The Unforgiven, the gloomy, epic power ballad at the heart of Metallica's 1991 masterpiece 'The Black Album' is no-one's idea of a party anthem. Written, as James Hetfield explained to Maximum Guitar magazine in 1998, "about alienation and, kind of, regret in life", and informed by the singer's upbringing in a Christian Scientist household, it's one of the most bleak and emotionally-heavy songs in the Metallica canon.
"What The Unforgiven really needs is a cheery '60s pop groove, and a perky saxophone intro," thought no-one, ever... no-one, that is, except YouTube mash-up maestro Bill McClintock.
We have made no secret of our love for McClintock's fabulously imaginative, frequently mind-blowing work tinkering with the DNA of classic songs, and sending them back into the world rewired, revitalised and reborn: wanna hear how Black Sabbath might sound collaborating with Wham!? Geezer Butler is into it. Fancy hearing Judas Priest fronted by James Brown? Bill McClintock is your man. Need to check the aural offspring of Prince and Slayer? You know where to come.
Full disclosure: until today, no-one working here was familiar with Spiral Starecase's 1969 Billboard chart hit More Today Than Yesterday, and not just because none of us were alive when the Sacramento, California pop band was enjoying its 15 minutes of fame. But, every day's a school day for the open-minded, so cheers for the education B. Mac, as no-one has ever called him surely.
Anyways, enough talk: featuring Spiral Starecase's More Today Than Yesterday , War's Low Rider and a drum part from For Whom the Bell Tolls, here's The Unforgiven as you've never heard it before: you're welcome.
