Jon Zazula is the author of Heavy Tales. He might not be a household name, but among his rock and roll accolades, he's the the guy who gave Metallica their first big break. Zazula founded Megaforce Records to independently release Metallica's debut album Kill 'Em All in 1983. Along with his wife, Marsha, this gruesome twosome forged their own path into heavy metal history with a do-if-yourself work ethic. From running their own Rock N Roll Heaven record shop in New Jersey as a flea market operation, to tour managing bands like Venom, Anvil and Raven on their first treks through the United States. Zazula is also one of the pioneers of "Metal Rap", and recorded the first song of that same name in 1984, predating Aerosmith's team up with Run DMC. More on that below.
I spoke with Mr. Zazula over the phone about his heavy tales, as he celebrates 41 years of marriage to his wife Marsha.
Was it difficult to remember all these rock n roll memories, considering how hard everyone partied back in the day?
My memory isn't all that great. I remembered a lot of the details but I didn't remember the timeline that was the big thing. What record came before what record. What band came before band, what tour came before what tour, what year was that tour. I worked with a fellow by the name of Harold Claros Maldonado. He did all the research to put it all in an order to tell the stories, which made it easy for me to do.
You had a heavy metal historian and all the vast history. You mentioned in other articles that before before your record store and label, you lived a real rock n roll vagrant lifestyle in your youth. Can you go into detail about that?
My whole life was based on music and concerts. There was really nothing besides that. Drug sex n rock n roll was pretty much my life since I was 14 years old. It's calmed down considerably in my older years. I used to go to concerts all the time. I used to cut school to see what they had in Brooklyn at the Murray the K show. Murray the K was like the fifth Beatle. And in those days he introduced people to Stevie Wonder. I saw him do his tour on stage when he was 14 or 15 years old.
I'm talking 13-14 years old to cut school, to go down to Brooklyn from the Bronx to see concerts, and they would let me in. I sat through three shows or four shows a day and I saw all of them to watch history unfold. And that went on through the sixties in college, with the Grateful Dead and Captain Beefheart and the Cream. I never missed a beat when it came to music. I saw Led Zeppelin's first concerts, the Who. That was my life, you know what I mean?
What was your first impression when you began to notice heavy music come into being?
You have to remember in '68 you already had the Cream. And for those who don't know what the Cream was, it wasn't the Cream in the reunion package in 2002. It was a very heavy, heavy band. And I saw them in '68, and again, I saw Led Zeppelin, and then Jeff Beck came with his Marshall stacks. Basically I followed it through the British Scene. I had a real taste for the British Music. Even Jethro Tull when they first came out was heavy band on Jethro Tull This Was. Then, it was pretty much floating with the Grateful Dead through the seventies, because I was a big fan of Jerry Garcia. A tremendous fan of the band. Nothing was really turning me on when Cream and Zeppelin was fading away. Then of course there was Black Sabbath to listen to, but I wasn't really blown away and into Sabbath like a fanatic. It wasn't really until 1982 that I started listening to the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. I have to say bands like Raven were very exciting to me.
You also played a hand in helping Raven in the states, right?
I brought Raven to the states for their first tour of America, and I've remained friends with the Gallaghers (John and Mark) in the states ever since for 38 years. We toured Raven around the Northeast and with Anvil. They played some shows together, and we also brought Venom in. We did a big show with Venom. We tried to do more big shows but they were too expensive for anybody to buy in.
I really enjoyed seeing Venom Inc. live in 2017, where I also met you and Marsha. Venom is a huge favorite band of mine. What was that like setting up shows with Venom back in the day?
Venom's big claim to fame was the big show we did with Metallica at the Paramount Theatre. That's where their pyro people didn't know what they were doing and blew a giant whole in the stage with the explosive. That's a story I tell many times. They shot the smoke pots off and the smoot, the black ash covered everyone's faces in the front row. It looked like everyone was in black face in the front row. It was really incredible. We found a dish from the pyro plate in the balcony. It could have taken somebody's head off.
I've seen shows where Raven almost burnt down a theater in San Diego. The bomb went off of Mark Gallagher's guitar and shot like a rocket in the curtain, and the curtain went right up in fire. Everyone came out in smoke extinguishers to put out the flames and abandon the show.
And I had to answer for all this, ya know?
How did you develop your skills for managing rock stars?
I have no idea man. I always say everything I did was divine intervention. Absolutely, because I was pushed through this thing with a cattle prod up my ass, ya know? I learned as I went. I don't know how I knew all the answers. There's this song by the Grateful Dead called “St. Stephen.” The big line is “What will be the answer to the answer man?” Always knowing the answer was a miracle. It really was.
You and Marsha really embodied the do-it-yourself work ethic that has become a staple of punk rock, heavy metal and rock n roll. A lot of bands have followed your example, whether they realize it or not.
