In a new interview with Canada’s The Metal Voice, legendary bassist Bob Daisley recalled how he convinced MÖTLEY CRÜE not to fire guitarist Mick Mars.
This happened when the CRÜE was on tour in the U.S. as the support act for Ozzy in 1984.
Here’s what he said (via BLABBERMOUTH.NET):
“That night, after the show, Mick went on our [Osbourne‘s] bus [to be] with Ozzy [and the rest of his band] and I went on on their [CRÜE‘s] bus, so I was the only one of our lot that went on their bus. And they were having a meeting. What they were planning on doing was getting rid of Mick and getting another guitarist in. And they asked me for my opinion. So I said, ‘Well, if you want my opinion, for what it’s worth, I would say do not try to fix something that’s not broken.’
He continued:
“I said, ‘I ‘ve seen it before, with Lee Kerslake in the BLIZZARD OF OZZ.’ I said, ‘You’ve got chemistry there, you’ve got a functioning unit. Mick Mars is part of that. Don’t f*ck it up. That’s my opinion. Just don’t do it.’ And I think I saved Mick‘s neck that night ’cause they were getting serious about getting someone else.”
Daisley continued:
“Mick was good for the band — he was part of the sound, part of the delivery of what they did. It would be like sort of trying to replace Ringo [Starr] in THE BEATLES with John Bonham or Ginger Baker or somebody really, really technically brilliant. But it just wouldn’t work. So I said, ‘Leave it as it is. It’s not broken. Stop trying to fix it.’ So they left it alone and it worked out.
“Mick, I think he was a few years older than them,” Bob added.
“And you wouldn’t call Mick a virtuoso, a guitar hero, but he was great for the band.”
8 comments
Mick is infinitely more talented than the rest of the band combined.
I agree so strongly on that
Mick is the best part of an otherwise mediocre band. No one else has his tone.
That would have been real stupid to fire him I think the band should stop now they suck
I think they were planning on bringing in Jake E. Lee
Why did they want to fire Mick? He sounded like the only guy who stayed out of trouble and somewhat serious about his job.
He’s retiring, not getting fired
No matter who takes his place in the band them for guys are the Crue