An Alternate RWTD Version Surfaced, Then Was Taken Down

[Nickdfresh]

Hear a Previously Unreleased Take of Van Halen’s ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’
A mysterious YouTube user has shared a different version of the 1977 classic that has an extended guitar solo

By ANDY GREENE

VIDEO TAKEN DOWN FROM YT HERE

Van Halen fans were stunned this week when a previously unreleased take of “Runnin’ with the Devil,” complete with an extended guitar solo and an alternate David Lee Roth vocal, surfaced on YouTube.

“Van Halen Fans rejoice!” wrote YouTube user Groovefunkel Second Helping. “As a huge Van Halen fan, it gives me great pleasure to share this remix, which features an alternate ‘Diamond Dave’ vocal AND an extended guitar solo. Made from the original 24-track session masters.”

Three years ago, the same user shared an alternate take of “Dance the Night Away.” They just opened up the Groovefunkel Second Helping account and are promising more “alternate versions, instrumentals, stripped down session mixes, demo recordings and other rarities” in the future, or at least until the lawyers come knocking.

Most bands of Van Halen’s stature have re-released their older albums with bonus tracks. Their failure to do that has left not just a ton of money on the table, but it’s likely impelled fans to get their hands on the material through illicit means and share it publicly. The stuff is simply too interesting to too many people to collect dust in a vault. And the Universal fire is a frightening example of what can happen to tape archives that aren’t backed up anywhere.

Van Halen’s future touring and recording plans are just as unclear as their plans for their archive. David Lee Roth is playing a ton of solo dates this year as part of his Las Vegas residency and as an opening act for Kiss. He’s told the press that Van Halen is essentially finished, but the brothers have yet to comment publicly on any plans.

At the very least, how about deluxe editions of Van Halen I, Van Halen II and 1984? What exactly are you waiting for? You’re really going to let Groovefunkel Second Helping have all the fun?

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/take-van-halen-runnin-with-the-devil-934423/

[Nickdfresh]

Did anyone get this? Jesus fucking Christ with the taking down of everything! What are they worried about? this might prevent sales of the album version? it might generate more interest in Van Halen and spur sales? Fucking idiots...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/56/01/28560183bc34c560db9a83e202ffb56a.jpg
"Sir, it opeers zat zee ulternate version of Van Halen's Running Wit Zee Devil hast upeered unline!

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/11/21/2D4FE89D00000578-0-image-m-51_1444594543668.jpg
NEIN!
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1n9wQLtRjuc/maxresdefault.jpg

"Ya! cease und deesist!!

[Baby's On Fire]

I liked the vocals on this version much more than the album version. Never did like the album version. Fucking boring song

[ZahZoo]

If it's removal was a result of Ed/Al's IP lawyers doing their job... I've come to the conclusion that the reason is as simple as...

I own it and don't want to share it... fuck the fans!

Money and retaining the purity/legacy of the published catalog have nothing to do with it.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

The clip is no longer available (a matter of copyrights).:(

[Romeo Delight]

Damn...

[FORD]

I wonder if this was one of those copyright scams, like the one pulled by Allen Klein's bratty kids on New Years eve with archival Stones material. Apparently a whole bunch of Stones boots, including some material never heard before, even in bootleg circles, appeared on You Tube shortly before midnight, and was taken down shortly after. Not many people heard it for obvious reasons, but the few who did say that the quality was so horrible that nobody would bother downloading it for their own collections. But since it was (briefly) "published" material, this allows ABKCO to claim copyright on it, even though they have no intention of actually selling such material.

Since Eddie & Alex seem just as un-inclined to make their vaults available commercially, perhaps they made up this "Groovenfunkel" account (sounds Dutch, doesn't it?) to run a similar scam, inspired by the Klein kids?

In both cases, the concerned parties should stop being so tight assed about it and realize that fans WANT to hear this material, and would most likely pay for it if it could be purchased in a legal download, or on CD (or if they really wanted to put some effort into it, vinyl)

[Baby's On Fire]

I wonder if this was one of those copyright scams, like the one pulled by Allen Klein's bratty kids on New Years eve with archival Stones material. Apparently a whole bunch of Stones boots, including some material never heard before, even in bootleg circles, appeared on You Tube shortly before midnight, and was taken down shortly after. Not many people heard it for obvious reasons, but the few who did say that the quality was so horrible that nobody would bother downloading it for their own collections. But since it was (briefly) "published" material, this allows ABKCO to claim copyright on it, even though they have no intention of actually selling such material.

Since Eddie & Alex seem just as un-inclined to make their vaults available commercially, perhaps they made up this "Groovenfunkel" account (sounds Dutch, doesn't it?) to run a similar scam, inspired by the Klein kids?

In both cases, the concerned parties should stop being so tight assed about it and realize that fans WANT to hear this material, and would most likely pay for it if it could be purchased in a legal download, or on CD (or if they really wanted to put some effort into it, vinyl)


The Dutch Pricks don't care what the fans want. They have never cared and will never care.

Nor does Dave for that matter. He's too busy being delusional that he can still sing and perform.

[Nitro Express]

The Dutch Pricks don't care what the fans want. They have never cared and will never care.

Nor does Dave for that matter. He's too busy being delusional that he can still sing and perform.

Most people don’t give a fuck about Van Halen anymore. They are too busy whacking off in 5150 studios than strategically marketing anything to the public. Maybe when Ed and Al kick it Wolfgang and their widows will market the vault to make some $$$$.

[twonabomber]

The track wasn't that good, wasn't that different and could have been put together from the Guitar Hero isolated tracks. Go make your own.

[DFVH5150]

You can PM me if you want it ("it" being the RWTD alternate just to be clear, heh).

[Rikk]

I have it too, if anyone wants an email or something.

It's nothing special...though it proves what I've always suspected: that it was the album master of the song that had the guitar solo in different order before sections were edited around. The BEST OF version accidentally had this early version (before stuff was moved around).

The outtake version is actually the same master take, but with an alternate (maybe live-in-the-studio) vocal track...and again the early guitar solo bit.

If after Eddie passes away (and the vaults inevitably open), I hope we can expect stuff more interesting to hear than this...but it was cool to hear, anyway.

I'm psyched to hear the DIVER DOWN and/or 1984 outtake of IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, for one...
...and the DIVER DOWN outtake of BIG TROUBLE (BIG RIVER from A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH is still great, but the original version is superior).

[Funkmonkey]

Any way you can post the song on Roth Army?