JULY 20th, 1996
Van Halen, who have sold over 80 million albums worldwide, have bowed to record company pressure and decided to release a Greatest Hits compilation. Latest reports say that it will be a single 16-track CD, featuring songs from both the David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar eras. The album *will* contain new tracks, however it is doubtful the new Sammy Hagar track titled "Between Us Two" will make it to the final album as Sammy never finished it before the recent breakup.
David Lee Roth is back at 5150 writing with Edward Van Halen. The band will begin recording new material at 5150 with producer Glen Ballard on Monday July 22. Van Halen's Greatest Hits is due for release in October
22 July 1996
*After a brief, one hour meeting with producer Glen Ballard, Ed, Dave, Mike and Al spend 8 hours in the studio, marking the official beginning of their two track recording sessions for the Greatest Hits project.
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AUGUST 1996
MICHAEL ANTHONY
AUGUST 6th, 1996
On August 6, 1996 Michael Anthony was interviewed by Michel from the Dutch 5150 Fan Club. At the time of the interview, the band had just finished recording the two new tracks with David Lee Roth and were starting to work on the mixing. Here is the complete interview.
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I might as well do the Introduction for this Interview in English too, because there was not very much Dutch in the conversation I had with Mike on August 6, either. As usual he was very kind and helpful So he made things clear about the current situation especially for us, the fans who can't believe what happened...
Michel: What's happening over there?
Mike: Oh, there's so much happening, you wouldn't believe. You know, Sammy's not in the band...
Michel: How come?
Mike: What it came down to is that he doesn't want to work. We were working on the music for the Twister-movie and he was in Hawaii at that time and he wanted us to do the music and then send him the tape. We said "No, we should all be in the studio together because we're a band". And that's how we always did it, so.... (Then Mike had to take care for his daughter for a few seconds). We finally got him to get back to work on the songs. He only came in for two days. So we had to try to get all the lyrics and vocals done in two days. Which was kind of hard. And he flew home. (Sammy lives on Hawaii - VH5150). Simply: he didn't want to work. He finally admitted to Ed that he was frustrated and he wanted to do his own thing. When he quit the band he was in Hawaii and he came back to work on some new material. I think he was looking for a new recording contract, because when he left our band, Warner Brothers Records dropped him from the label. He was telling everybody that we were talking to David Lee Roth behind his back, which we weren't.... He started to attack the band. He is basically lying. He wants everybody to have sympathy for him. Thinking we kicked him out. And that's not the case at all.
Michel: It's a strange situation and hard to choose. I feel sympathy for Sam as well.
Mike: I'm sad about it, too. Unfortunately, it's the same thing when David Lee Roth quit. We got a feeling that Sammy was going to want to retire, I guess you could say. Plain and simple: he just didn't want to work. Put the time in. Halfway through the project for the Twister-movie he said that he didn't want to do it. Eddie said: "Well, if you didn't want to do it, you should have just told us." Then maybe we just had done some music.
Michel: Later I read that Sammy was looking forward to record a new Van Halen album. And now this, that's very strange.
Mike: I think it's funny too, because we were going to do the first of a Best Of album. We probably will put out some more, too. But he didn't wanna do that. He has told everybody that when a band puts out a Best Of-album, their career is ending. If you look at it, Sammy has put some Best Of-albums himself I don't understand why he doesn't wanna do it with Van Halen. I think he was a little intimidated, being on the same album with songs with Roth. I think he was always a little intimidated by that. People always want us to do a lot of the older material. And he didn't wanna do it.
Michel: That's right. But why do you work with Dave again? That's weird!
Mike: It is. Actually, when all this was going on with Sammy, David called Ed because he just wanted to know what songs we were going to release.
Michel: He didn't know about Sammy...
Mike: Right. He didn't know that we had problems with Sammy. He just called because he wanted to know what songs we were using of the old Van Halen on this Best Of-album. And then when everything happened with Sammy, he wanted to meet the band. Actually Eddie suggested... he said "Wouldn't it be something if we worked up a song or two, new ones with Dave'? That will surprise all the Van Halen fans" We got together. We had a meeting with Dave. It's funny because he was very humble. He hasn't got a record contract now. He admitted that he has made big mistakes and that he did the wrong thing. He admitted that he has a very big ego. Hopefully he's better now. But he realized that after leaving Van Halen he couldn't do anything else. That it always got compared to Van Halen. So actually yesterday (August 5) we just finished recording two new songs with him. All I can tell you right now is that people are going to be very surprised by what they hear.
Michel: I'm sure.
Mike: Because the songs turned out great.
Michel: How do you feel about this situation personally? In the press the band always hated David Lee Roth. And now all of a sudden you're working with the guy!
Mike: Yeah, I know. A lot of people were surprised by that. Actually I was the last person in the band to accept the fact that this would happen. Eddie was the one that wanted to do it. He met with Dave two or three times. And that last time, I called over there and I talked to Dave. It was the first time I talked to him in eleven years.
Michel: You didn't, in all those years?
Mike: Oh no... I told them I didn't want to work with Dave and I wouldn't wanna tour with him. But I'm in Van Halen and Eddie and Alex are my brothers. And if they wanted to do it I would do it, too.... It was kind of hard at first because musically we're pretty much evolved a lot more than Dave did. But we have a producer by the name of Glen Ballard and he worked on new songs with us. And all I got- to say is that this guy is the best producer we've ever worked with. He's the most normal person. He doesn't have an ego like a lot of producers do. And when we're going to do our next studio record, he probably will produce it for us.
Michel: He also did the Alanis Morissette-album, right?
Mike: Yes. And he did the latest Aerosmith, but I don't even know if that will ever come out. Glen wasn't going to be able to do this with us because he was mixing Aerosmith. But they got some problems, so he quit their project to do us. Which was great because we wanted to work with him. I think these two songs turned out great. We're taking this a small step at a time. Now everybody wants the reunion tour.
