Happy Birthday, Diver Down!
From UltimateClassicRock.com:
Van Halen‘s fifth album, 1982?s ‘Diver Down,’ turns 30 years old today (April 14). As a hastily-recorded collection featuring only four full-length original songs, this record should by all rights be a disaster.
Instead, it’s just about the most fun thing you can play at your next summer family picnic.
Having barely completed an exhausting world tour in support of their 1981 album ‘Fair Warning,’ their fourth record in as many years, Van Halen was as you can imagine looking forward to taking a little break.
But first, lead singer David Lee Roth reportedly convinced the group to release a cover of Roy Orbison’s ‘(Oh) Pretty Woman‘ as a time-buying, stand-alone single. This move backfired in the best possible way. The track became a sudden hit, and Warner Brothers pressured the band to record an accompanying record… and fast.
Read the entire article at UltimateClassicRock.com.