New Sam interview: I'm not to blame for the keyboard songs in Van Halen

[Little Dreamer]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/sa...-on-keyboards/

Sammy Hagar has shot down the widespread belief that he was responsible for the increased reliance on keyboards during his time with VAN HALEN.

Even though Hagar's years with VAN HALEN were the band's most successful in terms of chart success, MTV exposure and Grammy Awards, the group's music became a little more commercial while still maintaining that classic VAN HALEN sound thanks to Eddie Van Halen's guitar work and the blazing Michael Anthony/Alex Van Halen rhythm section.

During an appearance earlier today (Tuesday, April 7) on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Hagar and Anthony both denied that Sammy was to blame for VAN HALEN pursuing a more keyboard-heavy sound that incorporated emerging pop trends at the expense of the rawer, more muscular sound that the band was previously known for.

"Finally I get my soapbox here," Hagar said (hear audio below). "Everyone blamed me for the freakin' keyboard playing on the 'Van Hagar' era, starting with [1986's] '5150'. On [1988's] 'OU812', we went very keyboard-oriented. I didn't do any of that. That's what Eddie did. Eddie wanted to do that. He liked playing keyboards, and he was freakin' good at it. He wrote these beautiful songs like 'When It's Love' and 'Why Can't This Be Love', it's such a cool lick…"



"One Ed really got into the keyboard thing, he [didn't] pick up his guitar for a long time, I remember," Anthony interjected. "He was just playing keyboards all the time."

"So it wasn't like I was sitting here saying, 'Hey, man. Let's do some more keyboards,'" Hagar continued. "I'm sitting here saying, 'What have you got, Ed?' And he goes, 'I've got this.' And I'm going, 'Wow, that's great. I could sing to it,' 'cause I could sing to any damn thing. So I'd start singing. Ed would go, 'Oh, man, this is so cool.' And, of course, Valerie [Bertinelli, Eddie's then-wife] would come in and validate it. When she heard 'Love Walks In', she just [said], 'Oh my God.' And Eddie's going, 'Oh, man. My wife's happy, so I'm happy.' And I'm going, 'Well, I'm happy.' And we had success and all that.

"I kind of always got blamed for the keyboard songs and it was not me whatsoever. I'm a damn guitar player. Every time I would pick up — like for 'Finish What Ya Started' or something like that — when I would instigate a song, it was a guitar song, 'cause I don't play keyboards. So it wasn't me. I just went along with what we had, and if it wouldn't have been good, I wouldn't have went along with it. I would have said, 'This sucks.' But it didn't.

"The part that's most impressive to me is what a good keyboard player Eddie Van Halen is. He's got a left hand on the freakin' keyboard that's as good as freakin' Bootsy Collins on the bass, man. He's funky with that left hand. Listen to 'When It's Love', man."

[Van Squalen]

1. This is not news to us who pay attention to Eddie Van Halen.

2. Sam’s dropped by the links clearly.

3. Nice Bootsy Collins reference,

[I Coulda Hada VH]

Didn't 1984 have a couple of songs with keyboards on them? Wait. There are actually 3 keyboard songs on 1984.

I blame Sammy!

[It's Mike]

nice to hear him say nice things about Eddie

[belikemike]

1. This is not news to us who pay attention to Eddie Van Halen. )

No, but it’s certainly a lingering narrative for the less informed fans. It never made any sense to me whatsoever, that Sam was responsible. Just listen to 1984. Read some of Ed’s interviews during that period where he talks about how much he’s digging playing/writing with keyboards. It was all kind of a natural progression, in my opinion. And a pretty easy/clear one to identify.

I guess the one argument that could be made was that Sam went along with it, while maybe Dave would have fought it, or not been so willing to write to the keyboards stuff. The thing is, when Dave left, he seemed quite content to have keyboards all over his solo stuff.