Michel: Is it going to happen?
Mike: Right now, I don't think it's going to happen. But we're taking it a small step at a time. If the demand is really so overwhelming then we might... They already offered us to headline Donington next year. Yeah, lots of money. Big money. We wouldn't want people to think that we that that's the reason that we're doing it.
Michel: I'm afraid that's the first thing that people are going to say. It's the same thing with Kiss. I'm not interested in Kiss, but I like to see that show. And I think a lot of people do.
Mike: We make it perfectly clear that we don't need the money. If we do it, we would be doing it do it strictly for our fans and it would be one tour and that's it. Because after we've finished mixing these songs, we will be looking for a new singer.
Michel: I've heard some names. One of them is Chris Segan. I've never heard of that guy.
Mike: Neither do 1. (laughs). Some people thought it would be Vince Neil. They passed me a rumor that said it would be Sabastian Bach. We're thinking about it right now... when we're looking for a singer, we're going to find somebody who's unknown. Anything you hear right now, is just rumors.
Michel: I turn out the cassette if you want, then we can talk about it off the record.
Mike: There'tr so many rumors, right now that this guy is going to sing for us or that guy. And they're all just rumors because we didn't start looking for anybody yet.
Michel: The first name I heard was Billy Squier.
Mike: Billy Squier called our office, so that might have been why you heard. He is very popular in the United States for a long time. We know that he called our office but we weren't considering Billy Squier. He wouldn't be right for our band.
Michel: I bought his new Best Of-cd and there's some pretty good stuff on it.
Mike: He's a good singer.
Michel: He's got a good voice. With Van Halen-music it would sound great.
Mike: Well, you know Michael, the way I think of it: we can make any singer sound good. We're going to be known as the band that take any singer and make him famous. People tell me "everybody can sing with your band'. Eddie, Alex and myself, we're the core of Van Halen. People say "anybody can sing with you".
Michel: Don't forget Michael Anthony
Mike: Well... yeah. On these songs Dave did with us, you hear a lot of the harmony that will remind you on the old Van Halen.
Michel: I guess you're the most underestimated singer in the rock world.
Mike: Well, thank you. People tell me when we go on tour I should sing some of the old stuff.
Michel: Yeah, why not?
Mike: I might. I don't know.
Michel: That's the funny part. I've always been waiting for a duet on an album. You and Sammy or somebody else. Maybe it's a new idea?
Mike: Until the new singer... maybe I'll do a little lead singing myself.
Michel: That would be great. I've heard you singing Rock And Roll.
Mike: Every now and then I sing a little bit. I never take any vocal training, so... I sing in the shower a lot. Michel: You must be very clean. Mike: Basically, what's going on right now, we're mixing the two songs this week. And we hope for a October release. We already have more than enough material for a new album. So all we have to do is find a singer. We'll be ready to start recording.
Michel: Erwin told me you will start recording anyway. With or without a singer.
Mike: Yeah, probably. The music is there. We will record it anyway. There're so many ideas. We just turn the tape on and we record.
Michel: Let's see what happens. I don't know how you feel about Sammy now, but will you still be playing the Cabo Wabo shows?
Mike: I haven't spoken to Sammy since June when he left. I probably give him a call soon. The last time that Eddie talked to Sammy, he said "Well Ed, I hope we still can be friends. If you ever change your phone number, I hope you'll give it to me." Then he immediately went to the press and started badmouthing Van Halen. So we were thinking "What kind of friend does that?" That kinda hurt, but I probably talk to Sammy pretty soon. So much went on when David Lee Roth left the band... that's why you haven't heard any interviews with Van Halen.
Michel: It's a strange situation. Because I'm the president of the Van Halen Fan club and people are asking me. I'm supposed to inform them but even I don't understand.
Mike: When the Best Of-album comes out, we will be doing some interviews. I personally don't want the same thing to happen like when Dave left the band. Because it's just one of those things that didn't work out. I wish Sammy the best. Van Halen will move forward... will go on.
Michel: I think it's a much nicer thought, by just going on and saying bad things.
Mike: That's why we couldn't understand why Sammy started saying all that stuff about us. When I'll do interviews I will tell them that I prefer not even to talk about it. Because it was so much that went on when Dave left the band. We don't feel like doing that again. We rather just say "Here it is, here's the new Van Halen." And just continue on. Hopefully it will be bigger and better.
Michel: I got a bad feeling about the old songs, like The Seventh Seal, Poundcake..Will we ever hear them again?
Mike: Oh yes, when we have a new singer, one thing I guarantee you is that we're going to do, next time we go on tour, besides the new songs, we will play songs from Sammy and we're going to play much more of the old Van Halen.
Michel: A song like Feeling. It's so personal.
Mike: It is.
Michel: I'm afraid it's gone.
Mike: Hopefully we'll find a new singer that can relate to the songs and put almost as much feeling in the singing like Sammy did. We're pretty confident about that because we're not just go out and find a singer real quick. We're going to take our time and make sure that it is the right person.
Michel: Does Sammy mind, other people singing his songs?
Mike: I'm sure he's going to mind. But I mean, they are Van Halen songs. That's one of the sad things. We'll play them as best as we can.
Michel: So then we'll get to bear some of the really old songs?
Mike: Oh yeah, I guarantee you Mike, that on our next tour we will be playing some of that stuff. We agreed that we should play more different old Van Halen songs. The new singer we get, we make sure that he sings the new and all the old.
Michel: So we get some positive things out of this sad situation.
Mike: Wait until these new songs with Dave come out. You have to call me as soon as you hear it because you're going to be surprised.
Michel: I'm sure. That's the point. I don't like the fact that you're working with Dave again but I know it will sound great.
