Billy Sheehan talks David Lee Roth and Van Halen

June 30, 2009 124 Comments

Acclaimed bassist Billy Sheehan (Talas, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Devil’s Slingshot, among others), always a man of many words and interesting stories, was kind enough to take a break from his decidedly hectic schedule to speak with us regarding, among many other things, the release of his latest solo opus Holy Cow…

Here’s the Van Halen-related section:

Todd: Looking back, are you surprised that Talas didn’t eventually achieve mainstream commercial success?

Billy: “No. We progressed along the lines that everybody else did. We got to a point where we got looked at by a lot of labels, we got promised deals, those promises were broken, we got promised more deals and those promises were broken. But we were still expanding and doing well. We were getting better and expanding our reach. We knew it wasn’t going to be a quick overnight thing…it was far from an overnight thing. …I had to replace two of the original guys with other guys. The band was still good, but it just wasn’t the same, so when David Lee Roth called, asking me to join him, I said ‘Well, the only band I’d ever think of leaving Talas for is Van Halen, so if David Lee Roth calls, I guess that’s close enough’ (laughs). So that was it. I was done.”

Todd: Did you initially find it difficult to make the transition from the relative obscurity of Talas to truly high-profile exposure of playing with David Lee Roth at what was arguably the peak of his career as a solo artist?

Billy: “Well, it was quite a transition. …I had a ’77 (Ford) Pinto. You know those fake tires that come with new cars that you’re supposed to use in case you get a flat? It’s not a real tire and you’re only supposed to use it to drive like ten miles to get to the gas station to get in fixed? Well, I had that on my car for two years because I couldn’t afford to buy an actual tire. So I did my time with poverty. But we had fun, but boy were we poor. So I went to L.A. Dave flew me in. I was the first guy he called and we started planning a band. Within two nights, we were playin’ in a club and there were Paparazzi waiting there, so I went from driving my three wheeled Pinto to having my picture taken by Paparazzi comin’ out of a club (laughs). That’s quite a steep little curve there. …It was an interesting time. We had a blast.

cd33b The original guitarist was Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). That’s who Dave had in mind. It didn’t work out, so I told Dave ‘Hey, I know another Steve that would be just perfect’ and sure enough, he called Steve Vai and he came down. I love Steve Stevens. He’s great, but I think Steve Vai was the perfect fit for Eat ‘Em And Smile. He’s a wonderful guy. They’re all just fantastic. I just had dinner with him and all of the Eat ‘Em And Smile guys the other night. Of course it was minus Dave because we couldn’t find him, but it was still myself, Steve (drummer) Greg Bissonette and the keyboardist Brett Tuggle…all of the guys that we did the tour with. We’ve done it a couple of times where we have an Eat ‘Em And Smile reunion. We all sit down, have dinner somewhere and tell stories. It’s always a laugh riot…”

Todd: What ultimately led you to your decision to no longer work with David following the release of (1988’s) Skyscraper? Was there the proverbial ‘…creative differences…’, or was it something on a more personal level?

Billy: “Dave took a chance. He decided to try a new direction with the music. In a way he was right because he wanted to mix dance beats into the music. He was like ‘We need to be more Dance-orientated’. And I was like ‘That’s great, but…’ …It just wasn’t me. I just couldn’t get up there and do that kind of thing. So I was gone, but in a way he was right because Dance music did become the next giant thing and now that’s pretty much all there is. I call it Karaoke Aerobics. It’s basically people doing Karaoke because they’re singers who don’t really sing on their records and just get pitch-corrected. And then they get eight to twelve people to do Aerobics next to them and that’s ninety percent of the music that you see on TV now. So in a way, he was right, but the problem with doin’ a switch like that when you’re a Rocker guy is that the Rockers are going to hate you because you’ve turned on them and the Dance guys are going to hate you because you were once a Rock guy. …So unfortunately, he fell between the cracks, but in a way he was right. He accurately predicted that Dance music was going to come in. It did, but at the same time, we had a lot of other great music by a lot of other great bands. I just think he threw the dice and they just didn’t come up with the number he needed.”

