New Van Halen podcast with special guest, Greg Renoff

**Brian Elliott** · 11.15.19, 02:28 PM

https://www.hardcopy.ie/the-beta-pod...r-greg-renoff/

I recently recorded a podcast with Van Halen Rising author Greg Renoff about all things Van Halen, but including the differing personalities in the band, the influence of Ted Templeman and Donn Landee, and why the band has been so woefully mean with archive releases.

You can listen by searching your favourite podcast app for The Beta Pod, or by listening through Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0KP...R2uQdopvuRtdaQ

I hope everyone enjoys it!

**Jeff Hausman** · 11.16.19, 11:11 AM

Very cool. Plan on listening to this soon!

**Brian Elliott** · 11.21.19, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Jeff Hausman

Very cool. Plan on listening to this soon!

Thank you, Jeff!

**bklynboy68** · 11.21.19, 08:35 AM

I enjoyed it! I hope you do more of these types of interviews in the future.

**ED-A-HOLIC** · 11.21.19, 11:10 AM

really cool

**snowdog** · 11.21.19, 11:28 AM

I haven't had a chance to listen yet, can someone please give me a summary version of this part:

"and why the band has been so woefully mean with archive releases."

**belikemike** · 11.21.19, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by snowdog

I haven't had a chance to listen yet, can someone please give me a summary version of this part:

"and why the band has been so woefully mean with archive releases."

Just listened. Basically what he said in a nutshell was he was 100% certain there were things they could release, but he speculates the band doesn’t really have a financial reason to do it and also doesn’t seem to have the will or care about bolstering/preserving the legacy of Van Halen.

He also offered his opinion on the Hagar relationship, speculating it was the Cabo Wabo deal that is the real sticking point between Ed/Al and Sam. Them feeling like they got taken to the cleaners when Hagar bought it, and then spent so much effort building the brand and selling the tequila for $100 million (or whatever figure). It was speculation, but i could definitely see the VH camp being pissed about how that deal turned out in the long run.

One more interesting take, at least to me, is Renoff speculating Ed doesn’t feel anybody wants to hear him play music outside of a VH with either Dave or Sam. Basically that Ed/Al feel like prisoners to VH. The interviewer speculated Ed had been convinced the fans wanted Dave or nothing. Renoff seemed to leave it open to Dave, or Sam, or nothing. Both seemed to believe Azoff has surely proposed a Sam reunion to the brothers, but it’s pretty obvious Sam is persona non grata in that universe.

Was an interesting listen.

**snowdog** · 11.22.19, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by belikemike

Just listened. Basically what he said in a nutshell was he was 100% certain there were things they could release, but he speculates the band doesn’t really have a financial reason to do it and also doesn’t seem to have the will or care about bolstering/preserving the legacy of Van Halen.

He also offered his opinion on the Hagar relationship, speculating it was the Cabo Wabo deal that is the real sticking point between Ed/Al and Sam. Them feeling like they got taken to the cleaners when Hagar bought it, and then spent so much effort building the brand and selling the tequila for $100 million (or whatever figure). It was speculation, but i could definitely see the VH camp being pissed about how that deal turned out in the long run.

One more interesting take, at least to me, is Renoff speculating Ed doesn’t feel anybody wants to hear him play music outside of a VH with either Dave or Sam. Basically that Ed/Al feel like prisoners to VH. The interviewer speculated Ed had been convinced the fans wanted Dave or nothing. Renoff seemed to leave it open to Dave, or Sam, or nothing. Both seemed to believe Azoff has surely proposed a Sam reunion to the brothers, but it’s pretty obvious Sam is persona non grata in that universe.

Was an interesting listen.

Thanks so much! I've been super busy this week but have been curious about this and I really appreciate you summarizing it. I'm going to try to listen to it myself this weekend.

**Bad to the Bone** · 11.22.19, 06:42 AM

the whole "ed and al are pissed at sam over the cabo wabo" is to me so silly. when Ed, Al and Mike bailed on it until the time Sam left VH it wasn't this huge money making machine. Sam developed the tequila, Sam worked hard on building the brand but if it had stayed Van Halen's Cabo Wabo Cantina an Van Halen's Cabo Wabo Tequila it would have been even bigger and they would have made more money off of selling Tequila had Van Halen stayed involved. if you deny that you're nuts. Sam is not an idiot, I'm sure from a business standpoint he would know the name "Van Halen" carries a lot more weight that the name "Sammy Hagar"

**VH1986** · 11.22.19, 06:26 PM

Sammy Hagar did not screw the brothers on the Cabo Wabo deal. There was a cash call to keep the business afloat and the brothers did not want to answer the bell, so Sam offered to buy them out. It was my understanding that one of the brothers hated the place. The tequila didn't even start until 1996. The brothers were/are poor businessmen. They should be pissed at themselves, not Sammy.

**belikemike** · 11.22.19, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by VH1986

Sammy Hagar did not screw the brothers on the Cabo Wabo deal. There was a cash call to keep the business afloat and the brothers did not want to answer the bell, so Sam offered to buy them out. It was my understanding that one of the brothers hated the place. The tequila didn't even start until 1996. The brothers were/are poor businessmen. They should be pissed at themselves, not Sammy.

