Cabo Wabo Radio shuts down on Saturday
Press release from Sammy:
CABO WABO RADIO IS SHUTTING DOWN THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!
BUT WE’RE GOING OUT WITH A 24 HOUR PARTY ALL DAY SATURDAY
In a message today from the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas,Mexico, Sammy Hagar spoke about the extraordinary triumph of station built, branded, and programmed by legendary radio/television star Shadoe Stevens.
“Shadoe built the most exciting and original station I’ve ever heard and exceeded our expectations on every level,” Hagar said,
“In six months he took it from zero listeners to more than 130,000 in 100 countries, with 10,000 VIP members on our website, another 1,500 myspace friends, and listed as a Staff Favorite on iTunes.
Hagar went on to explain his decision, “It’s paradoxical that it’s the success of the station that’s the problem. It has snowballed and grown so fast and gotten so big that it has demanded an ever-increasing level of participation from me. I’ve had to put on the brakes.
I’m simply too over-extended. I have a new album, a new studio, tours, Cabo Wabo Cantinas, Cabo Wabo Tequila, we just opened our first Sammy’s Beach Bar and Grill on Maui, and there have just become too many things demanding my attention. I try to give 150% of myself to anything I get involved with and I found I can’t be there on the scale that this station deserves. I really regret having to prioritize things this way, but I haven’t had time to participate so we’re going to put some things on hold.”
Shadoe Stevens, known for his creative diversity and exceptional output, said he was disappointed but will now be dedicating more time to his other projects which include several other radio formats in development for other clients, two television series, and a partnership with Tony Hawk on a major motion picture Stevens created.
He said, “As with everything Cabo Wabo Radio has been, we’ll celebrate all day our last day, replaying the very first thing ever broadcast on the station, Sammy Hagar’s incredible 60th Birthday Bash.
We’ll replay it all day Saturday, January 10th. It will be a special treat for Redheads and Sammy fans around the world. All Sammy music and the birthday bash for 24 hours straight, the final salute to “Rock Radio the Way God Intended It.”
Sammy went on to say, “We’ll be back.”
Filed under: Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar
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January 8th, 2009 at 11:44 am
This is not VH news.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Another Sammy hater..
This site is for anything related to VH. If Van Halen had MORE news than I am sure this site would be a little more picky about what content is posted as news.
If we waited for actual VH news, we would be waiting a long, long time.
Thanks for the update VHND.
Though I already knew about it
~Cabo Joe
January 8th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I don’t think anybody hates Sammy. It’s just that VH with Sammy is just, nice listenable radio music.
Most of us visit the site to read about the most exciting band ever: CLASSIC VAN HALEN with DIAMOND DAVID LEE ROTH.
Can’t wait for another tour.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
you will be waiting a long time for another vh tour … that was a one time deal unfortunately
January 8th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
It would be a good article for Sammy Hagars website.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
We’ll see…
January 8th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Hey-
You people who say that Van Halen is only Van Halen with Roth are wrong. I love Dave, I love Sammy. I prefer Sammy, but its still VH. Get use to it!
VH unfortunately won’t do anything more with Dave, not in the studio anyway. He doesn’t have the pipes anymore. Sammy still does. The writing is on the wall, if there is ever to be any new music, Sammy will be back and Mike will be back with him. Now that Eddie is sober again (finally), hopefully that will come to pass.
Long live Van Halen!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I usually would never post about the whole Dave vs Sammy deal but isn’t time let it go! Thanks Jeff for all VH related news. I thought Cabo Wabo Radio’s programming was poor and missed the Redhead vibe.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I have listened to Halen from Day 1, been to the Whiskey where it all started… I will tell you 1 thing I have seen Van Hagar when they went through Hamilton Ontario … Eddie was drunk..Sammy was selling Tequila.. 2008 I saw Van Halen .. Eddie was sober Dave was on his game…But it was a repeat of 1984 … If there is no new material via Dave its the same old.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
If Sammy had never left we would have had 5 new VH records by now.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
My god. What a bunch of crybabies!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I don’t hate Sammy.I’ve met him and he’s a great human being.If this site is all about all things VH,I’ll look forward to the useless Gary Cherone news in the future.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
VHND is a site that covers VH news as well as VH alumni news. That’s why I come here - I like to see what everyone is up to.
I’m sure there’s other sites out there that only covers the news of the current band. People who don’t want to read about Sammy, Mike, and Gary should avoid coming here and stick to these other sites - I’m assuming they’re out there - it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to keep them updated unfortunately
January 8th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Attention all of you Sammy Fag Hags… he is/WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE a TURD.
