Never has a background singer made such an impact on a group as Michael Anthony. Amazingness.

@bigrigJim

6 жыл бұрын

He certainly completed the sound and made it what it is.

@kevgamble

6 жыл бұрын

*cough* Chris Squire *cough* but completely agree on Anthony's huge positive impact on the VH sound.

@mistermajestic3801

5 жыл бұрын

Agreed.

@jimn1968

5 жыл бұрын

smithereensfan but how about EVH? Michael and Eddie are that “sound”. EVH doesn’t seem to get noticed for his really good singing AND rhythm guitar playing. He’s really the whole package.

@HalJikaKick

5 жыл бұрын

Listening to this demo made me realize how marginalized Michael Anthony’s bass playing and level in the mix was in subsequent big label recordings.

Van Halen , here in their early days , Raw , in your face & unpolished , was what us teens needed RIGHT THEN!! I was 16 in ‘76 & when they hit it big with their release nationwide , they blew up the airwaves all over . A total “ Fingerprint “ band if there ever was one , Like Jimi, the “ Mighty Zep” and a few others who came before them, when you heard the music begin you knew INSTANTLY it was V.H. , and none other . R.I.P. Eddie . You gave generations music that will never be forgotten. 👍👍

Everyone sounds KILLER and Dave sounded UNREAL. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS SH*T!!!!!

@JBmusicart

6 жыл бұрын

Lilly Love me too

@JBmusicart

6 жыл бұрын

And you should. You're on 🔥.

Hendrix was only gone for 5 - 6 years when this was recorded. That means : Eddie, trying drums, switching to guitar, fully formed style, tone, phrasing, learning, woodshedding, getting good, getting awesome, becoming one of the greats and VH the band proper all happened in basically half a decade, thats awe inspiring!

@krisdavis1050

5 жыл бұрын

It was the pick of destiny

@robertdillon9989

5 жыл бұрын

Kris Davis : reincarnation of a Buddhist guitar great

@claybonnell5095

3 жыл бұрын

Very good point.. I'm f****** believable

@hippiehagemier5213

3 жыл бұрын

@Jimi Hendrix need an old Bass player,57,still Mosh.🎙️🎸🎶✌️💀✌️,hair is still Long have a rig.....?

@BuiltForOblivion

2 ай бұрын

​@hippiehagemier5213 yeah I got a rig but they're all dirty

Best band ever. Van Halen saved the rock music scene in the 80s

@Redpepper917

6 жыл бұрын

d n yrs Amen! So many clowns won't ever realise the value and reality of your statement.

@redrayman

5 жыл бұрын

d n yrs actually they started in the 70’s, the original van haven didn’t last the 80’s

@MrSuperMarioKid

3 жыл бұрын

@@redrayman but their impact sure did

@popwarner8029

2 жыл бұрын

Disco was trying to take over but most people thought Disco Sucked

@christiancharles2866

Жыл бұрын

@@redrayman Original Van Halen 1974-1985

One of the greatest rock acts ever. Where have all the good times gone?

@NotEvenRelevant

7 жыл бұрын

For sure..Please give me a ticket back to 1978 I was 14 and life couldnt have been any better..:)

@harryhepworth312

4 жыл бұрын

the good times died in the 90's because of creeps like that asshole simmons and the greed industry which sold rock n roll out for a few shekels.

@toms4442

3 жыл бұрын

@@NotEvenRelevant I'm building a time machine, right now!

@deborahchesser7375

2 жыл бұрын

@@toms4442 well hurry up, I’m ready to go

I can't start listening to this without listening to the whole half hour.

@mightymax9948

5 жыл бұрын

It's good.

@allencameron1050

3 жыл бұрын

I agree it was awesome I could not stop either God I love music

On Fire 0:00 Women in Love 3:32 House of Pain 6:58 Running with the Devil 10:32 She's the Woman 13:58 Let's Get Rockin' 16:51 Big Trouble 19:54 Somebody Get me a Doctor 22:30 Babe Don't Leave me Alone 26:34 Put Out the Lights 29:30Read more

@voodoochile8491

3 жыл бұрын

Bless

@or7674

3 жыл бұрын

On FIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE !!!!! *

@xepa273

2 жыл бұрын

Bless

I was a junior in HS when VH1 came out and it's hard to describe the impact it had on guys like me, who loved metal. They blew the whole thing wide open. This was before the internet and everyone in Boston was trying to get information on who the hell these guys were. When they finally came to town and we saw them live, it was insane. They were the quintessential So Cal band and their music seemed embody that.

