MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 discusses the band’s new music
MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s John 5 recently spoke with the Illinois Entertainer and revealed that he and his fellow bandmates are continuing to work on new music. “We have recorded some songs with [longtime MÖTLEY CRÜE producer] Bob Rock,” he said. “Just the other day, Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] called me and he was playing guitar over the phone and he’ll play a riff, and he’ll sing this melody, and it sounded like it could be something off of [MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s debut album] ‘Too Fast For Love’.
“It’s just natural for him to write these songs that I have loved and lots of other people have loved. I think we’re always going to make new music, because, man, this guy is pumping out amazing lyrics and great music. When we all get together, it’s pretty magical.”
Back in September, John 5 discussed the new MÖTLEY CRÜE music with the Meltdown show on Detroit’s WRIF radio station, saying: “I don’t know when it’s gonna come out, but everything is a plan. Everything is mapped out and structured, and everything is, ‘We’re gonna do it here and there,’ and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So the songs are recorded, mixed, mastered. And they’re so good. I can’t wait for them to come out. They’re so good. I’m really excited about ’em.”
He continued: “Who knows what’s going to happen? I don’t know if we’ll just release singles or an album. It’s up to those guys, so I don’t know. We just record and see what happens. But these songs that we recorded are so good; they’re heavy and the melodies and everybody’s just killing it on these songs.”
When asked how much input he had in the songwriting, John 5 said: “We all sat in a room and did it together. ‘Cause me and Nikki have written for years and years and years together. So it was nothing new. And me and Tommy worked in the studio together many times as well. So it was nothing new being in the studio, but it was new with Bob Rock.
“What was so wild was we got in a room… It was like total old school, man,” he explained. “You get in the live room and there’s my amp and there’s Nikki‘s amp and there’s Tommy‘s drums, there’s a mic… ‘Cause I’m so used to just playing in the control room. And it’s, like, ‘Oh no, no, no. We’re all gonna get in this room and we’re gonna play.’
“And that’s how we recorded. It was incredible. I’ve never recorded that way. And it was maybe one of the best experiences I had recording. It was so fun. It was a blast. I had to, like, make notes and all this stuff, and we just played through it. It was incredible.”
MÖTLEY CRÜE unveiled their rendition of “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” during a discrete club show on June 30, 2023, entertaining 450 fortunate fans at the Underworld in London, England.
In the autumn of 2022, John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE, stepping into the shoes of the band’s co-founding guitarist, Mick Mars. Mick had declared his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 due to escalating health concerns.
Struggling with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a chronic and inflammatory type of arthritis primarily impacting the spine and pelvis, Mars, after enduring years of pain during performances, communicated in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer embark on tours. However, he expressed a willingness to contribute to recording new music or participating in residencies that didn’t involve extensive travel.
Despite his retirement from touring, Mars affirmed his ongoing membership in the band, with John 5 assuming his role on the road. Nevertheless, in early April 2023, the 72-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court, alleging that following his retirement announcement, the other CRÜE members attempted to diminish his significant stake in the group’s corporation and business holdings through a shareholders’ meeting.
Photo credit – Ross Halfin
