This is the video you didn't know you needed to watch today. It's 1985, and Paul and his little sister are going to perform a new song from Van Halen. '40 years ago, my sister and I made this 1980s music video for "Jump" by Van Halen. It was April 3, 1985." These cute kids capture the essence of Van Halen! And remind us of how life was growing up in the '80s. We … [Read more...]
Part Two: Greg Renoff Interviews Donn Landee
Photo Credit: Warner Music Group Part two of Van Halen author Greg Renoff's interview with legendary Van Halen engineer Donn Landee has arrived! Renoff shared part one of his interview for Tape Op magazine with VHND readers back in September. Now he's back to make good on his promise to deliver part two. Below is an excerpt from part two of Renoff's two-part … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Almost Teamed Up With Ronnie James Dio On Animated Musical Project
Credit: Neil Zlozower Wendy Dio, the widow and longtime manager of rock legend Ronnie James Dio, recently said her late husband had considered creating an animated movie in the 80s, using the voice of David Lee Roth for the main character. The main character was a demonic beast named Murray. Here's the excerpt from Wendy's recent appearance on The Metal … [Read more...]
Hear Diamond Dave Like Never Before In December 1984 Interview
Photo Credit: Neil Zlozower A never-published interview with Diamond David Lee Roth has arrived courtesy of the Tapes Archive! At the time of this interview in December 1984, Roth was just months away from being out of Van Halen. In the interview, Roth talks about the future of Van Halen, his need for attention, whether he’s a bad role model, and what he wants on his … [Read more...]
‘Van Halen Breaks Up’ – The Fan-Made 1984 Documentary Episode 5
The final episode of 'The Van Halen Fan-Made 1984 Documentary' has arrived! After six albums and millions of concert tickets, David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen split. Did David Lee Roth quit? Was he fired, or neither? The original Van Halen lineup ended, and the band underwent significant changes with Hagar's arrival, signifying a new chapter in their music career. (This … [Read more...]
Engineer Mark Linett Recalls David Lee Roth ‘California Girls’ Recording Sessions
Producer/engineer Mark Linett is best known for his remixing and remastering of the Beach Boys' catalog. It wouldn't be his first Beach Boys recording experience, however. That came when he worked on David Lee Roth's cover of "California Girls". During a recent interview with journalist Darren Paltrowitz, Linett (The Beach Boys, David Lee Roth, Randy Newman, Frank Zappa, … [Read more...]
A Glenn Hughes-Fronted Van Halen? Hughes Says It Almost Happened
Glenn Hughes (from YouTube) Glenn Hughes says he almost became the lead singer of Van Halen. Hughes, who sang and played bass in Deep Purple from 1973-76, confirmed in a recent episode of The Classic Rock Podcast that Eddie Van Halen was seriously interested in hiring him as the new lead singer of Van Halen after the departure of David Lee Roth in … [Read more...]
Watch ‘Van Halen 1984 Documentary’ Trailer!
Attention Van Halen fans! There's a NEW Van Halen documentary about to be released! It's an unofficial, 5-Part Fan-Made Miniseries. The year 1984 was, arguably, Van Halen at its peak. The band's creativity and tensions reached an optimum balance — enough to keep the passion in the music but not enough yet to destroy the band. This 5-part fan-made miniseries is the result … [Read more...]
The Latest Episode Of The Roth Show: Attending The Birthday Of The Devil With The ‘MTV Lost Weekend’ Girl
David Lee Roth recounts the day he ran with the devil on his birthday with the 'MTV Lost Weekend" girl in the latest episode of The Roth Show. As you'll hear in Season 2 Episode 2 above, Roth ended up in a near two-year relationship with one of the girls who appeared in the promos for Van Halen's "MTV Lost Weekend" contest back in 1984. Based on his description, we can … [Read more...]
Listen To Eddie Van Halen & Cheech Marin Performing at 1985 Charity Gig
Super rare audio of Eddie Van Halen and Cheech Marin performing at a charity gig in 1985 has just surfaced! What you're hearing above is a cassette audience recording of Eddie and Cheech playing cover tunes billed as Van Hey Man! at a charity gig on May 12th, 1985 at the Firestone Fieldhouse at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. The event was to support MER or … [Read more...]
Jesse Harms Shares The Inside Stories On Working With Sammy Hagar & David Lee Roth In The 80s
Imagine working with both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth during the most turbulent time in Van Halen history. Jesse Harms doesn't have to imagine it. He lived it and oh, the stories he has to tell. Harms was a guest on the RetroZest podcast to talk about his stellar five-decade career, which included a stint as keyboardist and background vocalist for Sammy Hagar from … [Read more...]
Dutch Abstract Art, Pasadena Hot Rods & Punk Rock Guitars: The Origins Of Eddie’s Striped ‘Frankenstrat’ Design
Credit: Bill O'Leary Eddie Van Halen's classic red, black and white striped guitar affectionally named "Frankenstrat" may be the most recognizable instrument in music history. Rock journalist and author Greg Prato has shared an article he wrote for AllMusic with the Van Halen News Desk that digs deep into the origins of the guitar design. By Greg … [Read more...]