Mötley Crüe
Encyclopedia
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal
band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx
and drummer Tommy Lee
, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars
and lead singer Vince Neil
. Mötley Crüe has sold more than 80 million album copies worldwide, including 25 million in the U.S.
The band members have often been noted for their hedonistic lifestyles, and the persona
they maintained. All members have had numerous brushes with the law, spent time in prison
, suffered from alcoholism
, long addictions to drugs such as cocaine
and heroin, had countless escapades with women and are heavily tattooed. Their ninth studio album, Saints of Los Angeles
, was released on June 24, 2008. They are currently writing new material for their next album.
and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon
. Lee had worked previously with Leon in a band called Suite 19 and the trio practiced together for some time with Leon eventually deciding not to continue. Tommy took over from previous drummer Butch Brusco due to undisclosed addiction problems. Nikki and Tommy then began a search for new members. Sixx and Lee soon met guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Mars was quickly auditioned and subsequently hired by Sixx and Lee. Although a lead vocalist named O'Dean was auditioned, Lee had known Vince Neil from their high school days at Charter Oak High School
in Covina, California
and the two had performed in different bands on the garage band
circuit. On seeing him perform with the band Rock Candy at the Starwood in Hollywood, California, Mars suggested they have Neil join the band. At first Neil refused the offer, but as the other members of Rock Candy became involved in outside projects, Neil grew anxious to try something else. When Lee made one final appeal to audition, Neil accepted and was hired April 1, 1981. The newly formed band did not yet have a name. While trying to find a suitable name, Mars remembered an incident which occurred when he was playing with a band called White Horse, when one of the other band members called the group "a motley looking crew." He had remembered the phrase and later copied it down as Mottley Cru-. After modifying the spelling slightly, "Mötley Crüe" was eventually selected as the band's name, with the stylistic decision suggested by Neil to add the two sets of metal umlauts supposedly inspired by the German beer Löwenbräu
, which the members were drinking at the time.
The band soon met their first manager, Allan Coffman, "the thirty-eight-year-old brother-in-law of Mick’s driver friend Stick". The band's first release was the single
"Stick to Your Guns/Toast of the Town", which was released on their own record label, Leathür Records
, which had a pressing & distribution deal with Greenworld Distribution in Torrance, California
. In November 1981, their debut album Too Fast for Love
was self-produced and released on Leathür, selling 20,000 copies. Coffman's assistant Eric Greif
set up a tour of Canada
, while Coffman and Greif used Mötley Crüe's success in the Los Angeles club scene to negotiate with several record labels, eventually signing a recording contract with Elektra Records
in late spring 1982. At Elektra's insistence, the debut album was then re-mixed by producer Roy Thomas Baker
and re-released on August 20, 1982, two months after its Canadian Warner Music Group
release using the original Leathür mixes, to coincide with the tour.
During the "Crüesing Through Canada Tour '82," there were several widely-publicized incidents. First, the band was arrested and then released at Edmonton International Airport
for wearing their spiked stage wardrobe (considered "dangerous weapons") through Customs
and for Neil arriving with a small carry-on filled with porn magazines (considered "indecent material"); both were staged PR
stunts. Customs eventually had the confiscated items destroyed. Second, while playing Scandals Disco in Edmonton
, a spurious "bomb threat" against the band made the front page of the Edmonton Journal
(June 9, 1982); assistant band manager Greif and Lee were interviewed. This too ended up being a staged PR stunt perpetrated by Greif. Lastly, Lee threw a television set from the upper story window of the Sheraton Caravan Hotel. Canadian rock magazine Music Express noted that the band were "banned for life" from the city. Despite the tour ending prematurely in financial disaster, it was the basis for the band's first international press.
In 1983, the band changed management from Coffman to Doug Thaler and Doc McGhee
. McGhee is best known for managing Bon Jovi
and later KISS
(starting with their reunion tour in 1996). Greif subsequently sued all parties in a Los Angeles Superior Court action that dragged on for several years, and coincidentally later re-surfaced as manager of Sixx's former band, London
. Coffman himself was sued by several investors to whom he had sold "stock in the band", including Michigan
-based Bill Larson. Coffman eventually declared bankruptcy, as he had mortgaged his home at least three times to cover band expenses.
, and with the aid of the new medium of MTV, the band found rapid success in the United States. The band members were as well known for their backstage groupie
antics, outrageous clothing, extreme high-heeled boots, heavily applied make-up
, and seemingly endless abuse of alcohol and drugs as for their recordings. Their mixture of heavy metal and glam rock
stylings produced several best-selling albums during the 1980s, including Shout at the Devil
(1983), Theatre of Pain
(1985), and Girls, Girls, Girls (1987), which showcased their love of motorcycles, whiskey and strip clubs, and which told tales of substance abuse
, sexual escapades, and general decadence.
The band members have also had their share of scrapes with the law and life. In 1984, Neil was driving home from a liquor store when he was in a head-on collision; his passenger, Hanoi Rocks
drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, was killed. Neil, charged with a DUI
and vehicular manslaughter, was sentenced to 30 days in jail (though he only served 18 days). The band would later release two box sets entitled "Music to Crash Your Car to
".
On December 23, 1987, Sixx suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose. He was declared legally dead on the way to the hospital, but the medic, who was a Crüe fan, revived Sixx by giving him two shots of adrenaline
to the heart, bringing him back to life. His two minutes in death were the inspiration for the song "Kickstart My Heart
", which peaked at #16 on the Mainstream U.S. chart, and which was featured on the 1989 album Dr. Feelgood
. From 1986 to 1987, Sixx kept a daily diary of his heroin addiction and eventually entered rehab in January 1988. In 2006, Sixx published his diaries as a best selling novel: The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
, and in 2007 Sixx's side project band Sixx:A.M.
released The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack as a musical parallel to the novel.
Their decadent lifestyles almost shattered the band, until managers Thaler and McGhee pulled an intervention, and refused to allow the band to tour in Europe, fearing that "some [of them] would come back in bodybags". Shortly after, all the band members except for Mars underwent drug rehabilitation; Mars cleaned up on his own.
