Van Halen

• 1. Introduction

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  Van Halen, the American hard rock band, once earned 1.5 million dollars for a single 90-minute set at Steve Wozniak's 1983 US Festival. That fee put them into the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-paid single appearance by a band. Yet Warner touring manager Noel Monk and guitarist Doug Messenger both remembered the show as an artistic disaster. The singer, David Lee Roth, had been drinking so heavily that he forgot his lyrics.

  That gap between triumph and turmoil runs through the whole story of this group. How did two brothers who traded instruments as boys end up on a stage like that? Why did a band that sold albums by the millions keep changing its lead singer, and keep circling back to the old ones? And what could a bowl of candy, with one colour strictly forbidden, possibly reveal about a concert contract?

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• 2. Backyards to Warner

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  Alex Van Halen was born in Amsterdam in 1953, and his brother Eddie followed there in 1955. Their father, Jan, was a Dutch musician, and their mother, Eugenia Van Beers, was born in Indonesia. In 1962 the family moved to Pasadena, California. Eddie learned classical piano by ear and won an annual recital contest two or three years in a row, despite never mastering sheet music.

  In the 1960s the brothers first played together with Eddie on drums and Alex on guitar. Then Eddie took a newspaper route to pay off his drum set. While he was out delivering, Alex secretly taught himself to play those drums, and he got good. Out of frustration and brotherly rivalry, Eddie finally told him, "OK, you play drums and I'll play your guitar."

  Their first band, the Broken Combs, formed in 1964. Backyard parties and high school functions built a following. The name changed to the Trojan Rubber Co, and in 1972 to Genesis. A major-label British band already owned that name, so they became Mammoth. At that point Eddie handled both vocals and lead guitar, and a friend named Mark Stone played bass.

  The future singer arrived by way of a sound system. David Lee Roth, an Indiana-born transplant to Pasadena, rented one to the band for 10 dollars a night. He fronted a local rock group with a rhythm and blues flavour, the Red Ball Jets. Partly to save money, the brothers invited him to sing, even though his earlier auditions had not convinced them. His showman swagger balanced Eddie's reserved temperament and freed Eddie to concentrate on writing songs.

  In 1973 Mammoth became Van Halen. Roth says the name was his idea. He saw lasting identity and marketing advantages in it, as with Santana. The band played Pasadena, San Bernardino and Venice, at clubs, festivals, backyard parties and city parks, drawing up to 2,000 people. Traffic jams and noise complaints reached the police as far away as San Pedro. Members handed out flyers at local high schools, and that stubborn self-promotion won a loyal following.

  By 1974 Stone was unsure about a career in music, and the band replaced him. Michael Anthony Sobolewski, a music classmate of Eddie's at a Pasadena college, joined after an all-night jam session. He had sung and played bass in several less successful backyard bands in Arcadia, including one called Snake. A bandmate from Snake pushed him to take the chance, even though he hesitated.

  The Sunset Strip club Gazzarri's, where the Doors had broken through in the late 1960s, became the next stepping stone. Owner Bill Gazzarri had claimed the band was too loud. But new managers Mark Algorri and Mario Miranda took over the club's hiring and booked them through 1976. By the spring of 1975 they were the regular Tuesday night act at Myron's Ballroom.

  In the summer of 1976, Rodney Bingenheimer watched them at Gazzarri's and urged Gene Simmons of Kiss to come. Simmons produced a 29-track demo tape called Zero at Village Recorder studios in Los Angeles, with overdubs finished at Electric Lady Studios in New York. He also suggested renaming the band Daddy Longlegs. Kiss management, however, decided the group had no chance of making it.

  A different kind of attention came in mid-1977. Messenger, the guitarist who led Van Morrison's band, knew producer Ted Templeman wanted a guitar hero act. By his own count he placed four calls to Warner Records, or perhaps ten. On a horrendously rainy night, Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin and Templeman went to the Starwood in Hollywood.

