Van Halen is a United States hard rock band named after the guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his brother drummer Alex Van Halen.
Band members
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Michael Anthony, bass, backup vocals
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Alex Van Halen, drums and percussion, backup vocals
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Edward Van Halen, guitar, piano and keyboard, backup vocals
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David Lee Roth, lead vocals (1974-1985)
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Sammy Hagar, lead vocals (1985-1996), (2004-)
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Gary Cherone, lead vocals (1996-1999)
Origins
The Van Halen family emigrated from Nijmegen, Netherlands to Pasadena, California in the 1960’s. Eddie and Alex's father, Jan Van Halen, was an accomplished musician. He encouraged his sons' love of music, (the band would eventually feature Jan Van Halen's clarinet on the song "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" from the album Diver Down (1982)). As children, Alex (the older of the Van Halen brothers) and Eddie were trained as classical pianists. As they grew older, Alex began playing the guitar. Eddie, subsequently, took an interest in the drums. As legend goes, to pay for his drum set, Eddie worked delivering newspapers. While Eddie was working, his brother Alex would practice on the drum kit. As Eddie observed Alex excel at drums, he switched to guitar.
Originally, Van Halen consisted of a power trio. Edward Van Halen and Michael Anthony took turns singing. Over the years, Mike earned the moniker "Cannon Mouth" for singing louder than the lead vocalists. In 1973, David Lee Roth, a local entrepreneur and lead singer of a rival Los Angeles band, rented out his public address system to the Van Halens. Edward and Alex grew tired of paying the "PA Tax" to "Diamond Dave," so they brought him into the Van Halen fold in 1974. Playing gigs under various names, including The Trojan Rubber Company, The Broken Combs, Mammoth, and Rat Salad (after a Black Sabbath song), the band eventually settled on the name Van Halen, as suggested by Roth. The band became popular on the Sunset Strip during the mid-1970’s. In 1976, Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS, observed one of Van Halen's shows and subsequently financed their 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. KISS’ management passed on signing the band. Eventually the band was signed by Mo Ostin, a Warner Bros. executive. Ted Templeman , who had previously produced hits for The Doobie Brothers, became the band's first producer, after a meeting at the famed Starwood Club in Los Angeles.
With David Lee Roth (1978-1985)
The band moved into the studio with Templeman, quickly recorded their first album, and released it to immediate commercial success. Self-titled Van Halen, the album featured innovations in musical technique, production, and arrangement. It was quickly regarded as one of rock's most extraordinary debuts.
The Van Halen track "Eruption" introduced the rock and roll world to a new soloing technique called tapping, a technique utilizing both left and right hands on the guitar neck. Other musicians had developed two-hand playing techniques during the 1950s, but Van Halen's technique was something else--a percussive, hugely amplified barrage of notes and effects. Nothing like it had ever been heard on record. "Eruption" gained Eddie Van Halen immediate guitar god status among players worldwide. According to folklore, before the release of the first album, Eddie would play his solos with his back to audiences, to hide his technique from imitators. Van Halen also introduced the guitar world to the band's signature "Brown Sound," a nickname given to the Eddie's experimental style coupled with Templeman's warm production, which produced a distinctive tone, sought after by other musicians.
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".
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. However, in 1981, during the recording of Fair Warning, tensions began to arise within the band, as Eddie Van Halen's desire to experiment with more serious songs and complex structures came at odds with Roth's pop instincts, and increasingly cartoonish, irony-laden persona. Roth acquiesced to Eddie's wishes in this case, but Fair Warning was a relative sales disappointment, yeilding no hit singles, although today, many consider it Van Halen's finest album. The following release, Diver Down, featured a hit cover of Roy Orbison's classic rock and roll song "Oh, Pretty Woman". As the band began to make music videos for MTV, the telegenic "Diamond Dave" Roth became the visual focus, often to the chagrin of the other band members. After successful tour following 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.)
Van Halen's subsequent album, 1984 (released December 1983) was their commercial, and many would say, artistic pinnacle; it also signified a breaking point for the original line-up. 1984 fully integrated electronic keyboards into the band's sound, (they had dabbled in electronic keyboards on earlier albums, but never so prominently.) The album's lead single, Jump, featured a boundy synthesizer hook and anthemic lyrics by Roth. "Jump" became the band's first and only #1 pop hit. 1984 was praised by critics and fans alike, and peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts, behind the stratospherically popular Thriller by Michael Jackson. (Eddie Van Halen played the lead guitar on the hit song "Beat It," from that album). Music videos for the singles Jump, Panama, and Hot For Teacher, all conceived by Roth, became wildly popular.
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 -- either having been dismissed or having quit, according to different reports. Soon after, singer/guitarist/song-writer Sammy Hagar, who had been introduced to Van Halen while touring with Montrose, joined as the new vocalist.
The David Lee Roth era remains Van Halen's most critically and commercially successful period, having influenced nearly all rock musicians who followed. The band's top selling albums to date are their 1978 debut and 1984. Both albums have reached diamond status, each having sold over 10 million copies. In addition, both albums are regarded as milestones in rock and roll, ushering in artistic innovations that, although widely emulated, remain unique. (The Van Halen track "Runnin' with the Devil" and 1984's "Jump" are listed as two of the top 500 most influential songs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). The band's second production, Van Halen II, peaked at #6 on the charts and their fourth album, Fair Warning, topped out at #5. After this, every subsequent Van Halen album would break the top 5 of the pop charts.
