WWIII, Wicked Alliance, Mandy Lion Band vocalist
Mandy Lion
11/14/05

 Listen to a song from Mandy Lion,
while reading the interview.

FIBM:  What's new, what have you been up to lately and what's in the future?

Mandy:  Currently I am working on my first Mandy Lion solo CD. This is something I have been wanting to do for a very long time since I have had these songs for a very long time and have not been able to use it on any other projects. The CD should be finished within the next few weeks. Other than that I am looking to hook up with a national tour for next summer... Oh yea... Then there is the official mandy lion website where all the merch is sold...

FIBM:  You formed WWIII in the late eighties. Did you actually have full-time members in the band before you signed with Hollywood, or were they paid musicians? Who were some of the members during that time in LA.

Mandy:  I had so many people coming and going in WWIII it would make Spinal Tap jealous...LOL I had for example the complete line-up from Kingdom Come in my band at one point... Then there was the line-up of Jonny Crash... The list goes on and on...

FIBM:   Eventually, you met Don Arden, who is not only known for being one of the elite managers, managing Black Sabbath, but also for the fact, that Sharon Osbourne is his daughter. What was it like working with him over the years and what were some of the aspects that set him apart from other managers?

Mandy:   Don Arden is about as close to a real life Godfather as you can get... Just to give you an idea how heavy this guy is... The manager for Led Zeppelin (Peter Grant) started as Don Arden's chauffeur! He and his son David Arden made more stars and had a bigger influence on modern music than any other team in the history of music... Absolute geniouses. Don and David scare the shit out of most people but since we had that in common, we got along just fine. I am still friends with both of them.

FIBM:   You were breaking club attendance records, in LA, before you ever signed a record contract. Please describe a typical Day in the Life of Mandy Lion during that time.

Mandy:  Yes, we did break some attendance records during that period... For example we out-did Van Halen's long standing record at Gazzaris. A typical day would have been the same as it is now... I get up at about 5 PM, feed a baby to my dog, work out, pull the latest cage girl out of the coffin to spank some circulation into her pale little ass and as soon as the sun goes down I am ready to take the Phantom ( my 8 cylinger, 1500 pound, 600 horsepower motorcycle) out and scare the shit out of any senior citizen I see... Then by about 10 PM it is time for either rehearsal or recording... At midnight I take my K9 son for a walk hoping no one sees him dropping compact car size turds on the sidewalk. Then for the rest of the night I just try to be as decadent as one can be without getting arrested.


Pic from Mandy's first feature
Age 18
FIBM:  Tell us about the day you signed with Hollywood Records?

Mandy:  The day I signed with Hollywood records was not half as exciting as it was picking up that first check from the bank, my friend... I took out a shitload of cash and slept in it for a week...LOL

FIBM:  A friend of our family worked at A&M Records, he had a massive nervous breakdown and then began working at Hollywood Records, probably right around the time you got signed....as far as I understand, he had another nervous breakdown, quit the business altogether, went to rehab and became a psychiatrist....but I always thought it said something about the label. What was it like being signed to them and has anyone ever sold shit on Hollywood Records?

Mandy:  I don't think anyone ever sold anything on Hollywood records... I remember Don Arden saying that they could not sell a hooker in a brothel... That just about sums it up... They couldn't even sell the Queen catalog... I mean... What the fuck...???





FIBM:   What was the process like gathering musicians for the release. Was there anyone that you passed on?

Mandy:   I did audition many musicians for the line-up but I would rather not mention the big name players I ended up passing on because it is not fair to them. Just because someone is not the right guy for a particular project does not mean that they are not just as talented as the guys that did work out for that particular sound... Jimmy and Vinnie were perfect for what we did back then and as soon as I heard then doing the stuff it was a no brainer.

FIBM:  What has it been like to work with Vinnie Appice & Jimmy Bain? Any cool moments stand out from the rest?

Mandy:  Working with Jimmy and Vinnie was a dream come true for a very young Mandy Lion... These guys are everything you heard they are and then some. Great people as well as awesome musicians.

FIBM:  Any memories stand out from the WWIII, Self-titled, recording sessions? Where was it recorded? What was the budget for the record?

