If You Have to Ask
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| "If You Have to Ask" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers | ||
| from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik | ||
| Released | 1993 | |
| Format | CD | |
| Recorded | May - June 1991 at The Mansion in Los Angeles, California | |
| Genre | Rock, Funk | |
| Length | 3:37 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. Records | |
| Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology | ||
| "Behind The Sun" (1993) |
"If You Have to Ask" (1993) |
"Soul To Squeeze" (1993) |
| "If You Have to Ask" | ||
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| Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers | ||
| from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik | ||
| Blood Sugar Sex Magik track listing | ||
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"If You Have to Ask" Is the second song on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. In 1993 it became the fifth and final single released from that album, complete with an accompanying music video which features Arik Marshall, who acted as a brief replacement for guitarist John Frusciante following his departure from the band. The video merely consists of live footage of the band performing the song, overdubbed with the original album track.
It is a moderately paced song with a relaxed and funky bassline, fairly simple guitar, a vaguely shuffle-style drum line, and low rapped vocals with a duet chorus. The song's two verses consist of low rapped nonsense and wordplay. The song's chorus then explains this by saying "If you have to ask, you'll never know".
At the end of the song, after John Frusciante plays his solo, the production crew and band can be heard applauding Frusciante. No attempts were made to re-record the song without the applause or edit it out, as with all of the unintended sounds on the album, it was decided that they added to the music.
[edit] Track list
CD single (1993)
- "If You Have to Ask (Edit)"
- "If You Have to Ask (Disco Krisco Mix)"
- "If You Have to Ask (Scott And Garth Mix)"
- "Give It Away (In Progress From Funky Monks Video)"
12" single (1993)
- "If You Have to Ask (Disco Krisco Mix)"
- "If You Have to Ask (Album)"
- "If You Have to Ask (Friday Night Fever Blister Mix)"
- "Give It Away (In Progress From Funky Monks Video)"
