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Mötley Crüe’s 34-year legacy comes to an end: Tommy & Vince talked to Night Flight in 1985

By on August 31, 2015

So long Mötley … The countdown has begun, only 122 days are left till Mötley Crüe ends their 34-year touring legacy with a run of three shows in Los Angeles culminating on New Year’s Eve. To celebrate the Crüe’s Vesuvius like legacy we’ve raided the Night Flight video vaults.

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In late summer 1985: Live Aid was over, the Coke vs. New Coke campaign was at its zenith, Weird Science and Back To The Future were tearing it up on the big screen and inside a dingy, cramped New York TV studio, two members of Mötley Crüe took a meeting with a punk legend for an odd, yet fascinating, one-off interview.

Only four years into a four-decade long career, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil were promoting their band’s third album, Theatre Of Pain, for an all-Mötley edition of Night Flight’s sister series Radio 1990. Guest host, Wendy O. Williams, sporting a black leather bra, interviewed the guys as Tommy chain-smoked and shared a beer with his band mate.

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It’s easy to see both Mötley members have immense respect for Wendy, which is a flip-flop of sorts, as during a 1982 Santa Monica concert, the band decapitated a Williams mannequin, via chainsaw, as part of their act.

True to form, Wendy doesn’t hold back on the tough questions. In particular, asking Vince about then pending litigation from his December 1984 car accident that ended in the death of Hanoi Rocks’ drummer, Razzle, and leaving two others permanently injured. In June 1986, Vince would serve a minimal jail sentence that he has since admitted was too short.

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It’s interesting to notice that in spite of Mötley Crüe’s bad boys of rock reputation, both band members initially appear a bit uncomfortable in front of the TV cameras. To her credit, Williams eventually gets them to relax by talking about two of their favorite subjects, pentagrams and sex. Whatever it takes, right?

Tragically, Wendy O. Williams body was found outside her Storrs, Connecticut home on April 6, 1998, the apparent victim of a self-inflicted gunshot. She was reportedly working as a veterinarian assistant at the time.

Theatre Of Pain was eventually certified 4X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and three of it’s songs have remained staples of the band’s set list, “Home Sweet Home,” “Smokin’ In The Boys Room,” and the fan-favorite “Louder Than Hell.” Theatre… is the album that saw Mötley transition from a well-known band to the next big thing. This was due in part to the massive success of “Home Sweet Home,” which became the longest-running, number one video on the influential request show Dial MTV; the video’s success forced MTV to initiate a 90-day retirement rule.

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About Curt Gooch

Curt Gooch has coauthored three books, the latest of which has been optioned for a feature film titled Spinning Gold. Additionally, He works in the clip licensing industry where his knowledge of rare rock and roll footage has rescued over 500 hours of never-before-seen vintage pop culture elements. Curt has appeared on camera on VH1 as well as licensed footage to over 100 different shows/networks.