Van Halen

Van Halen is an American rock band formed in the early-1970s and discovered by KISS bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons. The band's first studio album, Van Halen, released in 1978 is widely regarded as a milestone in rock music, and possibly the best rock debut album ever. With this first release, the band established itself as a leader in the emerging and commercially successful U.S. heavy metal music genre of the 1980s. In particular, the band's guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, quickly gained widespread notoriety for his technical prowess and musical sensibility. Almost overnight, he was touted as one of the most innovative and influential American rock and roll guitarists.{{ref|81gpint}}. The band has also established itself as one of the major live acts of that era, opening up for Journey, Montrose, and later Black Sabbath in 1978. According to Ozzy Osbourne, bringing Van Halen along on the tour was not the best idea because Van Halen simply outplayed them. It also became very popular for the antics, stage presence and larger-than-life persona of its lead singer, David Lee Roth, who was frequently called "Van Halen" by new fans.

History

Origins

The Van Halen family emigrated from Nijmegen, Netherlands to Pasadena, California in the 1960s. Eddie and Alex's father, Jan Van Halen, was an accomplished saxophonist and clarinetist (his work was featured on the song "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" from the album Diver Down (1982)). Jan encouraged his sons' love of music. Alex (the older of the Van Halen brothers) and Eddie were both trained as classical pianists during their childhoods. As they grew older, Alex took flamenco guitar lessons and Eddie bought a drum set. According to folklore, while Eddie was out delivering papers to pay for his drums, Alex would practice on them. After hearing his brother play the drum solo from the song "Wipe Out", Eddie abandoned the drums for guitar.

Related Topics:
Nijmegen - Netherlands - Pasadena - California - 1960s - Saxophonist - Clarinetist - Album - Diver Down - Flamenco guitar - Drum set

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During elementary and middle school, Eddie and Alex formed several different bands at different times, with names like "The Trojan Rubber Company," "The Broken Combs," and "The Space Brothers." {{ref|dwavh}} By the time the brothers were in their teens the band had evolved into a power trio named Mammoth (the original lineup included Eddie on guitar and lead vocals, Alex on drums, and Mark Stone on bass). In 1974, Mark Stone was replaced by Michael Anthony, who was then fronting his own band called Snake. With no dedicated lead singer, Eddie and Michael took turns singing lead{{ref|mavocals}}.

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David Lee Roth, a local entrepreneur, and lead singer of a rival Los Angeles band, had begun renting out his public address system to Mammoth in 1973. Eddie and Alex grew tired of paying the "PA Tax" to "Diamond Dave," and in 1974 brought him into the band as their lead singer. Upon discovering that another band in the L.A. area was also named Mammoth, at Roth's suggestion, they changed their name to Van Halen (passing on the name 'Rat Salade'). Roth stated in his autobiography, "I felt that the name Van Halen was like the name Santana, it had power to it."{{ref|rothbio}}

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Public address - Santana

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The band became a staple act on California's Sunset Strip during the mid-1970s, consistently playing at well known clubs such as the Whisky A Go-Go. In 1976, Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS saw one of Van Halen's shows and subsequently financed their first demo tape (this bootlegged demo commonly circulates under the title Zero and features unfinished and alternative lyrics to many of Van Halen's early songs). Despite having a fairly polished demo tape, Van Halen was unable to secure a record deal{{ref|78guitarint}}. The band continued to play club gigs, eventually connecting with Marshall Berle (nephew of the famous comedian Milton Berle). One night after playing to an empty house at the famed Starwood Club in Los Angeles, Berle, then the band's manager, introduced them to producer Ted Templeman{{ref|ttvocal}} and Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin. Van Halen soon signed their first record contract{{ref|78gpint}}. Templeman (who had previously produced hits for The Doobie Brothers) would go on to produce Van Halen's first six albums.

Related Topics:
Sunset Strip - 1970s - Whisky A Go-Go - Demo tape - Bootlegged - Milton Berle - Starwood Club - Producer - Ted Templeman - Warner Bros. - Mo Ostin - The Doobie Brothers

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(1978-1985) with David Lee Roth

With Ted Templeman at the helm, the band moved into the studio and quickly recorded their first album. Simply titled Van Halen, the album was released to immediate commercial success, reaching #19 on the Billboard pop music charts. All of the tracks were laid down very quickly (about three weeks), with little over-dubbing or double tracking. Minor mistakes were left on the record and a very simple musical set-up was used to give the record an almost-live feel. After adding vocals, the album was essentially ready to be mixed. Despite the simple studio set-up, Van Halen featured innovations in musical technique, production, and arrangement.

