The video for Wild Side was featured on the then-music channel. The album reached #2 on the Billboard charts. The mega-band had written many songs about its drugs addiction.
If there was any doubt about the band’s commercial future 1987 brought Girls, Girls, Girls. Crüe gave Japan’s Loudness a chance and had the Japanese band open a set of shows, which by all accounts they stole. Theatre Of Pain was dedicated to Hanoi Rocks’ former man Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley. The Tom Werman-produced record was #6 on the Billboard charts. It also featured additional piano and harmonica. This was followed by the slow song Home Sweet Home. The band had a conscious image change from leather and spikes to what could be described as Aerosmith-goes-to-the-circus and instead of an original released Brownsville Station’s Smokin’ In The Boys Room as a single. Theatre Of Pain was up next and had the band chase an even more commercial success. Lee had first married actress Heather Locklear before wedding Canadian Pamela Anderson. With plenty of irony the group would years later issue a compilation called Music To Crash Your Car To Neil would be arrested for DUI in later years as well. Hanoi Rocks would understandably condemn Neil’s DUI. Neil and Razzle were driving to a local liquor store and Neil was drunk.
In December of 1984 Neil and Hanoi Rocks’ drummer Razzle would be in a car accident near Neil’s home leading to the Englishman’s death. The group appeared at Monsters Of Rock Tour 1984 in Europe to introduce its musically average, but Mad Maxish notable music on that continent. Shout At The Devil hit #17 on the Billboard charts. Sixx would later be rumoured to be sympathetic to white power causes. The publicity was good for sales, but the band would later protest that the song was “shout at the devil and not shout with the devil.” The latter could be considered racist. The title of the album, the pentagram imagery and general heavy metal ensemble coincided with the rise of right-wing protest groups and PMRC, which soon clashed with the band. The band was perpetually tuning lower to synchronize with Neil’s vocals. The group’s second album – issued in late summer of 1983 - was a success propelled by Elektra’s publicity, videos for songs like Shout At The Devil (title track) and Too Young To Fall In Love and heavy and catchy tunes. Despite the progress the band switched to managers Doug Thaler and Doc McGhee. Elektra Canada would take the lead to support the band’s Canadian tour. The re-issue featured a different mix, partial re-recording and a spruced up cover and jacket. The group signed a deal with Elektra Records, which issued the debut in mid-2002. Greif would also manage London at this time. Eric Greif would set up a tour of Canada in 1982 for the band as the group’s LP sold very well. Sixx had borrowed some of the imagery and occult trappings of Sister for the Crüe by now. Mötley Crüe and Ratt were playing the Troubadour club in Hollywood for a $1 cover charge. The group was affiliated with punk music at this stage. Grey on Mötley Crüe’s Too Fast For Love album. Fans would notice a song called Public Enemy #1 credited to a L. The cover itself was a tribute to The Rolling Stones' album Sticky Fingers. The cover has become iconic and even copied by the likes of Crushing Blow on the Ceasefire album. The record was issued in November of 1981.
With the umlauts in place on the group’s name the band created its own imprint Leathür Records and issued a single Stick To Your Guns/Toast Of The Town followed by its debut full-length, Too Fast For Love. Aside from switching vocalists the band has been remarkably stable in its line-up since. Neil was also signing for Rockandi, which was a play on word to Rock Candy. Neil was also an acquaintance and former schoolmate of Lee. They soon recruited Mick Mars on guitars and Vince Neil on vocals. Singer and guitarist Greg Leon, with whom Lee had been in Suite 19, was recruited. He had already been in Sister with Blackie Lawless and auditioned for Quiet Riot in 1977. Sixx had left ‘name’ LA glam band London and learnt a lot image-wise that he had brought over. HistoryBassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee formed Mötley Crüe in early 1981.
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