Nobody on the show insinuated anything nefarious about the Cabo Wabo deal. I know plenty of people who make decisions that don’t work out and they blame that bad decision on other people. From what we know of the deal (what’s been made public), I’m guessing the brothers are doing exactly this. We know they didn’t want Hagar mentioning or promoting Cabo Wabo in any way on the 2004 tour. So it’s probably not a stretch to think they are pissed about the deal, no matter if it’s rational or reasonable.

**Get The Show On The Road** · 11.22.19, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by belikemike

Just listened. Basically what he said in a nutshell was he was 100% certain there were things they could release, but he speculates the band doesn’t really have a financial reason to do it and also doesn’t seem to have the will or care about bolstering/preserving the legacy of Van Halen.

He also offered his opinion on the Hagar relationship, speculating it was the Cabo Wabo deal that is the real sticking point between Ed/Al and Sam. Them feeling like they got taken to the cleaners when Hagar bought it, and then spent so much effort building the brand and selling the tequila for $100 million (or whatever figure). It was speculation, but i could definitely see the VH camp being pissed about how that deal turned out in the long run.

One more interesting take, at least to me, is Renoff speculating Ed doesn’t feel anybody wants to hear him play music outside of a VH with either Dave or Sam. Basically that Ed/Al feel like prisoners to VH. The interviewer speculated Ed had been convinced the fans wanted Dave or nothing. Renoff seemed to leave it open to Dave, or Sam, or nothing. Both seemed to believe Azoff has surely proposed a Sam reunion to the brothers, but it’s pretty obvious Sam is persona non grata in that universe.

Was an interesting listen.

I don't think this is far fetched at all.

Just look at what most people on this site say. If its not with Dave and Mike then they want it with Sam and Mike.

I would love to see a club tour with Ed, Al, and Wolf, but I know I'm in the minority and because of this it will never happen.

I am a fan of Van Halen because of Ed and Al. I like Mike, Wolf, Sam, and Dave to a point but none of them are deal breakers to me.

Ed and Al could go out with a new bass player and singer and I'm going to go because that is the core of Van Halen music that I care about the other parts are secondary.

**belikemike** · 11.22.19, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by Get The Show On The Road

I don't think this is far fetched at all.

Just look at what most people on this site say. If its not with Dave and Mike then they want it with Sam and Mike.

I would love to see a club tour with Ed, Al, and Wolf, but I know I'm in the minority and because of this it will never happen.

I am a fan of Van Halen because of Ed and Al. I like Mike, Wolf, Sam, and Dave to a point but none of them are deal breakers to me.

Ed and Al could go out with a new bass player and singer and I'm going to go because that is the core of Van Halen music that I care about the other parts are secondary.

I don’t think it’s far fetched at all either. But my take is a bit different on this point.

Ed, Al, and Wolf could do a club tour if they wanted. They could add a new singer and would probably be stuck playing smaller joints. I don’t think Ed (or maybe Ed and Al) wants to do that. Have no idea if that’s money driven, or ego, or whatever. If Ed believes he “needs” to have Dave, or Dave or Sam to tour, that’s his own expectation he’s setting on crowd size, or outcome of the tour.

I’ve always suspected the real reason Cherone was let go was the fact that album sales for III were lackluster, as was that tour’s attendance. And as much as Eddie says he doesn’t want to be rock star, or doesn’t care, I don’t think that’s true. My gut tells me his ego will not allow a club tour, or something that people view as “less” than Dave or Sam fronting VH from a commercial standpoint.

**Get The Show On The Road** · 11.23.19, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by belikemike

I don’t think it’s far fetched at all either. But my take is a bit different on this point.

Ed, Al, and Wolf could do a club tour if they wanted. They could add a new singer and would probably be stuck playing smaller joints. I don’t think Ed (or maybe Ed and Al) wants to do that. Have no idea if that’s money driven, or ego, or whatever. If Ed believes he “needs” to have Dave, or Dave or Sam to tour, that’s his own expectation he’s setting on crowd size, or outcome of the tour.

I’ve always suspected the real reason Cherone was let go was the fact that album sales for III were lackluster, as was that tour’s attendance. And as much as Eddie says he doesn’t want to be rock star, or doesn’t care, I don’t think that’s true. My gut tells me his ego will not allow a club tour, or something that people view as “less” than Dave or Sam fronting VH from a commercial standpoint.

I think there's truth to this.

It's probably tough to go back to 1500 people crowds when you're used to sold out arenas. Add in Ed's health and it's probably just not worth it to him.

**RRvh1** · 11.23.19, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Get The Show On The Road

I don't think this is far fetched at all.

Just look at what most people on this site say. If its not with Dave and Mike then they want it with Sam and Mike.

I would love to see a club tour with Ed, Al, and Wolf, but I know I'm in the minority and because of this it will never happen.

I am a fan of Van Halen because of Ed and Al. I like Mike, Wolf, Sam, and Dave to a point but none of them are deal breakers to me.

Ed and Al could go out with a new bass player and singer and I'm going to go because that is the core of Van Halen music that I care about the other parts are secondary.

I hope you're prepared for the "You don't get the band and never did!", "VH is the sum of its parts, not just about Eddie!", "How can you dismiss Dave, and use Sammy's name in the same sentence?" whining trolls!

Yet yeah... An old EVH quote : "I still look at Alex and me as the real Van Halen. There could always be a band without Dave, and I write all the music..."

Cue the Army 'Tards.