The only reason he has any opportunity to have this solo “career” and sell Cabo is because he is standing on the shoulders of Giants i.e. The Real ORIGINAL CLASSIC VAN HALEN.
I hate these Sammy fans that claim “He’s just as good…BLAH BLAH BLAH !!!” If he was he’d still be in the band. No one ever writes “Yeah 0u812 was fantastic it made me wanna play guitar!” or “Balance blew my mind !!!” It’s because they are decent at best. All the Talent of the original three members couldn’t save those records from the banality that is Sammy Hagar.
At best he was a temporary fix. His songs are trite, boring and SAFE. Ya he sings about Tequila cause he sells it. Anyone who truly knows Van Halen knows of which I speak.
Again Sammy is/WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE a TURD.
PS That movie clip needs work and the voice overs where pathetic and contrived.
A Classic case of good intentions and bad execution.
Alright girls bring it on!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
To Mad Mike,
I got news for you clown!! Dave never had pipes he had style, class, a sound, a complete ORIGINAL & ONE OF A KIND!!!! A word of warning!! When VH are laying low the silence is deafening!!!! Aside from all the laugh’s at VH’s 2007 Tour Press Conference, both Dave & Ed said “We are plotting & planning…a whole new beginning!!” Something’s rumbling over at 5150!!!!! It seems all you DLR/VH haters have selective hearing and can’t accept that Ronald McDonald (Sammy!) and his (sadly regretfully) stooge Mikey are out of VH!!! As far as your pipes theory goes…if you think Sammy & Mike are coming back to VH??….now that’s a “Pipe Dream” pal!!!
P.S. Maybe Mikey in VH in the future, but Sammy can stay at the Cabo Wabo for all I care!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
To Peedah!!
AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU AND VAN HALEN!!!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
To Kris
KEEP THE FAITH BROTHAH!!!
There is only one…. “MIGHTY VAN HALEN !!!”
AND You all KNOW who it is!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
For those of you who don’t want to read about Sammy here. . . Why don’t you go to the official VH website. I’m sure it has been updated two or three times in the last several years. Dave, Eddie, Alex, and Wolfgang do so much to keep their “fans” informed and interested on the official site like other real artists. They must really love you. (This is sarcasm for those of you too stupid or too in love with Dave to realize…)
January 8th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Mad Mike, you said VH will never go back to the studio with Roth again. Is this speculation, or has something official been said somewhere? (I haven’t been up on all the news I guess)
January 8th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Thank god for Mexico !
January 8th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
What Jim W said.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
i heard ed wants to do a world tour with roth so he caaaaan take his son wolfie around the world to tour<<<>>>this new vanhalen roth record and world tour will happen<<<>>ed looked reaally happy plaaying with roth again>>>i think it was real not fake emotions ed had playing the old songs he didnt play in decades>>>EDDIE<<WOLFIE<<ALEX<<ROTH EQUALS THE NEW AND IMPROVED VANHALEN
January 8th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I agree that Wolf and Roth are the best chance for VH to move forward.
But to Sammy’s credit: four #1 albums, For Unlawful’s ‘91 grammy, hall of fame for his work in the band. OU812 outsold half of the Roth albums, and 5150 is the band’s #3 album, following only 1984 and VH in sales. Not bad for a “turd.” Sure, you don’t have to like his stuff, but come on, I don’t get why some are so down on the guy. He was just trying to do the best he could with opportunities that came his way - what’s wrong with that? Okay, so he didn’t live up to your expectations - I can think of plenty of times that I haven’t lived up to peoples expectations, and it’s always nice to have a little mercy thrown my way. Again, you don’t have to like his version of the band, but I don’t see a need for all the name-calling.
Can’t wait for a DaveEdWolfAl album.
Can’t wait for a SamJoeMikeChad album, as well.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:08 am
I totally agree with everything you say ER. I live in Liverpool, England and I just hope if Van Halen do a world tour that they come through Liverpool’s new arena.
I can only hope.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:45 am
not all this crap again!!??
January 9th, 2009 at 7:05 am
The bottom line is….This is the Van Halen News Desk. Granted,there is not alot of news about the band lately,however Ed is introducing a new guitar and is auctioning two of his cars at the Barrett-Jackson next week. Sammy,Mike & Gary are no longer in the band! They are not coming back! They have their own websites and it would be more relevant to stick to Van Halen stuff & drop the Hagar,Anthony & Cherone crap.