Mike: The reason we did it anyway, was that it would really surprise our fans. Personally I have never patched up my old feelings towards Dave. In fact I told Eddie and Alex that I would not tour with him, again. But who knows. I'm not the kind of person... I'm not a hateful person. I like to think I'm a good person. Maybe even Dave deserves another chance. Glen Ballard did get him to sing very well on those two songs.
Michel: Did it take a lot of time?
Mike: Yes, it did. But if nothing ever comes up, if we never do the reunion tour or whatever, at least we have those two new songs. And I think people will really enjoy them. People that really like the old Van Halen.
Michel: Was the band pushed by the record company?
Mike: Yeah.
Michel: I guess they said it can bring in big money if Dave comes back.
Mike: Oh yes, all the promoters, everybody is offering us a lot of money. We could do what Kiss is doing. We don't wanna do that because we don't feel that our career is over, yet. We still have a long way to go. So we will do it very carefully. Like I said, if we did do a reunion tour it will probably be... maybe we do a summer tour, next year something. Then we let people know that it's just one tour, just for our fans. And then we'll be going on with a new singer.
Michel: There are already a lot of rumors about the tour.
Mike: Let me tell you, that those are just rumors. Right now, we have no plans to tour, yet. The only plans we have right now is that when this is finished with Dave doing these songs we start looking for a new singer.
Michel: O.k., that's about it, then.
Mike: I'll call you and let you know what we're doing, how's that?
Michel: That's great. Do you know a title for this column, because you appear in every issue lately.
Mike: O.k., I'll think of it.
Michel: I want to thank you very much for your time.
Mike: Sure, no problem. Tell everybody I said hello and not to worry because Van Halen will be better than ever. We always move forward, we never take any backward steps.
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AUGUST 7th, 1996
MUSIC FEST 1996 – HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM
Ed, Al and Mike turn out to receive awards - The Starwalk.
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AUGUST 16th, 1996
Alex Files For Divorce
After being separated for two years, Alex Van Halen has decided to divorce his wife, Kelly. They married in 1984 and have a 6 year old son, Aric. Alex was previously married to Valerie Kendall.
AUGUST 20th, 1996
New Tracks Completed
Van Halen, with David Lee Roth on lead vocals, finished recording the two new tracks to be included on the upcoming Greatest Hits album on Friday August 2, 1996. The first new track is titled Me Wise Magic and has been described as "different" and "really heavy". The title of the second track was unknown until today. The second new track with Dave is titled Can't Get This Stuff No More. Mixing on the new tracks began on Monday, August 5 1996.
AUGUST 26th, 1996
Greatest Hits Release Date Set
"The Best Of Van Halen", featuring two new tracks with David Lee Roth, will be released in the USA on Tuesday October 15, 1996. Other release dates around the world are yet to be confirmed.
Boston Herald - Inside Track
As tipped weeks ago by Paul Marshall on the Van Halen list...
Going To An Extreme
Don't breathe a word of this. Because no one's supposed to know. But we hear Gary Cherone, late of Extreme, is winging his way to LA today to audition for Van Halen.
Word is David Lee Roth, who reunited with Eddie Van Halen & Co. for two songs on the band's new greatest hits album, didn't get the gig permanently. Hence Gary's big try-out.
And it sounds to us like the Hudson hunk has a good shot at heavy-metal superstardom. Because we hear he's bedding down at the Van Halen homestead with Eddie and the lovely Valerie Bertinelli all week!
Which must make Gary Jump for joy.
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AUGUST 30, 1996
MTV Awards Rumour
There is immense speculation around the Internet that Van Halen will be appearing at the 1996 MTV awards on September 4. Although nothing has been confirmed by either MTV or the band, the Van Halen News Desk has been inundated with email from MTV viewers reporting that promos for the awards feature the comment "Who knows, you may even see Waldo".
Waldo is of course the main character in Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" video from 1984. He was also on the bus at the beginning of David Lee Roth's "California Girls" clip.
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SEPTEMBER 3rd, 1996
Greatest Hits Release Date Changed Again!
"The Best Of Van Halen", featuring two new tracks with David Lee Roth, will now be released in the USA on Tuesday October 22, 1996. Other release dates around the world are yet to be confirmed. The new disc will contain 17 tracks - 8 "Dave era", 7 "Sammy era" plus the two new songs recently recorded with David Lee Roth. Hopefully a track listing will appear here shortly.
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MTV AWARDS – SEPTEMBER 4th, 1996
MTV started airing, “WELCOME BACK DAVE!” commercials before the Awards show aired. The Welcome Back Kotter theme song would play, and the words, 'Welcome Back Dave! would appear at the bottom of the screen. MTV used the clip from the Hot For Teacher video, where the band is dancing around in suits.
*** Eddie had been telling the press that he had not met Gary Cherone, which according to Gary was a lie.
EVH: I'd not even met Gary till after the MTV awards.
MB: Really.
EVH: Yeah, never even met the guy.
(Later in the interview)
EVH: And Gary had not been auditioned. I'd never even met the guy yet.
AVH: ...anyway...
EVH: Well, I just want to clarify that one last time.
GARY CHERONE
But when I came down they were putting out a greatest hits things and doing the VMAs. I remember one morning getting up to go to the studio and no one told me all this press was interviewing the Van Halen guys because of the VMAs and all this stuff. They told me, "Gary, no one knows you're in the band." I remember bumping into a photographer from Japan and he knew me from Extreme. He goes, "What are you doing here?" I go, "Nothing."
Wait . . . they ask you to join the band, and they go do the VMAs with David Lee Roth? Did you worry that you were already out and Dave was back?
No. Maybe Dave thought that, but . . . and maybe he didn't. I don't know? Me and Eddie were writing at the time. I remember him calling me that night saying that he got into a fight with the press or something. He was very protective. I didn't feel threatened. But the three years I was in the band, every day I woke up not knowing what the day was going to bring. Sometimes it was great, other times it was a little dysfunctional – especially at the end. But as far as how those guys treated me, they treated me like brothers.
