Metallica Guitarist Kirk Hammett Remembers Late Bass Player Cliff Burton

2014-06-23

Story by Charles Ken

Kirk Hammett says late Metallica bass player Cliff Burton was a special talent

Metallica bass player Cliff Burton passed away Sept. 27, 1986, and the metal world has never forgotten his impact, influence and heart. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett recently remembered the late Metallica bass player, saying he was a special talent.

“Cliff was a total anomaly. To this day, I’m still trying to figure out everything I experienced with him,” Hammett told Guitar World. “He was a bass player and played like a bassist. But … a lot of guitar sounds came out of it. He wrote a lot of guitar-centric runs.”

Hammett added that Burton always carried around a small acoustic guitar that was downtuned. “I remember one time I picked it up and was like, ‘What is this thing even tuned to, like C?’” Hammett said. “He explained that he liked it like that because he could really bend the strings. He would always come up with harmonies on that acoustic guitar.”

He added, “I would be sitting there playing my guitar and he’d pick up his bass and immediately start playing a harmony part. And he would also sing harmonies. I remember the Eagles would come on the radio and he would sing all the harmony parts, never the root.”

Burton passed away when Metallica’s tour bus rolled over in a horrific accident.

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Charles Ken

Meet the expert - Charles Ken is a graduate of Michigan State University where he studied writing and history. He's a longtime music buff and covers classic rock for Audio Ink Radio. Contact him at ken@audioinkradio.com.