Trevor Rabin says he could have produced a Van Halen album in the 80s but declined the offer due to commitments with his band Yes. In a recent episode of the Paltrocast, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was asked by host Darren Paltrowitz if he has ever worked with a member of Van Halen. "They asked me to produce them years ago when Sammy [Hagar] was in the band," … [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...]
Former Van Halen Drum Tech Says Band Filmed Shows With Multi-Cameras [VIDEO]
On The Jeremy White Show, John Douglas - former Alex Van Halen drum tech and current drummer of Aerosmith - revealed that Van Halen did, in fact, record video of several shows with multiple cameras during his time with the band from 1997 to 2015. Douglas referred to the multi-cam pro-shot videos, along with accompanying multitrack audio, as a "treasure trove" of material. When … [Read more...]
Donn Landee Takes Us ‘Behind the Boards’ of Van Halen’s Legendary First Album Recording
Van Halen engineer Donn Landee's first interview in decades! Renowned engineer Donn Landee recently shared some "behind the boards" stories about the recording of Van Halen's classic first album at Hollywood's Sunset Sound Studios in 1978, in a conversation with author Greg Renoff. Below is an excerpt from part one of Renoff's two-part interview posted to the Tape Op … [Read more...]
Joe Perry Pays Tribute: Eddie Van Halen Among The Guitarists Who Influenced His Sound
Credit: Neil Zlozower Joe Perry named Eddie Van Halen among the eight guitarists who helped shape his sound. The Aerosmith guitarist recently shared his list of influences with Guitar World and had this to say about Eddie: If you listen to Eddie's playing, it's just so inspiring, you know? When Van Halen's first album [Van Halen] came out, Eddie really opened things … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar Opens Up In Candid Post-Van Halen Interview From 1997 [AUDIO]
A never-published interview with Sammy Hagar from 1997 has been posted by The Tapes Archive. This wasn't the best of times in Van Halen history. Hagar had a well-publicized falling out with Eddie and Alex Van Halen the year before; this after a decade fronting Van Halen. In this interview, he candidly gave his side of the story regarding the breakup, how he still looked … [Read more...]
Desmond Child Reveals How David Lee Roth Blocked Him From Writing Songs For Van Halen
Photo by Neil Zlozower For nearly three decades, songwriter/producer Desmond Child has reigned as one of music's most successful hitmakers for the biggest bands like Bon Jovi, KISS, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Ratt, and Joan Jett. According to Child, Van Halen could have been another band on his resume, but David Lee Roth prevented that from happening. Child, a recent guest … [Read more...]
How Wolfgang Van Halen Is Honoring Late Dad Eddie on New Album [VIDEO]
Wolfgang Van Halen recently appeared on “Extra" to promote the latest Mammoth WVH album Mammoth II, which includes the track "Take A Bow". As Wolfgang explains in the video above, it has a special connection to his late dad Eddie. Wolfgang also talks about his appearance on the soundtrack to the hit film Barbie, his current tour, and his upcoming wedding. … [Read more...]
Unearthed 1995 Interview With Alex Van Halen Offers Insight Into Van Halen Past, Present & Future Expectations [AUDIO]
The Tapes Archives channel has unearthed another hidden gem - an exclusive audio interview with Alex Van Halen from 1995. The interview (above) was conducted by Canadian music journalist and author Steve Newton as Van Halen was preparing to perform in British Columbia, Canada. Alex talks about growing up and playing with his brother Eddie, the drummers he was a fan of early … [Read more...]
Andy Summers On Eddie Van Halen’s Unmatched Genius: ‘Nobody Did It Better Than Him’
Police guitarist Andy Summers says Eddie Van Halen was heavily copied but never duplicated. "I do think Eddie Van Halen was a great player. Wonderful. So musical. An absolutely one-off," Summers said during a recent appearance on Johnny Beane TV. "I never saw [Van Halen perform] but, of course, I was aware of [Eddie's] playing as they surfaced early on. Summers … [Read more...]
Wolfgang On The Possibility Of Alex Van Halen Playing Live Again: ‘I Don’t Know If He Really Has That Desire As Long As My Dad’s Not Here’
Credit: Neil Zlozower The prospect of Alex Van Halen performing live without his brother is slim, according to Wolfgang Van Halen. During a recent Q&A interview with AllMusic's Greg Prato, Wolfgang addressed the current status of Alex and the possibility of future releases from the Van Halen vaults. Prato shared the excerpt below with the VHND: AllMusic: Alex … [Read more...]