Van Halen Fan Site
This is a fan page ran by Ed And Travis. There is also a David Lee Roth fan page run by us..which we also recommend. Van Halen began while brothers Edward and Alex Van Halen were showing an interest in the rising rock scene in 1971. The dutch boys resided in Pasadena California. Originally though, it was Eddie on drums an Alex guitar, but eventually they switched. Van Halen really began in 1972 as Mammoth, with Mark Stone on Bass. A couple years passed by. The band eventually hired a flamboyant David Lee Roth to do vocals, because Eddie was struggling as vocalist..so he just did guitars on the long run. This also happened because the band were renting a PA system from Roth, which really cost them quite a bundle of cash. Mark Stone showed a falling interest in the group because he wanted to lead a regular life. Michael Anthony was hired in 1974, which hurt Stone weeks afterward. Insisting the band change their name, Roth chose the name "Van Halen" for the band, just because it sounded so cool. The next three years were spent playing gigs in the Pasadena music scene, where Van Halen were local heroes.
Warner Bros. discovered Van Halen in 1977, and the band were signed on. 1978's groundbreaking "Van Halen" was obviously a masterpiece. It included the mind melter "Eruption" which really blew anyone who heard it away. Other hits included "Runnin' With The Devil", Kinks 1964 classic cover of "You Really Got Me", the radio friendly "Jamie's Cryin", and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" The next year in 1979, "Van Halen II" is released, and it kept everything going smoothly. "Dance The Night Away" was a top-20 smash, followed by "Beautiful Girls". The album also included "Spanish Fly", the acoustic answer to "Eruption", and "Somebody Get Me A Doctor". Van Halen had their first headlining tour that same year, the "World Vacation Tour." With the third album, things went a bit more acoustic..but the hard rock didn't leave yet. "Women And Children First" is released in 1980, which included "And The Cradle Will Rock" and "Everybody Wants Some". The Invasion Tour was launched and ran for the whole year. Van Halen at their darkest release the very heavy "Fair Warning" in 1981. The album failed to have an obvious radio hit, but had minor hits such as "Unchained", "So This Is Love" and "Mean Steet". The Fair Warning Tour followed, and bandmember tensions began to emerge. The Band record "Oh, Pretty Woman" in 1982" and unexpectedly, Warner Bros. issue it as a single. The exhausted band hit the studio to make another album, "Diver Down", which was finished a week and a half later. The album came out in 1982, but went in a smoother direction, unlike its four older sisters. "Dancing In The Street", a motown gem from Martha and The Vandellas" goes on the radio. The Hide Your Sheep Tour Follows that, and the US Festival in 1983. Van Halen were soaring higher than they were ever before as "1984" was released. Recorded in Eddie's all new 5150 studio, it was the first new Van Halen album."Jump" was their first #1 hit, which was followed by "Panama", "I'll Wait", and "Hot For Teacher". Despite success of "1984", bandmember tensions came to a breaking point after the 1984 Tour, and in April 1st 1985, David Lee Roth exits Van Halen, the darkest moment of that year. Roth goes solo. Recruiting new Singer/Rhythm Guitarist Sammy Hagar, the momentum stayed right where it was. The Seventh Van Halen album, and the first with Sammy Hagar, "5150" Is released in 1986. The album happened to be Van Halen's first number 1 album. "Why Can't This Be Love?", "Dreams", "Best Of Both Worlds", and "Love Walks In" were what made 5150 good. The band enter the Hagar era touring on the 5150 tour, but many Dave era tracks were put to rest making room for many Sammy Hagar solo tracks and a couple of covers.Only 3 or 4 Dave tracks appeared each night. They release a new live video, "Live Without A Net" in 1986, shot in New Haven, Connecticut...and they renamed the city "New Halen" for the night. Another album came in 1988, the experimental "OU812". The album seems quite mystic, having hits such as "When It's Love", Finish What Ya Started", "Feels So Good", and "Black And Blue". Eddie was very unhappy with the final mixing of the album and tells Guitar World Magazine that "Sonically, it sounds like poop". After the OU812 Tour ended, VH takes a little time off. In 1991, the ninth Van Halen album, "For