VAN HALEN

VAN HALEN
20 GREATEST TRAX

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

JUMP	David Lee Roth	1984	1	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth: lead vocals Eddie Van Halen: guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals Michael Anthony: bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen: drums Produced: Ted Templeman Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1983 W
WHEN IT'S LOVE	Sammy Hagar	1988	5	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar) Sammy Hagar - lead/backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, slide guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion, backing vocals Produced: Van Halen, Donn Landee Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU	Sammy Hagar	1995	30	VIDEO	[I] The song emerged after producer Bruce Fairbairn asked for a more pop-oriented song. Instead of searching for his archives, Eddie Van Halen decided to write new music from scratch. The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship. The song pays homage to Ray Charles' song "I Can't Stop Loving You", particularly in the line where Sammy Hagar sings "Hey Ray, what you said is true..." (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboard, background vocals Michael Anthony - bass, background vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion Produced: Bruce Fairbairn Engineered: Erwin Musper, Mike Plotnikof Mixed: Mike Fraser Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1994 (music); ..... Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, 1994 (vocals) W
AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK	David Lee Roth	1980	55	VIDEO	[P] (Michael Anthony, Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth - lead vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, electric piano, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Ted Templeman Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: Recorded at: Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Cal., USA W S
WHY CAN'T THIS BE LOVE	Sammy Hagar	1986	3	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion Produced: Mick Jones, Donn Landee, Van Halen Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
RUNNIN' WITH THE DEVIL	David Lee Roth	1978	84	VIDEO	[I] The song's lyrics have often been misinterpreted as being satanic, yet the members have never revealed the full meaning of the song. It is usually interpreted as being about the life of a touring young band. The song's verses deal with an individual's experience, including learning that a "simple" lifestyle is not as simple as it appears. The lyrics "Runnin' with the devil" are usually interpreted as being a reference to freedom. In the song freedom is portrayed as a lack of social ties and living in the present. The song's meaning has also been interpreted as being an attempt to convince a person that the theme of a simple life is not wrong as it appears. Therefore the lyrics of "Runnin' with the devil" would not be serious. (Wikipedia) [P] (Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen) David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Ted Templeman Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Cal., USA, 1977 W S
DREAMS	Sammy Hagar	1986	22	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion Produced: Mick Jones, Donn Landee, Van Halen Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
RIGHT NOW	Sammy Hagar	1992	55	VIDEO	[I] The song reflects on living for the moment and not being afraid of making a change. Vocalist Sammy Hagar has said that he was writing the lyrics to this song at the studio very late one night, and he heard Eddie Van Halen in an adjacent room working on a piano melody. Hagar said he suddenly realized that "we were writing the same song," so he walked into the room and began singing his words over Van Halen's music. (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead/rhythm/acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion, backing vocals Produced: Andy Johns, Ted Templeman, Van Halen Engineerd: Lee Herschberg, Andy Johns, Michael Scott Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY	David Lee Roth	1979	15	VIDEO	[I] Written on the spot in the studio, the song was inspired by a drunk woman who had sex with her boyfriend in the back parking lot of Walter Mitty's in full view of the band, then danced for hours in the front row of the club with her jeans put on backward. (Van Halen News Desk) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Ted Templeman Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Cal., USA W S V
FEELS SO GOOD	Sammy Hagar	1989	35	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar) Sammy Hagar - lead/backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, slide guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion, backing vocals Produced: Van Halen, Donn Landee Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W
HUMANS BEING	Sammy Hagar	1996	(1)	VIDEO	: "" () : "" () : "" () [I] In January 1996, as the band rested following the end of The Balance "Ambulance" Tour in November 1995, manager Ray Danniels suggested to Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex to write songs for the movie, Twister.[1] Singer Sammy Hagar was reluctant to work on the tracks as his pregnant wife Kari was expected to deliver their child in April, and he felt the Van Halens should fix their medical ailments "Humans Being", which was written with Alex as Sammy wrote a ballad with Eddie, "Between Us Two", was originally named by the singer as "The Silent Extreme" but Alex eventually gave it the new title. The song's lyrics proved a major source of contention.[2] Alex called the film's director, Jan De Bont, to ask him how closely he wanted the lyrics to be related to the movie's context, to which De Bont replied "Oh, please don't write about tornadoes. I don't want this to be a narrative for the movie." Hagar obliged, and then asked De Bont for some footage of Twister. Considering that film dealt with "the infatuation people have with fear and how it can suck you in", he decided to write lyrics about how "sometimes you're afraid to fall in love with a chick, but she sucks you in anyway." De Bont and Budd Carr also sent Hagar a folder with terms used by storm chasers as the singer felt he could add lyrics with terms such as "suck zone". The brothers still disliked Hagar's first lyrics ("Sky turning black/knuckles turning white/headed for the suck zone"), and he had to come up with new ones. Hagar wanted to record his vocals from Hawaii, where he and his wife had arranged for a natural delivery of the baby. The band refused, wanting him to work with them at Eddie's 5150 Studios in Los Angeles. After three trips to California, Hagar eventually decided to move with his wife back to his San Francisco home to keep her near. After the first recordings of both songs, Hagar was about to leave for Hawaii when Eddie announced that they wanted to ditch "Between Us Two" and instead extend "Humans Being". Hagar wrote two verses with producer Bruce Fairbairn and recorded them in about an hour and a half before departing for his flight. When a second track ended up being required, attempts to bring Sammy back and rework "Between Us Two" were unsuccessful, so Alex and Eddie instead recorded an instrumental titled "Respect the Wind". (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar) Sammy Hagar - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitars, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Bruce Fairbairn Engineerd: Erwin Musper Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
