MA on songwriting credits

[Luke D]

Didn't see this posted so...

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=168971

MICHAEL ANTHONY Has No Plans To Go After VAN HALEN For Songwriting Credit On Reworked Old Songs - Jan. 30, 2012

Former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony says he's looking forward to hearing the band's new album because it includes material that he recorded with the group before they got signed in the 1970s.

Speaking to the U.K. digital radio station Planet Rock, Anthony said, "They [the current lineup of VAN HALEN] played a show in New York the other week. There was [a] song they played called 'She's The Woman', which is actually a song that was, basically, written before I even joined VAN HALEN."

During the same interview, Anthony said he has no plans to go after his former bandmates for songwriting credit on the reworked compositions on the new VAN HALEN album, "A Different Kind of Truth", despite their former policy of crediting all members equally. "I don't want to do anything," he said. "I just let it be." He added, "And, hey, it'll be nice to hear some of those old songs again that I haven't played in a long time."
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It's nice to hear Mike sounding positive about the new record, and not acting like a douche like Sam. Class act Mike!

[DavidLeeNatra]

he never wrote shit and lived from what Dave, Ed and God forgive me Sam wrote...so what should he go after?

[DavidLeeNatra]

...and yes...he has way more class than sam...

[sadaist]

...and yes...he has way more class than sam...

I think everyone can agree with that.

[John Jacob]

he never wrote shit and lived from what Dave, Ed and God forgive me Sam wrote...so what should he go after?

probably the smartest thing you ever posted which is not really saying much at all

[DavidLeeNatra]

I think everyone can agree with that.

not that difficult...my last pile of shit this mornig has more class than sam...

[DavidLeeNatra]

probably the smartest thing you ever posted which is not really saying much at all

we got a place for you here...ask Rikk...he'll show you the way...

[INeedYou]

The stuff I've heard sounds re-worked, some moreso than others. How much do changes to songs constitute a new song? Any publishing royalty experts in the house? Seems like riffs or chord progressions that remain the same, while the rest of the song is fresh, would mean tons of songwriting plaigarism all the time... Props to MA for being realistic and honest about shit written prior to his arrival in the band. Maybe he's even being supportive of VH, God knows it'll take at least an extra helping of that to cover the Hate-gar noise!

[Matt White]

The ONLY thing 'ol Hot-sauce wrote in his time in VAN HALEN was his name on the checks he was cashin'!


Not a bad gig for all those years........

[smorgdonkey]

The ONLY thing 'ol Hot-sauce wrote in his time in VAN HALEN was his name on the checks he was cashin'!


Not a bad gig for all those years........

They could have had someone else play for them back in the day but they went after Mike. A lot of people are pretty rough on the guy who didn't do anything wrong. I'm pretty sure that if he was 'just a freeloader' all of that time, Ed would have cut him loose a long time ago. Ed doesn't just let money fly out the window. It was Ed's ego only that got Mike pushed out. If you didn't think that Ed was near dead around 2005/2006 then you simply weren't paying attention. Just watch the NAMM vids from that era.

[Hollywood Jesus]

I've actually been wondering whether =VH= using the best demo material was precisely so it could finally be published. This would seem to make ownership more legally clear than letting these tunes wallow in purgatory.

And I do appreciated Mike's professionalism through all of this. If Dave and Ed had similar, ADKOT might have happened 20 years ago.

[Cruiser]

I agree Hollywood...Maybe I missed the article where MA slags Van Halen. He's done well to take the high road and 2 interviews have referenced him talking about being excited to hear the new album.

[ZahZoo]

There's not much for Mike to go after... if the songs were never published or released there's not a lot to wrangle over legally.

I find some of the cheap shots slamming Mike rather childish. He was a full contributing member of Van Halen for 30+ years and well respected among many of the top musicians in the rock world. To imply that the Mighty VH was a only two man operation... it just petty crap...

[Roth & Roll]

There's not much for Mike to go after... if the songs were never published or released there's not a lot to wrangle over legally.

I find some of the cheap shots slamming Mike rather childish. He was a full contributing member of Van Halen for 30+ years and well respected among many of the top musicians in the rock world. To imply that the Mighty VH was a only two man operation... it just petty crap...

Agreed - MA's harmonies were an integral part of the Classic VH signature sound. That being said, this thread is a non-story for two key reasons:

• Eddie wrote all the music, while Dave wrote the lyrics for Van HALEN, and Spam-bot wrote those simulated lyrics for Van Hagar.
  
• MA signed away all rights to songwriting credits as part of the agreement he signed back in 2004.

[Matt White]

pretty sure that if he was 'just a freeloader' all of that time, Ed would have cut him loose a long time ago.

Hey uh Pinestein.....EVH TRIED to "cut him loose" many times....wanting to replace him with Billy Sheehan as far back as FAIR WARNING.....

Okay...thanks for playing....goodbye