After finding sobriety in 1989, Mötley Crüe reached its peak popularity with the release of their fifth album, the Bob Rock
produced Dr. Feelgood
, on September 1, 1989. On October 14 of that year, it became a No. 1 album and stayed on the charts for 109 weeks after its release. The band members each stated in interviews that, due in no small part to their collective push for sobriety, Dr. Feelgood was their most solid album musically to that point, and indeed, it was their best selling album to date. The title track and "Kickstart My Heart" were both nominated for Grammys in the Best Hard Rock Category. The band did find some success at the American Music Awards, as Dr. Feelgood was nominated twice for Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Award, losing once to Guns N' Roses
' Appetite for Destruction
, but winning the following year, beating out Aerosmith
's Pump
and Poison
's Flesh And Blood
. Mötley Crüe was also nominated twice for Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Artist.
In 1989, Doc McGhee was fired after breaking several promises that he made to the band in relation to the Moscow Music Peace Festival
including giving his other band, Bon Jovi
, advantages with slot placement. Doug Thaler then soldiered on as sole band manager.
On October 14, 1991, the band's first compilation album, Decade of Decadence
, was released. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200
album chart. It was reportedly designed as "just something for the fans" while the band worked on the next "all new" album.
scene (Ratt
, Stryper
, White Lion
, Winger, Europe
& Britny Fox
) also broke up because of the rise in popularity of Grunge
/Punk
revival. A controversy exists to this day over whether Neil was fired or quit. Sixx has long maintained that Neil quit the band. However, Neil disputes this and insists that he was fired. Neil was replaced by John Corabi
(formerly of Angora
and The Scream
). Mötley Crüe's commercial success waned throughout the 1990s, although their self-titled
March 1994 release made the Billboard top ten (#7). Thaler would manage the band alone until 1994, at which time the band did a mass-firing when their album, Mötley Crüe
, failed to meet commercial expectations.
The band reunited with Neil in 1997, after their current manager, Allen Kovac, and Neil's manager, Bert Stein, set up a meeting between Neil, Lee, and Sixx. Agreeing to "leave their egos at the door," the band released Generation Swine
. Although it debuted at #4, and in spite of a live performance at the American Music Awards
, the album was a commercial failure, due in part to the band's label's lack of support. The band soon left Elektra and created their own label, Mötley Records
.
In 1998, Mötley Crüe's contractual ties with Elektra Records had expired, putting the band in total control of their future. This included the ownership of the masters of all of their albums. In announcing the end of their relationship with Elektra Records, the band became one of the few groups in history to own and control their publishing and catalogue of recorded masters. In 1999, the band re-released all their albums, dubbed as Crücial Crüe. The limited-edition digital re-masters included demos, live, instrumental, and previously unreleased tracks.
In 1999, Lee put his role in the band on hold to pursue a solo career due to increasing tension with frontman Neil. He was replaced by Randy Castillo
, who drummed on several Ozzy Osbourne
albums. Randy died of cancer on March 26, 2002. No replacement had been named, which sent the band into a hiatus following a 2000 tour in support of their studio release, New Tattoo
. New Tattoo charted at #41 and sold fewer than 200,000 copies. Former Hole
drummer Samantha Maloney
filled in on the tour to promote the album. The Salt Lake City performance of the tour is featured on the DVD Lewd, Crüed & Tattooed.
Within the following six years, Sixx played in the bands 58
and Brides of Destruction
, while Lee formed Methods of Mayhem
and performed as a solo artist. Neil continued touring on an annual basis as a solo artist, singing mostly Mötley Crüe songs. Mars, who suffers from a rare hereditary form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis
, went into seclusion in 2001.
A 2001 autobiography entitled The Dirt
packaged the band as "the world's most notorious rock band". The book made the top ten on The New York Times Best Seller list and spent ten weeks there.
. The band's latest compilation album, Red, White & Crüe, was released in February 2005. It features the band members' favorite original songs plus three new tracks, "If I Die Tomorrow
", "Sick Love Song
" (co-written by Sixx and James Michael
), and a cover of The Rolling Stones
' classic "Street Fighting Man
". A small controversy was caused when it was suggested that neither Lee or Mars played on the new tracks (duties were supposedly handled by Vandals
drummer Josh Freese
). However, a VH1
documentary of the band's reunion later showed that Lee did indeed play on some of the tracks. The Japanese release of Red, White & Crüe includes an extra new track titled "I'm a Liar (and That's the Truth)". Red, White & Crüe charted at #6 and has since gone platinum.
In 2005, Mötley Crüe was involved in an animation-comedy spoof Disaster!, which was written by Paul Benson and Matt Sullivan and which was used as the introduction film to concerts on their Carnival of Sins tour.
In 2006, Mötley Crüe went on the Route of All Evil Tour
, co-headlining with Aerosmith
and taking performers from Lucent Dossier Experience
on the road with them. This was another well attended tour following the Carnival of Sins tour of 2005. In June 2007, Mötley Crüe set out on a small European tour. A lawsuit was filed by Neil, Mars and Sixx against Carl Stubner, Lee's manager. The three sued him for contracting for Lee to appear on two unsuccessful reality shows the band claim hurt its image. It was reported on Motley.com that the lawsuit has been settled.
On June 11, 2008, the band and manager Burt Stein filed suit against each other. Stein was Vince Neil's personal manager and also, according to the band and rival manager Allen Kovac, served as the band's manager at one time. The band and Kovac sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming Stein was not entitled to a cut of Mötley Crüe's earnings. Stein sued the same day in Nashville's federal court, saying he was entitled to 1.875 percent of what the band makes. Other litigation between the parties also ensued in Nevada. In July 2009, lawyers for both sides announced that the disputes had been "amicably resolved" through a "global settlement".
Mötley Crüe's ninth studio album, titled Saints of Los Angeles
, was released in Japan on June 17, 2008 and in America on June 24, 2008. The album was originally titled The Dirt, as it was loosely based on the band's autobiography of the same name, but the title was later changed. Saints of Los Angeles features the band's original lineup. In the US, the album was released by Eleven Seven Music
. Eleven Seven also took over US distribution of their back catalog.
Mötley Crüe had announced that the movie The Dirt, based on the book written by Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss
, might be released in 2009. However, as of September 2009, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) lists 2011 as the probable release date. This is still subject to change, particularly because the "status" of the movie was listed as "unknown" in April 2009 (the date of IMDb's last update to "The Dirt").
iTunes picked "Saints of Los Angeles
" in their "Best of 2008" in the Rock category as the number one song; the song was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category. The song was released in the music game series Rock Band as downloadable content the day the single was released. Additionally, the entire Dr. Feelgood
album was released as downloadable content in Rock Band as well, excluding "T.n.T. (Terror 'n Tinseltown)".