@jimdonovan5847

7 жыл бұрын

I WAS IN BOOT CAMP, in the navy when it was released. when we heard the first sngle -our jaws dropped - the game had changed and there was a new band taking over - led zep had just lost the best drummer alive, and it was vanhalen time

@jettcrash6042

7 жыл бұрын

JIM Donovan Van Halen was released in 1978. Bonham died in 1980

@jimdonovan5847

7 жыл бұрын

excuse my memory faults. it was Moon who died while i was in boot camp. but the statement stands, as Van Halen took over with sales, radio play, and touring, while Led Zepp was off due to Plant's car crash injuries, his son's death, and then Bonham's death.

@soldierofyhvh5966

6 жыл бұрын

Spot on. Whenever I hear Van Halen with Roth, California immediately comes to mind. California pre Crips and Blood and all Venice Beach.

@dirtydave2691

6 жыл бұрын

Jack we must be close to the same age. I'll be 53 in August. My sister's boyfriend at the time was a huge hard rock dude. He played VH's first album for me and I was blown away. He also played Montrose, 38 Special and lots of other 70's cool rock albums for me. My life was changed! Good times.

God I feel so old sometimes, in 1976, I was 10 years old since I just turned 50 last March , that makes this soundtrack 40 years old, Blows my mind.

@robertdillon9989

5 жыл бұрын

I was 16. Prime of life bro !

never believe someone when they tell you "you will never make it" ...

@cedericocosantorini8013

6 жыл бұрын

Awesome prospecting skills on the Kiss management team, good job!

@cornstar1253

5 жыл бұрын

In my case it was true

@babalonworking6

5 жыл бұрын

keep rocking!!!

@QuarrellaDeVil

5 жыл бұрын

Compare with Ray Davies reading a letter to The Kinks from the record company at their HOF induction, in which it was suggested that the band be dropped from their label if their third album didn't do well.

@allencameron1050

3 жыл бұрын

When they tell you you can't make it that's the stuff that makes you make it

Cool to hear what they sounded like before they got big and had professional sound and recording. What a difference .

@electricland

8 жыл бұрын

Tina A Stoffel What a demo!

@Chirbeef

8 жыл бұрын

+Tina A Stoffel While this is a quite cool demo, the sound is only this way because they're recording on KISS' equipment in New York. The Warner Bros demos, which were recorded less than a year after this, resemble their classic club sound. Look up the Warner Bros demos; much better sound in my opinion, and everyone's on fire in them.

@MLewis-ts9oj

8 жыл бұрын

+Tina A Stoffel Right on Tina..

@donamatto9785

8 жыл бұрын

+Chirbeef Actually.... the base tracks for this demo ,while working with Simmons. Were recorded at Village Recorders in Santa Monica. Then later in New York where they did some overdubbing of guitar and vocal tracks,(Eddie using his own guitar). The only time they used Kiss's equipment was at a Kiss rehearsal at SIR studios to play a show case for Bill Acoin.

@haroldkeil8582

8 жыл бұрын

Not much of a difference!

I respect Alex Van Halen - Even on this demo (and every recording since) his drum sound is immediately distinct and recognizable. I saw VH in ... The tour supporting the second album - here in Seattle at the Coliseum.

@JBmusicart

6 жыл бұрын

Kevin T. Kiso Alex rawks

@bikebudha01

4 жыл бұрын

Alex is the best drummer of all time. In ALL their songs the drums are so rich and deep, never just 'background drums'...

Rest in Peace Edward

It’s very interesting to hear these songs with double tracked guitars, and none of the quick little fills in between riffs. Templeman’s idea to one guitar track and panning the reverb was a stroke of genius.

@plutomoon8106

5 жыл бұрын

Panning the reverb , true genius. Agree.

@joelhague5515

2 жыл бұрын

Templeton was more on board with Van Halen's idea of presenting their music as it sounded live (i.e., little or no guitar overdubs, etc). The panning to the left with a touch of reverb is closer to how a band in old school clubs would sound, right? (i.e., guitar amps to one side of the stage, bass amps to the other, maybe some front of house blend but not much).

This show the GREAT importance of a good producer. Like him or not Ted knew how to formulate

Ted Templeman stretched it, squeezed it and polished it into a historic best rock album of all ages.

@wildh0rse1

9 жыл бұрын

I dont know abou that. I think Teddy bent it over the desk and slid his thang into it. But even with all the overproduction it still knocked the shit out of me... A great band period.

@Za7a7aZ

8 жыл бұрын

+wildh0rse1 Sure..trouble with your hearing?

@864208642

8 жыл бұрын

+wildh0rse1 Overproduction on which songs?

@MrBiggysmalls87

7 жыл бұрын

PRO SKATEBOARDER NAMED ED TEMPLETON. TED TEMPLEMAN....WAIT A MINUTE TED...ED...IS THERE A LITTLE SIMILARITY THERE? OOOHHH I THINK THERE IS...

