First Metallica Bassist Ron McGovney Posts Photo of Band’s Original Business Card
Ron McGovney, Metallica's first bassist, was not a member of the band for very long, but his time spent with the thrash pioneers remains memorable nonetheless. His Twitter page is a remarkable resource for early 'Tallica happenings and the erstwhile four-stringer has now shared a photo of Metallica's original business card.
Today, the idea of a serious metal band doling out business cards comes off as a laughable concept. Before there was social media, sliding into DMs (direct messages) wasn't an option and that small rectangular piece of paper was a necessary lifeline for anyone looking to business of just about any sort.
In the photo below, McGovney posted the yellowy piece of paper (perhaps it was once a shade of white nearly 40 years ago) bearing the Metallica logo, McGovney's home phone number and the label, "Power Metal."
Of course, that genre designation pre-dates what is commonly regarded to as power metal. That tag would later be applied to Germany's Helloween and their souped-up take on NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal).
Said McGovney of that business card, "Original Metallica business card. The phone number was the one I had in my bedroom in 1979. I moved to our rental house two doors down in 1981 and took the number with me. That house was where Metallica started. I lived in a condo 1983-1987 and had that same number."
Despite only being a member of Metallica for the year of 1982, McGovney's legacy resides on the group's No Life 'Til Leather demo, the only Metallica recording to feature his playing, as well as short-lived guitarist Dave Mustaine, who was discharged from the band the following year.
On Twitter, the former 'Tallica bassist frequently recollects his time spent in the influential band, sharing rare photos, such as the one seen here.
On Dec. 10 of last year, he celebrated the 11th anniversary of Metallica's 30th anniversary show, where McGovney was invited onstage to take part in the celebration. Mustaine also famously reunited with his old bandmates at the same gig.
Meanwhile, fans are hoping to get a new record from Metallica sooner than later. Their last full length, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct, was released in 2016 after a grueling eight-year drought between albums. The band vowed another eight-year wait would not happen and with all the downtime wrought from the pandemic, Metallica have indeed begun working on new music.
"It’s the heaviest thing, the coolest," drummer Lars Ulrich told Classic Rock of the new material. "But all kidding aside, if it wasn’t because we thought that the best record was still ahead of us, then why keep doing it? In Metallica we love the creative process, and it’s hard for me to imagine that we’ll ever stop making records."