  It was the band's first booking at that club, and the first time they hired their own roadies. Roth explained, "We wanted to come on with a little class and we couldn't be seen setting up our own stuff in Hollywood." Messenger claims the room held only a barmaid and himself until the two executives walked in. They were so impressed that they wrote a letter of intent on a napkin.

  Within a week the band met the Warner pair at a local diner, along with future manager Marshall Berle, nephew of comedian Milton Berle. Also present was Warner touring manager Noel Monk, who had just guided the Sex Pistols across the United States. Monk's book says the band's car broke down on the way. Rather than keep the executives waiting, the members ran the last several miles.

  The two-album contract favoured Warner heavily. It paid the band 70 cents per album sold. After their first tour as the opening act for Journey and Ronnie Montrose, they owed over 1 million dollars.

  They recorded the debut at Sunset Sound Recorders from mid-September to early October 1977. Guitar parts took one week and vocals two more. There was little overdubbing or multi-tracking, and the instrument set-up was very rudimentary. Minor mistakes stayed on the record on purpose, to keep it feeling live.

  Released in February 1978, the self-titled album reached No. 19 on the Billboard charts the following month. It carried "Runnin' with the Devil" and the guitar solo "Eruption," which showcased Eddie's finger-tapping technique. That solo led into the first single, a cover of "You Really Got Me." Nine more months of touring followed, opening for Black Sabbath. By 1996, eighteen years on, the album had sold over 10 million copies in the United States and earned a Diamond certification.

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• 3. The Brown M&M's Test

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  A bowl of M&M's in the dressing room, with every brown one removed, became Van Halen's most famous demand. The request sat in a separate area of the contract from the technical section, and manager Noel Monk and Roth both explained its purpose. The technical section verified a venue's power supply, security, structural details and weight distribution. A bowl present and free of brown candies suggested that everything else had been read carefully.

  If the bowl was missing, or brown M&M's appeared, management could send crew or the venue back to inspect the work. They could have it redone, or even cancel the night's production at the venue's expense. The source adds a caution. Different groups handle each part of show production, so the candy check and the technical work were not necessarily related.

  The joke escaped the paperwork. The band and venues began using the rider as a running gag for publicity. The complex technical demands of a Van Halen tour also changed how later pop tours wrote their own riders.

  One 1980 incident shows what happened when the request failed. At what is now Colorado State University Pueblo, the caterers refused to honour it. The band went on a rampage that included throwing food all over a dining area and what the source calls "unmentionable" acts in a nearby restroom. Even more damage came from the stage itself, whose weight wrecked the gymnasium's basketball floor.

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• 4. Two Weeks Per Album

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  Van Halen II took only two weeks in the studio in late 1978 and arrived in 1979, in a style similar to the debut. It produced the band's first hit single, "Dance the Night Away," which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. For the next four years the band toured non-stop and never spent more than two weeks recording an album.

  Women and Children First, released in 1980, produced "And the Cradle Will Rock..." and "Everybody Wants Some!!" For the first time an amplified Wurlitzer electric piano supported Eddie's guitar. Then came Fair Warning in 1981. Eddie wanted darker, more complex songs in minor keys, while Roth leaned toward pop. Roth and Templeman gave way, and Messenger recalled Eddie and engineer Don Landee re-recording the "Unchained" solo hours after Templeman stormed out of the studio. The album reached platinum only after 250,000 dollars of payola pushed sales nationwide up from 400,000 copies.

  Roth and Eddie then planned a cover single followed by a break. They chose a remake of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," which peaked at No. 12. Its comical video helped its success, although MTV banned it. Warner Bros. pressed hard, the break was cancelled, and Diver Down was squeezed out in two weeks. This time Roth's taste for pop covers won out, and with Eddie's synthesizer and guitar riffs the album charted much better.

  The tension spread to the rest of the band. Bassist Billy Sheehan, whose band Talas had toured with Van Halen, says Eddie approached him about replacing Michael Anthony. Nothing came of it, and Sheehan never learned why. Eddie also wrote the score and instrumental songs for the film The Wild Life. Its drum machine sounds hinted at the next two albums.

