, compilation albums |
Chickenfoot is a hard rock supergroup from the United States, established in 2008. The lineup consists of vocalist Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, and drummer Chad Smith. Due to Smith's ongoing responsibilities with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kenny Aronoff stepped in as the touring drummer in 2011. Although the band has never officially dissolved, Smith voiced uncertainties about its continuation in 2016 because of the members' busy schedules.
Their discography includes two studio albums, one live album, and a box set collection.
Bassist Michael Anthony revealed that the band's name came from early jam sessions involving Hagar, Smith, and himself: "a chicken's foot has three talons, just like the three of us." Originally meant as a provisional title, it became permanent after rumors spread, prompting the group to adopt it. Their sophomore studio release, Chickenfoot III, debuted on September 27, 2011.
Chickenfoot (2008–2009)
Vocalist Sammy Hagar recounted that Chickenfoot originated from informal jams among him, Michael Anthony, and Chad Smith at his Cabo Wabo club in Mexico. Growing interest in touring and recording led to enlisting guitarist Joe Satriani, whom Hagar described as "the best guitarist in the world." Hagar, Anthony, and Satriani had previously worked together in 2002 under the project Planet Us. The band also made a guest appearance on an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Their debut live show took place in February 2008 at The Pearl Concert Theatre at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, performing a three-song set that included Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" and Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy."
During intervals in Satriani’s touring schedule, the band recorded demos at Hagar’s residence and finalized their first album at Skywalker Sound. Their self-titled debut, Chickenfoot, was released on June 4, 2009. On release day, they performed their single "Oh Yeah!" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Following this, the band toured extensively across Europe and North America.
In October 2009, Chad Smith returned to work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their tenth studio album, which resulted in Chickenfoot entering a temporary hiatus. Nevertheless, they appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on November 6, 2009, performing "Sexy Little Thing" and "Oh Yeah."
Chickenfoot III (2010–2012)
On May 6, 2010, Chad Smith confirmed plans for Chickenfoot to record their second album later that year after finishing work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Around this period, Satriani disclosed that several tracks had been composed, including "Come Closer," which initially started as a piano and vocal piece.
On September 3, 2010, Chickenfoot announced they were preparing to record their follow-up album. By January 21, 2011, Michael Anthony confirmed studio sessions would commence on January 29 with Chad Smith handling drum recordings. On March 11, Hagar stated they were collaborating with Canadian producer Mike Fraser and had completed twelve songs. The album was officially named Chickenfoot III and scheduled for a fall 2011 release featuring a three-dimensional cover design. Hagar also mentioned intentions for future releases including a greatest hits compilation.
On July 6, 2011, the band secured a North American distribution agreement with eOne Music. Two days later they released an online teaser of a new track.
Chad Smith did not take part in promotional activities or touring for Chickenfoot III due to his commitments with Red Hot Chili Peppers' album I'm with You and its supporting tour. Satriani later confirmed that Kenny Aronoff would fill in on drums for the album’s tour announced on August 27.
To celebrate the release of III, Chickenfoot performed a live webcast concert from TRI Studios on September 27 followed by a fan Q&A session. They also played at Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico on October 9. The band's "Different Devil" summer tour across the US kicked off May 4 in South Lake Tahoe with over twenty dates scheduled. On August 28, 2012, they announced a reissue of their debut album via eOne Music including bonus live tracks from the Different Devil tour; this was due to their previous label folding and original copies becoming scarce.
On November 30, 2012, Chickenfoot released their first live album LV as part of the limited edition box set I+III+LV, which compiled their first two studio albums alongside this live recording. The live album was issued separately on December 7, 2012.
Hiatus and Side Endeavors (2013–2015)
During an October 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Hagar mentioned that although collaborating with Chickenfoot was enjoyable, underwhelming album sales likely hindered the production of a third studio album. Satriani supported this view, pointing to sales figures as a significant reason for the delay in releasing new material.
By September 2015, Joe Satriani confirmed that the group was developing a new track, with the possibility of additional songs: "there is a track being shared among the members," yet no official release date was announced. He conveyed a measured sense of optimism regarding forthcoming music.
Reformation (2016–present)
Chickenfoot came back together for two performances in May 2016 at Harrah's Showroom in South Lake Tahoe, where they introduced the song "Divine Termination."
In a June 2016 Rolling Stone feature, Chad Smith discussed the band's prospects, noting that the members’ demanding schedules restricted their ability to tour extensively. While he expressed enthusiasm about creating fresh material, he recognized the practical difficulties involved.
In November 2017, Hagar disclosed intentions to record another Chickenfoot album following Satriani's solo tour, dependent upon the group's availability. If this proved unworkable, he planned to concentrate on his other ensemble, Sammy Hagar and the Circle.
Band Members
- Sammy Hagar – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2008–2012, 2016)
- Michael Anthony – bass guitar, backing vocals (2008–2012, 2016)
- Joe Satriani – lead guitar, keyboards, piano, occasional backing vocals (2008–2012, 2016)
- Chad Smith – drums, percussion (2008–2011, 2016)
Supporting Touring Musicians
- Kenny Aronoff – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2011–2012)
Studio Releases
| Album | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | Sales Figures | Certifications | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | AUT | CAN | FIN | FRA | NL | SWE | SWI | UK | ||||||||||
| Chickenfoot |
|
4 | 50 | 36 | 5 | 36 | 67 | 25 | 36 | 11 | 23 |
|
| ||||||
| Chickenfoot III |
|
9 | 46 | 11 | 19 | 41 | 81 | 36 | 45 | 12 | 102 |
|
|||||||
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||
Compilation Albums
| Album Title | Release Details | Peak Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | ||
| Best + Live |
|
186 |
Live recordings
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| LV |
|
Compilation sets
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| I+III+LV |
|
Singles
| Year | Single title | US Main. |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Oh Yeah" | 21 | Chickenfoot |
| "Soap on a Rope" | — | ||
| "Sexy Little Thing" | 40 | ||
| 2010 | "Get It Up" | — | |
| "My Kinda Girl" | — | ||
| 2011 | "Big Foot" | 32 | Chickenfoot III |
| "Three and a Half Letters" | — | ||
| 2012 | "Different Devil" | — | |
| 2013 | "Something Going Wrong" | — | LV |
| 2017 | "Divine Termination" | — | Best + Live |
— indicates singles that did not enter the charts.
Music videos
| Year | Video title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Oh Yeah" | Jon Luini & Arthur Rosato |
| "Soap on a Rope" | Jon Luini & Arthur Rosato | |
| "Sexy Little Thing" | Meat & Potatoes | |
| 2010 | "Get It Up" | Darin Bristow |
| "My Kind of Girl" | Meat & Potatoes | |
| 2011 | "Big Foot" | Zan Passante & Jon Hill |
| "Three and a Half Letters" | Arthur Rosato | |
| 2017 | "Divine Termination" | Jon Luini & Arthur Rosato |
Video releases
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | "Chickenfoot Deluxe Limited Edition CD+DVD" |
| 2010 | Get Your Buzz On Live |