Would Leffler have let Sammy do "Unboxed"?

Dont disturb my Paradise · 10.30.09, 05:23 AM

I was thinking this today. Seeing that Sammy did "Unboxed" just to pay off his divorce from Betsy. What would've happened if Ed Leffler was still alive. Sammy would've still had to pay off his divorce. Theres no way Ed Leffler would've let Sammy do "Unboxed", only if...say Eddie VH was involved, like playing bass again for him. Leffler was their safety net, and he was great with his decisions. I just could'nt see "Unboxed" being released early in '94.

SLEEPER5150 · 10.30.09, 07:11 AM

I don't know.....Although it was an important move for Sam in terms of his divorce, he was apparently still contractually obligated to produce another album, weather it be an album with all new material, or a greatest hits, as it ended up being. I think Leffler would probably allow it to happen, as breaking the contract, it would cost waaaay more money not doing it. I just think that given Lefflers' approach, it would have gone alot smoother, and not seemed like some kind of snub to the brothers, and who knows....maybe Ed would have been part of the album somehow. Everything went to shit when Ed died. Alot of people reffered to him as the glue; he just had a knack of making things work within that band. Too bad all the trust went away.

Bugs Meanie · 10.30.09, 07:14 AM

I think he still would have gone through with it even if Leffler was still around. It was the deal of the century. He couldn't pass it up.

TOM_5150 · 10.30.09, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugs Meanie

I think he still would have gone through with it even if Leffler was still around. It was the deal of the century. He couldn't pass it up.

Yep!

Hammer Guy · 10.30.09, 02:13 PM

Leffler, was what Epstein was to The Beatles. The Beatles fell apart after
Epstein died.

vhin04 · 10.30.09, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLEEPER5150

I don't know.....Although it was an important move for Sam in terms of his divorce, he was apparently still contractually obligated to produce another album, weather it be an album with all new material, or a greatest hits, as it ended up being. I think Leffler would probably allow it to happen, as breaking the contract, it would cost waaaay more money not doing it. I just think that given Lefflers' approach, it would have gone alot smoother, and not seemed like some kind of snub to the brothers, and who knows....maybe Ed would have been part of the album somehow. Everything went to shit when Ed died. Alot of people reffered to him as the glue; he just had a knack of making things work within that band. Too bad all the trust went away.

Yup, Leffler probably would have smoothed it over nicely. Like, hey Eddie, Sam HAS to do this or he's in a shit load of a mess, let's help a brother out. I'm simplifying but Leffler had a way of making all the ego bullshit disappear and keeping priorities in check.

lmr5150 · 10.30.09, 06:00 PM

Ed Leffler died in October of 1993. Sammy's Box Set came out in March of 1994 (and I remember hearing the single as far back as early Feb. of 1994).

I would assume that Ed and Sam had at least talked it over.

BTW, on Letterman in 1994, Sam was playing an Musicman 5150 - the guitar Eddie was pimping at the time.

Why is Eddie the only one allowed to have side gigs?

BTW, alcohol and Ray Danniels' greed killed Van Hagar. One cd with two forgettable new tracks didn't come close (as evidence by Balance and the tour thereafter). Also, fwiw, I would assume that Ed did get some scratch of the CD since he played on two tracks.

johnnybeane · 10.30.09, 09:19 PM

I saw Los Tres Gusanos at the bay area music awards in 1994 and they played a set including the 2 songs off "Unboxed".

Number 47 · 10.31.09, 02:32 AM

So am I to understand that Ed couldn't grasp the concept of Sam owing his solo record company's contract one more CD?

Sam puts out a greatest hits w/two new songs... and this is where Ed starts thinking You would rather be a solo artist.

Ray Daniels must have been mightier than Scientology back then.

lmr5150 · 10.31.09, 07:17 AM

According to Val's book, a by product of Ed's drinking is that he was always looking for enemies (us v. them) - assuming you believe the book.

I think RD simply played on Ed's emotions in a negative way. He probably told Ed that "It starts with a couple of tunes and ends at Eat'em and Smile."

AT · 11.01.09, 03:37 AM

It was (and still is) common practice in major label record contracts for the label to own rights to a greatest hits package, and they often even reserve the right to choose when and how that album will be released. Ed Leffler warded off Warner Brothers' wishes to release a VH greatest hits for the longest time, preferring instead to keep focus on the present and future (something most VH fans know he was good at). Geffen was planning to release a Sammy greatest hits package with or without Sam's input, and like most artists in that situation Sam opted to participate. Perhaps Leffler could have held Geffen off as he did Warner, and it could safely be assumed that if he had been around and managing Van Halen during the Sam greatest hits things would have been smoothed over with the rest of the band in better fashion. One way or the other, for Sam it was an easy way to close out the financial agreement in his divorce, and it really shouldn't have been something VH & Co. gave two shits about. Eddie's frequently documented frustrations with Sammy's activities outside of VH sound exactly like drunken "it's everybody's fault but mine" behavior.

The Elfoid_TFS · 11.01.09, 04:40 AM

The bit that confused me about Eddie's take on it was that Sammy's always said hits sets are for the end of your career and that's why he opposed the hits set in '96. By stamping his mark of approval on this release, it was like Sammy saying "Yeah, I am done with solo work, so I can put out a hits set. That part of my life is over". No one ever draws attention to that.

Fontcow · 11.01.09, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Elfoid_TFS

The bit that confused me about Eddie's take on it was that Sammy's always said hits sets are for the end of your career and that's why he opposed the hits set in '96. By stamping his mark of approval on this release, it was like Sammy saying "Yeah, I am done with solo work, so I can put out a hits set. That part of my life is over". No one ever draws attention to that.

Exactly. I've seen this used as an argument for Sam being an asshole with a double standard in that he could do a greatest hits but wouldn't let Van Halen do one. How you stated it is always how I have interpreted it: that Sam had no problem with solo greatest hits collections because he never planned to do another solo album or have a solo career that would be equal or greater to his presence and participation in Van Halen. What happened post-1996 had more to do with the brothers mis-guided attitudes and poor management than it did with Sammy Hagar wanting to have a solo career.

The Elfoid_TFS · 11.02.09, 02:28 AM

Aye, and he was left with no band so had to go solo. And even then, like anyone used to being in a band, he made it a semi-band experience (having the Wabos, when they probably deferred to him most of the time anyway). He definitely became a 'band man', and that's why I reckon he liked Chickenfoot more to his solo/Wabo work too.

I think the only other Sammy-authorised hits set (correct me if I'm wrong) was The Essential Red Collection in 2004. That implies that he expected the '04 reunion to be premanant too....

lmr5150 · 11.02.09, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Elfoid_TFS

Aye, and he was left with no band so had to go solo. And even then, like anyone used to being in a band, he made it a semi-band experience (having the Wabos, when they probably deferred to him most of the time anyway). He definitely became a 'band man', and that's why I reckon he liked Chickenfoot more to his solo/Wabo work too.

I think the only other Sammy-authorised hits set (correct me if I'm wrong) was The Essential Red Collection in 2004. That implies that he expected the '04 reunion to be premanant too....

Either that or the 2004 tour was an opportunity to makes some more money off of the back catalog.

Plus, what was "Best of Both Worlds"? By Sammy's logic, the release of that second greatest hits package was a sign that he was never coming back.