Mandy:  The budget for the first WWIII CD was big but we had so many starts and stops with different producers and then Tracy ate up about 80 percent of the money just to do his guitar tracks so it ended up being a pretty tight budget in the end... I mostly remember arguing with the producer about levels and such... It was not the most fun recording I have ever done let me tell you...

FIBM:   3 fond memories of your days in WWIII (early nineties era).

Mandy:  My favorite day during those early days would have been coming home to LA doing a sold out show at Irvine Meadows in front of 17,000 fans...
FIBM:  Will there ever be a re-release of the WWIII, self-titled, album? Are you aware of the prices that it sells for on Ebay, I have seen it sell as much as $50.00 on there? Why has it not been re-released?

Mandy:  I do think that the CD will be re-released soon... There are some things happening right now but nothing I can talk about just yet... The fact that the CD goes for that kind of money speaks for itself I think.

FIBM:  What was the deal with you being touted as a NEO-NAZI? Was it the self-titled cd that has the Hitler slogan on it and wasn't it even misspelled? What was the slogan? How do you feel about it?

Mandy:  The Hitler slogan... LOL Well, let me tell you a story about the dumbest motherfucker to ever walk this planet... Once upon a time there was a retard by the name of Steve Jones (NOT the guy from the sex pistols) who was a frustrated and failed musician who hoped that since no one wanted to hear his ideas he would find a victim (a band) whom would indulge him in using his dumb ass songs and ideas... Unfortunately that band he hoped would do that for him was WWIII. When he realized that Mandy had his own ideas he felt the only way to get his idiotic ideas heard and seen was to just not tell me and go behind my back. This moron felt that being a Nazi band would sell Cds! When I told him I thought that was stupid for one and I was not into the whole Nazi thing he decided to put that slogan on the CD anyway. I remember trying to get him to show me the final artwork for the CD but he would have one excuse after another until the CD actually came out! I had not seen the CD until I eventually went to a store and bought a copy for myself! When I opened that CD I just about lost it! There it was! A Hitler slogan! AND IT WAS SPELLED WRONG!!!! Can you imagine this idiot spelling it wrong...??? Not only did this ass make me look like a Nazi but he made me look like an illiterate Nazi! Someone should kick his mothers ass for shitting him onto this planet on that dreadful cursed day! Ugh!!!

FIBM:  After WWIII, you began working with Jake E. Lee, who is one of my all-time favorite guitarist, aside from that, I am probably one of a few that actually believes that the records he did with Ozzy were the best of the Ozzy catalog; to this day, I still think the song, "Waiting for Darkness" is one of the great gems from the entire era. I read some interviews with Ozzy and other musicians who have played with him and they always said that Jake was very quiet and kept to himself and then disappeared. What is your impression of him and what is Jake like to work with?

Mandy:   I agree with your opinion on Jake... I feel that Jake is one of the most gifted players ever! The man is much more talented than people even know because you only see a tiny bit of what he is capable of in any given band. The man is an amazing artist, great performer and one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. Nothing but respect for that man. Working with him was not easy as it never is when one is working with a true genius but I am glad I had the opportunity to work with him.

FIBM:   Describe the songwriting process between you and Jake?

Mandy:  Writing songs with Jake would basically be him making me a copy of some riff ideas and me taking them home and coming up with ideas to what he had given me. Then I would bring the recorded ideas back to his house and he would feed off of what I had given him and so on... It truly was a give and take thing.



FIBM:  Any highlights from the tour you did with him in 1994?

Mandy:  There are many highlights from that tour for me but most of them are too nasty to talk about here... Other than that I would always have a great time watching him do his solo on that George Lynch collaboration song I did... Man did Jake tear up that song on a nightly basis... It was like watching someone channeling Hendrix. Amazing...



FIBM:  Why haven't any of the songs been released? Didn't you work with him again, in more recent years and will the world ever get a chance to hear a complete record from you guys?

Mandy:  I am not sure at this point whether or not any of the songs I did with Jake will ever be released. We finished about half a CD back in the day and of course I would love it if we could finish it at some point. If that ever happens I just don't know.



