Metallica: Ron McGovney talks about being replaced by Cliff Burton
Metallica's original bassist Ron McGovney recalled in an interview with Talk Is Jericho (transcript via Ultimate Guitar) podcast about the time he was replaced by Cliff Burton.
McGovney said the musician, who died in 1986 during a tragic accident with the band's tour bus, was "incredible" and did things he would never be able to play on the instrument.
Initially, Ron McGovney recalled that Cliff Burton entered the life of vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich in the fall of 1982. "His band, Trauma, came to play at the Troubadour, Metal Slade's Brian Slagel invited us to watch. I thought that sound was not my kind of music, and suddenly Cliff started with the ground, and James and Lars kept their eyes wide open, watching him there, I kind of knew that was the guy they were after" he said.
Even after the Trauma show, Ron McGovney was not pulled out of Metallica right away. "I did a lot of gigs with them after that, they never took me away, saying they wanted the guy, I kind of heard rumors, but I already knew who it was." Once, we were playing in San Francisco and Cliff was watching us. and I offered him a ride because he was soaked in. He said, 'No, it's okay.' I'd give a ride to wherever he wanted, but I already knew he was going to be the guy. term," he said.
McGovney said that when he saw Burton playing, he thought, "It's not something I do" He then emphasized that not only was the technical question decisive for the situation: his lack of interest in continuing in the musical career also influenced. "I wanted to be a motorcycle mechanic, I wanted to ride a motorcycle in the desert, I remember walking in the dunes and thinking, 'It's so good to get away from those guys, that's what I want to do, I do not want to be fighting and arguing.' It's like, 'I do not need it, I do not want to be a part of it,' he said.
The former Metallica bassist reinforced that he did not want to be a rock star. "I was just helping James, all I wanted was to be a part of the Leather Charm, to play at a backyard party, to drink, to drink ... and then, but then, when we played in Hollywood clubs, I realize I'm playing in places where I've seen other bands.I watched Mötley Crüe there.I'm on the same stage where The Doors played and things like that," he said.
Still during the chat, Ron McGovney recalled from when he learned that Cliff Burton had died. "I thought I heard it on the KNAC radio, they said that somebody from Metallica had died, but they did not say who, and I thought, 'Oh my God, who was it?'" So when I knew it was Cliff, I could not believe it because they played in Long Beach on the 1986 tour and I went backstage before the show, but only Cliff was there.We had dinner together and we talked [...] He was a guy with his feet on the floor.He came to my house in Los Angeles and he was an incredible guy. He was very respectful to me because of my passing through the band," he said.
Listen to the interview in full below.
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