  The next album, 1984, came out on the 9th of January 1984. It was recorded at Eddie's newly built 5150 Studios, and it leaned on keyboards far more than earlier records. It went five-times platinum within a year. Its lead single, "Jump," had a synthesizer hook and anthemic lyrics inspired by news coverage of a suicidal jumper. It became the band's first and only No. 1 pop hit with Roth, and it earned a Grammy nomination. At the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, "Jump" won Best Stage Performance.

  "Panama" and "I'll Wait" both reached No. 13, and "Hot for Teacher" followed. Three of the songs had popular MTV videos. Critics praised the album, which peaked at No. 2 behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. That record included an Eddie guitar solo on "Beat It."

  After the 1984 Tour, Roth decided to quit and form a new band. Members gave different reasons, but all came down to control of the sound, direction, singles and pace. Roth worried about Eddie playing music outside the band. Meanwhile Roth's solo EP Crazy from the Heat produced a remake of the Beach Boys' "California Girls," which hit No. 3. A pairing of "Just a Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody" reached No. 12.

  Roth was also offered a 20-million-dollar film deal for a script titled Crazy from the Heat. A chance meeting won him a verbal commitment from Rodney Dangerfield. He hoped Van Halen would write the soundtrack. The deal collapsed when CBS Pictures was reorganized in 1986.

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• 5. The Hagar Years

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  Patty Smyth of Scandal was the first singer Eddie asked to replace Roth, and she declined. Daryl Hall was offered the job in 1985 and said no too. Hall later confirmed this to Sammy Hagar on a 2015 episode of Live from Daryl's House, recalling that he was approached after a Hall & Oates concert.

  Eddie met Hagar in 1985 through a shared car mechanic. Hagar had fronted the hard rock group Montrose and was a solo artist coming off a very successful year. His hit "I Can't Drive 55" came from his 1984 album VOA, produced by Ted Templeman, who had also produced all of Van Halen's albums so far. Hagar agreed to sing and to play rhythm guitar.

  When Mo Ostin visited 5150 Studios to hear progress, Hagar says the band played "Why Can't This Be Love" live, with Eddie on keyboards. Ostin declared, "I smell money." He was right. The 1986 album 5150 became the band's first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts. "Why Can't This Be Love" reached No. 3, while "Dreams" and "Love Walks In" broke the top 30.

  A new logo marked the new era. It kept elements of the original, but lines from each side of the letters VH wrapped around into a ring. The 5150 Tour crossed North America, and footage appeared on VHS and Laserdisc as Live Without a Net. The band played few songs from the earlier singer's era.

  All four studio albums of this period reached No. 1, and 17 singles reached the top 12 of the mainstream rock chart. "When It's Love," from the 1988 album OU812, peaked at No. 5. The band won the 1992 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal for For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The video for "Right Now" won three awards at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year.

  Two 1992 shows in Fresno, California, became the live album and film Right Here, Right Now. Night Ranger's Alan Fitzgerald played keyboards offstage each night so Eddie could concentrate on guitar. He returned to do so on the 2004-2007 and 2012 tours.

  In 1995 the band released Balance and supported Bon Jovi on a European summer stadium tour. The band nicknamed it the "Ambulance Tour." Hagar had throat problems early on, Eddie suffered a hip injury from avascular necrosis, and Alex wore a neck brace for ruptured vertebrae.

  The break came while the band recorded songs for the film Twister. Eddie, unhappy with Hagar's lyrics, retitled one song "Humans Being" and wrote the melody himself, which upset Hagar. For a second song, Hagar was in Hawaii for the birth of his child and opposed the project. So the brothers alone recorded the instrumental "Respect the Wind," with Eddie on guitar and Alex on keyboards. It was nominated at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

  Hagar left in June 1996. He says he was fired, and Eddie says he quit. A compilation album fed the conflict. New manager Ray Danniels, who replaced Ed Leffler and was Alex's former brother-in-law, backed it. Hagar would only accept a compilation of Roth-era songs, or as a third choice two volumes, one for each singer.

