Motley Crue Look Back on Songs, Videos Ahead of ‘Greatest Hits’ Release

Come November 17, Mötley Crüe will unleash a new and improved greatest hits compilation. Simply titled 'Greatest Hits,' the songs selected chronicle the highs of the 25-plus year career of the Sunset Strip showmen.

Recently, Mötley stickman Tommy Lee took a break from recording a new album with side project Methods of Mayhem to give Noisecreep a little insight on how some of his favorite Crüe songs and videos came to exist.

'Looks That Kill' -- from the 1983 release 'Shout at the Devil'

"The video to this song was probably our first real big budget video with set pieces, girls, dancers, fire, smoke machines, dollies ... and I remember walking on to the set the first time with this incredible feeling of excitement. This video truly captures I think the 'road warrior, kick your ass' mentality that Mötley Crüe was all about back then. It was a lot of fun to make."

'Home Sweet Home' -- from the 1985 release 'Theatre of Pain'

"I always loved playing the piano and I remember tinkering around and Nikki [Sixx, bass] I believe heard it and we just started writing words to it. This was our first live video and it was one of those videos and songs that really captured our life on the road touring: missing home. When I watch it still sticks out."

'Girls, Girls, Girls' -- from the 1987 release of the same name

"I was at home one night sitting at my little studio rig set up in the corner of the room and I was thinking about our life out on the road and the grip of strip clubs we were hitting up, the neon lights saying 'GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS' and thinking 'God, we need to write about this.' I played Nikki a demo with just a verse and the rest of it was history. It is a strip club anthem and will always be."

'Dr. Feelgood'/'Without You'/'Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)' -- from the 1989 release 'Dr. Feelgood'

"Recording this album ['Dr. Feelgood], the focus was crystal clear: we all knew what we had to do, which was make the best record of our lives. Working with [super producer] Bob Rock, we accomplished just that -- making one of the best records of our careers!

"I was so excited heading into the studio with Bob Rock because he had this huge history of delivering the best and coolest drum sounds. He was probably the first and only producer that we would call the fifth member of Mötley Crüe. Bob was always working diligently on parts, instrumentation, different microphone techniques, etc. He really pushed us and made us work harder than ever before."

'Kickstart My Heart' -- from the album 'Dr. Feelgood'

"While recording 'Kickstart,' we we're all listening to some early playbacks and hearing the initial chorus that Nikki had written. We joked that it sounded like a Pepsi commercial. We decided immediately that we had to change it."

Continue looking down memory lane as Tommy Lee reminisces about more videos in part two of our chat with him.