January 9th, 2009 at 7:05 am
To ER,
Yeah I agree with you as far as Van Halen’s No.1 albums with Sammy. But you’re missing the most important thing pal…it reads “VAN HALEN” not Sammy Hagar & Van Halen. Oh as far as Sammy era VH outselling Roth era Van Halen? 4 Diamond Awards (10 million album sales!) All are Roth/Van Halen era albums. They don’t call him ‘Diamond Dave’ for nothing!!
Sammy ‘Ronald McDonald’ Hagar was riding the tsunami wave that Van Halen with Dave started!!! Van Halen’s No.1 albums post Roth proved only one thing to me; Eddie Van Halen is one extraordinary gifted human being!!! Aside from his revolutionary guitar work he’s one incredible songwriter!!!! It’s the music he’s given us that makes us so passionate about this one of a kind band. If Sammy’s got some balls he’ll admit it. Yet all you Sammy lovers just think you can brush aside the classic years of the real Van Halen. Yet isn’t it amazing that it took Wolfgang’s enthusiasm and preference of the REAL Van Halen instead of the Sammy era VH? That’s what got the whole ball rolling with Dave coming home to Van Halen.
In Rock n’ Roll folklore there’s a saying that goes like this, “I do not trust a person that doesn’t know Led Zeppelin!!” I’d like to paraphrase or update that, “I do not trust anyone who doesn’t know classic & the real Van Halen!!!”
January 9th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Lets agree that VH/Roth was one thing and VH/Hagar was another.Sorry to see Cabo Wabo radio on hiatus and hope to see it back sometime soon.The best we can hope for is a new VH disc and the debut of Chickenfoot.It could be much worse.
January 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Van Halen was two great bands.
They did all they could with each singer and I love both versions of the band.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am
TO Jim, ER, Jim and the other “Ladies” who are in love with Sammy go to red-rocker.com or whatever the crap is.
You guys need to understand that there is only one Van Halen. the rest is a commercial watered down facsimile there of.
We should not have to read about Sammy or Gary on this site.
BTW the #1 argument is BullSh*T and here’s why.
In 1986 Billboard and the RIAA changed the method of which #1 albums where tabulated, making it easier to achieve the number #1 status. Granted they VH did it, but if the system where in place years earlier you would have seen many other #1 Van Halen albums.
Half of the reason those albums where so successful is because they are safe homogenized bland (by VH standards) rock-n-roll. Thus appealing to a wider audience. And NO that is not better. You see the original VH is pure unadulterated rock-n-roll. It’s potency and danger is what makes it so great.
Sammy doesn’t have that never had it never will. Though he is capable as a musician he doesn’t have that edge that real true rock and roll is all about. That’s what make VH so great. That’s what today’s music is missing and that’s why we should preserve it.
Look at the first release after the split the ass-kicking “Yankee-Rose!” with guitars,drums and bass wailing away…then “When love comes walking in”. It was hard to defend the boys with that crap.
The reason I defend the Mighty Van Halen so much is I don’t want to ever have to sit thru Sammy butchering any classic VH songs ever again.
You can praise him all you want (heck his early solo stuff isn’t bad) but just do it somewhere else he is not real Van Halen.
With out the David lee Roth Sammy would have never been able to afford to start the Cabo Wabo thing anyway. After all he stepped into the Greatest/Biggest Band of the world at the top of their game and then cashed in.
He should be sending Dave royalties and free Tequila.
Without Dave there would be no Sammy hence no Cabo Radio.
So go to Red-Rocker.com and buy some bad music and so-so tequila.
Leave the Van Halen to the real fans.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Van Halen I and 1984 both sold 10 million copies each.
5150 - Van Hagars best selling record - sold 5 million. And from those 5 million were a lot bought by the old classic original Van Halen fans. I bet that at least 95% of the 5150 buyers were original VH/DLR-fans.
I’ve never heard anybody say that they became a huge VH-fan after Sammy joined the band (and I don’t mean original Sammy fans).
SO:
5150 and all the other Sammy-albums would never have been succesful when they would have started this band from scratch in that formation with that material in 1986. It would be just a mediocre band with some good musicians.
