Special Report by Aaron Small

To most, James Michael (pictured) is recognized as the vocalist for SIXX: A.M. A band formed by MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx to create the soundtrack for his book, The Heroin Diaries. However, Michael's involvement with Sixx goes far deeper. James played an integral part in the new Mötley Crüe album, Saints Of Los Angeles, serving as producer, mixer, engineer, songwriter, keyboardist and guest vocalist.

“That’s what I do by instinct when I wake up in the morning. I write songs and produce records for artists. It was a perfect fit. It just made sense for me to go ahead and be the one to bring the Mötley record home.”

This isn’t your first time working with Mötley.

“No, I actually first started working with Nikki and writing for Mötley during the New Tattoo phase. Nikki and I wrote six songs together for that record. That’s really when Nikki and I became friends. We realized we had such a great time writing together. We have such chemistry and compliment one another very well. We knew we were going to be doing other things together. That’s kind of the way the Sixx: A.M. thing has happened.”

With Sixx: A.M. becoming the band that it has, gaining the public’s interest and adoration, did the other three guys in Crüe - drummer Tommy Lee, singer Vince Neil and guitarist Mick Mars - have any sort of reluctance or hesitation to having you so involved with Saints Of Los Angeles?

“I’m sure that there was. I would have some anxiety about it if I were them. But I think that’s the case with any new producer coming into the picture, especially somebody as young as me (Michael is 39) being handed the wheel. Also, my track record speaks for itself. I’ve worked with THE SCORPIONS, SAMMY HAGAR, MEAT LOAF and BLONDIE. I think it was a bit easier to win their trust than somebody without that kind of experience.”

During the Saints studio sessions, whose balls did you have to bust the most?

Laughs – “I’ve got to say – and this isn’t just a fluffy answer – I was more concerned about whose balls I was going to have to bust the most, than it actually being a reality. These guys all knew how important this record was. When we were in the writing stage of this record, that’s when we challenged each other the most and pushed each other the most. We had to start off with strong songs. If we didn’t have that, we didn’t have a record. It was a huge undertaking to figure out what the tone and the sound of this record was going to be. When you have a band that’s been around as long as they have, spanning a couple decades if not more, that means you’ve accumulated a very diverse crowd and fan base. I knew right off the bat, we wouldn’t be able to please all of these fans. So very early on, we decided – both sonically and song wise – to be as honest as we can about the career these guys have had. That’s why we loosely based this record on their autobiography, The Dirt. It gave us a starting point.

Then the challenge became, how do we span that much time? That was something we had to pay a lot of attention to. As you listen to the record, it starts off in their very early punk days when their recordings had a much more raw feel. Then you get into ‘Down At The Whisky’, lyrically that’s one of my favorite songs on the record. It stirs up so much emotion in the listener. Back to your question, I think we all pushed each other very hard. I couldn’t single out one band member that was problematic at all. They all showed up with their A game. They all approached this like it was their first and most important record they’ve ever made.”

Mötley’s history of drunken, drug-riddled debauchery is legendary. Was this studio session completely clean and sober or were there a few cocktails involved?

Laughs again – “Well that depends on which session and what instrument we were tracking. These guys are pros. They’ve been doing this a long time. They know how to deliver. Debauchery comes in many different forms. You’re never going to have a Mötley Crüe record or tour without debauchery – it’s just probably a little bit different than what the fans would expect. How’s that for a safe yet dangerous answer?”