Tell me more about that first jam session with the whole band.
That was the first day. I got off the plane in the afternoon and I remember Mike Anthony came out. I'd met him over the years at some Extreme shows. I said, "Mike, hey man, you're my only ally here." He goes, "Don't worry about it." And Alex and Eddie came out and shook my hand. I'm holding my suitcase, my overnight bag – and Ed goes, "You ready to sing?" I go, "Yeah. Can I go to the bathroom first?" Then we literally went into "5150," three other songs from the Hagar catalog and "Jump" and "Panama" from the Dave era.
I remember whispering into Mike's ear, "Hey man, help me with the high notes." But for some reason, my voice opened up. The Dave stuff was easy. Sammy stuff . . . I thought I'd have a hard time with that, but it was good. I think we sang about four songs and Eddie went to the bathroom, came back out and said, "Let's write a song." It was a good day.
Are you freaking out at this point? It's every kid's fantasy to sing with Van Halen.
It was surreal. Even when I was in the band, Nuno and Pat [Badger] would call and go, "I can't believe you're in my favorite band." It was surreal. You're growing up with Aerosmith and Van Halen posters on your wall. Obviously I'm younger than Hagar, and when Sammy joined the band, he was a contemporary of Van Halen, So it was different for me.
How quickly did you guys start working on the album after that first session?
Actually, right from the get-go we were writing songs. Even though Eddie was real enthusiastic and he embraced me and the band embraced me, I was skeptical. I was thinking, "I'll take it day to day, week to week, let's write another song, let's write another song." I remember calling back home and everyone saying, "Are you in the band? You're in the band, right?"
During this time were you worried that the fans were going to be unhappy that you were the new singer? The brief reunion with David seems to have certainly confused a lot of fans, and it certainly got their hopes up.
Yeah, that didn't help. Because, listen . . . I was excited that summer when Pat called and told me there was a commercial on saying that Roth's getting back with Van Halen. I was excited, and so here I am in the position of replacing Sammy. The thing that got me through that time was that the fans are so loyal to the band. I was in the band for a minute compared to the era of Dave and the era of Sammy, so the loyalty for them, I get it. They are going to hate anybody up there.
It was a pretty crazy move to come out with Roth at the VMAs when they had no intention of bringing him back
Yeah, I wasn't part of that little think tank. I think they were putting out a greatest hits, so it makes sense from that standpoint. I think they were renegotiating royalties. There was a lot going on before I came in. Who knows? I think I was the second or third person to try out for the band. I definitely know of one other person.
How was Ed during this time? In Sammy's book he's described as a complete drunken mess, but that was a few years later.
Ed was good. Towards the end he got a little dysfunctional. 2004, the time period that Sammy writes about, was the lowest point. During my three years, Eddie was lucid. Everybody has their idiosyncrasies. How I explain it is, if he puts on his guitar, he can fluently talk to you. When he takes off the guitar, he can be a little ADD. But Eddie was fine for three years. Towards the end he started drinking, but he was no way close to how he was in 2004.
Did they treat Michael like an equal, or was there already a distance between them?
I have no reference point as to how close anybody was during the Sammy era or during the Dave era. But during my period, I think the cue was Eddie. If Eddie is happy, then the camp is happy. Alex is happy . . . Michael has been the one constant throughout all the eras. I think the rift between Michael and the brothers came when Michael joined Sammy. The brothers are pretty territorial. "You're either with us, or against us." When I was in the band, Eddie was playing his ass off and I was in the dressing room with Michael everyday.
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VAN HALEN: Actually when he hopped out of the car, I just looked at him and said, “He’s a brother.” Just no attitude. Just a real sweetheart from heaven. We blazed through eight older Van Halen songs, four Roth-era tunes and four Sammy-era tunes, and he just blew our minds. We took a little break and 45 minutes later “Without You” was written — the first day. And if that ain’t chemistry, I don’t know what the hell is. That evening I played him all kinds of bizarre music that I make (laughs) just to let him know that he is not in any way confined to “Panama” or “Jump,” hey, anything goes in this band. Any idea is worth pursuing. I just wanted to let him know that there are no boundaries in this band. I kind of overloaded him and the next morning I just told him, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re in the band, you’re the guy.” I hadn’t spoken with Mike and Alex, but I just told him, you know, “They’re going to make up their own mind, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re in.”
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MICHAEL ANTHONY
- THE MTV AWARDS
Michael Anthony - Because originally they just wanted Ed and Dave to go to it. And Ed goes no, he goes, he goes, Al, both you and Mike are coming/going too man, because I'm not going to do this alone with Dave! (Laughs)
And it's funny, because what the people watching didn't see, because it would show the screen from the nominees, was Dave dancing and doing all his stuff. Besides that, and we're all just going, mmm well? Ooookay.. And then for whatever reason Ed and Dave had their little altercation afterwards when we were going through the press junket.
Everyone was asking Ed about his hip what was going on there, and he was saying that he was going to get it fixed. We're not going to see past that right now because we're going to be taking this one step at a time, and Dave wanted more. And he wanted more. To be about him or whatever? And the next thing I know it's like wham Bam we're leaving the awards. It was a quiet ride back to that hotel. And I remember it.
I know Eddie and Al stayed the next day in New York, and I remember telling our tour manager, I said get my ah.. if I would've been able to go straight to the airport, I would have. It was kind of embarrassing you know? Oh my God! Here we go, except almost 10 fold, because it all exploded that night. So I remember, I told my tour manager just get me the earliest flight out of here you can in the morning.
I know this maybe had something had to do with it, just Before we walked out on stage, I saw Dave chugging a big O cup of Jack (laugh) I'm like, okay, here we go! It wasn't looking too good after that.