md_70 Todd: Any truth to the rumors that you were approached regarding replacing Michael Anthony in Van Halen? In hindsight, it’s a seemingly logical move considering your connection to David Lee Roth as a solo artist…

Billy: “Yeah, I was. For a long time, I denied it because (former Van Halen bassist) Michael (Anthony) is a dear friend of mine. I love him so much. I was kinda caught in the middle. …It’s happened several times. Once right after we (Talas) toured with them in 1980, it happened again in ’82 after the Diver Down record, it happened again just before Dave called me…and then, when I was out of Mr. Big before the Gary Cherone thing (i.e. 1998’s abysmal Van Halen III) happened, I spoke with them and then I spoke with them again after that as well. So it’s happened a bunch of times. We’ve always been toying with it (laughs). I went over to Ed’s a couple of times and we jammed and talked about stuff. He’s such a wonderful guy. I would love to go out with just Ed and a drummer, ya know?

But as much as I would have liked to be in the band, I didn’t want the band to change, because I’m a fan of Van Halen. If Michael ain’t up there, it ain’t the same band, even if it’s me, ya know? But I’m sure if the opportunity would have gone further, I would have taken it. We talked about it seriously a couple of different times as several different points, but it never actually materialized.

When they got back together with Dave and went out without Michael, I was kinda sad about it. So I’m very honored and I love all of those guys. …Alex, Eddie, Dave and Michael, I love them all completely and I wish they were all together again. At least Dave and Eddie are back together again. I’m happy about that, ya know? That’s how it goes. …Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I’m just glad they’re back together and hope they’re happy. I love Van Halen. I love all four of the Van Halens and they’ve all been a great, great influence on me.”

Todd: Commercially and musically, what do you feel has been your single greatest musical accomplishment?

Billy: “Basically, it was Talas, David Lee Roth and Mr. Big. There were a few other things in between, but I never really joined any other bands. I toured with UFO, I did a brief stint with Max Webster, (guitarist) Kim Mitchell’s great band and a few other little thing, but the only bands that I was really in were Talas, a brief stint in a band called Light Years, David Lee Roth and Mr. Big. …Mr. Big, of course, was my biggest success. It was more nine, of course, than David Lee Roth. David Lee Roth is Dave’s band, but that was my first taste of it, so that was incredible. It’s hard to pick one or the other. And the early years with Talas…most everything that I know now I learned back then (laughs), so they all hold a significant place. I’m glad to say that I’m still friends with everybody now after the smoke has cleared from Talas, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big and all points in between now. I’m really lucky to have those people as friends because they are some truly wonderful people.”

Filed Under: David Lee Roth, Van Halen

CA1984.

Hey Fair Warning!

It really pains me to say which is my favourite Van Halen album, I love everything Alex does!! But IMO I didn’t really like Balance, and VH 3 would have been better had Alex’s drums sounded like the FUCK album! But I must agree with you that the Fair Warning album was Big Al at his most brutal, dark/sexy/blues groove, and most creative!! ‘Sinner’s Swing!’ ‘Mean Street’ ‘Dirty Movies’ & ‘Unchained’ In fact I’d like to add Alex took some risks that others wouldn’t even dare try. That being said I still think 1984 is a masterpiece!! All the elements that are Van Halen are on that album!!

Here’s something that will fascinate you!! On Led Zeppelin’s live album ‘The Song Remains The Same’ the length of the song Dazed & Confused is the same length of Van Halen’s 1984 album!! CLASSIC!!!
Fair Warning

Pete

Love that song! I always wanted to see that played live. I am so curious how Ed gets those sounds. The drums are a perfect example of how brillant AVH really is. I also love sunday afternoon in the park. It is so simple but Al’s playing is so cool and makes the song – IMO
Vanicionado

So… from what I’ve gleaned from what I’ve read here is, in order to be able to properly critique any instrument played by anyone, you have to be proficient at said instrument? (barre entzminger)

That’s bogus.

I don’t play piano, but I know the difference when I hear someone who has mastered the “Turkish March” or someone who is butchering “Chop Sticks.”

