by Ben Liemer

On Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles one can stroll by the Rainbow, past and present watering hole for California's rockers. It's just a few steps more to Gazzari's, a long-established club where Motley Crue used to catch sets by their buddies in the then-starving Ratt. Just a mile or two away is Cherokee Recording Studios on North Fairfax, near what seems like the delicatessen and senior citizens' capital of the world. Here Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx, assisted by producer Tom Werman, created the Crue's third Elektra Records' blockbuster, Theater of Pain. Circus Magazine was permitted to sit in on two afternoon recording sessions at the end of April, just as the Crue were wrapping the LP. What follows are the highlights of those sessions.

April 23, 1985 2:10 p.m. Cherokee Studios is an anonymous low-rise on a busy thoroughfare. Only the customized Corvettes and Porsches in the parking lot, and the mirrored doors and windows that greet one's entrance, distinguish it in any way. Motley Crue's easy-going road manager, Rich Fisher, leads the way into Studio One. Behind the huge, woodpaneled recording console are Werman, engineer Duane Baron and a relaxed, healthy-looking Vince Neil. Vince is wearing a white, rough silk jacket, blue jeans, a white tank top and Tony Lama cowboy boots made of boa constrictor skin. A small gold cross dangles on a chain around his neck. Neil, Werman and Baron have been getting ready to put down the vocal on "City Boy Blues".

3:10 p.m. "Try not to oversing, Vince," cautions the serene, yet concentrating producer. As he heads to the door of the recording booth, Vince playfully sings the Twilight Zone theme. Inside, he starts the b1uesy, swaggering vocal, ,bouncing along to Mars' vicious rhythm guitar and the pounding bass and drums of Sixx and Lee, but he's stopped short by headphone problems. "OK, one more time," says Werman, looking up from a lyric sheet where he's been making notes on Vince's phrasing and pitch. "Let's do it." The metal soundtrack explodes again. "So head out!" Neil shouts with gusto and he's away. At the song's conclusion, Vince swears he's hearing some weird interference in his headphones. Werman and Baron replay the track, but nothing unusual is there. Eventually, Neil discovers the phantom sound-it's his keys, jangling in his coat pocket as he sways to the titanic beat. He jingles them again, singing: "Dashing through the snow..."

3:42 p.m. Fisher hands Werman a package of Doritos; the two munch happily. Then it's on to more vocals. Vince, appearing confident, records the lead vocal within three takes. Despite some problems with the phrase "boy blues" in the chorus, Werman seems pleased. The remainder they'll fix by "'punching in" a vocal overdub later, he explains.

5:20 p.m. Tommy Lee bounds into the studio, a happy-go-lucky bundle of energy. The lanky drummer is wearing a dozen bracelets on his right wrist, a purple velvet hat, tight jeans, threetoned grey, white and black boots and a very wide grin. Excitedly, Lee tells of a go-go dancer that he met the night before. A short break ensues and copies of the May issue of Circus are passed around. Lee, Neil, Werman, Baron and Fisher check out the Motley Crue quiz. "Get those fucking things out of here," growls Werman, disgusted at his inability to control his Doritos intake. He takes a swig of light beer - he's fighting a battle of the bulge just beginning to fill out his waistline. During the sessions light beer is the only liquid anyone consumes, except water. Moving to the hallway outside, Lee and Fisher discuss the merits of the video games in the lounge. It's revealed that Werman owns the Galaxion machine in Cherokee. So do Motley Crue have to fork over their own quarters? "We'd strangle him if we had to," laughs Tommy.

6:05 p.m. Reading Circus, Vince's memory is jarred. "Hey, we forgot the "Smokin" intro rap," he says to Werman, referring to the Crue's cover version of the old Brownsville Station hit. The decision is made to complete "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" later in the session. Werman quips, "Grandmaster Vince and his Furious Three." Meanwhile, Lee scans his LA Times for movies and comes across an ad for female mud wrestling. He stops, fascinated, even while his kick drum foot moves, almost independently, to the beat of the song. "That was it!" Vince exclaims, hearing the playback of his latest attempt at "City Boy Blues."

6:35 p.m. Nikki Sixx strolls in, having just returned from Mexico the night before. Tanned and well-rested, wearing a full length, open white overcoat, Nikki carries souvenirs of his visit to Elektra Records south of the border. His black, pleated shirt, ink-black haystack hair, four-inch wide leather belt, snakeskin boots and new Rolex watch confirm his place as one of rock's newest dandys. The band crowd around the console to hear another playback as guitarist Mick Mars cruises in. Greetings and backslaps are exchanged - it's the first time all of the Crue have been together in the studio since pre-production ended more than a month earlier. In black leather jacket and black sweat pants, sporting two-day old facial stubble, Mick bears little resemblance to his ghoulish stage transformation. "City Boy Blues" is pumped through the monitors, nearly complete with Vince's fresh vocals and Mars tight'n'sleazy slide work. Nikki looks happy. "That track is happening!" he enthuses. Sixx then shows the band a plaque he got from the record company. It's inscribed, "Motley Crue, Most Popular Band in Mexico." (Apparently, the band outsold even Prince there.) "My grandmother will freak when I show her this," Vince says of the Aztec-style plaque. "She's from Mexico."