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David Lee Roth – TALKS ABOUT THE AWARDS:
Well, quite obviously, the Mighty Edward is terrified that somehow all of this attendant publicity and excitement over my reconvening with the band is somehow going to overshadow his musical brilliance. As if. As if anybody in the fucking solar system thinks of Eddie V. as a backup guitar player. If somebody does, well, then I’m the singer for Up With People.
We get to the Awards, the audience is unsuspecting. Edward is pissed, miserable, that "my-shorts-are-too-tight" face on the front of his head. We walk out on stage and the place goes ballistic, nuclear, off the map. Eddie and his brother are astonished. They had no idea. Well, I see those smiles.
"This is the first time that we've actually stood on stage together in over a decade." - David Lee Roth
The Van Halen’s freeze. Edward puts his sunglasses on. He’s visibly angry. Visibly. He’s the only angry person in the whole tri-state area, next to his brother. And the audience is going nuts. So I go to work. It’s not something I think about. For me this is natural, this is freewheeling. I smile. Well, everybody is suitably ecstatic but not quite fucking ecstatic enough for a VH gig, so let me put the hip swivel on you, boom! Now you’re standing up, aren’t you’? Yeah, that’s what you came for, isn’t it? T-shirts in the foyer!
The people from MTV had said to me. "You know, Dave, you could freestyle on this a little bit if you want." "That’s why l’m here, guys, ‘cuz you can depend on me," and they were looking forward to it. I was the one guy out of the whole show who did it.
The first thing I said to the audience, "God, a lot has changed. For starters, whoever thought that we would be standing on stage here again ten years after the fact?" That statement caused the guys to physically separate from me on stage. For the last decade it’s entirely been the Eddie Van Halen show. He’s very fond of saying, "This is my band." And with previous singers it was. Absolutely. No competition. No encroachment at all.
Just before we had walked on stage, Alex Van Halen turned to me and said, "Milk it, Dave. Milk it for all it’s worth." And I thought to myself—just as they’re announcing us—is he setting me up? Edward stomps off the stage. Now it’s time to go visit the press, which is in several different tents: domestic, international, "Entertainment Tonight," whatever.
By now they’re really furious.
The press come after them like hammerheads, literally yelling—I’ve never heard the press talk to an artist like this—"Bullshit! Bullshit! It came from your manager and he’s standing right there." The manager ducks out of the tent like a ferret. Now the Van Halen’s realize they are no longer in control.
So Ed Van Halen resorts to tragedy as his form of self-expression. "All right, I’ve had enough of this. Enough of this, okay? We’re not going on tour. We’re not going to be doing any shows. We’re not going to do anything. Even if we were thinking about it, we’d have to go and make a whole new album first, and we’re taking it step by step, okay? And by the way, I’ve got to have a hip replacement, and it’s just like Bo Jackson, see, and I hurt it jumping up and down on stage."
The room goes dead. I’ve never seen the air sucked out of a room like that. He goes into this self-tragedy mode to get attention and kills the entire moment.
We go to the international press tent. Same thing happens: Ed goes into his "my tragic life" routine, kills the room, and somebody asks, "So what about Sammy Hagar? He’s just gone?" Ed replies, "Yeah, screw him, he quit, he bailed, man, fuck him." Well, he didn’t quit. They connived and created a scenario to make him quit. Made it untenable; he had to bail.
I looked around and the Van Halen’s had already left the stage, disappeared. I took Edward aside in between that tent and the next one. I said, "Now is not the time to start addressing a whole lot of personal issues. We created a scenario, we have invited a whole lot of people to celebrate and now is not the time to bring everybody down and start talking about your hip. It’s selfish." He said, "Hey, man, this is my fucking life. I’ll say whatever the fuck I want, all right? It’s my fucking hip, I need fucking hip surgery.
I said to him, "Fuck that, it’s bad manners. You’re also talking about things that I have no idea about. Don’t put me up in front of the international press and start talking about plans I have no idea even existed."--
He turns to me and says, "Nobody ever fucking talks to me like that. You ever fucking talk to me like that, I’m going to kick you in your fucking balls. You fucking hear me?" I begin to think we got a problem here. We’ve got somebody who’s off on cloud cuckoo land.
We leave from the press conferences to head for the limos and there’s thousands of fans, screaming and hysterical. Alex comes up to me and says, "Dave, remember how you used to jump up and down on the limos, you know, get the crowd going crazy after a concert?"
I say, "Yeah."
He says, "Go ahead. Jump up on top of the limo. Get them going. Get them going."And I thought to myself, it’s obvious now, isn’t it, you're setting me up. Get into the limo, everyone’s pissed, silent, except me. I know what’s up with them.
Copyright © 1997 David Lee Roth Crazy From The Heat.
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ED Backstage talking to the press
EVH: Dave called, because obviously half the songs on the record were going to be - old... material. So, he wanted to know what was going on, so I said, I'll get back to you, Well anyway, on the phone conversation... He just appeared to uh... We got along! So, in the middle of that week I happened to uh, stop by his house, and pow wowed a little bit, And this was already after Sam had quit! And uh.... I asked him if he'd be interested in uh doing a couple of tunes for the greatest hits....... and that is what was done... and the next step is a video, when we're done with that..... we'll see..
(Question )
EVH: Uh Sammy wanted to pursue a solo career!
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Backstage with Kurt Loder
WITH KURT LODER OFFSTAGE
Tabitha Soren: Van Halen, who reunited tonight on our show.... the show featured the return of David Lee Roth and Van Halen.
Van Halen Interview with Kurt Loder:
Kurt Loder: I'm here with Van Halen. Guys when you walked in here today with Mr. Lee Roth, you got a standing ovation. What do you think the audience is trying to tell you?
AVH: I think there's a lot of history that's attached to this band. I think since the very beginning the whole idea was for the band to establish a special relationship with an audience, and I think that people can sense when you're BSing them and when you're not.
