Just how popular was Ratt circa 1985? They had scored their second multi-Platinum Top 10 album in the US, their videos were regularly aired on MTV, they were featured on the covers of such metal mags as Circus and Hit Parader, were part of the mammoth Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington headlined by ZZ Top, and launched their own North American arena headlining tour... with a little band by the name of Bon Jovi opening.

With their best-known lineup consisting of singer Stephen Pearcy, guitarists Warren DeMartini and Robbin Crosby, bassist Juan Croucier, and drummer Bobby Blotzer, Ratt emerged from the same Sunset Strip scene that gave us Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe, and Dokken.

From 1984-1990, Ratt offered up such hair-metal highlights as Out Of The Cellar, Invasion Of Your Privacy, Dancing Undercover, Reach For The Sky, and Detonator, which have all been collected as part of the box set The Atlantic Years 1984-1991 (The "91" represents a non-album single, "Nobody Rides For Free").

Pearcy, who founded the band as Mickey Ratt in 1977, spoke with Greg Prato for Songfacts shortly before the release of box set to discuss his current relationship with the other surviving Ratt members and tell the stories behind the group's most celebrated songs. An excerpt follows:

Songfacts: Are you still friends with Mötley Crüe, and if so, have you discussed the current Mick Mars situation with any of them?

Pearcy: "No. I do shows with brother Vinnie [Vince Neil] to this day - we have a show coming up. It wouldn't even come up because it's unnecessary. Look, I don't give a shit. I don't need press, I don't need that. People make it out to be this thing, but it's really a drag because I went in there and said my two cents on behalf of Carmine, who I thought was kind of fucked up.

"But you know what? They do what they do, we do what we do. We always have. We're The Gladiators.5 We go way back, hanging out on the Sunset Strip. Robbin lived with Nikki, my dogs lived at Vince's. Vinnie and I are close - we got our racing licenses together. We're still friends. Shit happens in bands, and you really don't know the truth until the end of the day.

"But if Carmine says what he says, I don't doubt him, but it's none of my business. If they want to use tapes, use tapes. It doesn't change my friendship with these guys. They'll tell me to fuck off as fast as I'd tell them!

"And it's all a joke, it's tongue in cheek - we're brothers. Why have animosity for something that's going around in the press? 'Hey, I didn't like what he said.' OK, so what? Next. It's no big deal.

"I just wish Mick well. They're going to deal with their business as we have dealt with ours. We've been suing each other for ages [Laughs]. Shit happens. I wish them all good. But we've got a show coming up – Vince and I – and it's way cool."

Read the complete interview here.

(Photo - Miss Truth Adare Photography)