I agree Kris: Van Hagar were riding the tsunami wave that Classic VAN HALEN started. Absolutely!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:48 am
I’s very true that the “new” Van Halen with Sammy road the coattails of the original band’s success. Van Halen could do NO WRONG after the success of 1984 and the amazing six years that they had been in the public eye. Their first album with a second singer would have sold 5 million copies with ANY decent rock singer. And this is not a slam against Sammy. He stepped into a goldmine.
As long as the singer was pretty good (he was) and as long as the music of 5150 was great (it was) it was guaranteed to sell millions.
Sure, 5150 went #1, but the album sold MILLIONS less than 1984, and the 1986 concert attendence was way less than the 1984 tour. (Just check the old tour schedules… they went from playing 3 nights to 2 nights in some cities, and from 2 nights to 1 night in others).
It’s funny, because you keep hearing in the press how Sammy “led the band to even greater success”. Where did that false idea come from?? New manager, Ed Leffler?
I don’t see how anyone could argue that Sammy joining Van Halen HELPED the band, as far as commercial success. The FACTS prove that they were LESS successful with Sammy(album sales & concert tickets sold).
And the whole “But they had #1 albums with Sammy” argument does NOT mean they somehow sold more copies per album with Sammy, because they simply didn’t. Obviously, if Roth stayed in the band, all the albums from 1986 on would have went to #1, just as they did with Sammy.
Look, millions of people prefer one singer over the other, and that’s fine & understandable. But I just hate it when some people preech that they were more successful with Sammy, because they weren’t.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:54 am
I guess this is what’s happening here:
Most of us are classic Van Halen fans. We check this website 2, 3 or even more times a day, hoping that we’ll see some news on VH with DLR.
We click and we see news about Sammy or Cabo and we exit the site. But after a couple of times, you think, well let’s read parts of it. And let’s be fair, it’s not all that exciting.
So we start writing comments about a new VH/DLR cd or tour or sometimes we make fun of Sammy.
You can pretty easily separate the DLR from the Sammy fans; different taste in music and different sense of humor.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
The 2004 tour was just as great as the 2007 tour Sammy id a great job singing old classic Van Halen songs as well as a whole bunch a classic Van Hagar songs. With out Sammy Van Halen would have been done.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I don’t care who sings, put Val up there. VH is, and always will be MY BAND ABOVE ANY OTHER EVER!
News is news
January 9th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Tom L, thanks for the back-up!
Travis said: “Not all this crap again!!??” I guess this is what happens when a band allows their fans to get bored
Will, my problem with you and others saying that VHND should only cover the news of the current band is that the people who created and run this site WANT to cover news of ex-members as well. That’s the bottom line. This is their site. Letting us post questions to ex-member MA and conducting an interview with him based on our questions is a great example of their dedication to what this site is about. I rarely go to Mike’s, Sammy’s or the official VH site because I know I can get all the best info on everybody in one place - right here. If this was a current band info site only, would there even be a need for VHND? Wouldn’t it just show everything that we could already get from the official band site? For me, the selling point of this site, is getting all the info on all the members of the VH story in one place. True, Mike and Sammy are not members of Van Halen the Band, but they are key players in Van Halen the Soap Opera
Kris and Peedah, give me a break, did you guys even read my post? I never said that Roth era outsold SH era. (I even made reference to VH and 1984 being the top albums) I never said I wanted Sammy and MA back in VH (I clearly said that VH’s best chance of moving forward was with DLR and WG) My point in citing some of the band’s success from ‘85 to ‘96 was not to try and “prove” that one era was better than another. It was simply to remind some of the Sammy-bashers out there that he made some good use of the opportunities that were given him, and even if you didn’t like his music, why all the hate and name-calling? I agree, he fell into a goldmine. I agree, he never would have sold that many albums on his own. He saw an opportunity, and took it - why bash him for it? I’m no psychologist, but it seems that many people, still upset over the original VH split are taking out their anger on Sammy, but the dude had nothing to do with Eddie and DLR not being able to work together at the time. How fitting that we fans aren’t getting along any better than the band
January 9th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
To Peedah, I’m not a sammy fan or a dave fan. I’m an Eddie fan. I’ve seen VH now with all 3 singers and the best was by far the one with Gary. Ed was sober, on top of his game, and you got to hear all the cool licks from the Roth and Sammy eras from Unchained to Poundcake. The 2004 tour with Sammy was a disaster. Ed was really bad and I have the bootlegs to listen to whenever I want to see how far my hero has fallen. The tour with Dave was better but Ed still had issues. The rehab/medical drama, playing out of tune on certain nights, and the show I saw you could tell he wasn’t all there and had lost a few steps. Regardless of the singer, this band will never be one of the greats as long as Ed struggles with his addictions and the band craps on its fans by not releasing info and keeping people updated like all the other bands in the world that realize the fans are what make them what they are. I honestly don’t think Ed cares. Get mad at Sammy fans all you want but Ed is the one who you should be mad at. It’s his name on the product.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
ER,
Just to clarify. I was only bustin balls with the name stuff sooooo you can take it easy.