The band played the Download Festival
in Donington Park (June 12–14, 2009), playing on the second stage on Friday night.
The band made a guest appearance in the season finale of "Bones
" on May 14, 2009 entitled "The End In The Beginning", performing the classic song "Dr. Feelgood
".
Mötley Crüe headlined the Crüe Fest 2
festival, which ran from July to September 2009. Supporting them were Godsmack
, Theory of a Deadman
, Drowning Pool
, and Charm City Devils
. In addition to performing a set featuring material from Saints of Los Angeles
, the band also celebrated the 20th anniversary of Dr. Feelgood
by performing the album in its entirety on each night of the tour and re-releasing the album as a special 20th anniversary deluxe edition.
In 2010, Tommy Lee
announced that there would not be a Crüe Fest 3 in the summer of 2010, but instead the band would work on new material and is expected to tour Crüe Fest 3 in the summer of 2011. Mötley Crüe were headlining Ozzfest
in 2010, along with Ozzy Osbourne
and Rob Halford
.
Mötley Crüe co-headlined a summer tour with Poison
and special guests New York Dolls
in 2011 for Mötley Crüe's 30th Anniversary and Poison's 25th anniversary.
Asked in July 2011 if Mötley Crüe has begun writing new material, Lee replied, "Nikki's got some stuff kickin' around, I've got a few things kickin' around. Whether I'm writing solo stuff, electronic stuff or material for Mötley, I just write to write. I come up with it and put things in different piles. I guess some of the things I have could be for Mötley Crüe."
On the 30th of August 2011, Mötley Crüe, along with co-headliners Def Leppard
and special guests Steel Panther
, announced a UK Tour commencing in December 2011.
Asked in a November 2011 interview with Examiner.com if Mötley Crüe will be be making another album in 2012 or plan another Crüefest tour, Vince Neil replied, "We're looking at another Crüefest. This tour doesn't end until November of next year."
countdown shows, "Dr. Feelgood
" was ranked the #7 Greatest Air Guitar Song, "Live Wire" was ranked the #17 Greatest Metal Song Of All Time, and "Home Sweet Home
" was ranked the #12 Greatest Power Ballad Of All Time. Mötley Crüe was featured several times on VH1's 100 Most Metal Moments, the highest spot being #3. VH1 included the Tommy Lee sex tapes, The Dirt, and Ozzy Osbourne
's and Nikki Sixx's pee. All featured in the countdown. Mötley Crüe has also been one of the many bands featured on VH1's Behind the Music
. The band was also ranked #29 on VH1's list of the greatest hard rock bands. Mötley Crüe was also ranked tenth on MTV's list "Top 10 Heavy Metal
Bands of All-Time".
Former members
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder and bassist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey...
and drummer Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars
Mick Mars
Mick Mars is the lead guitarist for American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Career:After his family relocated from Indiana, to California, Bob Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day...
and lead singer Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
. Mötley Crüe has sold more than 80 million album copies worldwide, including 25 million in the U.S.
The band members have often been noted for their hedonistic lifestyles, and the persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
they maintained. All members have had numerous brushes with the law, spent time in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, suffered from alcoholism
Alcohol dependence
Alcohol dependence, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing an entity in which an individual uses alcohol despite significant areas of dysfunction, evidence of physical dependence, and/or related hardship.-Definition and diagnosis:According to the DSM-IV criteria for...
, long addictions to drugs such as cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and heroin, had countless escapades with women and are heavily tattooed. Their ninth studio album, Saints of Los Angeles
Saints of Los Angeles
-"Saints of Los Angeles":The first single, "Saints of Los Angeles", was released on April 11 and started airing on radio stations on April 15, 2008. The song was given further promotion through the music video game Rock Band, being released as downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and...
, was released on June 24, 2008. They are currently writing new material for their next album.
Formation and early years: 1981–1983
Mötley Crüe was formed on January 17, 1981 when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band LondonLondon (heavy metal band)
London is an American heavy metal band, based in Hollywood, California. The band is perhaps most notable for featuring members that would go on to play in more famous bands such as Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, W.A.S.P...
and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon
Greg Leon
Gregory Jay Leon is a Los Angeles hard rock guitarist notable for his stints in Quiet Riot and Dokken. He was also in a band with Tommy Lee called Suite 19....
. Lee had worked previously with Leon in a band called Suite 19 and the trio practiced together for some time with Leon eventually deciding not to continue. Tommy took over from previous drummer Butch Brusco due to undisclosed addiction problems. Nikki and Tommy then began a search for new members. Sixx and Lee soon met guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Mars was quickly auditioned and subsequently hired by Sixx and Lee. Although a lead vocalist named O'Dean was auditioned, Lee had known Vince Neil from their high school days at Charter Oak High School
Charter Oak High School
Charter Oak High School is a four year comprehensive secondary school located in Covina, California....
in Covina, California
Covina, California
Covina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
and the two had performed in different bands on the garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
circuit. On seeing him perform with the band Rock Candy at the Starwood in Hollywood, California, Mars suggested they have Neil join the band. At first Neil refused the offer, but as the other members of Rock Candy became involved in outside projects, Neil grew anxious to try something else. When Lee made one final appeal to audition, Neil accepted and was hired April 1, 1981. The newly formed band did not yet have a name. While trying to find a suitable name, Mars remembered an incident which occurred when he was playing with a band called White Horse, when one of the other band members called the group "a motley looking crew." He had remembered the phrase and later copied it down as Mottley Cru-. After modifying the spelling slightly, "Mötley Crüe" was eventually selected as the band's name, with the stylistic decision suggested by Neil to add the two sets of metal umlauts supposedly inspired by the German beer Löwenbräu
Löwenbräu
Löwenbräu is a German brewery in Munich, Bavaria, Germany that produces a traditional Munich-style beer. It is currently owned by the American-Brazilian-Belgian company Anheuser-Busch InBev. Like other premium German beers, it is brewed according to the German "Reinheitsgebot" dating back to 1516...
, which the members were drinking at the time.
The band soon met their first manager, Allan Coffman, "the thirty-eight-year-old brother-in-law of Mick’s driver friend Stick". The band's first release was the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Stick to Your Guns/Toast of the Town", which was released on their own record label, Leathür Records
Leathür Records
Leathür Records was a record label that released Mötley Crüe's debut album. It was a small imprint owned by the band and original manager Allan Coffman....