@BryanX64

7 жыл бұрын

Totally untrue. By '79 studios had plenty of tools to polish up a recording really nice. Just because everything was analog doesn't mean it was like the damn dark ages or something.

The good ole days, guitar plugged straight into a amp, Van Halen was a game changer in the late seventies, can you imagine the sounds coming out of Alex’s and Eddies bedroom, when they were still living with their parents, mind blowing stuff.

@mightymax9948

5 жыл бұрын

Lol

@mightymax9948

5 жыл бұрын

It would have been awesome to be there

@mightymax9948

5 жыл бұрын

Would have been awesome to hear

RIP Eddie!!! You got me through high school and further!! Never stopped listening since 1976! You are the God of guitars!! 🎸🔊🎶🎶 ✌😎💨

This is the best early VAN Halen I’ve heard so far and I’ve heard a few soundboards and demo recordings. This seems polished up more , clean and clear. It definitely sounds amazing. These guys were born to ROCK. and rock us all THEY DID !

As a guitar player I wish I’d listen to him more when he was alive. I love the mix on all these

Eddie's style was so unique. nothing like it in 1976

Van halen reinvented rock in the late 70s. Their energy was incredible. Attended some of their first headlining concerts. Nobody stood still. Tons of young girls everywhere. Dave was a monster. Never seen a better front man.

Michael Anthony was so essential to the classic Van Halen sound - it's so lame how Eddie has downplayed his contributions over the years.

@cortical1

3 жыл бұрын

@Max D Don't worry about it. Casuals don't know who he is. 😎

@ChromaticHarp

Жыл бұрын

Eddie just wanted his son in the band. So he jacked Mike around…reslly Sucks how he was treated.

@thefool2007

Ай бұрын

Mike was an equal band member who got screwed over by the big egos of the others. Ridiculous. He was a perfect fit. He was smart enough to stay though despite the mistreatment. At least Sammy knew Mike’s value and praised him. Stellar band despite the infighting.

@admtech69

Ай бұрын

@@thefool2007 well said.

@admtech69

Ай бұрын

@@thefool2007Agreed. I had another KZreadr argue with me that Mike wasn’t a songwriter per se and deserved none of the bands income. I wholeheartedly disagreed. Mike was Van Halens secret weapon

I like this version of On Fire even better than the album version.

@Paulmatthew22

7 жыл бұрын

No way

@DannyGadish

7 жыл бұрын

muckerwood it's more raw

@OpusKingOfficial

6 жыл бұрын

muckerwood same. It sounds just downright gritty

@plutomoon8106

5 жыл бұрын

Used two track guitar. Album has only a single guitar track.

Great performance by Daddy Longlegs.

@nkmcfrln

5 жыл бұрын

Whoever dreamed up that name, and album cover, was a genius with incredible foresight and business savvy! I mean what sort of drugs was DLR on thinking Van Halen would work as a band name that would prove to be timeless from the get-go?

@cameron_fairchild

3 жыл бұрын

You mean Valhalla?

OMG!! this brings back SOOOO.. many memories!! LOL I remember when everybody was blown away, "Who is THIS"???? Right on, thanks for this classic post!! :)

I am so glad I was raised in the generation with such incredible raw talent. Great tunage!

20 year old Eddie. 22 ! Fucking DLR....this is gold. I love seeing early footage of them doing "on fire" Dave & Ed are so killing it. Dave's doing a full on correct form back bend & looks like he's actually on fire.Ed at his side totally In sync. Epic and BADASS.

Oh god, his ibanez before he sharked it hahaha Love it!

Jaysus... that's some freggin' demo..... ~:O

COOL!!!! Very COOL!

Fan since 1977…

@plutomoon8106

5 жыл бұрын

Here.

That solo on Big Trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!dang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLASSIC EDDIE!!

On Fire 0:00 Women in Love 3:32 House of Pain 6:58 Running with the Devil 10:32 She's the Woman 13:58 Let's Get Rockin' 16:51 Big Trouble 19:54 Somebody Get me a Doctor 22:30 Babe Don't Leave me Alone 26:34 Put Out the Lights 29:30

@wildh0rse1

8 жыл бұрын

+Scott Leoski XD

This show must ROCKED!

Eddie's raw guitar sound...no processing just pure ENERGY!!!

Heard them first time on AM radio 1978 and they blew me away!

It is amazing to think that Bill Aucoin heard all this momentum and style and said "they had no chance of making it".

@chrisbaker121924

9 жыл бұрын

I agree, who listens to this and thinks... Well thats got no chance? :S WTF?!

@larainehutchinson610

9 жыл бұрын

EVERY music act has been turned down by someone at one time. The Execs are right 99% of the time. It's the 1% they are wrong about is all you ever hear about.