Shot of all four, with the MTV graphic "Van Halen"
KL: Are you guys gonna record...
AVH: We have...
KL: tour or anything?
AVH: Yup. We... (Dave interupts)
DLR: We've already finished several songs and they are sensational! In a sense that what you always expect is that it won't add up. Usually when somebody reconvenes, an act like this, a band like this, it doesn't add up. Age takes it toll. Not at all, not in this case at all. And we have a spectacular producer.
Solo shot of DLR, with the MTV graphic, "David Lee Roth" over the words "Van Halen"
AVH: I was going to say, speak for yourself.
MA: We're gonna work on a couple of videos for the songs and take it from there, and see where that leads us.
KL: How does it feel being back together?
EVH: Like Al says, the music speaks for itself.
AVH: Magic.
KL: Did you say magic?
AVH: Yes, it really was.
MA : Yes.
DLR: (Makes joke - censored by MTV)
AVH: I'm his agent.
KL: Are you living together in a country cottage? How's it working? Are you in regular contact? Do you get together everyday and write tunes?
AVH: I think when you make music there's an energy that develops in the room, that you really can't contain. You don't think about it, it just either happens or it doesn't. And when the four of us came together and made music it happened. You don't question it.
KL: How did this happen? Did somebody call somebody? Did you show up on their door?
DLR: I had been down around the Florida area for the last year. And I was walking down the street and I saw somebody take a face plant, went right over the handlebars of his mountain bike. And he landed right on his head without a helmet. And I said, boy that'll sure knock 1982 out of the old memory banks. I started to get a little nostalgic. And I started to think hey, and think back through these years. Let me make a little peace. You know, the battles that were between us, the feuding and the fussing, it rings off your ear after a while. I made a call and said let's be at peace. And later on, Ed said, let's go one better, let's do a song.
KL: Wow.
EVH: And it turned into two, and now we're doing two videos and...
MA: Who knows.
DLR: Sky's the limit.
KL: So everybody's happy?
AVH: Yeah. Well happy? We're musicians.
KL: So you're never really happy. What did you like most about the show tonight? Did you see anybody that knocked you out?
EVH: The audience.
AVH: Smashing Pumpkins.
DLR: Dennis Miller.
EVH: Dennis is great.
AVH: Smashing Pumpkins has my vote.
EVH: Yeah, Pumpkins.
KL: Well, welcome back, it's good to have you back.
MA: It's good to be back.
KL: (Throw to John Norris)
JN: Thanks a lot guys. Especially Dave. The quotemeister is back, what can I say? It's good to have him back.
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SEPTEMBER 5th, 1996
Thursday, September 5, 1996 - 1:17 PM (ET)
Old Guard Shine At MTV Awards
NEW YORK (AP) -- Rock's new guard -- Smashing Pumpkins and Alanis Morissette -- took home the most awards. But it was the old folks who made the most noise at the MTV Video Awards show, where a good genitalia joke or creative profanity are appreciated far more than a weepy acceptance speech.
Potbellied veterans Kiss, in full makeup, closed the show, which was staged Wednesday night at Radio City Music Hall, with a fire-belching rendition of "Rock 'N' Roll All Night" from a barge underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
And Van Halen, welcoming wisecracking singer David Lee Roth back after a decade's absence, drew the loudest applause both on and backstage without performing a note of music.
"Diamond Dave, back in the saddle," said a smiling Smashing Pumpkin James Iha backstage. "Thumbs up."
Roth clearly relished being back in the spotlight with Van Halen a decade after their bitter split. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen coolly dismissed ex-singer Sammy Hagar, who was said to be angered by the new pairing, by saying Hagar wasn't a team player and wanted a solo career.
No such worries for the oblivion-bound Roth, who laughed when asked what the change meant for his solo career.
"What solo career?" he asked.
The formerly feuding Van Halen and Roth embraced warmly, but Van Halen wasn't making any long-term commitments. He said Roth will record two new songs and some videos with the band, and his status will be reviewed after that.
Roth quickly took the microphone from the guitarist.
"They're not going to find anybody better than me," he said.
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BECK:
I don't buy that. 'Cause they -- I mean, he was just bein' Dave, you know, he was just doing the thing he does. Which is you know, just...going off! It's just old school Dave, you know, in effect.
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SAMMY HAGAR – HOWARD STERN 1997
HS: Did you tune in to MTV to watch when Roth walked out with uh, Van Halen.
SH: Yes Sir, I Did! I'm still smiling!
HS: Where did you uh, where were you when that happened?
SH: I was at my house.
HS: At your house, laying in bed watching that thing?
SH: Nah, I was sitting on the couch with my wife. And we were watching, and I was nervous Howard! Because I thought, you know, if they perform? What if they're great? You know, I haven't
HS: Right! Right! It's competitive!
RQ: This could hurt!
SH: This could really be, it make me look really bad here! You know? And when they came out, and that silly Roth man. He's just a silly goof! I don't know this cat man, you know, but he is silly! You know? I just leaped off the couch and I hit the floor! It was great! I rolled a big fat one.
I was laughing so hard, I couldn't stop laughing!
HS; Really? And how funny?
RQ: You knew it wasn't working!
HS: How funny was it to you when they only kept him in the band for 2 minutes and then fired him. I mean did you.
SH: Well, That wasn't funny! Because I knew they could not work with David, I knew it.
HS: Right!
SH: I had been in the band 11 years, and these guys hated him! Right? They thought he couldn't sing, they couldn't respect him.
They were divorced with me for 11 years, they couldn't go back.
HS: Right!
SH: I knew it was just a ploy, just a marketing scheme to do this Greatest hits record.
HS: Right!
RQ: So even when they said to you David was back in the band, you didn't believe it?
SH: Uh, I believed it for a reunion tour because KISS was doing so well. And because if I was out, I knew they could do that. That would have done well. They cashed in man, I'm telling ya. And it's just really weird to me why they would do that. I don't understand.