With Sammy Hagar (1985-1996)
Van Halen's period with Sammy Hagar was marked by two somewhat opposing trends: expansion of the band's commercial success and acceptance by a wider audience while at the same time experiencing a growing sense of fan resentment regarding the departure of Roth. Hagar's musical sensibility enabled Van Halen to become accessible to a wider audience, with lyrics that were more introspective and dreamy. This was coupled with expanded instrumentation by Eddie, which demonstrated tighter thematic elements and more advanced blending of sonic textures within each song. The result was a more mature, integrated sound, markedly different from the hard charging, rollicking riffs of the group's earlier work. Die-hard "old Van Halen" fans referred derisively to the new "Van-Hagar" sound as "soft" or "fluffy" compared with the raucous, hard rock Roth-era--an attitude which Roth once described as "a mixture of religion and hockey".
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 the #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-corporate, "Grunge Music"
The second incarnation of Van Halen also saw broadened use of the Van Halen brand, as they expanded their reach into other media, with high-production films, live concert footage, and even their own cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. If David Lee Roth's innovative, over-the-top style turned Van Halen from a member of the hard rock pack to it's leader; Hagar's more conservative 'working man' persona turned Van Halen into a franchise and an icon.
The hit single and award-winning video Right Now (F.U.C.K., 1991) was used to promote the ill-fated soft-drink Crystal Pepsi. The band's Roth-era remake of The Kinks You Really Got Me was used in a Nissan commercial.
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 final Hagar single, Humans Being, and the instumental Respect the Wind can be found on the Twister soundtrack, with the latter credited to Eddie and Alex Van Halen.
With Gary Cherone (1996-1998)
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 peaked at #1 on the pop charts). 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, backstage, old wounds re-opened, and the relationship between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth soured again. Several weeks later, Roth released a media statement, and became the ex-ex-Lead singer of Van Halen.
In need of a lead singer to continue their work, 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, which 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, confirming the limited popular appeal of the new sound. 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.
Six Years of Silence
1996 definitely 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 very little useful information about the band to "soften the blow" for VH fans.
During this time, comedian David Letterman succinctly expressed the frustration of millions of Van Halen fans. During the delivery of his Top Ten list on the evening of 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".
With the disappointing performance of VH3 and the departure of Gary Cherone, it appeared that Van Halen was headed for the history books. Between 1998 and 2004 the band was silent. During those six years, no albums were released and no official information was provided to fans about the future of the band. News and rumors about individual members trickled in, as die-hards desperately hoped for an announcement. Here are some of the news highlights from those years:
- In 2001 Eddie Van Halen had hip replacement surgery. He also underwent cancer treatment and made a complete recovery. In 2002 Eddie's 21 year marriage to actress Valerie Bertinelli ended in divorce.
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Alex Van Halen continued to work with his brother on new material at their fabled 5150 recording studio.
- Since his departure in 1996, David Lee Roth has 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.
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Sammy Hagar remained active musically. After his departure from Van Halen, he 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.
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Michael Anthony stayed busy outside of Van Halen with various product merchandising projects. He is involved with the annual music industry NAMM Show.
- Since his departure from Van Halen, Gary Cherone recorded an album and toured with his new band Tribe of Judah.
- In the summer of 2002, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar teamed up for the Pound For Pound, the Heavyweights of Rock and Roll tour, (known tongue-in-cheek as the 'Sans-Halen' or 'Sam & Dave' Tour). It succeeded beyond experctations, drawing large crowds to outdoor auditoriums. A classic quotation from the tour came from Roth. In an interview, he contrasted his personality with Hagar's by 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 joined Hagar's solo band, The Waboritas, but never played with Roth. Hagar released a live album (Hallelujah), which featured Anthony and Cherone, and a documentary, "Long Road to Cabo," chronicling his tour with David Lee Roth.
Reunion with Sammy Hagar (2004-present)
In March 2004, Van Halen and Sammy Hagar announced that Hagar would reunite with the band for an album release and a summer concert tour. In June, Warner Bros. released a second Greatest Hits compilation, featuring a new Hagar track called titled It's About Time.
In July 2004, Van Halen released its second greatest hits collection, Best of Both Worlds. The album featured three new tracks recorded with Sammy Hagar.
Many fans hold out hope that David Lee Roth will rejoin the band again; this seems unlikely for the forseeable future, as the feud between him and the Van Halen brothers still hasn't been resolved.
Brown M&Ms
Van Halen pioneered the way for the modern "Rock and Roll Show" with their extensive use of the concert technical contract rider. Although contract riders had existed before, Van Halen's use of them to specify the band's "wish list" (stage, production, transportation, personal requirements, etc.) was new and established a standard practice that is now used routinely throughout the music industry. As one of the first major bands with a full stage show to appear in many smaller cities, Van Halen had an extensive set of technical and logistical requirements including power availability and stage construction details that a venue had to comply with. Many venues in these markets had not previously dealt with such a large-scale show, and were not equipped to handle Van Halen's massive stage and light show, sometimes resulting in damage to the band's equipment and the venue. The band's demands were not limited to technical issues: their now infamous contract rider specified that, among other personal needs, a bowl of M&M candies, with all of the brown ones removed was to be available in the band's dressing room. This requirement was listed with the technical portion of the contract; according to David Lee Roth (from his autobiography, Crazy from the Heat), the purpose of the candy demand was to check up on venue management. On arrival, if brown M&M's were found in the dressing room, then every line of the contract had to be double-checked, to ensure safety. Some shows were cancelled because of a venue's inability to handle the band's stage or equipment safely.
Discography
References
- All Music Guide [1]
- Strong, Martin C. "The Great Rock Discography 6th Edition" Pg 1100 ISBN 1841953121
- Lee Roth, David "Crazy From the Heat" ISBN 0786863390
- The Official Sammy Hagar Website [2]
External links
Last updated: 08-17-2005 03:01:57
