Former MÖTLEY CRÜE Producer TOM WERMAN: MICK MARS 'Was My Favorite' Member Of The Band

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE producer Tom Werman says that he is in Mick Mars's "corner" when it comes to the guitarist's legal dispute with his bandmates over the group's ongoing tour.

When Mars, a co-founding member of MÖTLEY CRÜE, announced his retirement from touring with the group in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against the band saying that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Specifically, Mars claims he was asked to sign a severance agreement that would divest him of his 25 percent stake in the band's various business interests in return for a 5 percent stake in the band's 2023 tour. This stake, the lawsuit alleges, would be reduced to 0 percent for future tours. Mick claims CRÜE's management later upped the offer from 5 percent to a 7.5 percent stake in the band's 2023 tour, which would remain contingent on Mars divesting himself from the band and their businesses. When Mars refused to sign the papers, the band took the dispute to arbitration "rather than a public lawsuit so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their 'brother' of 41 years," Mick claims in the lawsuit.

Werman, who produced three of MÖTLEY CRÜE's biggest albums — "Shout At The Devil" (1983),"Theatre Of Pain" (1985) and "Girls, Girls, Girls" (1987),weighed in on Mick's dispute with his bandmates during an appearance on the latest episode of "The Chuck Shute Podcast". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, [it's] three against one. I really don't know, but Nikki [Sixx, CRÜE bassist] and Tommy [Lee, CRÜE drummer], I think, have the lion's share of the interest in the band, the financial interest."

He continued: "Mick was my favorite guy. We really got along and worked very well together. He's a good guy… He's a very decent person. The other three are somewhat different. Not that they're that much worse, but their behavior and track record is not what Mick's is. I'm in his corner, but I really don't know the facts, so I shouldn't really make any judgment."

Werman is promoting his new book "Turn It Up! My Time Making Hit Records In The Glory Days Of Rock Music", which will arrive on November 21 via Jawbone Press.

Back in 2008, Werman fired back at Sixx after Nikki responded to Werman's letter to The New York Times calling Sixx's memoir, "The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star", "totally deluded" and "stunningly inaccurate." Werman took issue with Sixx's claims that the bassist did all the work in the studio on the CRÜE albums "Theatre Of Pain", "Shout At The Devil" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" while Werman chatted on the phone.

Werman also lashed out in 2004 at TWISTED SISTER over comments the band made regarding his contributions to their breakthrough 1984 album, "Stay Hungry".

The producer retired from music in 2002 and opened a bed and breakfast in Massachusetts.

Back in 2021, Reservoir announced the acquisition of Werman's producer catalog. The deal included 100% of Werman's producer rights for all of his works including the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by POISON.

In addition to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", some of Werman's productions include POISON's "Nothin' But A Good Time", TWISTED SISTER's "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" and CHEAP TRICK's "Surrender", among many others.