Tom Werman, the producer behind several Mötley Crüe classics, including “Shout at the Devil,” “Theatre of Pain,” and “Girls Girls Girls,” shared insights about the band’s behavior in the studio during their wild days.
When asked if Mötley Crüe’s studio behavior matched their reputation for wildness on tour and in their personal lives, Werman responded: “No. Vince [Neil]—if he had a chance probably would have been crazy. Nikki [Sixx] and Tommy [Lee] dabbled with drugs for a while. But really, considering their reputation, we did pretty well in turning out those three albums. Especially ‘Theatre Of Pain,’ which was a tough one. That was their low point, I think, behaviorally. And they were sandwiched between tours. They had to go out to support ‘Shout at the Devil,’ and then they had to come in and write 12 or 14 songs in a hurry because there was another tour booked to support that album.”
Werman, known for producing albums by bands like Cheap Trick, Twisted Sister, and Ted Nugent, also mentioned the intense workload that may have contributed to the band’s behavior: “A songwriter in a band will spend many years writing songs. They’ll be good, and they’ll finally have a chance to record them for their first album. And there are maybe one or two songs left over that they didn’t do on the first album that are included on the second album, but the rest of them have to be written. It’s like, get off the road, go to sleep for 24 hours, and then write an album that is a follow-up to this big hit you just made. It’s tough, which can lead to anxiety and self-medication.”
Werman recalled that Vince Neil had challenges in the studio and often didn’t prioritize vocal preparation: “With Mötley Crüe, I remember there was one day when Vince, I guess, had a tough night. He was very good about coming in and putting in his hours, but he didn’t know the concept of ‘training.’ He wasn’t in training. He didn’t say, ‘I’ve got to sing tomorrow. I think I should get at least six hours sleep.’ He would party and do what he wanted, have a good time, and then come in and try to grind it out.”
He also noted that some of Vince’s vocals were challenging, highlighting the difficulties they faced during certain recording sessions.
He said: “One day, he came and probably sang for three hours, and we kept one line. That was challenging. Some of Vince’s vocals were challenging.