How pissed were fans when Dave quit in '85

**dropdeadlegs** · 08.06.02, 04:24 PM

As much as I loved the Dave era and still liked to see him back in the band, I must be the only Dave fan who wasn't upset when Sammy joined in '86. I don't really think I had much time to react. There was no internet back then, so there was no real outlet to guage what sentiment was at the time. In fact, when 5150 dropped, as far as I was concerned it was just another Van Halen album. It wasn't until the fiasco of '96 did I start to look back on the Dave era and think that it was better than the Sammy era.

**ED-A-HOLIC** · 08.06.02, 04:36 PM

I was REALLY upset, but I was young, then 5150 was released and I loved it as well as Eat em' and Smile, so it wasn't as hard as it was in '96, because after '96 we only have had 2 great songs and that's it, VH3 didn't do it for most of us, it's been really rough for us to hang in here.
Back in '85 man did we had great music, now we have pure shit on the radio, that makes it harder.

**MAX** · 08.06.02, 04:51 PM

I did not find out that Dave had even quit until my subscription to "Musician" magazine came in the fall of 85. On the cover it had the new singer and the title was "The New Van Halen Will It Fly?", I was shocked. I did not like Hagar at all, of course all that I knew of him was Three Lock Box and I Can't Drive 55. I read the interview and I was pretty pissed. But, in March when 5150 came out I had to buy it. Surprisingly I was not that disappointed. With the exception of Dreams, Love Walks In, and Inside I thought that it was a good and solid rock album. But it just was not Van Halen IMO. I only got really pissed when I went to the 5150 show and Eddie was so drunk he could hardly play and Sammy was spending way too much time talking shit about Roth. Then in the spring of 1986 another issue of Musician arrived and on the cover was Dave, Vai, Sheehan, and Bisonette. I read it and I got excited. I liked the fact that Dave was spending time talking about the new album and not dissing VH. The same was said with the EEAS tour. The show was awesome. So for a while there in the 80's I did not really care any more. I loved most of EEAS, 5150, Skyscraper, and 0U812. It wasn't until Dave's solo band fell apart that I began being pissed that he was not in VH. But I knew Sammy was there permanantly(Or so I thought) and I got used to it. They still made some great songs over the years, but for me it was just never the same.

**dropdeadlegs** · 08.06.02, 05:07 PM

Originally posted by Ou812max:
I did not find out that Dave had even quit until my subscription to "Musician" magazine came in the fall of 85.

I remember that issue, plus Circus and Creem magazines. They had all these article of Van Halen Mach II, with quotes by Eddie like "Sammy's like a brother" and "this is a smoking motherfucker album". I loved 5150 and I pretty much put Dave out of my mind until I met him in a bookstore, here in Toronto back in the 90's.

**Killroywashere** · 08.06.02, 05:20 PM

I remember being pretty pissed when the news was released. VH was The Band and were comming off of a great album and tour. I was not that surprised because it was around this time that quite a few lead singers were venturing off into solo projects and this included Dave. When word cam down that Hagar was the replacement I thought that he could be one of very few who could pull it off. Upon the release of 5150 I was happy that the sound was different from previous VH and still would be able to carry the torch.

KR

**yomamasofat** · 08.06.02, 05:25 PM

To tell you the truth, I was happy when he left. 1984 is kinda overrated and it has the dumbest rock song ever, Hot For Teacher. After hearing that song, I was like "Yep, ya gotta go Dave" [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]
Then VH released 5150 and I'm back on VH high again.

**I Coulda Hada VH** · 08.06.02, 06:31 PM

"Hot For Teacher" the dumbest rock song ever? That may be the dumbest comment ever. [img]graemlins/scared.gif[/img]

**False Profit** · 08.06.02, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by Ou812max:
It wasn't until Dave's solo band fell apart that I began being pissed that he was not in VH.

Why did DLR's band with Vai, etc. break up? I don't think I've ever heard the story behind that.

**Ineedalogin** · 08.06.02, 07:12 PM

I remember being INCREDIBLY bummed out when Dave left. Then I found out Sammy was the new lead singer & I was ecstatic!

You see, growing up, Van Halen was ALWAYS my favorite band. But my 2nd favorite artist was Sammy Hagar. So, when Sammy joined Van Halen, it was by two favorite bands becoming one! How could I NOT like the 2nd incarnation even more that the original?

**joe318** · 08.06.02, 07:14 PM

when dave left vh i was not that mad, i was just happy to know that vh wanted to go on, as i hope they will do now.

**Executionor** · 08.06.02, 08:01 PM

I was upset when he left. I was so pissed that he wasn't in the band that I turned down tickets to see VH in KC...I think it was either '86 or '87...cannot remember now, but I never liked Van Hagar. Man, I miss Van HALEN. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

**hail** · 08.07.02, 02:05 AM

Originally posted by Executionor:
I was upset when he left. I was so pissed that he wasn't in the band that I turned down tickets to see VH in KC...I think it was either '86 or '87...cannot remember now, but I never liked Van Hagar. Man, I miss Van HALEN. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

me too!

**Sean** · 08.07.02, 05:49 AM

Like an earlier poster said, I was a huge fan of both Hagar and Van Halen. I was shocked when I heard that Dave was out but was intrigued by the possibilities that Sammy joining would bring. And, Dave followed with a solo effort of his own that I thought was pretty damned good. So, I got the best of both worlds (pun intended I guess) and got to listen to all of my favorites for a while. I remember getting 5150 and going, 'man, I don't know if this is going to work.' But, that record ended up being one of my all time favorites. As I've said before, I love both eras. I happen to prefer Sam as a person but don't really compare the two eras musically because I think they are so different. Both eras had their great tunes and both had their stinkers. I love it all.

**dirtymovies** · 08.07.02, 10:00 AM

I, for one, was very upset and thought it was the end of VH. It took me a long time to buy 5150 and to warm up to Sammy (probably out of deep devotion to Dave), but now I love Sam Halen.

**Master Joe** · 08.07.02, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by False Profit:

Why did DLR's band with Vai, etc. break up? I don't think I've ever heard the story behind that.[/QB][/QUOTE]

Sheehan quit after recording Skyscraper - musical differences (with hindsight THIS moment was the beginning of the end)

Vai quit in mid-'89, he took $1 million to join whitesnake.

Which left Greg Bissonette and Brett Tuggle - and after the cancelled final leg of the ALAE tour - Roth broke the band up.

He hooked up agin with tuggle to tour w/YFLM, and apparently wanted Bissonette to record that album, but I think Greg and his brother Matt (bassist for Skyscraper tour and ALAE album) were working with Joe Satriani at that time.