Hi, I'm Kurt Loder... And I'm Tabitha Soren, and this is "The Week In Rock."
It was a week that included a war of words between Edward Van Halen and David Lee Roth, regarding the sudden dissolution of their reunion. You'll recall that in June, Van Halen, the band, parted ways with Sammy Hagar -- who'd replaced Roth as frontman in 1985 -- and then they invited Roth back from obscurity to sing on 2 tracks for an upcoming best-of album. Suddenly, it seemed Roth was back in the band -- especially when he and Van Halen walked onstage in one of the highlights of the 1996 "MTV Video Music Awards." Then, 2 weeks ago, Roth issued an open letter to the press blaming Edward Van Halen for tricking him -- and the public -- into believing the reunion would continue beyond those 2 new tracks. But as it turned out, Gary Cherone -- formerly with pop-metal band Extreme -- was the new Van Halen frontman. What's been going on here? Chris Connelly asked Edward and Alex Van Halen this week -- and they did not hold back.
ALEX VAN HALEN, Van Halen: We tried to be gentlemen about this, and I guess we're going to get just a litttttle bit nasty right now.
CHYRON: Right now, people are wondering: What happened with Sammy Hagar?
CONNELLY: You felt he didn't give 100% effort
EDDIE VAN HALEN, Van Halen: Let's put it this way...
(Van Halen News Desk Exclusive photo - Ed & Al on Fox News)
ALEX: No judgment, no judgment...
EDDIE: Bottom line: his work ethic sucked. OK, now, if he wanted to be in this band and be a team players, he'd be here right now, OK?
CHYRON: Right Now, people are wondering: What's up with David Lee Roth?
ALEX: He claims that, or he apologized to his fans for all this stuff. If he cared so much about the fans, then why did he quit?
CONNELLY: What happened at the MTV Awards that changed the nature of your relationship with Dave?
EDDIE: It was his onstage antics which for one, I thought was embarrassing and very disrespectful to Beck. As he's trying to thank people, his acceptance speech, whatever, Dave's behind him doing his shtick. To me it was embarrassing. But it was more so backstage were he basically spit in my face.
We get shuffled off to the first press conference and everyone is yelling and screaming questions and Dave just wasn't answering any of them. He was doing his best bah-zimb-ba, so I just walked up and said, "Look, here's what happening: two songs, 'Best-Of, Volume One.' Warner Brothers would like us to do 2 videos and that was it." If you think we're going on tour in the summer, forget it, we're not gonna go out there and take your money, and if and when we ever do a tour with Roth in the future, we're gonna have to write and record a new album first, in the future.
ALEX: This is what we said, not what were saying now.
EDDIE: This was backstage at the press conference. And I said December 16th, I need a new hip, to throw a little wrench in the works. And after about three of those, Dave's vibe changed instead of saying to me, "Hey Eddie, would you just not mention the hip thing?" I had to go to him and say "Hey Dave, what happened all of a sudden? You were just all happy at first and now you're all pissed off." And he goes, 'Tonight is about me, man, not your f**king hip."
(Van Halen News Desk Exclusive photo - Ed & Al on Fox News)
ALEX: "Tonight's about me"...
EDDIE: I just bite my tongue and say, "OK. The next one, you Alex and Mike do it, and I will not mention my hip." And -- I'll try and do my best impersonation -- and he goes, "You f**kin' better not." I went (gestures as if he wanted to punch someone)... Scotty and our manager had to.... All those years of... and I said, "If you ever speak to me like that again, you'd better be wearing a cup."
CONNELLY: Did you ever tell him categorically, this is before MTV, that he would not be in the band, he would not be touring?
ALEX: Correct, yes.
EDDIE: Yes. I told him quote unquote, "baby steps."
ALEX: Every day he would call me, he would call Eddie. He'd go, "When are we taking this on tour?" "Dave! Dave, we haven't even recorded a song yet, when are we taking what on tour?"
EDDIE: Either he was high, and just didn't hear the proof. But he was never told, or we never alluded to him being back in the band. It was just a project.
ALEX: I think it's more important or as important to remember that the 1984 Dave is a lot different from the 1996 Dave. It would not only have embarrassed the band, it would have insulted the audience.
Sounds like old times. Van Halen's "Best-Of, Volume One" is in stores Tuesday, with some copies containing autographs by Edward Van Halen, others with guitar picks, and one with a certificate entitling the owner to one of Edward's "Wolfgang" guitars. Sammy Hagar, meanwhile, turned 49 this week, and will give his side of all this in our next show next week.