We showed what a DIY operation could grow up to be. That it's not just start up at the bottom and end at the bottom, you can actually go somewhere. I think that was very motivational to a nation of people.
How did your record store Rock N Roll heaven come to be?
Rock N Roll Heaven came to be December, Pearl Harbor day 1981. December 7. We started the flea market operation just to raise $70 to feed our family. That was our goal. To raise $70 for a weekend. Didn't go past that. Just goes to show where things could start.
What were your first thoughts when you heard of a little up and coming band called Metallica?
They weren't even up and coming. They were not even up. They had played some gigs in the west coast. They had made an amazing demo. And there was another tape live at the Mabuhey Ballroom in SF that was even better, I think, than No Life Till Leather. “The Mechanix” version on that tape is OH MY GOD. I wish I had that cassette right now just to play it for myself. I'm in such a mood to hear it to hear how heavy it was. If you're into metal and you really knew what was going on, and you heard Metallica for the first time, it would all make sense to you too. It was like so clear, it was like, a light that was shining.
What about your first face to face meeting with Metallica?
The first thing that I did was I thought “what the fuck did I do?” They landed in front of my house with their van, the U-haul and James' little truck. They came in my house. They had an attitude that I wasn't really aware of in the Northeast. I never saw a thrash punk attitude in real life so close to me. When they hit the bar and didn't even pour a glass and just were drinking out of the bottles, and taking them with them to the flea market to see the store. I realized they were really something else.
The word "thrash music" has more to do with the type of people playing it even more than the music. It was a way of life. And Metallica lived that world. Exodus lived that world, ya know? They really were thrashers. And thrash metal wasn't really hard to name. Everyone who went to it seemed to be thrashin'. No bullshit, is what it is.
Who do you consider to be the most underrated band in heavy metal?
Raven. I think Raven are fantastic. You have to have a bit of a taste for Raven. But if you can connect, you're in for a great ride. I'm happy they have the drummer they have now. They have a real good chance of garnering the accolades they deserve. I don't know what their new album sounds like but I really hope it's good, because they need kick in the ass right now, they could use it. They deserve it.
Anvil...these are my old buddies. They were there in the beginning, they didn't get the success they wanted, however, they're still alive and surviving today, and playing music to earn a living which is better than working behind a desk.
You had a hand in the first Rap Metal song with your single “Metal Rap” under the name The Lone Rager. And I gotta give a shout out to my buddy Tom from the Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg, because he gave me copy of this record years ago, straight from your collection.
They came and bought my house out!
He gifted me a signed Lone Rager album. It's still sealed. How did that idea cross your mind?
I heard that Ozzy was going to do a rap song.
Wow, I spit out my coffee thinking of that.
He backed out, but while he was thinking about was doing one, I said let me do one. I was talking to Carl Canedy of The Rods. He said Jonny come on man it will be fun. We had the studio for two days leftover from a project. This was up in Rochester, NY where we recorded Metallica. Carl said to me “Come on, I'll get the Rods to back you and we'll do this, and all you need is lyrics.” So I went and got a bottle of Jack Daniels and hung out in the hotel room, and wrote the lyrics to Metal Rap.By the way, I don't think it's much of a song, and my performance is not that great or anything, but I think the lyrics are very, VERY great.
Why should people check out your book, Heavy Tales?
They'll realize that there's a story to be told about how heavy metal came to be in the eighties. And how thrash metal was born. And you get really into my head, and when you get into my head you get to see that this was done with a person who didn't have all his mental faculties. I am a real heavy manic depressive. And I went through a lot during these days and it was my crazy work mania that made this happened. And it was allowed to happen and guided a long by my wife Marsha. So in the book you also learn about a fantastic woman who stood by her man while the electricity is turned off while he's dong concerts, because he believes so much about what he was doing, and she believes so much in what he's doing. It's a really great love story it's a great story about overcoming success with all odds against you. No money, coming from negative, not even positive flow. That's why I think it's a really good story. Plus, you get to know the truth about what happened during that period of the Mega land growing up.
You and Marsha are one of the original power couples of rock n roll, the dynamic duo.
Every time Lars or James from Metallica speaks highly of you, they always mention Marsha as well.
It's not easy to be married 41 years, stay together, love each other, let alone work together. You don't always agree. That's the story.
Anything you'd like to say in closing?
I hope you enjoy the book. I want everyone to know that it's done in my own voice. I won't let anyone else there attempt to tell the story except me. You can almost hear me talking when you read it, but you can hear me talking when you listen to the audio book.
My friend Drew Rizzo from Midnite Hellion listened to the audio version.
Oh that's really funny. In the bonus part of the audiobook, there's Q and A from the Brothers Grimm Radio. I mention him by name, because the DJ says “Drew from New Jersey” says...and I'm like “who, Drew Rizzo?” and he says “that's right!”
Thank YOU for going One On One With The GRIM-1, Jon!
Dude you give a good interview. Put that on record.
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