MICK MARS Explains Why It Was 'The Right Choice' To Not Have JOHN CORABI Sing On His Solo Album

In a new interview with Marcelo Vieira of the Igor Miranda YouTube channel, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars was asked why former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi is not featured on his upcoming debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars". Mick said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[John] was doing… I really wanted him to sing on it, but I know he was busy with DEAD DAISIES and doing these other things. I don't know… He was kind of, like, not adamant, but kind of unsure. John is a good friend of mine, and we both kind of decided that [we should] not repeat the '94 album. Yeah, that kind of thing. I think we made the right choice to have him not to sing, even though he's got an incredible voice."

Mick previously discussed John's absence from "The Other Side Of Mars" this past October during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked why the songs he recorded back in 2016 with Corabi are not included on the LP, Mick said: "I felt the songs were just a little — not strong enough. And there is a certain person that kind of interfered with that. And I'm not gonna say his name, but he kind of like messed some things up. The songs were wrong, parts in there that shouldn't be there and blah blah blah. It isn't a long story, but it was kind of like, 'That ain't gonna fly.' So I shelved it."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk to clarify that it was a third party who was involved in the project — not Corabi — who "kind of mucked it up," Mick said: "[I was] kind of duped — that's all I have to say — by a third party. And that's it. That's all. I got rid of him and went on and searched for other people. I mean, look, I found [producer] Michael Wagener after a while. He lives just down the street."

Back in 2016, Mars released snippets of two solo songs, apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage". The tracks, which were recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, where Mars has lived for about a decade, featured Corabi, who appeared on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album. Corabi later said that he didn't contribute to the writing process for the two songs, but that he was open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material.

During a December 2021 Facebook Live session, Corabi was asked about the fate of the material he recorded with Mars. He responded: "A couple of years ago, Mick asked me to sing a couple of songs, and I did it. He put snippets of them out, but he's gone on to do a full record. And as of right now, I have no idea whether or not Mick is using those songs. It's Mick's solo record. He just asked me to sing two tunes. Unfortunately… I wanted to do more, and Mick wanted me to do more, but I wasn't able to, because of my schedule and because of Mick's schedule. So we'll all just have to wait and see. I'm as excited to hear Mick's record as you are. And we'll see. Hopefully he used those songs. Maybe he didn't. I don't know."

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars", which will arrive on February 23, 2024 via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Bunton had previously collaborated with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.