LOVE WALKS IN	Sammy Hagar	1986	22	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion Produced: Mick Jones, Donn Landee, Van Halen Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
I'LL WAIT	David Lee Roth	1984	13	VIDEO	[I] The song's subject was inspired by a woman wearing men's underwear in a Calvin Klein print media advertisement. Roth wrote the lyrics while the advertisement was tacked onto his Sony Trinitron television. ..... David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeman wanted to remove the song from the album, while Eddie Van Halen and Donn Landee wanted and pushed for its inclusion. (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald) David Lee Roth: vocals Eddie Van Halen: keyboards, guitar Alex Van Halen: drums Michael Anthony: bass guitar, backing vocals Produced: Ted Templeman Engineered: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1983 W
TOP OF THE WORLD	Sammy Hagar	1991	27	VIDEO	[I] The main guitar riff from "Top of the World" is actually carried over from the closing guitar background riff from 1984's "Jump". (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead/rhythm/acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion, backing vocals Steve Lukather - backing vocals Produced: Andy Johns, Ted Templeman, Van Halen Engineerd: Lee Herschberg, Andy Johns, Michael Scott Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W
PANAMA	David Lee Roth	1984	13	VIDEO	[I] The lyrics are about a stripper David Lee Roth met in Arizona. As he explained on The Howard Stern Show, the song came about after an interview Roth gave in the early '80s; the interviewer accused him of only writing lyrics about sex, drugs, and fast cars. Sometime either during or after the interview, Diamond Dave realized he'd never actually written a song about fast cars, so he started working on the lyrics to "Panama," which he later admitted in another interview that, as it turns out, he had been writing about a stripper he knew without realizing it. The finished lyrics were inspired by both the stripper and the car. (Songfacts) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth: lead vocals Eddie Van Halen: guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony: bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen: drums Produced: Ted Templeman Engineered: Donn Landee Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1983 W S
RUNAROUND	Sammy Hagar	1991	(1)	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead, backing vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead/rhythm/acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion, backing vocals Produced: Andy Johns, Ted Templeman, Van Halen Engineerd: Lee Herschberg, Andy Johns, Michael Scott Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA W
JAMIE'S CRYIN'	David Lee Roth	1978	--	VIDEO	[I] This song is about a girl who has a one-night stand and lives to regret it. She wants a deeper relationship and feels used by the guys who hit it and quit. She considers writing him a letter asking him to call, but she knows it will get her nowhere. (Songfacts) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Ted Templeman Engineerd: Donn Landee Recorded at: Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Cal., USA, 1977 S V
DON'T TELL ME (What Love Can Do)	Sammy Hagar	1995	(1)	VIDEO	[I] The song's main theme is about the power of universal love. The story about the suicide of Nirvana's frontman, Kurt Cobain, is also told in the song. The lyrics "Is it right to take the easy way" and ends with "I can't tell you what's right for you" with the bridge, repeated towards the end of the song, saying "I see the damage done, yeah/oh Lord, I heard the shotgun", references the story. Sammy Hagar says in his autobiography that he wanted the song to be uplifting, for the chorus to be 'I wanna show you what love can do', but that his relationship with the Van Halen brothers was becoming strained and that they were very critical of the lyrical treatment, wanting something with more attitude. Hagar says he believes that people in trouble can be saved, that Cobain could have been saved by the people around him, but that they must have just 'let him go for some reason'. He wanted the song to be about hope, not what it eventually became due to internal criticism. (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen) Sammy Hagar - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboard, background vocals Michael Anthony - bass, background vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion Produced: Bruce Fairbairn Engineered: Erwin Musper, Mike Plotnikof Mixed: Mike Fraser Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1994 (music); ..... Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, 1994 (vocals) W
TATTOO	David Lee Roth	2012	67	VIDEO	[I] The song's structure is based largely on a song entitled "Down in Flames," which was written in 1977 & played live by Van Halen during their "Club Days" as well as their 1st World Tour in 1978.[1] When the band decided to cover Clint Ballard Jr.'s song "You're No Good" for their second album, Van Halen II, they incorporated the intro from "Down in Flames" as the intro to their arrangement. A version of the song was worked on during the aborted 2001 reunion with Roth according to Ray Luzier. (Wikipedia) [P] (Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen) David Lee Roth - lead vocals, synthesizer Eddie Van Halen - guitar, backing vocals Wolfgang Van Halen - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Van Halen, John Shanks Engineerd: Martin Cooke Recorded at: Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA W S
SO THIS IS LOVE?	David Lee Roth	1981	110	VIDEO	[P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums Produced: Ted Templeman Engineerd: Donn Landee, Gene Meros Recorded at: Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Cal., USA W