, which had a pressing & distribution deal with Greenworld Distribution in Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
. In November 1981, their debut album Too Fast for Love
Too Fast for Love
Too Fast For Love is the debut record of American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe; 900 copies were released in November 1981 on the band's Leathür Records label. Elektra Records signed the band the following year, at which point the album was remixed and partially re-recorded...
was self-produced and released on Leathür, selling 20,000 copies. Coffman's assistant Eric Greif
Eric Greif
Eric Greif is a lawyer and entertainment personality known first for a management career within the heavy metal musical genre in the 1980s and later within the legal profession...
set up a tour of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, while Coffman and Greif used Mötley Crüe's success in the Los Angeles club scene to negotiate with several record labels, eventually signing a recording contract with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in late spring 1982. At Elektra's insistence, the debut album was then re-mixed by producer Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker is a multiple award-winning Anglo-American music producer, songwriter, arranger and Recording Academy Governor, who has produced Platinum and Gold certified pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present.- Career :Baker began his career at Decca Records in England at the age...
and re-released on August 20, 1982, two months after its Canadian Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
release using the original Leathür mixes, to coincide with the tour.
During the "Crüesing Through Canada Tour '82," there were several widely-publicized incidents. First, the band was arrested and then released at Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton International Airport is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton region in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada providing regularly scheduled nonstop flights to over fifty communities in Canada, the United...
for wearing their spiked stage wardrobe (considered "dangerous weapons") through Customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
and for Neil arriving with a small carry-on filled with porn magazines (considered "indecent material"); both were staged PR
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
stunts. Customs eventually had the confiscated items destroyed. Second, while playing Scandals Disco in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, a spurious "bomb threat" against the band made the front page of the Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Journal
The Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network.-History:The Journal was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as a rival to Alberta's first newspaper, the 23-year-old...
(June 9, 1982); assistant band manager Greif and Lee were interviewed. This too ended up being a staged PR stunt perpetrated by Greif. Lastly, Lee threw a television set from the upper story window of the Sheraton Caravan Hotel. Canadian rock magazine Music Express noted that the band were "banned for life" from the city. Despite the tour ending prematurely in financial disaster, it was the basis for the band's first international press.
In 1983, the band changed management from Coffman to Doug Thaler and Doc McGhee
Doc McGhee
Doc McGhee is an American music manager, best known for working with KISS, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe. The latter two groups experienced their rise to stardom under his management...
. McGhee is best known for managing Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
and later KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
(starting with their reunion tour in 1996). Greif subsequently sued all parties in a Los Angeles Superior Court action that dragged on for several years, and coincidentally later re-surfaced as manager of Sixx's former band, London
London (heavy metal band)
London is an American heavy metal band, based in Hollywood, California. The band is perhaps most notable for featuring members that would go on to play in more famous bands such as Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, W.A.S.P...
. Coffman himself was sued by several investors to whom he had sold "stock in the band", including Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
-based Bill Larson. Coffman eventually declared bankruptcy, as he had mortgaged his home at least three times to cover band expenses.
Rise to international fame: 1984–1991
After playing the US FestivalUS Festival
The US Festivals were two early 1980s music and culture festivals sponsored by Steve Wozniak, formerly of Apple Computer. The first was held Labor Day weekend in September 1982 and the second was Memorial Day weekend in May 1983...
, and with the aid of the new medium of MTV, the band found rapid success in the United States. The band members were as well known for their backstage groupie
Groupie
A groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
antics, outrageous clothing, extreme high-heeled boots, heavily applied make-up
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
, and seemingly endless abuse of alcohol and drugs as for their recordings. Their mixture of heavy metal and glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
stylings produced several best-selling albums during the 1980s, including Shout at the Devil
Shout at the Devil
Shout at the Devil is the second album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on September 26, 1983. "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young to Fall in Love" became huge hits and "Shout at the Devil" became very popular as well.-Reception:...
(1983), Theatre of Pain
Theatre of Pain
-Personnel:*Vince Neil - vocals*Mick Mars - guitar*Nikki Sixx - bass*Tommy Lee - drums, piano-Singles:*"Smokin' In the Boys Room" was released on June 24, 1985.*"Home Sweet Home" was released on September 30, 1985.-Charts:...
(1985), and Girls, Girls, Girls (1987), which showcased their love of motorcycles, whiskey and strip clubs, and which told tales of substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
, sexual escapades, and general decadence.
The band members have also had their share of scrapes with the law and life. In 1984, Neil was driving home from a liquor store when he was in a head-on collision; his passenger, Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, was killed. Neil, charged with a DUI
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
and vehicular manslaughter, was sentenced to 30 days in jail (though he only served 18 days). The band would later release two box sets entitled "Music to Crash Your Car to
Mötley Crüe discography
The official discography of Mötley Crüe, a hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, consists of nine studio albums, two live albums, three EPs, six compilation albums, four box sets, nine DVD, twenty-eight singles, and twenty-five music videos....
".
On December 23, 1987, Sixx suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose. He was declared legally dead on the way to the hospital, but the medic, who was a Crüe fan, revived Sixx by giving him two shots of adrenaline
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...
to the heart, bringing him back to life. His two minutes in death were the inspiration for the song "Kickstart My Heart
Kickstart My Heart
"Kickstart My Heart" is a Grammy Award-nominated song by the American rock band Mötley Crüe, originally released on their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood. The song has also been used numerous in media, including the trailers for Robert Rodriguez's family comedy Shorts and the Disney/Pixar film Cars...
", which peaked at #16 on the Mainstream U.S. chart, and which was featured on the 1989 album Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (album)
*Disc one contains the original albumThe original Korean LP edition does not contain the first two tracks, "T.N.T. " and "Dr...
. From 1986 to 1987, Sixx kept a daily diary of his heroin addiction and eventually entered rehab in January 1988. In 2006, Sixx published his diaries as a best selling novel: The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star is a book co-written by Nikki Sixx, bassist of the rock band Mötley Crüe, and Ian Gittins. Additional reflections on the period from Sixx and others are interspersed throughout the book. The book also includes many black-and-white...
, and in 2007 Sixx's side project band Sixx:A.M.
Sixx:A.M.