As far as the rest of your post you do have some nuggets of truth in there, but the bottom line is he does not belong in Van Halen or on this site. Keep Sammy’s news on Sammy’s site same with Gary etc.
Michael is original and has earned the right, the other two forget it.
Like you posted earlier “I guess this is what happens when a band allows their fans to get bored.”
PS Sammy is still a TURD! ;P
January 9th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
You guys are ALL right….Ed is the Mephistopheles in this whole charade…he is holding himself and his band mates ( who ever they are at this time! ) back and He alone is making decisions , or NOT making decisions if you prefer ,That are alienating his hands , his family and his Band members past and present….. Edward? Get it together pal…lots of us are on hard times and not everyone like you only has to bury the hatchet long enough to have a good time AND make great music. ( And money - and don’t tell me it isn’t about the loot) were not all working for you so we don’t have to listen.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Sammy hHagar the best forget all the rest
January 9th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
I think Ed should sing and end all this drama….:-]
January 9th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
How many say I?
January 9th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
If I were Sammy, I wouldn’t want all my stories on VHND!! It’s kinda embarrassing.
1. His casino tour didn’t sell very well.
2. His album only sold 7,500 copies it’s first week.
3. His video was a remake of an OLD VAN HALEN video.
4. His radio station has gone BYE-BYE.
5. His new Cabo club isn’t doing well.
I wanna say, I think VHND, is making FUN of Sam. They seem to be the BEARER OF BAD NEWS!!!!
Clubfoot, if Sams the best forget the rest, at what? FAILING!!! Try this, put down the beach ball, lose the straw hat and the flip flops,pop your inflatable parrot. Go get your bottle of Cabo, pour a double shot, put on Van Halen 1 when you hear ERUPTION shoot the shot!!! Then you’ll know what it’s like to grow a pair!!!!! Like a TRUE VH FAN!!!!
January 10th, 2009 at 8:39 am
To ER,
You see the difference with Sammy fans (you!) and Dave fans of Van Halen (ME & and the entire WORLD!!) Sammy’s fans get all touchy, emotional, are way too sensitive, can’t take a joke, have no sense of humor and can’t handle being taken the piss out of!!!! In a nutshell…your fake!!! ‘Van Hagar’ fans remind me of today’s “celebrity-corporate-bubble gum acts” They wear an AC/DC T-shirt, so they are seen by the public that they have a heavy side to them (Warning! Cringe worth!) Yet they probably don’t even have an AC/DC album in their collection. WTF???
The REAL Van Halen attitude and lifestyle was summed up best by Alex Van Halen’s long time drum tech & friend in the DVD “The Early Years” He said, “We did a lot of heavy partying & some crazy stuff, but the only thing that got hurt is maybe your feeling’s” CLASSIC!!!!
Aside from the incredible music, the REAL Van Halen had an infectious humor (like The Beatles!) and they were FUN!! The master of ALL ceremony’s and the greatest showman/frontman who struts (Dave don’t walk…he STRUTS!!) this earth, is the FUN in Van Halen!!!
The Rock N Roll Bible Chapter 7: On the 7th day GOD created the mighty Van Halen!! Diamond David Lee Roth and God’s little buddy & right hand genius-gunslinger-guitarist Edward Van Halen, is the original and best combination for Van Halen e.g. Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Page/Plant, Tyler/Perry, Van Halen/Roth etc. AMEN!!
January 10th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Yeah all you DLR fans! Tell it like it is. I mean, it’s kinda like AC/DC. They should just change their name until they get Bon Scott back. Original DC only baby!
morons
January 10th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Love VH with Dave, Sammy, well not so much with Gary but still bought the CD and backed them.
January 10th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Peedah, thanks for the clarification - fair enough!
Kris, thanks for the Sunday School lesson. Oh yeah, in the future I’ll try to not be “touchy, emotional, and way too sensitive.” And you’re right, I am “a fake” for having an appreciation of Sammy era VH. Man, I thought I could pull off an impersonation of a real VH fan, but you guys caught me!