Unlawful Knowledge" still had Van Halen soaring thirteen years into the game. Eddie pulled off a very unusual powerdrill opening riff to "Poundcake" and then "Right Now" became a huge hit. "Runaround" and "Top Of The World" soon followed. Van Halen were nominated for two grammys in 1991 winning grammys for best hard rock performance and vocal award. The band start the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour in 1991/92 and record two California Shows, which were back to back nights in 91, they were released onto the two CD set, "Live: Right Here, Right Now" in 1993. It also became a home video which had a different tracklisting. Tensions between Eddie and Sammy were starting to emerge during the recording sessions for "Balance" in 1994. The album came in January 1995, made by a band out of Balance. The album included the love songs "Can't Stop Lovin' You", and "Not Enough", while "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" was kind of like an ode to heroin. The album was recieved well, and the band tour again for the Balance "Ambulance" Tour in 1995, and recorded the Toronto Show, which never made its way to home video. The song "Humans Being" was recorded for the "Twister" soundtrack in 1996, and then Sammy Hagar leaves Van Halen on Father's Day 1996, due to disagreements in songwriting. Mitch Malloy was meant to be the third singer, but left when he discovered VH was working with Dave again. "Best Of Van Halen" is released in 1996, featuring "Me Wise Magic" and "Can't Get This Stuff No More". Dave and VH appeared on the MTV Video awards to a standing ovation in 1996, but Dave was fired after the appearence. Gary Cherone became the permanent singer in late 1996 and finally release his debut VH album, "Van Halen III" in 1998. The album recieved mixed reviews, and failed to go platinum. It had minor hits such as "Without You" and "Fire In The Hole", and the supporting "III" Tour was poorly attended. Cherone did try to take a second shot with Van Halen, and they were trying a second Cherone album, which was going to be titled "Love Again" and be released in 2000. Gary, however left Van Halen In November 1999, before the album finished. remaining good friends with the rest of Van Halen, he formed the band "Tribe Of Judah and release one CD. From 2000 to 2004, Van Halen were in an extended hiatus which had many on and off Dave reunions in 2000 and 2001. Finally reforming in 2004, the band re-hired Sammy Hagar for a reunion Tour, and release a new 2-disc Greatest Hits compilation, "The Best Of Both Worlds". It included 3 new tracks, "It's About Time, "Up For Breakfast", and "Learning To See", which did not have Mikey playing bass at all. It also includes a new version of "Finish What Ya Started", which just cuts out at the end, unlike the fadeout on the OU812 version. One problem with the album is, at the end of disc two, the 3 live tracks included were from "Live: Right Here, Right Now", were all Dave-era tracks sung by Sammy. The reunion Tour was a success, but also had dark moments. One can remember the night at the United Center in Chicago, when Eddie layed onto the floor in the middle of his "Eruption" solo and saying to the audience in a slurred voice, "I'm sorry folks, I done run outta gas". He got back up several seconds later and finished. Another breakup ensued at the end of the tour, Sammy went back to his solo band stating he was "finished with Van Halen", and Micheal Anthony was officially exited from the band in 2006. Eddie's 16 year-old son Wolfgang takes over on bass, and David Lee Roth officially rejoined the Van Halen camp in 2007 for a summer reunion tour, which was then shut down due to Eddie checking into rehab. VH was inducted into the rock-n-roll hall of fame on March 12, 2007. Sammy and Mike were the only members to show up. Despite the lack of success from the "III" era, Anthony thanked Cherone for his contributions to VH. In July, reunion tour plans were revived and VH hit the road again in late September 2007, and toured until the schedules stopped June 2008. Nearing the end of the tour, the tour was extended well into 2008 due to fan demand. Also, the tour was postponed during the '08 half over brief issues erupting within the band, which healed quickly. There is much more to be said as Van Halen are thinking of releasing a new album in 2008, and more worldwide touring is set to follow...
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