Sixx:A.M. is a hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007 by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael, and is the side project of Sixx, who is also the bass guitarist for Mötley Crüe. The group is best known for their songs "Life Is Beautiful" and "Lies of the Beautiful People". The...
released The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack as a musical parallel to the novel.
Their decadent lifestyles almost shattered the band, until managers Thaler and McGhee pulled an intervention, and refused to allow the band to tour in Europe, fearing that "some [of them] would come back in bodybags". Shortly after, all the band members except for Mars underwent drug rehabilitation; Mars cleaned up on his own.
After finding sobriety in 1989, Mötley Crüe reached its peak popularity with the release of their fifth album, the Bob Rock
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...
produced Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (album)
*Disc one contains the original albumThe original Korean LP edition does not contain the first two tracks, "T.N.T. " and "Dr...
, on September 1, 1989. On October 14 of that year, it became a No. 1 album and stayed on the charts for 109 weeks after its release. The band members each stated in interviews that, due in no small part to their collective push for sobriety, Dr. Feelgood was their most solid album musically to that point, and indeed, it was their best selling album to date. The title track and "Kickstart My Heart" were both nominated for Grammys in the Best Hard Rock Category. The band did find some success at the American Music Awards, as Dr. Feelgood was nominated twice for Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Award, losing once to Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
' Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
, but winning the following year, beating out Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
's Pump
Pump (album)
*After the end of "What It Takes" there is a brief, untitled, instrumental hidden track composed and performed by Randy Raine-Reusch. This was not included on all the releases in all countries.-Bonus track :-Lawsuit:...
and Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
's Flesh And Blood
Flesh and Blood (Poison album)
Flesh & Blood is the third studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1990 through the Enigma label of Capitol Records. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard chartsand it sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide....
. Mötley Crüe was also nominated twice for Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Artist.
In 1989, Doc McGhee was fired after breaking several promises that he made to the band in relation to the Moscow Music Peace Festival
Moscow Music Peace Festival
The Moscow Music Peace Festival was a one-time gathering of high-profile hard rock acts for a performance in Moscow, Soviet Union on 12 and 13 August 1989 to promote world peace and establish international cooperation in fighting the drug war in Russia. It was part of an era of momentous change in...
including giving his other band, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, advantages with slot placement. Doug Thaler then soldiered on as sole band manager.
On October 14, 1991, the band's first compilation album, Decade of Decadence
Decade of Decadence
-Singles:1. Primal Scream2. Home Sweet Home '91- Certifications :-External links:*...
, was released. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. It was reportedly designed as "just something for the fans" while the band worked on the next "all new" album.
Years of turmoil: 1992–2003
After Decade of Decadence was released, Neil left the band in February 1992, at a time when other bands in the '80s glam metalGlam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
scene (Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
, Stryper
Stryper
Stryper is a Christian glam metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet , Oz Fox , Tim Gaines , and Robert Sweet...
, White Lion
White Lion
White Lion is an American/Danish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the...
, Winger, Europe
Europe (band)
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
& Britny Fox
Britny Fox
Britny Fox was an American Glam metal band from the Philadelphia area, initially active from 1985 to 1992 then subsequently reforming in 2000. They are best known for their music video for "Girlschool" and their hit "Long Way to Love" .-History:...
) also broke up because of the rise in popularity of Grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
/Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
revival. A controversy exists to this day over whether Neil was fired or quit. Sixx has long maintained that Neil quit the band. However, Neil disputes this and insists that he was fired. Neil was replaced by John Corabi
John Corabi
John Corabi is a heavy metal singer and guitarist who has worked with such bands as Angora, The Scream, Mötley Crüe, Union and ESP , Ratt , Twenty 4 Seven , Zen Lunatic, Brides of Destruction, and Angel City Outlaws John Corabi (born on April 26, 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a heavy...
(formerly of Angora
Angora (band)
Angora were a band featuring lead vocalist and harmonica player John Corabi, guitarist Jimmy Marchiano, bassist Frank Schmeca, and drummer Robert Iezza.The band recorded a demo tape before the members went on to other bands....
and The Scream
The Scream (band)
The Scream was a Los Angeles-based hard rock band formed in 1989 as Saints Or Sinners. The band originally featured former Angora singer John Corabi and former Racer X members guitarist Bruce Bouillet, bassist Juan Alderete, and drummer Scott Travis. However, Scott Travis quickly left to join Judas...
). Mötley Crüe's commercial success waned throughout the 1990s, although their self-titled
Mötley Crüe (album)
Mötley Crüe is the eponymous sixth studio album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released on March 15, 1994, their sixth studio album. It was the band's first and only album released with singer John Corabi, and was the first album of new material released by the band since their 1989 album,...
March 1994 release made the Billboard top ten (#7). Thaler would manage the band alone until 1994, at which time the band did a mass-firing when their album, Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe (album)
Mötley Crüe is the eponymous sixth studio album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released on March 15, 1994, their sixth studio album. It was the band's first and only album released with singer John Corabi, and was the first album of new material released by the band since their 1989 album,...
, failed to meet commercial expectations.
The band reunited with Neil in 1997, after their current manager, Allen Kovac, and Neil's manager, Bert Stein, set up a meeting between Neil, Lee, and Sixx. Agreeing to "leave their egos at the door," the band released Generation Swine
Generation Swine
Generation Swine is the seventh studio album and final for Elektra Records by the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 1997. The album is the first to feature singer Vince Neil since Dr...
. Although it debuted at #4, and in spite of a live performance at the American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, the album was a commercial failure, due in part to the band's label's lack of support. The band soon left Elektra and created their own label, Mötley Records
Mötley Records
Mötley Records is the current record label for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Albums the company has made with Mötley Crüe include Saints of Los Angeles, Red, White and Crüe, Generation Swine, and New Tattoo as well as all the original albums that have been remastered. The record company is the...
.
In 1998, Mötley Crüe's contractual ties with Elektra Records had expired, putting the band in total control of their future. This included the ownership of the masters of all of their albums. In announcing the end of their relationship with Elektra Records, the band became one of the few groups in history to own and control their publishing and catalogue of recorded masters. In 1999, the band re-released all their albums, dubbed as Crücial Crüe. The limited-edition digital re-masters included demos, live, instrumental, and previously unreleased tracks.
In 1999, Lee put his role in the band on hold to pursue a solo career due to increasing tension with frontman Neil. He was replaced by Randy Castillo
Randy Castillo
Randolpho Francisco Castillo was best known as Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999-2002.-Early years:...
