July 4, 1996
Hi, I'm Kurt Loder with MTV News.
When it comes to Van Halen these days, either you're a Sammy man or Dave fan. Sammy Hagar got the boot from the band last week. At the very moment his erstwhile buddies were holed up in a recording studio with David Lee Roth, the guy Hagar replaced in Van Halen back in 1985. Now the pop world has split into pro- and anti-Sammy factions, both among fans and fellow musicians. We chronicled the uproar.
BILLY CORGAN, Smashing Pumpkins: Let's face it: Van Halen was it.
TABITHA SOREN: When David Lee Roth was with them?
CORGAN: Absolutely. Absolutely.
MTV: The return of David Lee Roth has rock fans around the world talking.
Many artists who grew up with the early Van Halen are thrilled.
KIM THAYIL, Soundgarden: I like the raw rock incarnation -- the original
one. That's what I turned on to.
CHRIS CORNELL, Soundgarden: I think it's almost like KISS coming back with
full make-up.
LARS ULRICH, Metallica: Seeing Van Halen with Dave again would be the
ultimate. And I think it would do as well as KISS. And I hope they wanna do it.
And more power to 'em and good luck.
TOM SALMORIN, Psychotica: I'm very excited that David Lee Roth's back in Van
Halen.
MTV: Fans are divided on the switching singers and have been flooding MTV
News with email about the story.
EMAIL 1: What is this crap! I don't care if Roth started, Hagar is the man!
EMAIL 2: Every Van Halen connoisseur I know wanted Dave back.
EMAIL 3: Get more exposure about the glorious return of David Lee Roth to Van
Halen!
EMAIL 4: If the original Van Halen were to reunite, it will be nothing less
than colossal.
EMAIL 5: What the hell is wrong with Van Halen? Please tell me that they're
not getting rid of Sammy.
EMAIL 6: I can't believe that David Lee Roth is back. He will destroy the
band.
MTV: David Lee Roth fans feel that the original Van Halen is the real Van
Halen. But Hagar supporters say that their man was a better fit with the rest of the
band, and that David Lee Roth's ego was the cause of the original split.
SAMMY HAGAR in 1986: Maybe it was because of Roth's showmanship and antics
and everything, that he always made a joke out of everything, that musicianship was never quite
respected, except for Eddie. But to me, that's the number one thing, and that's why
I joined this band.
EDDIE VAN HALEN in 1986: There's no Vegas trip to it anymore. It's just pure
music, and I think that, to me, is a little classier.
DAVID LEE ROTH in 1986: I'm here to tell ya that it's a lot of b.s. It's a
lot of excuses that are being pedalled because these guys couldn't get off their
butt and make a record.
MTV: Back when they were making records, the David Lee Roth-fronted Van Halen
recorded six albums with total sales topping 27 million. With Sammy Hagar at the mike,
the band didn't do too shabily either, selling 15 million copies of four studio albums
and one live recording. So while loyal fans of both camps debate whether Roth's return is
good or bad, two things seem certain: Van Halen will probably sell a whole lot more records
and Hagar's on hold.
JERRY CANTRELL, Alice In Chains: I love Sammy and I don't know Dave. But I would have to say
that I prefer Van Halen with Dave. I'm sorry to Sammy.
KURT: No clarification yet on whether David Lee Roth is back to stay or
whether he's only recording a one-off track for an upcoming greatest-hits album, which is
all Van Halen will say. Sammy Hagar, however, appears to be officially history, at least in
terms of this band.