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MD.45

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MD.45
Genres
Years active1996
LabelsSlab, Capitol
Spinoff of
Past membersLee Ving
Dave Mustaine
Kelly LeMieux
Jimmy DeGrasso

MD.45 was an American heavy metal/punk rock[1] band formed as a side project by Megadeth guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and Fear vocalist Lee Ving. Bassist Kelly LeMieux (of Fear) and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (of Y&T and on a break from Alice Cooper, who later joined Megadeth) rounded out the band's lineup.

History

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The band's name was derived from Mustaine's initials backwards (MD), combined with 45 which is derived from converting Ving's backwards initials (VL) to their numerical value in Roman numerals which is 45.[2]

The band released only one album, 1996's The Craving. Many of the songs from the album were originally written for Megadeth, but due to the band almost breaking up, where Megadeth's guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza at the time focused on their solo projects, Mustaine decided to start a side project instead.[3]

On June 24, 2023, Megadeth and Lee Ving performed the song "Nothing is Something" live at a concert in Tampa, Florida. This marks the only time an MD.45 song has been performed live.[4]

Remixing controversy

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In 2004, while remixing the Megadeth catalog, Mustaine was offered US$ 250,000 by his-then record label Capitol Records to re-release the album.[3] Mustaine omitted all vocals and harmonica parts from Ving. Instead, Mustaine himself recorded the vocals, and played guitar where the harmonica should have been. In his 2011 autobiography, Mustaine said:[5]

The change was an effort to entice interest from Megadeth fans who might have overlooked the original.

In 2020, Ving publicly spoke about his disapproval, saying in a podcast that he was never consulted about the changes, and Mustaine didn't contact him in any way.[6] The remastered version was released by Capitol Records.[2]

Lineup

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Other
  • Michael Kaye – guitar/backline technician
  • Billy Moss – studio engineer/vintage recorders

Discography

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Date of release Title Label Chart positions US sales
July 23, 1996 The Craving Slab Records 53,000
July 24, 2004 The Craving (remastered) Capitol Records

References

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  1. ^ "90s Metal Weirdness: MD.45 – The Craving". Angry Metal Guy. April 29, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Megadeth: Scorpion, Megadeth.com, March 3, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d "Watch: MEGADETH Joined By FEAR's LEE VING For Performance Of 'Nothing Is Something' From MD.45". Blabbermouth. June 25, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023. Two decades ago, Mustaine told Classic Rock magazine that "a lot of" the music on "The Craving" "was intended for MEGADETH, but every time I turned around, Marty [Friedman, then-MEGADETH guitarist] had a solo record coming out; Nick [Menza, then-MEGADETH drummer] had his own solo project. Y'know, was this MEGADETH or not? I said, 'You don't see me going off to play with anybody else. If I'm not doing it, then none of you guys are. And if I do it, then we all can — but I might not come back.' By the time I got into the studio with Lee, I figured it was a case of goodbye. But we got back together after a little period of time."
  4. ^ "Go Behind The Scenes Of MEGADETH's Concert In Tampa". Blabbermouth. July 6, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  5. ^ "LEE VING Looking To Contact DAVE MUSTAINE To "Get Pressure Off The Matter" Of The Craving Re-Issue". BraveWords. May 25, 2020.
  6. ^ "MD.45's (MEGADETH) Collaborator Lee Ving Still Wants Closure On Removal From The Craving". Metal Injection. May 30, 2020.
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