, who drummed on several Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
albums. Randy died of cancer on March 26, 2002. No replacement had been named, which sent the band into a hiatus following a 2000 tour in support of their studio release, New Tattoo
New Tattoo
New Tattoo is the eighth studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe released in 2000. Artistically, New Tattoo shows the band going back to their earlier musical style that gave them commercial success in the 1980s. Long time drummer Tommy Lee left the band a year before, and was...
. New Tattoo charted at #41 and sold fewer than 200,000 copies. Former Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
drummer Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney is an American musician best known for playing in the bands Hole, Mötley Crüe, Eagles of Death Metal and in Peaches' live band "The Herms".-Early career:...
filled in on the tour to promote the album. The Salt Lake City performance of the tour is featured on the DVD Lewd, Crüed & Tattooed.
Within the following six years, Sixx played in the bands 58
58 (band)
58 is an American rock band, a side project involving Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe and producer Dave Darling, Sixx's former father-in-law. The band name originates from the fact that both Sixx and Darling were born in 1958...
and Brides of Destruction
Brides of Destruction
Brides of Destruction were an American hard rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band's last lineup consisted of singer London LeGrand , Tracii Guns and Scot Coogan...
, while Lee formed Methods of Mayhem
Methods Of Mayhem
Methods of Mayhem is an American rock band formed in 1999 by Tommy Lee, who had temporarily quit his position as Mötley Crüe's drummer.-History:...
and performed as a solo artist. Neil continued touring on an annual basis as a solo artist, singing mostly Mötley Crüe songs. Mars, who suffers from a rare hereditary form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis , previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton with variable involvement of peripheral joints and nonarticular structures...
, went into seclusion in 2001.
A 2001 autobiography entitled The Dirt
The Dirt
The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band is a collaborative autobiography written by Mötley Crüe, Neil Strauss, and the "Mötley" managers, where they write about the members of Mötley Crüe. First published in 2001, it chronicles the formation of the band, their rise to fame...
packaged the band as "the world's most notorious rock band". The book made the top ten on The New York Times Best Seller list and spent ten weeks there.
Reunion and renewed success: 2004–present
A promoter in England, Mags Revell, began clamoring for a Mötley Crüe reunion, ostensibly presenting himself as the voice of anxious fans waiting for more from the band. After meeting with management several times, in September 2004, Sixx announced that he and Neil had returned to the studio and had begun recording new material. In December 2004, the four original members announced a reunion tour which began February 14, 2005, in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. The band's latest compilation album, Red, White & Crüe, was released in February 2005. It features the band members' favorite original songs plus three new tracks, "If I Die Tomorrow
If I Die Tomorrow
"If I Die Tomorrow" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe released on their 2005 compilation album Red, White & Crüe. The song was one of the new songs recorded by Mötley Crüe for the album and the single charted at number 4 on the Mainstream rock charts.-Cover:Originally written...
", "Sick Love Song
Sick Love Song
"Sick Love Song" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on their 2005 compilation album, Red, White & Crüe. Written by bassist Nikki Sixx and collaborator James Michael, "Sick Love Song" was one of the few new tracks the band recorded specifically for the album and the...
" (co-written by Sixx and James Michael
James Michael
James Andrew Michael is an American record producer, songwriter, engineer, mixer, vocalist and musician. He is currently the lead singer of the rock band Sixx:A.M.-Early life:...
), and a cover of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' classic "Street Fighting Man
Street Fighting Man
"Street Fighting Man" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Called the band's "most political song", Rolling Stone ranked the song #295 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Inspiration:Originally titled and recorded...
". A small controversy was caused when it was suggested that neither Lee or Mars played on the new tracks (duties were supposedly handled by Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
drummer Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
). However, a VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
documentary of the band's reunion later showed that Lee did indeed play on some of the tracks. The Japanese release of Red, White & Crüe includes an extra new track titled "I'm a Liar (and That's the Truth)". Red, White & Crüe charted at #6 and has since gone platinum.
In 2005, Mötley Crüe was involved in an animation-comedy spoof Disaster!, which was written by Paul Benson and Matt Sullivan and which was used as the introduction film to concerts on their Carnival of Sins tour.
In 2006, Mötley Crüe went on the Route of All Evil Tour
Route of All Evil Tour
The Route of All Evil Tour was a North American concert tour co-headlined by American hard rock band Aerosmith and heavy metal/glam metal band Mötley Crüe that took the bands to 40 amphitheaters and arenas from September to December 2006...
, co-headlining with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and taking performers from Lucent Dossier Experience
Lucent Dossier Experience
Lucent Dossier Experience is an interactive, avant-garde circus, electronic rock band, performance troupe and entertainment company...
on the road with them. This was another well attended tour following the Carnival of Sins tour of 2005. In June 2007, Mötley Crüe set out on a small European tour. A lawsuit was filed by Neil, Mars and Sixx against Carl Stubner, Lee's manager. The three sued him for contracting for Lee to appear on two unsuccessful reality shows the band claim hurt its image. It was reported on Motley.com that the lawsuit has been settled.
On June 11, 2008, the band and manager Burt Stein filed suit against each other. Stein was Vince Neil's personal manager and also, according to the band and rival manager Allen Kovac, served as the band's manager at one time. The band and Kovac sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming Stein was not entitled to a cut of Mötley Crüe's earnings. Stein sued the same day in Nashville's federal court, saying he was entitled to 1.875 percent of what the band makes. Other litigation between the parties also ensued in Nevada. In July 2009, lawyers for both sides announced that the disputes had been "amicably resolved" through a "global settlement".
Mötley Crüe's ninth studio album, titled Saints of Los Angeles
Saints of Los Angeles
-"Saints of Los Angeles":The first single, "Saints of Los Angeles", was released on April 11 and started airing on radio stations on April 15, 2008. The song was given further promotion through the music video game Rock Band, being released as downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and...
, was released in Japan on June 17, 2008 and in America on June 24, 2008. The album was originally titled The Dirt, as it was loosely based on the band's autobiography of the same name, but the title was later changed. Saints of Los Angeles features the band's original lineup. In the US, the album was released by Eleven Seven Music
Eleven seven music
Eleven Seven Music is a record label founded by Allen Kovac, who is the CEO of 10th Street Entertainment.Eleven Seven has recently enjoyed success with the rejuvenated Buckcherry, whose label debut has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe and Sixx:A.M...