6:54 p.m. Vince records the rap intro to "Smokin' in the Boys' Room." Returning to the control room, Neil makes sure everyone catches him singing "my buddy Sixx, Mick and Tommy" in the tune.

7:45 p.m. Vince completes his takes on the "Smokin'" rap and everyone heads into the lounge to check out a small-scale mock up of the stage design for their upcoming tour, kicking off this month. The stage and lighting designers explain how they will complement Sixx's Theater of Pain concept, an idea the Crue songwriter has mulled over since reading a book called The Italian Comedy. The four Crue-mates discuss the practicality of the ambitious setup. Dozens of questions pour forth from the band members. Hearing them speaking, they don't sound quite like the party neanderthals some of the press have made them out to be. Among the questions raised are the feasibility of quick exits during solos so other members can catch a drink and some air, and whether enough room exists under the stage for dressing and wardrobe rooms.

8:09 p.m. The band continues discussing the set, while Mick returns to Studio One with Tim Luizzi, Nikki's bass technician, who's assisting him today. Together they hook up Roland's GR-700 guitar synthesizer. Mick is searching for new axe sounds for some short solos. He tries some Oriental, bell-like tones, then touches a foot pedal and cranks off some Jon Lordstyle organ chords.

8:45 p.m. Werman asks for quiet, as the others have returned noisily. He wants Mick to be able to concentrate on his guitar solo on "Raise Your Hands to Rock."

9:05 p.m. Vince heads to the lounge for his interview. After a few false starts and interruptions, Rich Fisher and Neil decide to continue it over dinner at Mirabelle's, a restaurant on Sunset. They are greeted like old friends by the maitre d' and given a corner table. Not many kids in this respectable place, and Vince goes unrecognized. Back at Cherokee, Mars and Werman have decided against the guitar synth - there's so many possible sounds that it would prove too costly to search for the right tone on expensive studio time. It's back to acoustic guitars; Mars lays down two rhythm tracks on "Raise Your Hands to Rock" and they call it a night.

April 24, 1985-3:15 p.m. "Where the hell is Clyde?" asks an anxious Tommy Lee. The drummer is scheduled to add percussion overdubs, but if his drum roadie doesn't arrive with his gear soon there's no telling how Lee's natural hyperactivity might manifest itself.

3:50 p.m. Fisher arrives with the day's Doritos and light beer. "I don't want to get rowdy here, I've got a lot of work to do,"~ Lee says as he cracks his first cool one of the day. The drummer takes some Tylenol to cure a mild, saki-induced hangover. He's had a wild night with a female companion too, though these will have no apparent effect on how quickly he'll record his percussion parts. Clyde "the Spide" walks in just as Tommy readies to record tambourine on "Keep Your Eye on the Money." "I love this shit,"' Lee exclaims to everyone as he works out the rhythm.

3:56 p.m. As "Money" bursts out in great waves of volume from the monitors, Lee begins punching the air, rocking his body in motion with his recorded drum track, pounding hard and precise on the tambourine.

4:08 p.m. Tommy's finished. Upon re-entering the control room Lee points to Werman's slight paunch and jests, "What are we gonna name it, coach?"

4:36 p.m. After a few takes with various cowbells, Lee tries yet another one. "I like it - it adds character,"' says the producer. Tommy remains unsure, but decides to go with Werman's judgement. Returning to the console room, the beat master wonders, "'Where's my grits? Give me one of those kill throats," Tommy says to the tape operator, who hands him a Marlboro.

4:46 p.m. For the next ten minutes, Werman tries combinations of two, three and four shakers in an attempt to find the best sound. Finally Lee wisecracks, "OK pops, get it together or you're fired. We're running into heavy overtime in the studio here."

5:06 p.m. Werman settles on three shakers and lays down his percussion part. Lee applauds as Nikki enters the control room for the first time, wearing a white jacket. Werman examines Sixx's attire and asks Groucho Marxstyle, "'Doctor, how was I?"

5:10 p.m. "Keep Your Eye on the Money" is replayed for Nikki through the studio's huge overhead monitors - previous playbacks were on small bookshelf-sized monitors. The volume makes a jackhammer seem quiet. Lee's newly recorded cowbell bursts in after Vince's vocal. "'What's that?" Nikki asks, bewildered, "No way!" Werman tries to reassure Sixx that it will sound better when it's mixed down properly. After some more cowbell clunks, the songwriter adds hesitantly, "I'm sure I'll like it more as I get used to it." Lee smiles. Tommy hands Nikki a fan letter - it's from a female. Earlier Lee had ripped a small hole in it looking for a photo, but there was none. Nikki tears it open. Scanning it, he says, "There's some sick people out there. It's like I know her. Maybe I do," the bassist reconsiders, grumbling.

5:45 p.m. Nikki heads to the lounge to be interviewed. After a break, two more beers and a look into the studio, the interview is completed.

6:40 p.m. Sixx, Lee, Mars, Werman, and Baron begin to review the album tracks for more guitar overdubs. The group agree with Werman to have Mars add a couple of fills.

7:07 p.m. The band continue to review the tracks, while outside Cherokee night has just fallen. In front of the studio sits Tom Werman's shiny, charcoal Porsche. The license plates read "33 RPM"; it's almost too perfect an ending. Inside the studio, he and the Crue are just completing another album together.