Related Topics:
Van Halen - Over-dubbing - Mixed

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The first album, one of rock's most commercially successful debuts{{ref|bestselling70s}}, is widely regarded as one of the most influential rock albums ever produced{{ref|rollingstonetop500}}. The band toured for nearly a year on the basis of Van Halen, establishing their reputation as a talented and exciting live band. The early chemistry of the band was based upon the interplay of Eddie Van Halen's technical wizardry and David Lee Roth's flamboyant antics (a contrast that would later erupt into full-blown conflict). They returned to the studio in 1979 for Van Halen II, similar in style to their debut. This album yielded the band's first hit single, the poppy "Dance the Night Away".

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Over the next four years, the band alternated album releases and touring to increasing commercial and critical acclaim. By 1980, Van Halen was perhaps the world's most successful and influential hard rock band (a legacy the band sustained throughout their career; in 2000, VH1 cited Van Halen as #7 on their list, 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock). In 1981, during the recording of their fourth album, Fair Warning, tensions began to rise within the band. Eddie Van Halen's desire to experiment with more serious songs and complex structures was at odds with Roth's pop instincts and increasingly cartoonish, irony-laden persona. Although Roth (and producer Templeman) acquiesced to Eddie's wishes, Fair Warning was a relative sales disappointment, yielding no hit singles. The following album, Diver Down, featured a hit cover of Roy Orbison's classic rock and roll song "Oh, Pretty Woman". After a successful tour to support Diver Down, Van Halen became the highest paid music group for a single appearance, earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for their inebriated, $1 million, 90-minute set at the US Festival in 1983. (This record was eventually eclipsed in the 1990s.)

Related Topics:
VH1 - 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock - Fair Warning - Diver Down - Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman - Guinness Book of World Records - US Festival - 1990s

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Van Halen's next album, 1984 (released December 1983) was their commercial, and many claim, artistic pinnacle. It was also a breaking point for the original line-up. Keyboards, previously heard only rarely, were now fully integrated into the band's sound. The album's lead single, "Jump", featured a bouncy synthesizer hook and anthemic lyrics by Roth. "Jump" became the band's first and only #1 pop hit and resulted in the band's first Grammy nomination. The album 1984 was praised by critics and fans alike, peaking at #2 on the Billboard charts behind the stratospherically popular Thriller by Michael Jackson (Eddie Van Halen played the guitar solo on the hit song "Beat It," from that album). In the midst of their greatest commercial success and tour, the artistic and personal tensions between the musicians reached a breaking point. Roth exited the band on April 1, 1985.

Related Topics:
1984 - Synthesizer - Hook - Pop - Billboard - ''Thriller'' - Michael Jackson - Beat It - April 1 - 1985

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(1985-1996) with Sammy Hagar

In search of a new front man, the band was introduced to singer/guitarist/song-writer Sammy Hagar. Hagar (who sang lead vocals for the band Montrose in the early '70s) was at that time a solo artist coming off a very successful year (his 1984 album "VOA" had yielded the hit single I Can't Drive 55 that peaked at #26 on the pop charts). Late in 1985 Hagar agreed to join the band and a new era began for Van Halen.

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The next 10 years with Sammy Hagar were marked by two somewhat opposing trends: expansion of the band's commercial success amid increasing fan resentment over Roth's departure. Hagar's style enabled Van Halen to become accessible to a wider audience, with lyrics that were more conventional and refined. Eddie's keyboard work brought a wider variety of sonic textures within each song, and the production was altered toward the pop side. The result was markedly different from the hard charging, rollicking riffs of the group's earlier work, and Eddie's trademark guitar sound was now rarely heard without many digital effects. Die-hard "old Van Halen" fans referred derisively to the new "Van Hagar" sound as "soft" or "fluffy" compared with the raucous, raw sound of the Roth era.

Related Topics:
Lyrics - Pop

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During Hagar's tenure, the band established a musical formula that proved commercially successful in the United States. All four studio albums produced during this period reached #1 on the Billboard pop music charts. Also during this time, 17 singles breached the top 12 of the mainstream rock tracks chart. In addition, Van Halen was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning the 1991 Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal award for the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Van Halen continued to enjoy tremendous popular success throughout the mid-90's, while many of their hair metal contemporaries (such as Guns n' Roses and Poison) fell from favor, overtaken by anti-establishment "Grunge Music".