. Eleven Seven also took over US distribution of their back catalog.
Mötley Crüe had announced that the movie The Dirt, based on the book written by Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss
Neil Strauss
Neil Darrow Strauss , also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an American and Kittitian author, journalist and ghostwriter...
, might be released in 2009. However, as of September 2009, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) lists 2011 as the probable release date. This is still subject to change, particularly because the "status" of the movie was listed as "unknown" in April 2009 (the date of IMDb's last update to "The Dirt").
Saints of Los Angeles (song)
"Saints of Los Angeles" is the Grammy-nominated first single from Mötley Crüe's album of the same name. It was released on April 11, 2008, and started airing on radio stations on April 15 and charted at #5 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In the original Gang Vocal version, found on the album,...
" in their "Best of 2008" in the Rock category as the number one song; the song was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category. The song was released in the music game series Rock Band as downloadable content the day the single was released. Additionally, the entire Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (album)
*Disc one contains the original albumThe original Korean LP edition does not contain the first two tracks, "T.N.T. " and "Dr...
album was released as downloadable content in Rock Band as well, excluding "T.n.T. (Terror 'n Tinseltown)".
The band played the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
in Donington Park (June 12–14, 2009), playing on the second stage on Friday night.
The band made a guest appearance in the season finale of "Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
" on May 14, 2009 entitled "The End In The Beginning", performing the classic song "Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (song)
"Dr. Feelgood" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released as the first single and is the title track to their fifth album. Although it is the title track, some versions of the album do not include it, such as the Korean edition...
".
Mötley Crüe headlined the Crüe Fest 2
Crüe Fest 2
Crüe Fest 2 was the second year of the Crüe Fest touring festival, created and headlined by Mötley Crüe. The tour took place over the summer of 2009, and was in the same vein as the first Crüe Fest.-Line up:...
festival, which ran from July to September 2009. Supporting them were Godsmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
, Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
, Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
, and Charm City Devils
Charm City Devils
Charm City Devils is a hard rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. The band was founded by SR-71 drummer John Allen as the frontman, and was signed to Eleven Seven Music in 2009...
. In addition to performing a set featuring material from Saints of Los Angeles
Saints of Los Angeles
-"Saints of Los Angeles":The first single, "Saints of Los Angeles", was released on April 11 and started airing on radio stations on April 15, 2008. The song was given further promotion through the music video game Rock Band, being released as downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and...
, the band also celebrated the 20th anniversary of Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (album)
*Disc one contains the original albumThe original Korean LP edition does not contain the first two tracks, "T.N.T. " and "Dr...
by performing the album in its entirety on each night of the tour and re-releasing the album as a special 20th anniversary deluxe edition.
In 2010, Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
announced that there would not be a Crüe Fest 3 in the summer of 2010, but instead the band would work on new material and is expected to tour Crüe Fest 3 in the summer of 2011. Mötley Crüe were headlining Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
in 2010, along with Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Rob Halford
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
.
Mötley Crüe co-headlined a summer tour with Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
and special guests New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
in 2011 for Mötley Crüe's 30th Anniversary and Poison's 25th anniversary.
Asked in July 2011 if Mötley Crüe has begun writing new material, Lee replied, "Nikki's got some stuff kickin' around, I've got a few things kickin' around. Whether I'm writing solo stuff, electronic stuff or material for Mötley, I just write to write. I come up with it and put things in different piles. I guess some of the things I have could be for Mötley Crüe."
On the 30th of August 2011, Mötley Crüe, along with co-headliners Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
and special guests Steel Panther
Steel Panther
Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas...
, announced a UK Tour commencing in December 2011.
Asked in a November 2011 interview with Examiner.com if Mötley Crüe will be be making another album in 2012 or plan another Crüefest tour, Vince Neil replied, "We're looking at another Crüefest. This tour doesn't end until November of next year."
Legacy
The band has been featured on a number of VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
countdown shows, "Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (song)
"Dr. Feelgood" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released as the first single and is the title track to their fifth album. Although it is the title track, some versions of the album do not include it, such as the Korean edition...
" was ranked the #7 Greatest Air Guitar Song, "Live Wire" was ranked the #17 Greatest Metal Song Of All Time, and "Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home (Mötley Crüe song)
"Home Sweet Home" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was originally released in 1985 on the album Theatre of Pain, and again in 1991 for the Decade of Decadence compilation album...
" was ranked the #12 Greatest Power Ballad Of All Time. Mötley Crüe was featured several times on VH1's 100 Most Metal Moments, the highest spot being #3. VH1 included the Tommy Lee sex tapes, The Dirt, and Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
's and Nikki Sixx's pee. All featured in the countdown. Mötley Crüe has also been one of the many bands featured on VH1's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
. The band was also ranked #29 on VH1's list of the greatest hard rock bands. Mötley Crüe was also ranked tenth on MTV's list "Top 10 Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
Bands of All-Time".
Band members
Current members- Vince NeilVince NeilVincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
– lead vocals, occasional guitar (1981–1992, 1996–present) - Mick MarsMick MarsMick Mars is the lead guitarist for American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Career:After his family relocated from Indiana, to California, Bob Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day...
– guitar, backing vocals (1981–present) - Nikki SixxNikki SixxNikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder and bassist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey...
– bass, backing vocals (1981–present) - Tommy LeeTommy LeeThomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
– drums, percussion, piano, backing vocals (1981–1999, 2004–present)
Former members
- John CorabiJohn CorabiJohn Corabi is a heavy metal singer and guitarist who has worked with such bands as Angora, The Scream, Mötley Crüe, Union and ESP , Ratt , Twenty 4 Seven , Zen Lunatic, Brides of Destruction, and Angel City Outlaws John Corabi (born on April 26, 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a heavy...
– lead vocals, guitar (1992–1996) - Randy CastilloRandy CastilloRandolpho Francisco Castillo was best known as Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999-2002.-Early years:...
– drums, percussion (1999–2002) - Samantha MaloneySamantha MaloneySamantha Maloney is an American musician best known for playing in the bands Hole, Mötley Crüe, Eagles of Death Metal and in Peaches' live band "The Herms".-Early career:...
– drums, percussion (2002–2004, touring drummer)
Discography
- Too Fast for LoveToo Fast for LoveToo Fast For Love is the debut record of American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe; 900 copies were released in November 1981 on the band's Leathür Records label. Elektra Records signed the band the following year, at which point the album was remixed and partially re-recorded...