Like I said in my earlier post, I can’t wait for a new DaveEdWolfAl album! Hopefully they’ll get it out so we can have something new to talk about!
January 11th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Big Al, I like all of Van Halens music, but Dave did walk away from the band in 1985 and Sammy came along and did a great job at making some of the best Van Halen music ever. T ell us all what did Dave do between 1985 and 2006. Nothing.
January 11th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
It seems to me that the “real” Van Halen is whatever combination of people the brothers decide is Van Halen. When they wanted to bring Sammy on board, that was Van Halen. When Gary was in the band, that was Van Halen.
A lot of fans of the Dave era seem to think that’s the only “real” version. I hate to break it to you, but just because you don’t like another incarnation doesn’t make it any less real.
Most fans either prefer the singer they got to know first, or the one that was in the band during their teens/early 20’s, when music tends to be the backdrop of our lives. The people who aren’t willing to even accept that some people prefer the other singer are fools in my opinion.
The whole soap opera side of this band is irrelevant to anyone except fans who can’t seem to understand the economics behind it anyway.
Van Halen does this to make money, not to please people who have a strong opinion about who’s the better singer. Sure, it’s the fans who made them what they are and they might even appreciate the fans (although you would hardly know it) but this is their job. They’re going to do whatever makes the most sense money-wise, as long as they can live with the situation.
At one point, that meant Sammy was in the band. Another it was Gary. It means they sell guitars, tequila, hot sauce or whatever else they want to do. They’re in business. They might not be at quite the level of pitchmen as Gene Simmons, but it’s the same basic thing.
And the owners of this site aren’t doing it for your sake either. They want to have fresh content on here and get people commenting. If the band isn’t doing anything new, they’re obviously going to post other related stuff, some of which obviously generates a lot of feedback if this post is any indication.
I happen to like all versions of the band, even with Gary. So go ahead and call me whatever names you want - everyone can take potshots at me
January 12th, 2009 at 1:22 am
I never thought when I would lose interest in Van Halen. I never thought I would lose respect in Eddie Van Halen. But when it is about 10 years since we’ve had a full album of original music and in between that time the only new music we’ve had is 3 mediocre songs from Sammy and none from Roth or anyone else, it’s almost like us, the fans, are being taken for granted. And lets not forget two tours, one with Sammy where Eddie was bombed every night and a tour with Dave complicated with poor sound and a lame stage and minus one original and dearly beloved bass player who was the backbone of the vocals of Van Halen, do they think that’s goign to satisfy us? Come on! We deserve better! And I think that Sammy Hagar needs Van Halen. I was sad to see his new album on a rack at Wal-Mart with the other CDs from artists that start with the letter H. No fanfare, no listing on the new CD module, just another ordinary CD, you wouldn’t have even known he had a new CD unless you happened to be looking for other artists like Hootie and the Blowfish or Herbie Hancock. If he was with Van Halen, the CD would have been probably at the front of the store or in front of electronics where people would walk by it and pick it up. It’s the same with Night Ranger. They have a new album out, but you would never know about it and if you did, it would be buried with the other artists that start with “N”. But if I remember right, Dave wasn’t that great of a solo artist after Van Halen either. He might have had a couple of good songs with “Yankee Rose” and “Just Like Paradise” and “California Girls” but it just wasn’t the same as Van Halen. Personally, I’d prefer Hagar in Van Halen then Roth. “Van Hagar” had more of a range then with Roth. They could make a country song like “Finish What You Started”, a techno song like “Crossing Over”, or a heavy grunge song like “Humans Being” and make it rock! And some of their ballads are the best I’ve ever heard. You could take someone that didn’t care for Van Halen and play them “Not Enough” and they would change their opinion. That is what made them great and that’s why they sold more albums than Roth’s Van Halen. They played songs for a larger audience with varied musical tastes. It was always interesting to see with each new album how their sound matured and grown. Roth was good, but you pretty much knew what you were going to get. With Hagar, they gave you what you never expected and blew you away with it. And to coin an unreleased Cherone song, and “That’s Why I Love You, babe!”