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• 6. The Revolving Microphone

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  On the 4th of September 1996 the four original members appeared together at the MTV Video Music Awards. It was their first public appearance together in over eleven years. It began with a phone call. Roth rang Eddie to talk about tracks for the planned compilation, they got along well, and Eddie invited him to his house and studio. Soon Roth was recording with the band and producer Glen Ballard. Two of those songs were added to Best Of - Volume I and released as singles.

  The band presented an award to Beck at the ceremony, and the compilation rose to No. 1. Unknown to Roth, Eddie and Alex were still auditioning other singers, including Mitch Malloy. Several weeks later Roth was out again. He said the band had misled him into thinking they were seriously considering a return. The next day the brothers and Anthony issued their own statement, denying that they had led him on.

  Eddie later said he was embarrassed and outraged by Roth's antics on camera behind Beck as he gave his speech. At a backstage press conference, Eddie answered questions about a reunion tour by saying he needed a hip replacement and a new studio album first. Roth told Eddie not to mention negative things like his hip. The two nearly came to blows.

  The next singer was Gary Cherone, former frontman of the Boston-based band Extreme. The result was Van Halen III, with longer, more experimental songs and more ballads than usual. On "How Many Say I," Eddie sang lead. The album peaked at No. 4 but only reached Gold certification, poor by the band's standards. "Without You" was a hit, and "Fire in the Hole" appeared on the Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack.

  The III Tour took the band to countries they had never played, including their first visits to Australia and New Zealand. In 1998 "Without You" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. It was their 13th song to do so, making them the band with the most such chart-toppers.

  In early 1999 they started on a follow-up with producer Danny Kortchmar. Working titles included "Left for Dead," "River Wide," "Say Uncle" and "Love Divine." More than 20 songs were rumoured to exist. The project never came out. Cherone left amicably in November 1999, citing musical differences and personal issues. Touring with him had disappointed on attendance, and Eddie later admitted that Warner Bros. had forced his hand.

  From 2000 to early 2004 the band made no statements and released no music. Cherone set "Left for Dead" to a new arrangement with his next band, Tribe of Judah. David Coverdale denied rumours that he was a candidate, saying, "I called a mutual friend and said, 'Tell Eddie I had nothing to do with this.'"

  In 2000 the band briefly reunited with Roth to attempt an album, but disputes ended the plan. Demos from that effort were later reworked into songs on 2012's A Different Kind of Truth. In 2001 the band entered early talks with Ozzy Osbourne about singing. Negotiations ended because of the production schedule of The Osbournes.

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• 7. Reunions and Rehab

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  In the summer of 2002, Roth and Hagar toured together as co-headliners. Roth contrasted himself with his rival: "He's the kind of guy you go out with to split a bottle with a friend. I'm the kind of guy you go out with if you want to split your friend with a bottle." The tour drew large crowds with no opening acts, the two singers alternating as the first act. Backstage video later supported rumours of bitterness, showing the two camps kept strictly apart. Hagar teased Anthony onstage by asking, "Do the brothers know you're here?"

  Anthony kept pushing Hagar toward a reunion, until Hagar called Alex and the two spent a day together. They got along and agreed to try returning to the stage. In July 2004 the band released The Best of Both Worlds, a double CD with three new songs with Hagar. Anthony says Eddie did not want him involved, and he joined only because Hagar insisted. Eddie had already recorded the bass parts, and Anthony added backing vocals. The album was certified platinum in August 2004.

  The summer 2004 tour grossed almost 55 million dollars, and Pollstar placed it among the top 10 tours of the year. Reviews were mixed. Eddie's son Wolfgang sometimes joined his father onstage for "316," a song named for Wolfgang's birth on the 16th of March. Later in the tour, stories surfaced of Eddie drunk, along with fan video of poor playing. At the final show in Tucson, Eddie smashed one of his guitars. Hagar said he was "done with Van Halen."

