SAMMY HAGAR Wanted JAMES HETFIELD To Guest On 'Friends' Album

August 12, 2013

Sammy Hagar will release a star-studded solo set on September 24, called "Sammy Hagar & Friends". Among the high-profile guest performers and/or writers are Hagar's CHICKENFOOT bandmates Michael Anthony, Chad Smith, and Joe Satriani, along with Kid Rock, Ronnie Dunn, JOURNEY's Neal Schon, HEART's Nancy Wilson and various members of MONTROSE. The album will feature covers of BOB SEGER's "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" and DEPECHE MODE's "Personal Jesus".

Asked in a brand new interview with RollingStone.com if he was able to get every guest musician that he wanted, Hagar said: I didn't really want to say this, but I'm completely honest: James Hetfield [METALLICA] is a dear friend and we hang out in Hawaii a lot. Kid Rock did the duet on 'Knockdown Dragout', which he recorded for me instantly. I would've just as soon had James Hetfield do it, but I ran into Kid, because I did that Detroit show with him, and we were communicating about other stuff and about his tour, so I just spontaneously asked him to sing on the track. And, boom, it got done. After he finished it, I thought that I would get James to sing just the 'Knockdown! Dragout!' part. I sent it to him and told him Kid Rock was on there and the whole thing, and he got back to me and said, quote-unquote, 'I'm completely flattered that you would want my sailor-assed voice on your record.' And then he said, ' . . . but it isn't my style.' And I said, 'It's OK. I still love you, James.'"

He added: "James has become just such a great frontman. He's really powerful, and he doesn't bullshit. He's not up there doing cheap shit to become a good frontman, like I do. I'll use a stupid line like, 'Are we having any fun yet?' just to get a reaction. And I know how to say something right before you end a song, so the band ends it and you get a big giant cheer because of something I said, and it sounds like they loved the song. I know all them little old veteran tricks. James doesn't even use that shit and he's still got charisma up the ass. He's really strong, man.

"I really wanted him on there, but it doesn't fit. I was cheating by sending him that song, because if he would've heard the whole album — if a METALLICA fan would've heard this album and bought it because he was on there, they would be pissed off. This isn't a METALLICA record, you know? But he's my friend, and I would've loved to have had him on it."

hagarfriends_600

Find more on Metallica
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).