Guitarist Jake E. Lee recently spoke with Tone-Talk , excerpts from the interview appear below, as transcribed via blabbermouth.net.
Speaking about how he was asked to join Mötley Crüe:
“I quit Ratt. I had nothing going on. I was going to Mötley’s f–king gigs… Nikki and Tommy wanted me in the band. They actually wanted me to replace Mick — which you can understand that. [I was] f–king better looking and f–king better playing. They wanted me to replace Mick. Mick’s in-law or whatever was funding the band, so that didn’t happen. And there was [talk of Mötley Crüe] maybe [having] two guitar players, which even then, I was, like, ”Mötley Crüe, two guitar players? I don’t know about that.’ So, anyway, it kind of started with that. ‘Cause there was that thing going. Whether somebody denies it or not, that’s what started the rift between me and Mick.”
On Mötley Crüe opening for Ozzy in 1984:
“I’m not saying I had a big deal to do with it, but I remember Sharon [Osbourne] saying, ‘This Mötley Crüe. What do you think about [them] opening?’ I said, ‘F–king Mötley Crüe. I think they’re gonna be the next big deal.’ So Mötley Crüe is opening for us now. At at one point, I’m out partying with… I think it was Tommy… It might have been Vince [Neil]. Who knows? Whoever Mick’s roommate was. We go back to the room, and Mick’s in his pajamas and he’s very upset with us. It was with RATT too — I remember Robbin [Crosby] was there, Stephen [Pearcy] was there. Mick, being the old man, as everybody joked about [him], he made a complaint. I’m not sure what I said. I think just called him ‘the old man’ and [told him to] shut up. And he did look over at me and said, ‘At least I’m not a slant-eyed Japanese bastard.’ And I did not like that — did not like it. I hadn’t heard it, actually, since I was in grade school — the whole ‘slant-eyed Japanese’ thing. And it pissed me off. I walked over. I was gonna beat the f–k out of him. And it was Robbin Crosby, who was six-five, he came up to me, picked me and said, ‘C’mon, Jake. None of that s–t matters.’ And he carried me out of the room.”
Talking about what he thinks his career might have been like had he joined Mötley Crüe?
“It’s an interesting [thought]. What would Mötley Crüe have been if I was the guitar player? I’m not even necessarily saying it would be better. Nothing against Mick. [He had] great tone, f–king good rhythm. [He] probably was what they needed to be big. They wouldn’t have been as big with me. Musically, they might have been better.”
Lee is currently promoting Patina, the second album from his band, Red Dragon Cartel, which was released in November.
Listen to Jake’s interview, below.
8 Responses
I was just talking about Jake! 😉 WTF is his problem? He doesn’t speak for years, and now he just won’t stop bashing everybody! And I mean, Mick Mars? Are you kidding me? “I’m better looking, and a better player,” or whatever he said, Jake, I know you’re still bitter about not getting credit from the Osbournes, but stop ripping everybody else apart! Geez!!
I know he sounds arrogant, but I completely agree with his assessment.
This guy is delusional and a creep. At least when he was gone there was a bit of mystery to him. Now, mystery solved: He’s a douche. I ‘ve never felt bad for him and his entire existence is what others have done or done to him. What else? Mick Jagged tried to replace Keith Richards with Jake E. Lee. Walter Mondale would have won in ’84 if he chose Jake E. Lee as his running mate. R. Kelly wouldn’t have done what he is accused of if Jake E. Lee were his guitar player. The New England patriots would have won more if Jake E. Lee was their quarterback. Jake E. Lee invented cell phones. Jake E. Lee discovered the cure for polio. Jake E. Lee invented sex. Jake E. Lee is the father of octomom’s kids. Jake E. Lee discovered fire. Jake E. Lee wrote WE DIDN’TSTART THE FIRE. Jake E. Lee killed Bin Laden. Jake E. Lee wrote THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Jake E. Lee could hit 74 home runs. Jake E. Lee never colluded with Russia. Jake E. Lee should be on the cover of SGT PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND. Jake E. Lee drew the cover of BACK IN BLACK. Stop talking. You’re making an idiot out of yourself.
Lol…what Jake did not do was write the Bark At the Moon Record…
LMAO! Elvis has left the building! Wait a minute, or was that Jake E. Lee? 😉
We it look like there goes the moratorium on that Billy Joel song Yes he may be right about better player but arrogance is gonna nip you in the butt
Notice this creep remembers exactly what Mars called him but of course he “thinks he just called him ‘old man’.” If he made up with Mars, why tell this to people? Accusations of racism don’t just damage reputations but could actually ruin somebody’s life. Nobody cares about RED DRAGON CARTEL and I guess that’s a little bit sad so this guy has to resort to ant snorting stories, piss drinking and short racists. Go remake BARK AT THE MOON and THE ULTIMATE SIN with an unknown singer and see who cares? Nobody. This was a third of a century ago. Bill Cosby had the #1 TV show. Look at him now. The METS were the world champs, now a punchline. Ozzy and Dio went back to BLACK SABBATH twice and Dio passed away. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the governor of California. People watch movies on telephones now. Cars don’t have CD players anymore. I had BARK AT THE MOON and THE ULTIMATE SIN on cassette. THE ART OF THE DEAL guy is the President of the United States of America. Alice Cooper is making s#%t music with Johnny Depp. So please stop it. It’s over. You’re 60 years old now so go buy a BUICK. Go put a sticker with your cellphone number on your cellphone. Go act like a spectacle at a bachelor party. Go see a Clint Eastwood movie. Go gross people out at beaches. Go to bathroom for 3 1/2 hours. Go buy white sneakers. Go to discount brunch. Tell the flabby waitress that she has beautiful eyes.
Monet, Ron Mancuso from Beggars and Thieves wrote Bark at the Moon, Sharon has the contract…Jake just makes stuff up…I don’t believe him….