Van Halen Tape Vault Info

[Zing!]

I blame Eddie. Dave's on record as saying this stuff should be released. And Mikey, hell, he'd be the last guy to say no - I bet even if he wasn't getting paid. So Ed's gotta be the one. I want all of it. Every second of video, every outtake, hours and hours of tape from every recording session. I want it all. And I want it shipped to me in a big red and black and white striped box that's the size of a Buick. So Eddie - crank up the DVD burners. My credit card is locked and loaded...

Maybe Gene $immons needs to do an intervention?

[hambon4lif]

I blame Eddie. Dave's on record as saying this stuff should be released. And Mikey, hell, he'd be the last guy to say no - I bet even if he wasn't getting paid. So Ed's gotta be the one. I want all of it. Every second of video, every outtake, hours and hours of tape from every recording session. I want it all. And I want it shipped to me in a big red and black and white striped box that's the size of a Buick. So Eddie - crank up the DVD burners. My credit card is locked and loaded...

I blame Ed, too. If it wasn't for the loyal fans of this band at Roth Army and DDLR that circulated them, we wouldn't even have the US Fest, Venezuela, Largo, etc.

When I think about the demand of anything CVH, I want to scream "WHAT THE FUCK IS IT GONNA TAKE, ED?!! MY MONEY'S AS GOOD AS ON THE COUNTER!!!"

FFS! They brought Dave back because they heard us (and he is the only, true singer of this band), but as far as merchandising, Van Halen is one of the laziest, foot-dragging bands on this planet.

[hambon4lif]

Well that's not exactly true either. Ac/Dc still hasn't released their first four albums as they were originally recorded anywhere outside of Australia. I think most of the songs themselves were eventually released, but you had to buy a half a dozen box sets to get all of them. It took the Beatles until 1987 to reconcile their album catalog deficiencies, and the Stones didn't really do so until 2002 (with a series of CD's that were only pressed once) so there's still hope that Ac/Dc will do this eventually. Thankfully I still have my Australian issued "Volume I" box set of CD's, along with the first two albums on vinyl.

We could split hairs all we want, but as a CVH fan, if they released DVD's with the regularity and consistency that AC/DC has, I wouldn't complain at all.

They need to acknowledge and start giving a shit!

[DONNIEP]

Right on Hambon. After I got my first boots earlier this year I went on a binge for six straight months sending copies all over the damn world. And if I can do it - for FREE and never asking for one fucking trade - I know they can afford it. But instead it's been up to us, the fans, to distribute what's out there. And I love it - there's nothing better than sharing a show with somebody who's looking for it. But it's way past time for Ed to turn over the goods. If I can send out over 350 DVDs, then there is definitely a market.

[hambon4lif]

If I can send out over 350 DVDs, then there is definitely a market.

Exactly! If they put this stuff out, there can't possibly be the fear of losing money!

People want to see this stuff! Hell, once people who wouldn't otherwise care get exposed to the awesome lethality of a Van Halen show, they'll be digging it too.

I know folks that became Van Halen fans from watching Largo at my fuckin' house!

It baffles me, it really does.

[Zing!]

I think the Kissology releases pretty much illustrate this point. Diehard fans will watch (and pay good money for) any and all classic releases from their favorite band.

[FORD]

I think the Kissology releases pretty much illustrate this point. Diehard fans will watch (and pay good money for) any and all classic releases from their favorite band.

And a lot of that Kissology stuff is really just old bootlegs. They didn't make any attempt to clean it up and remaster it, like Page did with the Zeppelin DVD, for example.

[Zing!]

The Zep DVD still blows my mind, even now. Makes me wish Oakland would get even half that effort...

[DONNIEP]

It's one of those things that just defies logic. Why not? Why not release the stuff? Ed and Al should have enough cash now to cruise into their later years. Why? Is it really because of Mikey? Because he's tight with Slappy? Who fucking cares? Is it because it's going backwards? Can't be. Is it because Dave was and is Van Halen to so many fans? Maybe. But again, who cares? Just put the shit out there and let the fans have what we want and are willing to pay good money for.

[DLR Bridge]

I remember Ed saying he had footage of his high school talent show that he played in. He was rather blasé about the possibility of releasing that and the like some day. He knows we want it. He's just in no hurry to act on it. Sucks to be us.

[DONNIEP]

Would be nice if Wolfie tapped daddy on the shoulder and said "release all of it..."

[Never was]

It would have made sense to be periodically pumping this stuff out during the 98 - 2007 time period to keep the band out in front of fans while essentially not functional.
I think it all just comes down to Eddie just not liking anything and being a perfectionist. He also never struck me as a nostalgic guy so to him its ehhh whatever. I also wonder how much is complications with ownership of material. The ss Van Halen has not always been the most professionally runned shipped so it is conceivable that that some of it may not be clear. Clearly releasing that acoustic dvd highlights Dave doesn't seem to mind rough material being released.

[private parts]

Would be nice if Wolfie tapped daddy on the shoulder and said "release all of it..."

Yep. Somebody needs to get Wolfie on this. May be our only hope. Although one day

Wolfie might do it on his own without needing to ask permission.

[DavidLeeNatra]

[TJMKID]

It's one of those things that just defies logic. Why not? Why not release the stuff? Ed and Al should have enough cash now to cruise into their later years. Why? Is it really because of Mikey? Because he's tight with Slappy? Who fucking cares? Is it because it's going backwards? Can't be. Is it because Dave was and is Van Halen to so many fans? Maybe. But again, who cares? Just put the shit out there and let the fans have what we want and are willing to pay good money for.

I can remember reading interviews during the Van Haggis era where Eddie was asked about releasing old bootleg film footage and unheard demos from the Dave days and his reply was along the lines of --- "I was never happy how the live recordings turned out" --- which was code-speak that he didnt like Roth's vocals during shows. I'm still surprised the three Oakland '81 videos ever got released to MTV because Eddie was still in that "we only hired him because he owned a PA" bullshit frame of mind.

I used to believe the old bootleg film and audio stuff would get released as an official VH production because EVH was hard up for cash, but he always throws together a tour when his cash supply runs low so that's not a viable theory anymore. I never once believe he would release it merely as a nice gesture to the loyal fanbase --- like Jimmy Page did for the Zep fans.

At this point, I think the only way it will get released is when EVH kicks the bucket and Wolf gets full control of the VH rights to all material. Apart from Dave, Wolfie is the only guy who seems to have any idea how important this old unseen stuff is to the fanbase and wants to get it out there and not let it decompose in a dark vault. EVH coud turn out to be like Keith Richards and live to be 90 yrs. old so no use holding our breath to see the full '81 Oakland show or even Dave's full film stock of the '78 Anaheim gig he's already released snippets of.

At the very least, EVH should have the foresight to hire a film/audio restoration company to transfer that 16mm film stock and magnetic audio tape to a digital format so it can be securely stored on hard drives in underground moisture-free vaults for a long time. God only knows how much damage that stuff has taken from the cigg smoke and moist conditions going down at 5150 for the past 30 years.