Van Halen
Van Halen formed when the Dutch born Van Halen brothers (guitarist Eddie and drummer Alex) recruited bassist Michael Anthony.
David Lee Roth was added when the group figured it was cheaper and easier to hire singer Diamond Dave rather than constantly pay him for the use of his PA system.
After a round of unsuccessful demos produced by KISS leader Gene Simmons, the group landed with Warner Brothers Records.
The story goes that after Van Halen performed a club date a Warner rep went backstage and shook Roth’s hand saying, “great show Van and hang on to that guitarist he’s pretty good too.”
In the early Van Halen days, they scored with covers (“You Really Got Me” and “(Oh) Pretty Women”).
You Really Got Me
The Kinks original was a sonic breakthrough for its time. The updated Van Halen version was faster and far more intense.
(Oh) Pretty Woman
In addition to covers, Van Halen delivered jacked up originals (“Running With The Devil” and “Dance The Night Away”).
1984
The “1984” album was Van Halen’s commercial breakthrough. (It sold over ten million copies.)
The excitable, over the top, Roth had nursed his stage act and vocals to wicked perfection.
Rock radio and MTV were all over Panama“” and “Hot For Teacher” with the capper being “Jump.”
It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for five weeks, kept out of top spot by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Eddie Van Halen played the epic guitar solo on the “Thriller” hit “Beat It.”
Panama
Jump
“Jump” was Van Halen’s most successful single, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Can’t top that, and Roth didn’t even want to try. He embarked on a solo career.
Sammy Hagar
Van Halen’s record label suggested the group, absent Roth, should change its name.
Understandably, the Van Halen brothers nixed that idea. They brought in former Montrose guitarist/singer Sammy (“I Can’t Drive 55”) Hagar.
While performing in a San Francisco cover band Hagar was recruited to join Montrose, led by noted session guitarist Ronnie Montrose.
Hagar appeared on the band’s first two albums before embarking on a solo career that was interrupted when he signed on with Van Halen.
“5150” arrived amid concerns regarding the band’s post-Roth future. No worries. “Why Can’t This Be Love” rode all the way up the charts just as “Jump” had.
“OU812” was the best album from the Hagar era. It held the power ballad “When It’s Love,” which was the band’s third and final Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Why Can’t This Be Love
Hagar stayed with Van Halen through the first half of the ’90s. But trouble brewed as a planned “Greatest Hits” package was being formulated. Hagar had a problem with the whole concept – compilations usually come at the end of a career.
He thought it was a bad idea for a band that seemed to still have a lot of life in it. In addition, the band asked Roth to sing on some new songs. Whatever the reason or combination of circumstances, Hagar stormed out.
Roth’s solo career had gone south by this time. His return to the Van Halen fold brought smiles – mostly his.
But soon all the old problems re-surfaced and Roth split again. Ex-Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone handled the singing chores on the gold certified but “disappointing” (in terms of sales and critical reception) “Van Halen III” effort. As a result. Cherone got sacked. Also, Anthony, whose contributions had been greatly reduced, was replaced by Eddie’s son Wolfgang.
It’s a big deal to get inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. It’s a time for celebration. A nostalgic look back at what’s been accomplished – setting aside, if only momentarily, long term grudges, hard feelings and age-old disputes.
That is, unless the band is Van Halen.
Eddie and Alex were no-shows at the January, ’07, induction ceremony. Roth, willing to perform, was unable to agree with the backing band, Velvet Revolver (who also inducted the group), on which song to perform, so he bailed. It was left to Hagar and Anthony (ironically neither was a current member) to perform “Why Can’t This Be Love” during the group’s induction.
With Cherone gone, Roth signed-on yet again. “A Different Kind Of Truth,” released in ’12, did confirm that Roth was the group’s #1 frontman.
Eddie Van Halen died on October 6th, 2020, at the age of 65, following a long battle with cancer.
Eddie Van Halen
“Eddie Van Halen was the Mozart of our generation,” said Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello in a moving tribute during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony just weeks later. “He had the kind of talent that maybe comes around once a century.”
Three years later, Van Halen’s primary guitar in ’83 – ’84 (used in the music video “Hot For Teacher”) was sold for $3,932,000 during a Sotheby’s. auction.
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