  By 2006 Wolfgang had replaced Anthony on bass. Anthony told the Japanese magazine Burrn! that he had agreed to reduced royalties and to cut all use of the band's name. Eddie confirmed the change in a live interview with Howard Stern on the 8th of September 2006. Asked about Anthony's new tour with Hagar, Eddie said Anthony could "do what he wants," which shocked many fans.

  In January 2007 the band entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Only Hagar and Anthony attended. Eddie was in rehab, and Alex stayed away with him. Roth skipped it too. Velvet Revolver were set to play "You Really Got Me" with him, but he wanted "Jump," which they had not rehearsed. Anthony and Hagar performed "Why Can't This Be Love" with Paul Shaffer.

  The reunion with Roth finally began on the 27th of September 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dates were postponed amid rumours of Eddie returning to rehab, and a report mentioned a furious backstage bust-up in Florida with 17-year-old Wolfgang. The tour resumed in Reno on the 17th of April 2008. It ended on the 2nd of June 2008 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the arena sign was altered to read "VAN HALEN ARENA." That reunion became the highest-grossing tour in the band's history, at almost 93 million dollars. A month later they headlined the Quebec City Summer Festival in front of 85,000 people.

  The tour had one more stumble. The redesigned website erased Anthony from old album artwork. The covers were restored a day later without comment. Wolfgang said in 2020 that the marketing team had done it without the band's consent.

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• 8. A Different Kind of Truth

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  On the 17th of January 2011, Van Halen entered Henson Studio C with producer John Shanks. Guitarist Mark Tremonti claimed that Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang performed the whole album live for him at 5150 Studios. In July 2011 producer Ross Hogarth said the record was fully recorded. Mixing finished in mid-August.

  On the 5th of January 2012 the band played an intimate show at New York's Cafe Wha?, which drew widespread praise. The single "Tattoo" debuted at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. A Different Kind of Truth came out on the 7th of February 2012. It was the first studio album since 1998 and the first with Wolfgang on bass. It was also the first full-length album with Roth in over 27 years.

  Despite the long gap, the album sold 188,000 copies in its first six days and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. In the United Kingdom it became the band's highest-charting album, debuting at No. 6. The tour averaged about 150 dollars a ticket and nearly sold out in the United States. Kool and the Gang opened the first two legs. After a show on the 26th of June in New Orleans, the remaining dates were postponed and then cancelled.

  In 2013 the band played its first show outside North America since 1984, at the Stone Festival in Sydney. Dates in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka followed, and the 2013 Tokyo Dome show became the live album Tokyo Dome Live in Concert in 2015. A planned collaboration with Chris Cornell to write songs ended when the singer died.

  On the 30th of September 2019, Roth said, "I think Van Halen is finished." Hagar disagreed in May 2020: "Until Ed or Alex Van Halen die, they're not finished." Eddie, diagnosed with cancer in 2001, died of the disease on the 6th of October 2020. Original bassist Mark Stone had died of cancer ten days earlier.

  In a November 2020 interview, Wolfgang confirmed the band had ended: "You can't have Van Halen without Eddie Van Halen." He added that the band had considered a "kitchen-sink" reunion tour with Hagar, Anthony and Cherone before Eddie's illness. By then the numbers were large. The band had sold 56 million albums in the United States and more than 80 million worldwide. It ranked 20th on the RIAA's list of best-selling artists and held a record 13 No. 1 hits on the Mainstream Rock chart.

  In late 2024 Alex announced he was sorting through the band's backlog of unreleased songs as a tribute to his brother. He said the music would stay in the vault until he and Wolfgang knew how and why to release it. He estimated enough for three to four complete albums. He has also considered using artificial intelligence to imitate his brother's guitar style, and he named Robert Plant as the singer he would like to hire. He also plans a biopic about the band's formation.

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