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Motley Crue
In 1981, a young man named Frank Ferrano moved to Los Angeles to form a band that he hoped would be the loudest, ugliest, and most in-your-face act to ever grace Hollywood's famed Sunset Strip club scene. He got his wish -- after recruiting drummer Tommy Lee (Bass), Vince Neil (Wharton) on vocals, and guitarist Mick Mars (Bob Deal), Motley Crue was born, with Ferrano (redubbed Nikki Sixx) squarely at the helm. The band's untamed sound and explosive live shows quickly gained them a strong local following, with sold out shows at every club they played. The major record labels eventually took notice, and Motley Crue was snapped up by Elektra Records, who re-issued their independently released debut Too Fast For Love in 1982. In 1983, the seminal Shout At The Devil hit the shelves, and the Crue found themselves in the mainstream spotlight, due mainly to heavy video rotation on MTV for the singles, "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young To Fall In Love." Neil’s legal travails (for vehicular manslaughter) did little to slow the group down -- Theater of Pain (1985), Girls, Girls, Girls (1987), and Dr. Feelgood (1989) were all multi-platinum successes. After an extended period of internal band conflicts (Neil was replaced by Union vocalist John Corabi for one forgettable album), legal troubles, and substance abuse problems, the Crue returned with 1997’s Generation Swine, whose new musical direction was met with dismal sales and resounding indifference from fans. After a 1998 tour in support of their second Greatest Hits package, drummer Tommy Lee left the band to pursue a solo career -- he was replaced by former Lita Ford/Ozzy Osbourne sticksman Randy Castillo. In the summer of 2000, Motley Crue released their eighth studio album, New Tattoo. |