Related Topics:
Billboard - Grammy Awards - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge - Mid-90's - Hair metal - Guns n' Roses - Poison - Grunge Music

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During the recording of their contribution to the film Twister, escalating tension between Hagar and the Van Halen brothers boiled over publicly as Hagar departed on Father's Day, 1996. Hagar claimed that he was fired; Eddie Van Halen claimed that Hagar quit. The media storm surrounding the dramatic exit of Hagar helped him to immediately restart his solo career. However, the publicity wasn't helpful for Van Halen, only serving to shine a bright light on the vacant lead singer spot. The commercial success that Van Halen reached with Sammy Hagar set high expectations- and fans everywhere were watching and waiting for the band's next move.

Related Topics:
Twister - Father's Day

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(1997-1999) with Gary Cherone

Soon after Hagar's departure, David Lee Roth entered the studio with the Van Halen brothers, Michael Anthony, and producer Glen Ballard. Two songs from those sessions were added to the band's Greatest Hits album (with the Roth single Me Wise Magic reaching #1 on the mainstream rock chart; the album The Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 was #1 on the pop charts). However, Eddie and Alex were still auditioning other singers — among them unknown singer Mitch Malloy. Malloy would reveal years later that, during this time, Eddie had hired him for the job. By September, however, David Lee Roth and the rest of the band were asked to present an award at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. On September 4, 1996, the four original members of Van Halen made their first public appearance together in over eleven years, presenting an award at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. This appearance was greeted with a standing ovation, and fueled hopeful speculation for a reunion tour. However, old wounds were reopened; while doing backstage interviews with the media, Roth told Eddie not to talk about personal issues such as Eddie's hip replacement. According to Eddie, Roth was very rude and self-centered, causing the relationship between both of them to sour once again. Mitch Malloy would reveal years later that immediately after the awards, he told Eddie that he did not want to be the lead singer of Van Halen because the public appearance with Dave made it impossible for any other singer to be successful with the group. Several weeks after the awards show, the public and media became aware that Roth would not be reuniting with the band. At this time, Roth released a media statement where he apologized to the media and the fans, stating that he was an unwitting participant in a publicity stunt perpetrated by the Van Halens and Ray Daniels (their manager) in order to sell more copies of the greatest hits album. The next day, Eddie and Alex Van Halen released a media statement, stressing that they were completely honest with Roth and never led him to believe that he was guaranteed to be the next lead singer.

Related Topics:
Glen Ballard - September 4 - 1996 - MTV Video Music Awards

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Continuing their search, Van Halen recruited Gary Cherone, the frontman of the defunct Boston-based band Extreme. The result of their collaboration was the experimental Van Halen 3. Many songs were longer and more ethereal (Once), more thought-provoking (How Many Say I with Eddie on vocals), or were just plain different (From Afar, Josephina). This alienated entrenched Van Halen fans and did not attract a new audience. Sales were lackluster compared to previous albums. The VH3 album peaked at #4 on the charts (it was Gold certified), and produced a #1 Mainstream Rock Track hit, Without You. However, no tracks from the album ever appeared on the pop music charts. In 1999, Cherone split amicably with Van Halen after the VH3 tour. In 2002, Warner Bros. dropped Van Halen (still without a lead singer) from the label, after having released all of their albums since 1978.

Related Topics:
Boston - Extreme - Van Halen 3 - Gold - Warner Bros.

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(2000-2004) Four years of silence

1996 marked the end of an era for Van Halen as a band. A greatest hits album had been released, their lead singer of over a decade had departed, and confusion swirled about the artistic direction and future marketability of the band. Although rumors were plenty, and accusations and hostility pervaded the news, there was little new information about the band. The Inside (the once-official VH mag) dissolved after turning unofficial from lack of news.

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Comedian David Letterman succinctly expressed the frustration of millions of Van Halen fans. During the delivery of his Top Ten list on October 21, 1996, he sarcastically implied that then Presidential Candidate Bob Dole could gain the popular support of the American People if he would use his diplomatic skills to just convince the members of Van Halen to stop fighting so they could "start crankin' out some more bitchin' tunes".

