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...]
Van Halen News
Van Halen Dominates Charts In Five U.S. States, Claims Top Spot As Most Popular Band
Credit: Neil Zlozower Have you Googled Van Halen lately? You're not alone. Van Halen is the most searched-for classic rock band in five U.S. states, according to recent data study. The life insurance company Sell Easy analyzed Google Trends search data of 70 iconic rock bands at their peak pre-1990 to determine the most popular classic rock band in every … [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...]
Unearthed Treasure: Van Halen Brothers Cover Of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ From 1972 [AUDIO]
In a new recording with surfaced on YouTube, listeners can hear Eddie and Alex Van Halen alongside bassist Mark Stone performing Black Sabbath's iconic track, "War Pigs", way back in 1972. 17-year-old Eddie Van Halen, brother Alex, and Mark Stone cover Black Sabbath's classic War Pigs, aka Walpurgis. Possibly recorded at the club Gas Company in Pasadena, California, in 1972. … [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...]
‘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...]
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...]
Dave Grohl, Gregg Bissonette & Chevy Metal Pay Homage with Electric Cover of Van Halen’s ‘Jamie’s Cryin’ [VIDEO]
Dave Grohl and David Lee Roth drummer Gregg Bissonette paid tribute to Van Halen at Rock & Roll Pizza in Simi Valley, California recently. Check out the video above featuring Grohl, and Bisonnette joining the band Chevy Metal performing "Jamie's Cryin'". Chevy Metal was formed by Grohl's long-time Foo Fighters bandmate Taylor Hawkins in 2013. Hawkins would routinely gig … [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...]
Unearthed Footage: Van Halen Castle Donington 1984! (UPDATED 2X)
Updated Aug 22nd: The original video has been pulled from YouTube. A new one popped up, embedded above. This is the most significant and important newly-unearthed Van Halen footage in many years. PURE GOLD. A truly Holy Grail gem. Watch a nearly-complete PRO SHOT concert from 1984, embedded above. Enjoy!! About this footage: This single-camera, … [Read more...]
Flashback To 1989: Eddie Van Halen & Michael Anthony ‘OU812’ Interview [AUDIO]
The Tapes Archive YouTube Channel is taking us back to 1989 for an Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony interview. That's followed by a special surprise - A 1985 interview with Eddie. From The Tapes Archive: In this episode, we have Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony. At the time of this interview in 1989, Van Halen was in Japan promoting their OU812 tour and record.. In … [Read more...]