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ED & ALEX RESPOND ON RADIO
EVH: He's got my damn number! Tell him to call me! And, Dave did call, and I returned his call, and he was informed by Warner Brothers that we were putting out the Best Of, and uh, yeah, we both basically apologized for the 2 year old mentality of mudslinging over the years. And we went on to discuss the uh packing, whether it was going to be 1 disc, 2 disc, la-de-lah.. And I told him I didn't know much of anything right now, Sammy just quit the band, and I don't know where it stands, and uh... I'll let you know mid-week when I talk to Ray, and let you know where that stands. And I ended up stopping by his house because I was in the neighborhood out that way. And... Sat around and Bs'd for a couple of hours, and he seemed like a different guy... than the old.... Dave... And.... I don't know? It's just one thing led to another. And uh.. I had this hair-brained idea. Which I don't know if-
(I should have ever brought up! (Laughs)
EVH: The way it's turning out now!
AVH: Ed.. Ed.. it's
EVH: I tell ya, never lied to the guy! Upfront -
AVH: It's part of life! I know (laughs) it's just.
EVH: Upfront this guy was putting a cart in front of a horse that didn't exist! Every other day I had to reiterate, DAVE! We don't even have a SONG YET, and you're pulling a hamstring getting ready for A TOUR!!! THAT IS- TH- THAT IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN! You know? I mean he just.. I don't know? What don't you understand? The N or the O? You know? It's like-
Radio: There was no misleading him? There was never a point where it was, we may tour?
AVH: ABSOLUTELY NOT!
MA: Not at all.
EVH: He wasn't hearing what he wanted to hear!
AVH: Ed's favorite st - uh, uh, expression was, "Let's just take baby steps."
EVH: Yes!
AVH: We'll do one step at a time. We'll do the first song. And if that's'-
EVH: And we didn't even have a song yet, and he's preparing for a tour!
AVH: Let's'
MA: He said his bags were packed and ready to go - go where?
EVH: I just kept telling him -Putting a cart infront of a damn horse that doesn't even exist yet! Or else we ain't doing anything!
AVH: The bottom line is..
EVH: It was a project. (Laughs) It's a hair-brained stupid idea now that I think back on it!
Radio: Basically Tommy that's how it starts! (Laughs)
EVH: I apologize to everyone!
AVH: No. No Ed! Uh.. I beg to differ! Because 2 good songs did come out of it! And..
MA: There ya go!
AVH: And we did have some fun with the whole thing.
Radio: What was it like recording Me Wise Magic.
EVH: He was a trooper! Granted you know- he hadn't sang in 7 months. He was a trooper, and and he did actually... thanked me for hanging in there, he said anyone else would've thrown up their arms up and said forget it! You know?
MA: He did work real.. very hard at it.
EVH: And he worked very hard. But it was uh...It took 3 takes, 15 minutes to do the music, and 2 and a half weeks to do the vocal, but we got it out of him, and the record is smokin'!
---------------
AVH: I gotta tell ya, if if uh.. he had been more in that vein of what I would call being in a Dali mode. Salvador Dali.. And just be creative and let it flow.. bring the palm trees man! Bring the monkeys.
EVH: Yeah.
AVH: Do whatever you want!
EVH: I just want to say one thing though. I guess.. What really.. I was depressed for a week after the MTV Awards, because I had really in my heart wanted to believe that he had grown up, that he was an adult. You know? Whatever that means? You know? I mean, I'm gonna be 42 in January. I'm not a drunk 23 year old who is easy to manipulate. I can read through everyone’s BS now, and I'm clean. You know? And.... I really wanted to believe that he had changed. And he had me fooled pretty good for awhile, until MTV, when he basically spit in my face. And that was it... as friends. And I was still willing to go on... professionally and shoot a video with him... Because Warner Brothers wanted it.... But... (Phooosh) 2 minutes of public adulation at the uh.. MTV Awards, and BOOM! Right Back to old DLR.
AVH: The facts are, the facts are we did 2 songs together. We were asked to do the video, which he "declined" from participating. The fact was, there was probably more money thrown at us than the gross national product of East and West Germany put together. And, it's not about the money. It's about, we want to make music.. And had the chemistry been right, you know, we would have considered, underlined considered doing something for the fans.... The ones who wanted to see it.
EVH: We did the 2 songs for the fans!
AVH: Yeah. I think the memory of what it was like 10, 12, 15 years ago is a lot more vivid and a lot more romanticized, if you will, than the reality of it.
EVH: I think.. I think we gave the... fans 2 good songs. And that's as far as it could go... We just couldn't take it on the road! I don't care how much money was thrown at us!
AVH: I think a lot of people don’t understand how close and tight knit of a family it is, when you’re in a studio being in a creative process. Or when you're on tour. It's just that simple.
EVH: It's just not about the money.
AVH: I do have one final thing to say, because I'm about to go out and have a bit to eat.. And that is.. Some people tend to take this all too doggone seriously. You know? I wish we could be articulate enough, poetic enough and enough like Salvador Dali to paint something of uhhhh, uhhhh.. False reality. The fact is, this is a rock and roll band...Ok.. This is like I mentioned earlier.. Not the invasion of Normandy.. This is not (Homanamiskah)
EVH: Word for higher wisdom.. You know? rock and roll!
AVH: And when we have the right person to do that, win our hearts... We will be content..
EVH: Exactly!
AVH: And I think that contentment will spread!
EVH: When we walk out that door, and we've done something that touches us, and it transfers on, you know, we release it, and it touches other people...
AVH: Boom!
EVH: Mission accomplished. That's what it's all about.
AVH: we do have to say one last thing, and I've mentioned this before, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart.. There were good times with Sam.. There were good times with Dave..
EVH: Oh yeah.