Related Topics:
David Letterman - October 21 - 1996 - Presidential Candidate - Bob Dole

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From 2000 to early 2004, no albums were released and no official information was provided to fans about the future of the band. However, information about individual members, past and present, trickled in. Some highlights:

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• In 1999 Eddie Van Halen reluctantly had hip replacement surgery (when the pain became unbearable). He also underwent cancer treatment soon after (at the Mayo Clinic) and announced his complete recovery on the official website in May 2002. Around this time, Eddie's 21-year marriage to actress Valerie Bertinelli also ended in divorce.
• Alex Van Halen continued to work with his brother on new material at their fabled 5150 recording studio (with Eddie singing?).
• Since his departure in 1996, David Lee Roth produced a number of albums and toured with his DLR band (his most recent release being an album of covers called Diamond Dave (2003)). In 2003, Roth brought a court action against Van Halen, their management, and record company claiming he was left out of 1996 royalty renegotiations. On July 4, 2004, Roth performed with the Boston Pops at Boston's annual Pops Goes the Fourth celebration. As of 2005, he has become a certified EMT, and is rumored to be Howard Stern's future replacement on morning talk radio.
• Sammy Hagar has remained active musically. Since his departure from Van Halen, he has released five albums. He also created his own merchandising brand Cabo Wabo, which lends its name to his popular line of tequila, as well as his franchise of cantinas located in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Lake Tahoe, Nevada. In addition, he reunited with the original members of his '70s band Montrose in 2003 and 2005 for a handful of performances.
• Michael Anthony stays busy outside of Van Halen with various product merchandising projects (such as his signature Yamaha bass) and has a website. He is involved with the annual music industry NAMM Show.
• Since his departure from Van Halen, Gary Cherone recorded an album and performed locally with his new band Tribe of Judah.
• In the summer of 2002, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar teamed up for the Song For Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour (known tongue-in-cheek as the 'Sans-Halen' or 'Sam & Dave' Tour). It succeeded beyond expectations, drawing large crowds to outdoor auditoriums. In an interview, Roth contrasted his personality with Hagar's, saying, "he's the kind of guy you go out with to split a bottle with a friend. I'm the kind of guy you go out with if you want to split your friend with a bottle." During that tour, Michael Anthony guested with Hagar's solo band, The Waboritas, but never played with Roth. Hagar released a live album (Hallelujah), which featured Mike (a few songs) and Gary (one song), and a documentary DVD, "Long Road to Cabo", chronicling his tour with David Lee Roth.

(2004-2005) Reunion with Sammy Hagar

In late March 2004, Van Halen and Sammy Hagar announced that Hagar would reunite with the band for a Greatest Hits album release and a summer concert tour.

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In July 2004, Van Halen released their second Greatest Hits compilation, featuring three new songs with Hagar: "It's About Time", "Up For Breakfast", and "Learning to See." Again, public reaction to the new songs was mixed. The track list had changed since its unveiling, and now Hagar and Roth songs alternated instead of one disc for each singer; a disappointing strategy for fans who prefer one singer over the other (often strongly). No VH3 songs made it onto the disc. Nevertheless, Van Halen's second Greatest Hits record would be certified platinum in August 2004.

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The summer tour grossed 55 million dollars, and Pollstar listed Van Halen in the top 10 grossing tours of 2004. Most of the concerts received positive feedback from professional reviewers. However, serious problems surfaced. Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony would subsequently admit that Eddie Van Halen had problems with alcohol during the tour that affected everyone involved. Hagar stated that he was "done with Van Halen" and wished that everyone would have "taken it more seriously." It was also revealed in Rolling Stone magazine that promoters had lost money on the tour. Many fans complained that tickets were overpriced (sometimes exceeding $200), and only a few shows were actually sold out.

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After the tour ended, Van Halen once again disappeared. Hagar returned to his solo band The Waboritas, and Anthony appeared with him on tour occasionally. Eddie's collaboration with Peavey ended (for his signature 5150 guitar amplifier series, replaced with the 6505 amp, and Eddie is now endorsing Charvel, which is reissuing the EVH classic guitar models). As for 2005, no announcements had been made about the future of the band.

Related Topics:
The Waboritas - Charvel

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In August 2005, Van Halen sued the Baltimore Orioles, claiming that the Orioles reneged on a deal to bring the band to Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 2, 2004, which would have been the first concert at the otherwise baseball-only facility.

Related Topics:
August - 2005 - Baltimore Orioles - Oriole Park at Camden Yards - September 2

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