LISTEN: Metallica unleash live version of ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ from 1986
It was recorded at Cliff Burton's final US gig
Metallica have premiered a live version of their thrash classic ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ from 31 years ago.
The performance was recorded live at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia on 3rd August 1986 during the last date they supported Ozzy Osbourne on his ‘The Ultimate Sin Tour’ of North America.
Making this performance extra poignant, the Hampton show turned out to be Cliff Burton’s final show on North American soil before his untimely death 55 days later in Sweden.
The clip also features roadie John Marshall on rhythm guitar who stood in for James Hetfield after he broke his arm earlier in the summer in a skateboarding accident.
An impossibly young sounding Papa Het says shortly before the song: “I don’t know if you’ve already seen Metallica before but this really sucks… I usually have a guitar in my hand at this point and I got cast on instead.
“I jumped off a skateboard at 15 miles an hour and that’s not happening. So, with us a long-time, an old friend, guitar roadie Mr John Marshall is backing us up on guitar here. He’s famous from MTV don’t you know…”
Listen to the performance here:
The live version of ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ is lifted from the Remastered Deluxe Box Set & 3-CD Expanded Edition of ‘Master of Puppets’, which is released across the globe on Friday 10th November.
Costing a whopping £149.99, the limited edition deluxe numbered box set of Master of Puppets includes three vinyl records (with a MP3 Download Card), ten CDs, two DVDs, one cassette, a hardcover book including never-before-seen photos, a folder containing handwritten lyrics, a set of six buttons and a "Damage, Inc." lithograph.
You can pre-order the extensive package right here and also listen to a remastered version of ‘Disposable Heroes’ and a live performance of ‘The Thing That Should Not Be’ below: