Best known as a founding member and bassist of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT for sixteen years, who also played piano, keyboards and guitar, Joe Bouchard spoke to RockHistoryMusic.com about what it was like to have one of his songs covered by METALLICA. "Astronomy", which was first recorded for BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's 1974 album "Secret Treaties", was interpreted by METALLICA on the band's 1998 album "Garage Inc."
Regarding how he first crossed paths with METALLICA, Joe said (see video below): "I went to see [them play]. This is about 1995. I didn't even know that they knew who I was. But I got a backstage pass. They had everybody held up in the catering room; everybody was in the catering room. I had the nice, sort of, management pass; everybody else had to wait there. So I'm walking down the hall, and I look over. 'Oh, there's the bass player from METALLICA.' I said, 'Jason, it's Joe Bouchard.' He says, 'You're Joe Bouchard?' And he grabs my hand, and he would not stop — he would not let go of my hand. [Laughs] And they were just in front of 20,000 people, and everybody was going crazy. And I felt like I'm not really anybody — I'm just some guy hanging out backstage. So I said, 'Jason, come on down to the catering room. I'll introduce you to the whole room. You can sign some autographs and talk to my friends.' And all my friends from the guitar workshop were there. And [Jason] said [about me], 'That guy meant so much to me.'"