Bobby
Rupert, ID
January 12th, 2009 at 11:56 am
To Robert: Van Halen sold much more with Dave.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Okay, let’s get something straight about this whole “who sold more albums crap.” DLR era albums have sold more, but they’ve had many years to accumulate multi-platinum status. 1984 was the fist VH album to go multi-plat within the first year. All of the Hagar era albums did go multi-plat within the first year. But let’s be clear here, if Hagar didn’t have an already successful and established band to start with, he probably wouldn’t have sold that many immediately. The same goes vice-versa though. If Hagar hadn’t been so successful at carrying on the Van Halen name and continuing to bring in new fans, the DLR era albums would not have continued to sell so much. Each singer clearly had an impact on the other in terms of album sales. If not for Hagar, DLR era albums would have continued to sell, but not at nearly the pace they have. I know from experience, my first VH album was For Unlawful. I then went and bought OU812 and 5150. Within 2 months I had every VH album. I’m a fan of every VH era, even the Cherone. VHIII wasn’t the greatest album, but it was the tour I would have loved to have seen the most since the 1979,1983 or 1986 tours. Gary sang DLR songs better than DLR. YouTube it. He was great. I really would have liked to hear an album with Gary after they got to tour together. So all you “original Van Halen only” fans, you keep spouting the fact that DLR sold more albums, but you better thank a “Redhead” for it.
January 12th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hi Drumshine, I don’t agree. You did not get it straight here. Sorry.
January 12th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Uh… you don’t agree with what? The facts about the album sales or my opinions?
January 12th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Your facts:
“but they’ve had many years to accumulate ”
==> The ‘many years’ is an average of 8 years (VH1-1978 and 5150-1986). That doesn’t make the difference here.
“The same goes vice-versa though”
==> There’s no proof, but I’m pretty sure that most of us original Van Halen fans took a huge part of the cd sales of the first Van Hagar albums. Much more then the numbers of Hagar fans that bought original VH records.
Your opinion:
“So all you “original Van Halen only” fans, you keep spouting the fact that DLR sold more albums, but you better thank a “Redhead” for it.”
==> I can’t agree and I guess I don’t have to explain.
If For Unlawful was your first VH record, then you’re probably a lot younger then the average VH/DLR-fans OR you are one of the very, very few that started being a fan with this record (to be honest, I have the cd, but I can’t name a song title from it). Everything is possible though.
January 13th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Erick,
You misinterpretted some of the facts. The years of accumulation means DLR 1978-2008, Hagar 1986-2008. And on the vice-versa part - by 1985, Van Halen 1st album sold 5 million copies. It then took almost 4 years to sell another million by 1989. Between 1989 and 1996 that album sold another 5 million. That is starting 3 years into the Hagar era. I’m not questioning the fact the DLR has sold more, but if Hagar hadn’t helped to keep Van Halen relevant, then DLR’s era would not have continued to sell at that pace. And what’s happened since 1996? The end of Hagar’s era. Van Halen’s 1st album hasn’t sold another million yet. You basically ended up contradicting yourself - yes, I’m sure I’m younger than most DLR era fans. Which means I and many other people knew Van Halen by Hagar singing. Sure we all knew of DLR, but we’re part of the MTV generation. The only videos MTV really showed with DLR was from the 1984 album. The face of Van Halen, because of MTV, was Hagar. And we loved Van Halen. And many of us went out to buy Van Halen I along with the other albums. I’m as much a DLR fan as a Hagar fan. I have many of their respective solo albums and would love to hear a NEW Van Halen album by either of them.
January 13th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
With these facts I don’t think Hagar helped selling more VH/DLR albums. It’s probably the original fans that bought the CD’s.
January 13th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Wow! DLR fans not wanting to give Sammy credit, that’s a surprise!
January 13th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Hey Erick!
I’m a passionate Van Halen/Roth!!! I’ve got everything Van Halen have released (yes that includes the VH/Sammy era!) But when sadly and regretfully Dave Quit/Fired from Van Halen I was only interested in Van Halen for the name it bears; Eddie’s genius & revolutionary guitar/songwriting talents and that of his brother Alex’s drumming (I’m a drummer!) If there’s some way of fading out Ronald McDonald Sammy’s vocals on those VH albums then that will improve relations!
Here’s the fact’s!! I didn’t care who was the vocalist after Diamond Dave was gone because, ‘there can only be ONE!!’ So you have to take into account that the Van Halen/Roth fans actually played a bigger role in increasing Van Halen/Hagar’s sales then people give us credit for. If you include Dave’s solo albums sales along with Van Halen/Hagar you’ll be shocked at the figures.
