This week in 1984, Van Halen began an incredible 5-week run at the top of the Billboard charts with their colossal hit, "Jump!" Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the unforgettable video. Pete Angelus [Van Halen road manager, lighting director, 1978-84]: I think we spent less money making "Jump" than we did on having pizzas delivered to the set of "Hot for … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2015
Eddie Jamming Today!
Yup. A video posted by Wolf Van Halen (@wolfvanhalen) on Feb 27, 2015 at 3:03pm PST Wolfgang Van Halen shares a 15-second video of Edward jamming today! (From Wolf's Instagram). A big thanks to Wolf! And Wolf, please feel free to share more clips like these! (And please consider getting a YouTube account, where you can post videos longer than 15 … [Read more...]
The Private Photo Shoot that Sparked a War Inside Van Halen
In 1979 David Lee Roth met Helmut Newton, inciting an ego-fueled power struggle that ultimately split the group apart. Here's a new article on some never-heard, behind-the-scenes drama that went on in Van Halen. Well get you started by featuring the article's intro here on VHND, but be sure to click over to Medium.com to read the entire article. It's a fascinating read. … [Read more...]
Photos: Van Halen Plays Virginia, 1984
Enjoy rare photos from 31 years ago this month, when Van Halen played Roanoke, Virginia, during their 1984 World tour. Eddie Van Halen on the 1984 tour: “Our live show for the 1984 tour just could not get any bigger, but it was so over the top that we never made any money from it. We had 18 trucks hauling the stage and equipment. That was unheard of. The standard lighting … [Read more...]
Van Halen Albums, Ranked Worst to Best (Video)
Our friends at Ultimate Classic Rock attempted the near-impossible feat of trying to rank all the Van Halen albums from worst to best. As they note in the introduction to their video, '“worst” in the context of one of the world’s greatest rock bands doesn’t necessarily mean bad.' That's for sure! We think there's very, very little "filler" on Van Halen's albums. So, while it … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Making Solo Album
Eddie Van Halen's son is in the process of writing a solo album! That's one of the more surprising things Eddie revealed during his hour-long interview at the Smithsonian National Museum Of American History in Washington, D.C. last week. “Wait until you hear his record! This is not pop talking, this is REAL talk. It blew my mind," Ed said. When asked when the album might … [Read more...]
Van Halen Choose Atlas Music Publishing For Global Music Publishing Deal
NEW YORK, NY (February 18, 2015) – Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen of the legendary rock group Van Halen have signed an exclusive worldwide deal with Atlas Music Publishing, as announced today by Richard Stumpf, CEO of Atlas Music Publishing. The agreement covers the entire Van Halen catalog (excluding the most recent album), and includes multiple hit singles and albums that … [Read more...]
Smithsonian Event a Major Milestone for Eddie Van Halen
By VHND contributing writer Kevin Dodds, author of Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography Photos by National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution On a bitter cold night in Washington D.C. on February 12, 2015, the atmosphere inside the Smithsonian Museum of American History was plenty warm. Fortunate enough to attend with a fellow superfan—my 12-year-old … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Shares his Musical Journey at Smithsonian Event (Video)
Eight years ago today, the legendary Edward Van Halen appeared at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., headlining an event that was part of the national “What It Means to Be American” program. The three-year initiative is aimed at engaging leading public thinkers and Americans in all walks of life to explore how the nation has become what it … [Read more...]
One Year Ago: Eddie Van Halen Donates Guitars, Equipment, to the Smithsonian
Edward Van Halen donated some musical equipment to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington DC today. He donated an exact replica of his original black and white Frankenstein guitar, a Stealth, and an EVH amp and speaker cabinet during a closed ceremony, which took place right before his speech/interview. The folks at the Smithsonian presented Ed … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Says He Wants To Tour
A new Eddie Van Halen interview came through the wire today. Nothing the big fans haven’t heard before, except that the writer probably did not recognize the one kernel of hard news in the whole thing: He mentions Eddie is "ready to get back on the road"...! Eddie Van Halen talks immigrant roots, innovation in music By BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — For … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s Definitive Live Album & Remasters (UPDATED with Ordering Info)
First, we apologize to our loyal readers for not addressing this news until now. Our hands were tied. We've had to sit on this info for a long time, and were counting on being the first music news site with this exciting news, but that's not how it worked out. The news leaked early, and most people have only heard bits and pieces, and there's a lot of confusion out there, … [Read more...]