Photo Credit: Mathieu Bredeau
Fleetwood Mac co-founder and guitarist Peter Green is working on a new book and music project and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is involved.
Hammett was in London, UK last week at the famed Abbey Road Studios recording “something very special” for the as-yet-untitled project. The studio tweeted out a couple of photos of his visit on January 11, with the caption:
“It was a pleasure to have @KirkHammett from @Metallica in our Front Room studio this week, recording guitars with producer Rob Cass and Abbey Road engineer Chris Bolster. The Metallica guitarist was using Peter Green’s legendary ‘Greeny’ 1959 Gibson Les Paul.” Hammett retweeted and shared the post, adding “Thank you @AbbeyRoad !! It was a privilege and a blast !”
Days earlier, Hammett had posted a couple of photos of himself with Green, one of the two guitarists holding a signed copy of Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’ and the other of the two holding “Greeny.”
Following the social media posts, Rufus Publishing released a statement to Planet Rock, telling the publication that the now 72-year-old guitarist:
“Has been working with Rufus Publications on a special book and music project, scheduled for release later this year. As a result of the project, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who owns Peter’s classic 1959 Gibson Les Paul, has been contributing, first by going into Abbey Road and recording something very special with said guitar – known as “Greeny” – and then by visiting Peter at his home and reuniting him with the guitar for the first time since Peter sold it to Gary Moore, 47 years ago.”
The statement continues:
“It was an astonishing meeting of two great, but very different, musicians who spent much of the afternoon discussing the guitar and the music that inspires them. Kirk played Peter the guitar track recorded at Abbey Road and the day ended with Kirk telling Peter he would be sending him a full set of Metallica recordings to listen to.”
Hammett purchased “Greeny,” in 2014 for $2 Million. He’s been known to play the instrument during performances of Thin Lizzy’s version of “Whiskey In A Jar.”
Green’s project is due later in 2020 and is set to feature even more special guests alongside Hammett. In November, fellow Fleetwood Mac founder Mick Fleetwood announced a concert honoring Green at the London Palladium on February 25. That star-studded event will feature appearances from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, John Mayall, Jonny Lang, Zak Starkey and Bill Wyman, among others.
Metallica have a handful of festival dates lined up for 2020, including double sets at Epicenter, Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple, Louder Than Life and Aftershock, as well as a charity event in March, a short South American tour in April and an appearance at the Global Citizen Festival in September. The band released their latest album, ‘Hardwired…To Self-Destruct,’ in 2016.