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September 9, 1996
David Lee Roth appeared on the Howard Stern radio program this morning. A synopsis of the interview is available from this link. Thanks to Pat from the Van Halen list for typing this up and donating it to the Van Halen News Desk.
HS: And it sounds like hell! Seems like Eddie was screaming a lot, and the whole thing. And one of the interesting things that you say is that Alex Van Halen....... The drummer, uh, collapses backstage, you went over to help him and all of Van Halen security people hustled you off?
DLR: Yeah
HS: why wouldn't they let you help him?
DLR: Yeah, the fellas, are in physical pain here
HS: Right, right.
DLR: You don't just walk around needing a hip replacement, whatever else you call it. You don't constantly have back pain, and neck pain and make it to the chiropractor every day. I'm on. We all get a little stubbed toes, and a wrenched finger here if it goes for more than two days, then you loose sleep, it ruins your whole week. These guys feeling like that every single day.
HS: What is going on?
Robin: What's that all about?
DLR: I have no idea. You know, I don't know what the medical background of it is, but you've got guys there, Poor Ed can't even walk up his own driveway.
HS: I know, I know.
DLR: He's got to get his hip fixed.
HS: That's Wild. He's not that old of a guy.
DLR: And his brother, it's the same thing.
HS: you think it's psychosomatic?
DLR: I don't know what it is, but it's extreme. And I wouldn't wish it on a canine. As much as we go back-and-forth, you know these guys, you know what it's like when you get a little back pain and it lasts for a couple days? It ruins everything!
HS: that's right!
DLR: How are you going to make decisions? How are you going to make creative thoughts? How are you going to (inaudible) band?
HS: maybe it's the Eddie Van Halen voodoo doll you have that you keep sticking pins in it! (Laughs) maybe that's what the problem is?
Robin: would you go back with those guys again?
DLR: As far as not knowing yet, if that exists, well that's par for the course. But I kind of doubt that. I think what happens is, every time I show my little mug in the public, and people realize, that I still have the same attitude. I have the same spirit, the energy is still there.
HS: right
DLR: Then people realize that it could still happen! You can have the changes, you can have the van Halen's doing milk ads, or you could have their shrink doing interviews on their behalf. But when you see that I'm still Genuine..
HS: What are you talking about? Their shrink did interview on their behalf?
DLR: I think it's probably the only one that hasn't done an interview on their behalf.
HS: Wow! Really? See, you know more about it than I do, i'll be honest with you.
DLR: You see me in the public they assume
Robin: What I'm asking is
DLR: Tt can happen again. Yes!
Robin: would you work with them again, I mean after the last fiasco?
DLR: (long pause) you know it's.... Yeah
HS: you would?
DLR: yeah, sure, but we would have to make if you stipulations front. Not a whole lot of rules and a whole lot of compromises.
HS: right! Because when you read David's book you can see how those guys last time really set him up
Robin: Right!
DLR: I would go up and I would sit, and they would say we're going to have a band meeting, and there would be nine people there (laughs)
HS: Right! When did we get nine guys?
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Roth's Statement
To whom this may concern,
You've probably heard rumors that Van Halen and I will not be consummating our highly publicized reunion. And since neither Edward, Alex, nor Michael have corroborated or denied the gossip, I would like to go on record with the following: Eddie did it.
It's no secret, nor am I ashamed of my unbashed rapture at the prospect of resurrecting the original Van Halen. A "couple of songs" was all I knew for sure when Edward and I got together three months ago to write them. At that time, the band tip-toed around me sprinkling sentiments like, "this isn't sure thing, Dave: this doesn't mean anything long term, Dave; we're still auditioning other singers, Dave." I was cool. I was happy. I was in the moment.
The next thing I knew, the four of us are doing surprise walk-on at the MTV Awards. I told Edward at that time that I didn't think it was a good idea for the band to go to New York half-cocked; and that I didn't want to Imply by our presence that we were "back" if in fact it was just a quickle for old time's sake.
Well ain't hind sight always 20/20...Had I asked for something in writing, this wouldn't have happened. Had I acknowledged the occasional icy grip in my stomach, maybe this wouldn't have happened. But I didn't. Like I said--rapture. And, I love these guys. Do I trust them? That question never entered my mind.
Then, a series of events last week led me to discover at about the same time the press did, that the band, along with their manager, had already hired another lead singer, possibly as long as three months ago. I wonder how he felt the night of the MTV Awards. It certainly explains why on that night Edward looked as uncomfortable as a man who just signed a deal with The Devil. I can't think of a reason Edward would lie to me about being considered for the lead singer when he had already hired someone, and then let me appear on MTV under the impression that there was great likelihood that Van Halen and I were reuniting. As I said, I told him in no uncertain terms that I didn't want to do the MTV gig as a band unless we were in fact, a band.
And so I apologize to my fans and my supporters, and to MTV. I was an unwitting participant in this deception. It sickens me that the "reunion" as seen on MTV was nothing more than a publicity stunt. If I am guilty of anything, I'm guilty of denial. I wanted to believe it just as much as anyone else. Those who know me know that trickery was never my style.
Van Halen Press Release
October 2, 1996 - This is in response to David Lee Roth's open letter (see above). It will be officially released to the press tomorrow (October 3).
We parted company with David Lee Roth 11 years ago for many reasons. In his open letter of October 2nd, we were reminded of some of them. The intention all along was to do two new songs with Dave for the Best Of Volume 1 package. He was never lead to believe anything but that. When the four of us were asked by MTV and Warner Bros. to present an award at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, the four of us agreed.
Dave was never an "unwitting participant.” We appeared in public just as we do before releasing any other Van Halen record. For the last two weeks we have been working with someone who we hope will be part of the future of Van Halen, although no final decision can be announced until contractual considerations have been resolved.
Van Halen will go forward and create the best possible music that we can.
Edward, Alex, Michael
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