2007 Piped In Vocals

[CaboChris]

Is this rookie hazing? Do I get another achievement badge when this guy is done with me? And also thanks for the tip. I feel like we just became friends. You’re the once great grumpy old coach and I’m the goofy but lovable new kid on the block. I drive you nuts but theres a part of you that sees the potential and maybe even a little bit of yourself in this kid. Don’t worry coach, I’ll make ya proud. Honest I will!

Well played. I do have a sense of humor contrary to popular belief.

I'll ease up.

[Dave's Dreidel]

I know there were rumors about piped-in background vocals on the 2007 tour. I never believed that but I heard something in this video that I never heard before and I'm pretty convinced now that they were doing that in spots.

If you listen around 3:28 in this video, you'll hear the "Bad, Bad, Bad" sounds really unnatural. It almost sounds triggered. Also you can see Eddie's not singing but it's definitely more than just Wolfie and Dave singing those parts.

For the record, I don't think it's Mike's voice (I know that was part of the rumor). And also for the record, I really don't care if they were enhancing the backgrounds because they were using pre-recorded backgrounds even when Mike was in the band and we all know Wolfie can sing. But I just thought this was interesting because I hadn't noticed it before.

Van Halen was worried with having a 16 year old bass player and background vocalist going out on tour, along with a barely recovered alcoholic/drug addict on lead guitar.

Unlike popular thought, they did not use BG vocals from the albums (which would have included Mike), they recorded BG vocals with DLR, Ed, and Steve Lukather that were used for the tour. The band played to a click with the BG vocals piped in and then whatever Ed and Wolf added to it live.

It is what it is. I don't like the use of backing tracks, but I get it, it's just how it is now.

There is a reason that as an overall product, they simply sound better in 2007/08 than they did on the later tours...they were playing along to a track with certain audio piped in. Before we all throw DLR and Ed under the bus, to be fair, VH had been using backing tracks live for a long time, especially for background vocals.

[Zambi]

Wrong link. Delete.

[Zambi]

So is this the harmonizer effect on Mikey's background vox referenced up-thread, or piped in help? It sounds like Mike is singing 3 part harmony all by himself. And this wasn't one of the keyboard click-track tunes from that era, nearly 30 years ago. Well I can't get it to link to the part I'm talking about when I post the link here, but the 53:30 mark is a good example. There are other places too, but I can't find it right now. I want to say maybe on "Feelin'" where Sam is singing the melody and Ed is no where close to a mic, and Mike has a harmony of background vox going on. No keyboard click track on that one either.

[Pacfanweb]

Around that time frames something was going on. The late 2007-early 2008 shows before Ed had a “break”. Something was screwy. Just all around. I saw them in Greensboro in 2007 and it was absolutely fantastic. Just all around. Tiny even held his own on bass.


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I was at that show. The first one in Charlotte, too.

[CatchAsCatch]

So is this the harmonizer effect on Mikey's background vox referenced up-thread, or piped in help? It sounds like Mike is singing 3 part harmony all by himself. And this wasn't one of the keyboard click-track tunes from that era, nearly 30 years ago. Well I can't get it to link to the part I'm talking about when I post the link here, but the 53:30 mark is a good example. There are other places too, but I can't find it right now. I want to say maybe on "Feelin'" where Sam is singing the melody and Ed is no where close to a mic, and Mike has a harmony of background vox going on. No keyboard click track on that one either.

I think this is the one where it’s easiest to hear.