Nikki Sixx recalls Randy Rhoads asking him if he would be interested in playing bass in Quiet Riot

Nikki Sixx recalls Randy Rhoads asking him if he would be interested in playing bass in Quiet Riot

Metal Edge Mag launched this week with an interview with Mötley Crüe‘s one and only bassist Nikki Sixx, who answered questions on a wide range of topics.

Sixx was asked what was the first Sunset Strip band that he loved to which he replied:

“I really, really loved Quiet Riot. There was also a band called A La Carte that was super-cool. A three-piece. But Quiet Riot were different. They kinda had it right. Kevin DuBrow had a great voice, and of course we don’t need to talk about Randy Rhoads and how influential he was. I used to really enjoy hanging around those guys and seeing them play. It’d be like 200 people in the Starwood, but to me, when I was that young I was just like, ‘They look cool, they sound cool, and they have great songs.’ The songs were important. I have a hard time with music where I can’t really dive into the songwriting. EDM is an example of something that doesn’t really connect to me because there’s not the verse/chorus/post-chorus/explosive guitar solo/outro thing. But whether it’s hip-hop or pop or different kinds of metal, if there’s a great song I’m drawn to it. And Quiet Riot had all those elements.

I’d hang out with Randy at his house, and Randy was such a gifted musician. Whereas I’m a pretty simple Cliff Williams, right-in-the-pocket bass player. And I remember Randy being like, ‘If you like do this and you do that…’ Just showing me a couple things. And at one point they were like, ‘We’re going to change bass players. Would you be interested?’ I was thinking, why am I going to say no to this? This is everything I could ever want. But I kind of had my own ideas, which took a while but eventually happened. And who knows how it would have gone anyway? I would’ve joined Quiet Riot, Randy would’ve left and god knows if I would’ve gone continued with them or not. And maybe Mötley Crüe would’ve never happened.”

Rhoads was in Quiet Riot from 1975 to 1979 during which time the band released the albums, Quiet Riot (1977) and Quiet Riot II (1978).

You can read the rest of the interview with Nikki Sixx at Metal Edge Mag‘s website.