Mandy & Jake E Lee

FIBM:  It seems that when the guy decides to disappear, he is able to do it very well. Does he not take calls during this time, or does he move and never send contact info to anyone? What's up with that shit?

Mandy:  You are right... When Jake decides to disappear he is gone... I have no idea what he is up to at this moment but I hope the best for him.

FIBM:  What was it like working with George Lynch?

Mandy:   Working with George Lynch was the most fun I have ever had recording. The man is a great songwriter and he is a lot heavier than most people think he is because of his commercial rock past. I would love to one day do a super heavy George Lynch / Mandy Lion CD. People would have to use a pick up truck to buy that CD and take it home... It would be THAT heavy!

FIBM:  Any moments stand out from those recording sessions? Where did you record?

Mandy:   The best thing that happened during that recording session was when Glenn Hughes complimented me after watching me record this song. He said that this was the heaviest vocal performance he had ever heard in his life... I think I grew another inch that day...

FIBM:  What has it been like doing the Mandy Lion solo project? Do you play WWIII, George Lynch, Jake E Lee collaborations at those live performances?

Mandy:   The Mandy Lion band does play stuff from every era... WWIII stuff, Jake stuff, Lynch and brand new Mandy Lion. I even have a few kick ass cover tunes we do live...

FIBM:  What is it like working with producer / guitarist Joe Floyd and what are the things that set him apart from other producers? Didn't your band re-record one of Joe's songs, Fighting for the Earth, from his former band Warrior, in which they had a minor hit with back in the eighties?

Mandy:  I believe that Joe Floyd is the best heavy metal producer on this planet. The man gets the sounds and he knows what a great vibe is all about. If it were up to me I would never record anywhere else again. When we did that Warrior tune it was because he said that he always wanted to do a rougher version of that particular song... A more primal vibe was what he wanted... Primal is what I do...LOL

FIBM:  Any memories stand out from the WWIII, When God Turned Away, recording sessions?

Mandy:   The sessions for W.G.T.A. are a blurr... Everything had to happen so fast... We had no songs going into the studio... Everything was written as we went along... Very stressful but I guess it turned out alright...

FIBM:  Why didn't the original members play on that record? Didn't you play some show with them recently?

Mandy:   The reason why the original members did not play on that CD is simple... Everything had to happen very fast... I needed to go in and do it and there was just no time to try and work out a schedule that would have worked for all of us. In a way this turned out to be a blessing because I ended up with this latest line-up which is absolutely fucking amazing! Coming from as guy who has been spoiled by playing with some of the all time greats you better believe these guys kick some major ass!

FIBM:  Where can people purchase the latest WWIII cd?

Mandy:   People should be able to purchase the latest CD anywhere... If there is a problem with your local dealer, just tell them that they better stock up or Mr. Lion will kick their fucking ass! I need to feed my 200 pound baby here! That ain't cheap! Other than that anyone can order the CD from my website at mandyliononline.com

FIBM:   Mandy Lion is transported back in time, to the year 1989. Is there anything you would do differently? (based on the record industry)

Mandy:   If I were back in the year 1989 there would be a few things I would do differently... I would listen to my manager and NOT use Tracy G. on guitar, I would kick Steve Jones ass and have his mother sent to a turkish prison until she regrets not flushing that unholy seed down the toilet when she had the chance.   


THE FAST 5

FIBM:  What is your most disgusting habit?

Mandy:  I would say kissing my dogs paws would be considered by most to fall into that category

FIBM:  What is the most feminine thing you do?

Mandy:  That is easy: Her name is Lindsay.

FIBM:  If there is a God, what is the first question you would ask God when you arrive?

Mandy:  Why the fuck did you let Steve Jones happen!!!???

FIBM:  Greatest Rock band of all time?

Mandy:  That is easy: AC/DC!

FIBM:  What were you doing 40 minutes before you sat down to do this interview?

Mandy:  Playing doctor and taking a hot babygirl's temperature with my tounge. Take care my friend and stay in touch

Don't forget to visit the official Mandy Lion website, the site has more great music clips and you can even view a music video from Mandy & WWIII, with Vinny & Jimmy.

Search Fibits for Mandy Lion cd's

Want to know when we post a new interview?
Join our Mailing List.

Click here to view our interview page.