FIVE GREATEST ALBUMS

STATE OF THE ARTIST

DISBANDED
Van Halen was one of the rare bands that had two equally successful runs with two lead singers. In most cases, when a new lead replaces the departed old, the band goes into steep decline. One reason was the superstardom of the band's leader Eddie Van Halen. Their luck ran out tho when Hagar left and replaced by a third lead. The band after the millennium would sporadically re-unite with Roth or Hagar over the next few years. It would be Roth at the mike on their final tour and final concert. Although nothing much happened after the end of the 2015 tour, they never really officially disbanded. This changed with the death of Eddie, October 6, 2020.
Setlist Final Concert, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California, USA, Oct. 4, 2015

THE ARTIST

From: Pasadena, California, U.S.A.	Artist Website
Years Active: 1978 - 2020	Wikipedia Bio
	Wikipedia Discography
Rock N Roll Hall of Fame: 2007	Utube Bio

2004: Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen

VAN HALEN 1978 - Present CLASSIC LINE-UP: Mark I / Mark II
Mark I 1974 - 1985 David Lee Roth - V,G Eddie Van Halen - G Michael Anthony - B Alex Van Halen - D	Mark II 1985 - 1996 Sammy Hagar - V,G Eddie Van Halen - G Michael Anthony - B Alex Van Halen** - D	Mark I 1996 David Lee Roth - V,G ++ Eddie Van Halen - G Michael Anthony - B Alex Van Halen - D	Mark III 1996 - 1999 Gary Cherone - V,G Eddie Van Halen - G Michael Anthony - B Alex Van Halen** - D
Mark II 2003 - 2005 Sammy Hagar - V,G ++ Eddie Van Halen - G Michael Anthony - B Alex Van Halen - D	Mark IV 2007 - 2020 David Lee Roth - V,G ++ Eddie Van Halen - G Wolfgang Van Halen - B Alex Van Halen** - D
EARLY MEMBERS: Mark Stone

RELATIONSHIPS

Eddie Van Halen / David Lee Roth
Eddie Van Halen / Sammy Hagar
There were two successful versions of Van Halen. For many the Roth version is the only great one, being the original one. They got along great until Roth got a big head and went solo. Eddie couned a phrase LSD (lead singer disease) over this. This usually spells the end of a bands success. But Van Halen is a rare example of a band maintaining it's success, after changing it's lead singer. The major reason for this may be because Hagar already had a successful solo career going. The fans lost with Roth's departure were replaced replaced by new Hagar fans that followed him to Van Halen. Eddie seemed to get paranoid that Hagar would follow Roth's path and want to leave to go solo again, even tho hagar constantly insisted he had no intention of returning to his solo career. A third lead singer was unsuccessful. Years later, strangely, Roth and Hagar toured together without Van Halen. Van Halen in later years has altered between Roth and Hagar. Waiting for the farewell tour with BOTH lead singers together. With the loss of Eddie, that will never happen.

HIDDEN GEM
HOT FOR TEACHER	.	1984	56	VIDEO	[Q] A song about being lustfully attracted to your teacher. (Songfacts) KILL ME [P] (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth) David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - lead/rhythm guitar Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion Produced: Ted Templeman Engineered: ?? Recorded at: 5150 Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1983 KILL ME W S

Mark I

Mark II

Mark I

Mark III

Mark II

Mark IV