Speaking with former RIP magazine editor Lonn Friend at the January 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California, David Ellefson detailed the influence former Van Halen bassist and backing vocalist had on the song "Peace Sells...". "When we were writing 'Peace Sells', we were in the band room, writing 'Peace Sells', and at the end, [sings] 'Peace sells, but who's…', I immediately go, [sings higher] 'Peace sells, but who's buying?' I immediately go for that… I call it the 'Michael Anthony harmony,'" he said.
Ellefson added: "Anytime I'm on a bandstand and there's a vocal, I'm, like, 'I'll take the Michael Anthony part.' So he's, like, defined in my book as a… basically, he's an instrumentation."
David Mustaine describes his first contact with Ellefson when he was playing "Runnin' with the Devil" early on a sunny morning. He describes "Runnin'" as a great song, but not the bass line you want to hear coming through your floor first thing in the morning while nursing a hangover.
Reply With Quote