That being said, I did infact play the drums as a kid. They were my brothers. And since we had so many kids in my family and little room in our house, the drums were phased out in favour of room. I’ve sat down at kits since then and can keep time still, but sadly, I’m not where I should be. But I guess that doesn’t qualify me to comment on anyone else’s drumming ability…

But I will.

“Atomic Punk”, “On Fire” and “Outta Love Again”… those blew me away when I first heard them. And of course, “Everybody Wants Some” and “Hot For Teacher” too, but where has Al been since? There’s that garbage drum solo on Balance.

But what else?

Someone made a comment that Alex can’t be duplicated? Sorry? Have you heard the drums on David Lee Roth’s “It’s Showtime!” Uhh… it’s like they ran it through the AVH Clone-O-Matic 3000. (Eddie is somewhat replicated on that song too.)

Sorry I ruffled those Sensitive Al-Lover’s out there, but I guess, like Mikey, in the the long wait between glimmers-of-hopes-of releases, I got bored. I actually explored the universe of music out there and found players who are not only on par, but far exceed my expectations of what I thought was solid rock n roll.

So… I’ll go pull my head out of my paper ass?? (I still don’t understand what that means)

As long as you go downtown and get that mullet removed from your head…

Long Live VH, may they release new material on us soon.
Christopher

Interesting that the Neil/Alex thing came up. I love Peart’s playing. His solos are far superior to Al’s in terms of them being a complete piece of music. Al always seemed to just batter on until he did some cool South American thing on the 95′ tour. That being said, I prefer, by far, Al’s sound. Neil’s always seemed too tight to me. Al’s sound is like wood blocks being beaten with a 2X4. I can see the dust coming off them. It’s a strange feeling…I can actually SMELL it.

As for the production question that was brought up earlier…Eddie lost his sound in 98′. That 5150 II amp was terrible. He claimed it was the early sound. It could never be. The tubes weren’t the same to begin with. I remember hearing the 98′ show in Phili going…”What is that awful sound coming from Eddie?” That was my first inkling that Eddie was bullshitting me. I bought the amp anyway (as a fan does). I got it to sound ok. Channel 2 on the 5150 III is REALLY good, but the other channels are rough. I liked the Balance sound a lot, but I also like the VH2 straight up power tube distortion sound. That Marshall didn’t have EL-34′s in them either. GAWD…what were they? Anyone remember? If I was going for THAT sound I would find those tubes.
R A 812

Hey Fair Warning

Did you guys notice that on the “Live Right Here, Right Now” album during Mikes Bass solo, he plays part of “Sunday Afternoon ib the Park” and Al playes with him. Im sure you may have but I know how some people tend to skip over the bass solo on an album.
http://vhnd Emery

Again “Dirty Duck” has it right. Rippin on Wolf I just don`t understand that. Any true V H fan watching Ed rockin out with his son would be over joyed.

And uncle Al well What`s understood dosen`t need to be discssed.Just the best of the best. I`v always loved his snare sound just awesome…
FAMAC

My comments are directed at questions Pete asked me much earlier – comparing Al and Mike musically. I wasn’t trying to do that. I guess I should have fleshed out my thoughts a little better but I assumed people knew about Van Halen’s working method.

According to everything Ed has said, the beginnings of many Van Halen tunes start with Ed and Al jamming. Anyone who plays guitar knows that if a drummer starts playing a beat you like, you find something to play along with. So many tunes developed in band formats start with a drumbeat.

But these guys are related to each other, so they are far more likely to have a no-ego musical partnership – which means Alex probably has an important hand in shaping tunes that end up as Van Halen songs.

This is all but confirmed by Alex pushing to have Light Up The Sky be a single for Van Halen II. If you sit down and listen to that tune, it’s a song a drummer had a hand in – lots of tight ryhthm changes.

That’s why Ed says he and Alex are Van Halen. Of course it’s not totally true, but Ed has been downplaying the role of Dave and Sammy for years.

But the one thing he has never had to compete with is Michael Anthony. If you notice, there are no musical disputes with Mike (he wanted to do this, we wanted to do that) – its all ‘what’s the best excuse to bounce this guy.’

