Hanoi Rocks lead singer Michael Monroe recently joined an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock and revealed that they would initially record ‘Under My Wheels’ with Alice Cooper instead of Guns N’ Roses.
Although Hanoi Rocks didn’t stay together for so long and didn’t produce so many records, the band significantly influenced the glam metal genre and upcoming groups like Guns N’ Roses. While the band mostly preferred to create original pieces, they also covered some well-known songs from prominent artists, including Alice Cooper. For their first live album, ‘All Those Wasted Years,’ released in 1984, Hanoi Rocks performed a covered version of Cooper’s classic, ‘Under My Wheels.’
The track initially took place in the Alice Cooper band’s 1971 album, ‘Killer.’ Since its release, the song has become integral to the rocker’s eccentric live shows and has found a place for itself on every tour he launched. In 1988, the singer re-recorded his classic piece with Guns N’ Roses for the soundtrack of the documentary film, ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years,’ released in the same year.
While talking about his connection to Alice Cooper, Michael Monroe stated that he first contacted the rocker during the making of ‘Under My Wheels.’ Their producer Bob Ezrin tried to bring him to the studio where Hanoi Rocks were recording. However, Cooper couldn’t make it for unknown reasons. So, their initial plan was to perform the song with Cooper, which never happened. Then, Guns N’ Roses members got the chance to do that. Although Monroe thinks they should’ve done it first since it was a song they used to play live, he is still pleased that somebody did.
During the interview, Michael Monroe revealed:
“When we were doing ‘Two Steps From the Move,’ Bob Ezrin was trying to get Alice to come to the studio, but Alice couldn’t make it back then. We were going to record ‘Under My Wheels’ with Alice, and then that never happened. But then Guns N’ Roses did it later on. We were supposed to do that first because we used to play it live. I’m glad somebody did it.”
You can listen to Hanoi Rocks’ live performance and Guns N’ Roses’ duet with Alice Cooper below.