[Nostalgia Act]

1. This is not news to us who pay attention to Eddie Van Halen.

2. Sam’s dropped by the links clearly.

3. Nice Bootsy Collins reference,

A Lockdown Sessions version of "Would You Do It For Free" would sound good right about now.

[mike zack]

A Lockdown Sessions version of "Would You Do It For Free" would sound good right about now.

A lockdown session with Ed, Al, Mike, and Sam would be better. Don't even have to write a new song.

[japeape]

Instead of putting down the guitar & obsessing over keyboards, i wish he had
pursued the more "outside" solo playing he did on FW & 1984.

1984 was the battle between Guitar Hero Ed, and the Ed that would ultimately compose
5150 & OU812.

Guitar Hero Ed kinda lost, and VH pursued something a bit more commercial.

But i kinda wish "Guitar Hero" Ed won, and we got FW II.

[Mean Streets]

I think Sam gets blamed simply for his versatility. It’s no secret how hard a time Dave had with I’ll wait, as Sammy said he could sing to anything, so he was able to come up with hooks and make the songs work.

It’s always been where Eddie was, and Sam was able to make it work. Many of them aren’t my favorite songs, but they were obviously hits in large part due to the collaboration between Sam and Ed


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[JUNGLE DRUMMER]

I think Sam gets blamed simply for his versatility. It’s no secret how hard a time Dave had with I’ll wait, as Sammy said he could sing to anything, so he was able to come up with hooks and make the songs work.

It’s always been where Eddie was, and Sam was able to make it work. Many of them aren’t my favorite songs, but they were obviously hits in large part due to the collaboration between Sam and Ed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, except for a VH double time shuffle. Not in Sam's wheelhouse, just as ballads not in Dave's wheelhouse.

[JUNGLE DRUMMER]

Instead of putting down the guitar & obsessing over keyboards, i wish he had
pursued the more "outside" solo playing he did on FW & 1984.

1984 was the battle between Guitar Hero Ed, and the Ed that would ultimately compose
5150 & OU812.

Guitar Hero Ed kinda lost, and VH pursued something a bit more commercial.

But i kinda wish "Guitar Hero" Ed won, and we got FW II.

That's a good way of putting it. I think it was you who once said that you thought Ed wouldve ended up being more like Jeff Beck, always creating and not being constrained by fans' predisposed expectations or any genre or style or studio pressures. If you look at the mad scientist Ed used to be, I think it was a reasonable assumption. Aww well.

[Ashe]

So let's look at the score. Admittedly, some of the songs in Dave's list are little instrumentals, but overall, they are not that far apart from each other.

Dave: 8
And The Cradle Will Rock...
Sunday Afternoon In The Park
One Foot Out The Door
Dancing in the Street
1984
Jump
I'll Wait
Tattoo (very subtle!)

Sammy: 10
Why Can't This Be Love
Dreams
Love Walks In
Mine All Mine
When Its Love
Feels So Good
Right Now
Strung Out
Not Enough
Up For Breakfast

[DFVH5150]

So let's look at the score. Admittedly, some of the songs in Dave's list are little instrumentals, but overall, they are not that far apart from each other.

Dave: 8
And The Cradle Will Rock...
Sunday Afternoon In The Park
One Foot Out The Door
Dancing in the Street
1984
Jump
I'll Wait
Tattoo (very subtle!)

Sammy: 10
Why Can't This Be Love
Dreams
Love Walks In
Mine All Mine
When Its Love
Feels So Good
Right Now
Strung Out
Not Enough
Up For Breakfast

"Intruder" and "Inside," too. Technically could throw in "Donut City," "Respect the Wind," and "Catherine."

"Up for Breakfast" though? That was a whatchamacallit he way playing.

[PrideofPasadena]

I don't remember Sam getting massive blame for the keyboards?

Pretty stupid since 1984 has just as much keys as any Sam record.

[DFVH5150]

I fucking love keyboard songs. Especially theirs.