70s Californian Rock act WHITEHORSE plays a part in the history of one of America's biggest 80s Rock bands, MȪTLEY CRÜE, as the band included in its ranks for many years one Robert Alan Deal, a Baptist minister's son originally from Terre Haute, Indiana. Deal would re-invent himself under the more familiar guise of 'Mick Mars'.

Deal's first band was when, at aged 14, he had performed as bassist for THE BEATLES covers band THE JADES. Next up would be THE SOUNDS OF SOUL, alongside the Ruiz siblings, Tony on guitar, Johnny on bass and Paulie on drums. The guitarist briefly joined a Soul band in Fresno before journeying back to Indiana, founding WAHTOSHI with comrades Jim Cunningham and Mike Malone. When he was forced out of this band, due to injuring his hand in a laundromat, Deal founded a gospel band, but soon laid this idea to rest. It would be around this juncture that the budding musician discivered he was suffering from a rare, inherited degenerative bone disease Ankylosing Spondylitis.

During the summer of 1973 Deal caught a show by a band called WHITEHORSE at Pier 11 in Costa Mesa. The group, hailing from Ocean Beach, California and previously operational as FAT CITY, struck up a friendship with Deal. WHITESHORSE comprised singer Kenny Morse, guitarist Kevin Kohl and David Day, bassist Harry Clay and drummer Jack Valentine. Both Morse and Clay were ex-CATSEYE members, the bassist also having worked with future POLICE drummer Stewart Copeland in a band out of San Diego. Although officially billed as WHITEHORSE the group had almost adopted the title MOTLEY CROO, at Clay's suggestion. Management steered the band toward WHITEHORSE, after the Scotch whiskey brand, but original tracks were promoted as MOTLEY CROO. Deal would be inducted into the WHITEHORSE ranks, first appearing onstage in January 1974 at Mr. Lucky's venue in Denver, Colorado, taking over from Kevin Kohl and his temp, FRANTICS member Kim Sherman.

Throughout the mid 70s, WHITEHORSE, complete with the novel stage addition of an upside down drum kit, played across the USA, often putting in more than 250 concerts a year. The band had relocated to Huntington Beach. Musical tensions, arising from Deal's wish to pursue a harder direction, would come to a head in November 1975, when both the guitarist and Jack Valentine quit. An effort was made to form a new trio with ex-WOLFGANG bassist Gary Chansley but this floundered. However, Deal returned to WHITEHORSE after Kenny Morse opted out to join HOLY SMOKE. The revised band, Deal, Day, Clay plus new vocalist Buzz Hatton and drummer Bill Forbes soon gained renewed momentum. However, Hatton dropped out in 1997, being swiftly replaced by Micki Marz (a.k.a. Michelle Meyers).

In a quite surreal turn of events the name MOTLEY CROO was to raise its head once again. Rolling Stone magazine had run a review of an album by session players billed "Southern California's WHITEHORSE". With WHITEHORSE in negotation with several labels, the band members felt this doubling up of their name to be damaging and, backed by Atco Records lawyers and the Musicians Union, took legal action. Part of a proposed settlement would apparently involve a substantial cash settlement and a switch of name to MOTLEY CROO. The deal floundered though when the group pushed for more money. In December 1977, WHITEHORSE broke up.

Deal and David Day started up a covers band, TEN WHEEL DRIVE, whilst Clay founded originals act VIDEO NU-R in 1978. The two joined forces once again though as Deal joined VIDEO NU-R, appearing on the singles 'Gypsy Woman' / 'You Drive Me Crazy' released in December 1978, followed up by 'Decadence Plus' issued in September 1979. During this period, Deal briefly financed his musical career by cleaning carburetors in a motorbike factory. Parting ways with VIDEO NU-R, Deal migrated back to TEN WHEEL DRIVE but also had his eye on future horizons by placing a musicians wanted ad which read "Extraterrestrial guitarist available for any other aliens that want to conquer the Earth". He would then re-unite with former WHITEHORSE singer Kenny Morse in his band VENDETTA for a tour of Alaskan clubs. It would be opon his return to California in the Summer of 1980 that he adopted the title Mick Mars. It was whilst gigging with a re-branded TEN WHEEL DRIVE, then billed SPIDERS AND COWBOYS, that he chanced upon Frank Feranna at the Magnolia Liquor store in Burbank.

Sixx and Lee (having dropped his real surname) were extremely interested in Deal's potential. Deal, finding he had much in common with this enticing rhythm team signed up for the cause. A search for a second guitarist led them to infamous Hollywood club The Starwood to check out the rhythm guitarist of ROCK CANDY, James Alverson, but the trio come away impressed with the band's singer, Vince Neil Wharton. This caused a bit of a dilemma for this fledgling new band as Sixx had already offered the vocalist's position to a singer identified only as O' Dean. But Vince Neil (as he became) got the job and Mars, disagreeing with Sixx and Lee's original intention to name the band CHRISTMAS, delved into his past to come up with the name MȪTLEY CRÜE and, a month later, the group made their live debut at The Starwood opening for Y&T.