(1981) - Shout at the DevilShout at the DevilShout at the Devil is the second album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on September 26, 1983. "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young to Fall in Love" became huge hits and "Shout at the Devil" became very popular as well.-Reception:...
(1983) - Theatre of PainTheatre of Pain-Personnel:*Vince Neil - vocals*Mick Mars - guitar*Nikki Sixx - bass*Tommy Lee - drums, piano-Singles:*"Smokin' In the Boys Room" was released on June 24, 1985.*"Home Sweet Home" was released on September 30, 1985.-Charts:...
(1985) - Girls, Girls, Girls (1987)
- Dr. FeelgoodDr. Feelgood (album)*Disc one contains the original albumThe original Korean LP edition does not contain the first two tracks, "T.N.T. " and "Dr...
(1989) - Mötley CrüeMötley Crüe (album)Mötley Crüe is the eponymous sixth studio album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released on March 15, 1994, their sixth studio album. It was the band's first and only album released with singer John Corabi, and was the first album of new material released by the band since their 1989 album,...
(1994) - Generation SwineGeneration SwineGeneration Swine is the seventh studio album and final for Elektra Records by the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 1997. The album is the first to feature singer Vince Neil since Dr...
(1997) - New TattooNew TattooNew Tattoo is the eighth studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe released in 2000. Artistically, New Tattoo shows the band going back to their earlier musical style that gave them commercial success in the 1980s. Long time drummer Tommy Lee left the band a year before, and was...
(2000) - Saints of Los AngelesSaints of Los Angeles-"Saints of Los Angeles":The first single, "Saints of Los Angeles", was released on April 11 and started airing on radio stations on April 15, 2008. The song was given further promotion through the music video game Rock Band, being released as downloadable content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and...
(2008)
Tours
- Anywhere, USA – Northern California Tour (1981)
- Too Fast For Love Tour (1981–1982)
- Crüesing Through Canada (1982)
- Mötley Crüe World Tour (1983–1984)
- Welcome To The Theatre Of Pain Tour (1985–1986)
- Girls, Girls, Girls World Tour 87/88 (1987)
- Moscow Music Peace FestivalMoscow Music Peace FestivalThe Moscow Music Peace Festival was a one-time gathering of high-profile hard rock acts for a performance in Moscow, Soviet Union on 12 and 13 August 1989 to promote world peace and establish international cooperation in fighting the drug war in Russia. It was part of an era of momentous change in...
(1989) - Dr. Feelgood World Tour '89–'90 (1989–1990)
- Monsters Of Rock Tour 1991 (1991)
- Anywhere There's Electricity Tour Of The Americas 1994 (1994)
- Anywhere There's Electricity Japan Tour (1994)
- Live Swine Listening Party (1997)
- Mötley Crüe vs. The Earth Tour (1997)
- Greatest Hits Tour (1998–1999)
- Maximum Rock Tour (with ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
– 1999) - Welcome To The Freekshow Tour (1999)
- Maximum Rock 2000 Tour (with MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
– 2000) - New Tattoo Japan Tour 2000 (2000)
- Red, White & Crüe Tour 2005...Better Live Than Dead (2005)
- Carnival Of Sins Tour (2005–2006)
- Route of All Evil TourRoute of All Evil TourThe Route of All Evil Tour was a North American concert tour co-headlined by American hard rock band Aerosmith and heavy metal/glam metal band Mötley Crüe that took the bands to 40 amphitheaters and arenas from September to December 2006...
(with AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
– 2006) - Mötley Crüe Tour 2007 (2007)
- Crüe FestCrüe FestCrüe Fest was a summer 2008 tour by Mötley Crüe, which commenced on July 1, 2008 and concluded on August 31, 2008. It featured Mötley Crüe themselves, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M., and Trapt. Crüe Fest was said to be "the Loudest Show on Earth"...
(with BuckcherryBuckcherryBuckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
, Papa RoachPapa RoachPapa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
, Sixx:A.M.Sixx:A.M.Sixx:A.M. is a hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007 by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael, and is the side project of Sixx, who is also the bass guitarist for Mötley Crüe. The group is best known for their songs "Life Is Beautiful" and "Lies of the Beautiful People". The...
and TraptTraptTrapt is an American rock band that formed in Los Gatos, California in August 1997. The group is composed of lead singer Chris Taylor Brown, lead guitarist Robb Torres, bass guitarist Peter Charell, and drummer Aaron "Monty" Montgomery...
– 2008) - Saints Of Los Angeles World Tour (2008)
- Saints Of Los Angeles TourSaints Of Los Angeles TourThe Saints of Los Angeles Tour was a 2009 tour by the American hard rock band Mötley Crüe. The support acts for the tour were Hinder, Theory of a Deadman and The Last Vegas...
(2009) - Saints of Los Angeles European Tour (2009)
- Crüe Fest 2Crüe Fest 2Crüe Fest 2 was the second year of the Crüe Fest touring festival, created and headlined by Mötley Crüe. The tour took place over the summer of 2009, and was in the same vein as the first Crüe Fest.-Line up:...
(with GodsmackGodsmackGodsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
, Theory Of A DeadmanTheory of a DeadmanTheory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
, Drowning PoolDrowning PoolDrowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
and Charm City DevilsCharm City DevilsCharm City Devils is a hard rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. The band was founded by SR-71 drummer John Allen as the frontman, and was signed to Eleven Seven Music in 2009...
– 2009) - The Dead of Winter Canadian Tour (2010)
- Ozzfest 2010 Tour (2010)
- Sonisphere Festival (2010)
- Glam-A-Geddon (2011) (with PoisonPoison (band)Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
and New York DollsNew York DollsThe New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
) - Mötley Crüe 30th Anniversary Japan Tour (October 2011)
External links
- Vince Neil's official website
- Mick Mars' official website
- Nikki Sixx's official website
- Tommy Lee's official website
- Mötley Crüe Videos
- Mötley Crüe Tour Page
- Dr. Feelgood 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition Review
- Film : "The Monster of Camp Sunshine" on mondo-digital.com, Film : "The Monster of Camp Sunshine" on moviesaboutgirls.com. Curiously, this name appears in 1964 but without umlauts : "Photographed and Edited by Motley Crue", 17 years before the formation of the group. All information on this person or group is welcome.
- Motley Crue live photo gallery