Why do you think Eddie and Alex were so pissed at Dave leaving? Because they worked so hard to achieve Worldwide recognition and success. Yes they did eventually achieve Worldwide domination, but unfortunately the media was more interested in the soap opera and the bitter split. The music was secondary!! But all this is just speculation’s and ‘what if’s’ and it really gets us nowhere, because I’m still waiting for a NEW Van Halen with Roth to melt my stereo again!!
VAN HALEN FOREVER!!!
January 13th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I agree
January 14th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
This is NOT VH news is correct.
I’ve stopped reading what a lot of “so called” van halen fans have written when it comes to supporting sammy “Id sell my mother to get any type of attention” hagar.
I’m sick of hearing about this guy cause he hasnt had any part of ANYTHING VH since that last shitty tour he was part of in 2004. How any of you “so called rock fans” can say that
sammy supports VH is beyond me. All he cares about are the waborita’s…his tequila…his cruise ship…his resturants…himself…and his buddy’s hot sauce. He is NOT rock n roll…..he is corporate america disguised as a heavier jimmy buffett. He hasnt givin a shit about rock n roll since he discovered more ways to fill his pockets and his stomach. Yes…I’m sick of reading about how great a guy sammy is….and how much money he’s made….and how great his tequila is. Are we talking about gene simmons here or donald trump? Oh yeah….I almost forgot…sammy hagar!
I support the CLASSIC VH music and their die hard fans (me being on the top of that list) for the fact that nothing and nobody will ever replace the roots of where the band started. If more people did their rock n roll homework…looked at the REAL history of the band…and read the stories or how it all began…..anything sammy related seems boring in comparison. So i’m just ranting and raving like a true fan of anything would. I have my views just like you sammy fans….only my favourite frontman seemed much more exciting and worth the ticket price. Hopefully one day rock and roll will get back to what it was. In your face….loud…obnoxious…and a lot of fun! Not cruise ships….golf courses….resturants..or anything kid friendly. That my friends is where your boy comes in.
And that’s when I lose total intrest…
Just my opinion! Happy new year!
January 14th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Bring back the best, bring back Sammy
January 15th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
it’s assinine to debate art. It’s about an individuals experience, there isn’t a right
Or wrong. The sammy era is my classic valen era because that’s when I grew up.
5150 is my favorite record of all time. I bought all the old van Galen after I bought
5150. I liked the old stuff, but, 5150 was my time, my life, my music. I had the same
Feeling from summer nights as the old dudes had from beautiful girls. I lived through
The sammy era and I’m living through the sammy era still. Great tours, great times,
Great music… Sam is a business man, a rocker, a true professional. Still love little guitars,
Hear about it later, and women in love, but judgement day, déjà vu, and black and blue
Is mine all mine! Long live both sides of the mighty van halen!!!
January 15th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
btw, the van Galen in my last post was an iPhone typo
January 17th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
To Dirt Duck!
Amen bro!!
Spoken like a true Van Halen MAN!!!!! To add another thing that all these Sammy fans don’t mention or deliberately ignore or try to hide about their beloved Sammy. In supporting your ‘Corp Sammy’ observations and adding my own, it’s amazing how Sammy jumps at the chance when a politician or a corporation wants to use a Van Halen song for their advertising or election campaign!!! Yet when Alex & Eddie express their disapproval of such a thing, Sammy quickly jumps to a nearest phone, radio station or laptop too quickly contrive to the public how evil Alex and Eddie are. Pathetic isn’t it??!! But I love Alex & Eddie’s response on the last song ad incident, “Van Halen is not into politics, only Rock N’Roll!!” CLASSIC!!!!!
You see the REAL Van Halen was always about the PEOPLE!! While we the fans went about our daily struggles/triumphs in life, Van Halen were always there to ROCK our night away, they didn’t want to remind us of how shitty this earth is, how shitty your job, your teacher or the french fries were overcooked! They just said to us “for the next 2 and a half hours we’re here to entertain you and make you feel like the most important person in the room, and that includes you way up there in the nose bleed section too!!” Dave the ringmaster always put a smile on my face, made me laugh, made me feel indestructible…it was good for the health!!! Sammy on the other hand is always in the shadow of Dave, a wanna-be, a fake and greedy corporate slut!! As Diamond Dave preaches, “Sammy throws a party…I am the party!!!” CLASSIC!!!
January 18th, 2009 at 4:01 am
i wanted to know if the owner of this vanhalen news desk would answer a question for me?{{{if so here is the question{{{{Of the three singers that sang for vanhalen who is your favorite??
January 18th, 2009 at 9:04 am
that must be Dave