So yes – Ed’s excuses are lame, but again – its his band and I support bringing another Van Halen into the mix. Ed and Alex were already a formidable team – imagine what another equal partner can bring to the table. Wolfie will have huge influence – he picked most of the set list – he’s going to keep Van Halen fresh – something Michael Anthony couldn’t do, even if given the chance. No offense, but the dude is old.

So really, Van Halen has never been stronger musically. All the pieces are in place: a happy musical unit, with David Lee Roth (and perhaps olfie) as producer/directors – its classic Van Halen with a new equal partner – Wolfie — to me, that seems like all up-side.
John

Pete

re- Michael McDonald and ‘I’ll Wait’. I used to think that this was an error printed on the original 7-inch vinly label of the single (British version, but not on the American version – I have both – and McDonald was not on the credits of the vinyl 1984 album either). I thought that this was carried over and repeated on the compilation you mention. McDonald is noted on ASCAP’s database for the song – otherwise all 1984 songs are credited to Eddie, Dave and Alex. I think Mike got cut out in the mid-90s as a result of VH renegotiating their publishing (I think this was when Dave got screwed as well because that useless idiot Ray Danniels renegotiated without consulting him, so DD was left with a measly percentage of the publishing. Until he took VH to court – Dave spoke about it in interviews at the time). As far as Mike goes – I think they started out with an all for one attitude and split credit evenly amongst the band. Mike’s removal just reflects that they were getting proprietorial about who actually wrote the songs. If you read the excerpts of Hagar’s aborted biography (which is still floating around on the internet) then he is adamant that Alex and Mike did not co-write anything. I’d guess that Ed and Dave were the main songwriters. Anyway, you can search for song titles here at ASCAP and see writing credits:

http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?mode=search

and it tells you publishing credits and other artists who have covered the song, etc.

McDonald must’ve been hanging around in the studio – it’s possible Ted was working on a Michael McDonald solo record at the same time
Karl

“Eddie lost his sound in 98?. That 5150 II amp was terrible”

Actually, Eddie lost his sound when he stopped playing crap lash -up guitars.
Karl

greg, you might want to go back and read my post again. Yep, not a single mention of MA v Wolf or any of the other things you brought up in your post and certainly no Van Halen hating, just a simple statement to the effect that Al is sometimes too fond of his sizzling cymbals.
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

BIFF MALIBU:

Yeah…I love my chevy brother. Bought it in mint condition back in 99′ for $3500. It’s a beaut. Just got it redone and repainted (10 years can do alot to an old car). Looks great!
What did you do with yours?

As far as al’s playing….D.O.A has another great ending with some sick guitars. As roth used to say: U knew when alex was knocking at your door cause all the “really good” classic VH songs end up faster then they started…
How true!
Pete

VERY COOL POSTS my brothers…thanks for shining a light on my question and/or sharing some very cool insights.

DUCK…good freakin’ point…1984 was pretty tough for all concerned, so it’s interesting to think of what might have happened there.

FAIR WARNING…you are so right about “Sunday Afternoon In The Park”…cuts like that are what I have always dug most about full albums vs. singles. I rarely find the singles more interesting than the rest of a “really good” album, and Fair Warning is F*&%in’ amazing.

VANICIONADO…you make some really interesting points! Though I don’t agree about Mikey, alot of your post had me either laughing along or nodding…or both!

RA8212…I freakin’ LOVE the fact that Mikey and Al teamed up on bringing “Sunday Afternoon In The Park” off the shelf and back into the limelight. It was a very inventive use of bass-solo time, and it really shone a light on what a cool groove that was to begin with. Very cool indeed…

FAMAC…very interesting too man…you know what you’re talking about.

JOHN…thanks for answering my question man!!!!!!!!!!! I think it’s pretty cool you can post an occassional question here and someone who is a bigger fan/nut than me can shine a light. Thanks for taking the time man…that’s really interesting!

Cheers guys,

Pete
Jimmy V8

Most of you know this already but for those that don’t; mainly the Sammy lovers! “Sunday Afternoon In The Park” of Fair Warning album was NOT Michael Anthony playing bass, it was all King Eddie!!! Ed wasn’t to thrilled with Mike’s contribution from 1980 onwards. Eddie started doing or re-doing some of the bass parts, because what Ed was hearing and wanted in the song Mike couldn’t cut it!! Hell even when Sammy did his solo album soon after joining Van Halen he asked Eddie, rather than his best buddy Mike to play bass and produce!! I guess all you Sammy lovers must have freaked out that it was a new riff that Mikey come up with on his solo on the live album ‘Right Here, Right Now’. Settle down you poor lot, if only Mike could come up with a riff like Ed masterfully does, he would retire on a beach!!!
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

Kudos to pete and his attitude on this website!
If only there were more like him around here….
Jeff

Good job Pete!!!
Finally, something positive to read!!
ClubfootKolby

Hey JimmyV8 It would be nice if Van Halen would do something you know kinda like the real king Sammy and his new band. Sam was the best thing to happen to Van Halen.
redarrow5150

Hey JimmyV8…you need to get your facts straight. Sammy was obligated to produce an album before his contract was done in being able to join VH. He was barely into a year with Van Halen when he asked Eddie to help him out. You make it sound like Mike & Sammy where best of buds in the begining which they were not. Another fact was Sammy and Mike didn’t get close until Sammy left/got fired Van Halen the first time.
Pete

Thanks guys…

By the way, I think it’s extra cool to consider that Ed did “Sunday Afternoon In The Park” on a kids toy keyboard. If you can coax something cool out of something like that then that makes it EXTRA cool.

I really miss Eddie’s experimental whims like that. I hope he gets back into that.
RA 8 1 2

Yes, I agree with redarrow, Jimmy V8 Ed and Sammy were best buds. Sammy was not close to Mike then. Only at the end of the Balance tour when they shared a limo together and dressing room as the VH brothers were always smoking, etc. He became closer friends with Sammy after Sammy left VH. If Alex was sucvh a great drummer why didnt Sammy have Alex play on that album instead of David Lauser (sp). Same concept. He only asked Eddie to help. Im sure it was in the contract they did for his last album in order for Sammy to Join VH is Eddie had to participate in order to sell more records. Eddie actually did the little guitar solo part on Eagles Fly on that album too. (FYI)
Vanicionado

Word up Pete!

I totally agree with your comments about Eddie’s mess up point of view.

In the long run, we all want new Van Halen, hopefully sooner than later!
http://none J5149.5

i think mike brought up some good points on the michael anthony debacle.if you read your overview it sounds like ed and al were treading a fine line between loyalty and business. they probably put it on the backburner and were careful to not pull the trigger to quickly, however michael anthony was making equal money to ed and al. eddie was staying up days in a row to make that classic music while mike was probably not working as hard.

pushtoshove- it just gets freakin old hearin the same ol’ song and dance. ex: ed’s lost it, ed’s to old now, ed’s nothing, ed’s a drunk. in the 80′s it was cool for the band to be drunk and or drink onstage and now that eddie doesn’t look 23 anymore it’s suddenly sad. i don’t condone alcoholism but the comments sound like jealous, hurtful comments instead of healing helpful ones.

also, does anyone who likes hendrix stuck in the 60′s? what if you like the who? does it mean your trapped in the 70′s? i wave my van halen flag high and am damn proud of it.
john

I worked the Paradise tour….played Steves guitars the night before he even did at rehearsals in Lakeland…..that was the best crew ever assembled for any tour that year and the band line up was absolute top notch….will never forget that crew….Tonto
pete

J5149.5…yes its true that mike was making equal money as ed and AL and not working as hard as eddie but niether was alex.
http://None Ducky / Dirty Duck

John…

How was that tour? Was it as big as the “eat em’ and smile” ?
You must have some great stories man…
Not my favourite roth solo effort, but “good times” and
“hina” are STILL great tracks!
So i guess the big question would be: Did you get to meet roth?
Tell us some stories man! Im sure their are many like me who would love to hear em!
Get us away from the constant b.s. floating around here….