@TheReubenKincaid

9 жыл бұрын

I think that most execs are in tune with what's going on, that a lot of the time the miss the game changers, and VH...they changed the game. Even in X78 Dave was calling VH rock for the 80's. Like Dave or not, VH would have never been without him. The brothers were the musical genius, Dave was the one to bring it to the masses

@alexanders562

9 жыл бұрын

TheReubenKincaid Yes, Dave definitely brought in the chicks.

@mosesbullrush8051

9 жыл бұрын

Alexander Sack A person must be retarded if the can't understand why the Kiss management turned down a band like Van Halen which would blow Kiss off the Stage and off the Charts. Don't any of you understand how business works? When you go to a Bank for a loan to start a business, the deciding factor in the mind of the Bank Manager is, "will this new business compete with my existing customers?" If the answer is "Yes" then the Bank wont help you in any way. Business is all about suppressing competition and it's no different in the music business.

did the lights for that gig (the flyer), it was my birthday and i wanted to just party but my little bother made me work, whatever...

Michael Anthony's background vocals...nuff said! THIS is Van Halen's sound...MA captures the classic VH sound. These guys were good here, but allow a Ted Templeton to work with them in studio and we have well crafted tunes on the '78 release. Roth is wailing here...this was just a signature band on every level...Roth with his over the top personality and vocal style, MA with his rock solid time and vocals, Eddie being Eddie and Alex with his drum sound...blend them together and we have rock magic.

"No commercial potential", unbelievable. It blows my mind this was passed on the first time around. To my ears there's a lot of the songs on this demo sounds similar to Kiss but better musicians, or maybe that was the problem. This certainly is as good or better than anything Montrose or Rick Derringer or Pat Travers were putting out at the time. Very interesting to hear these songs with the guitar overdubs. It also shows that all of the pieces were in place for what Van Halen was going to become. It was just a good twist of fate that they ended up with Ted Templeman and the rest of the Warner Bros team or the ripple effect of Van Halen not making it is too unbearable to think about. BTW - That horn blowing effect that leads into "Devil" is priceless.

Some of the best Van Halen ever......Raw, tight, hard, and fucking great!

when I found zero I was stoked...but this is sooooo awesome. thanks dude!!!!

Rock in peace King Ed

This demo sounds pretty sweet. If this was released, I would imagine quite a few copies would be sold.

@lillylove4690

8 жыл бұрын

+Bryan Szloh I'm wearing out youtube playing this and Zero on repeat!!!

@bryanszloh5408

8 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it is a pretty good recording of early VH. Still has their signature sound.

@CelestialWoodway

8 жыл бұрын

+Bryan Szloh Eddie wanted to release it but master copies are lost.

@bryanszloh5408

8 жыл бұрын

+CelestialWoodway For lack of a better term, dude that blows. At least its here on KZread to listen to. Wish it was downloadable.

@WonkaVator72

8 жыл бұрын

+Bryan Szloh You can download it using any of the various YT download sites (simply Google "KZread download."). Several will allow you to choose the format you'd like to download -- such as MP4 or MP3.

Great Demo! They sounded like they were on Fire 🔥!

Wonderful tribute ! May you soar in heaven with rocking angels ! God bless your kind soul Eddie !

Wow. Just wow. This takes me back to when I was a kid playing till my fingers bled just to learn one bar of an Eddie solo. Good stuff.

OMG !!!! Look whos on that poster !! HEADWINDS & EULOGY !!

@dickfitzinya3082

7 жыл бұрын

What ever happened to those bands? They were so much better than that one-hit-wonder Van Halen...lol

HELLO VAN HALEN NEVER HEARD THIS GOOD SCORE

I like this better than the album..

@bradfordsanders7766

5 жыл бұрын

I agree. This is my favorite Van Halen album with DLR.

@robertdillon9989

5 жыл бұрын

Almost!

@allencameron1050

3 жыл бұрын

It's amazing that it's just one guitar just amazing too bad Dave's voice didn't sound like that past few years

@allencameron1050

3 жыл бұрын

@Captain Danger I I agree with you well said well and by the way Rush rules

WOWZA!!! My 18th birthday...I had no clue!! One of my all time favorite bands!

WOW you have it. I had a copy on cassette I found in Gazzarri's parking lot, but it was ran over. I salvaged it, and not know who they were, 86'd it. Man was I a dumbass

This is great. Nice to hear the early versions of their songs and to see that they've come a long way.

@wildh0rse1

9 жыл бұрын

A long way down, that is lol

@nelsongibson114

8 жыл бұрын

Stan Danley lol shut up skyler

@nelsongibson114

8 жыл бұрын

Stan Danley I'm the dick head who just got your guitar strings in the mail btw

These boys had their shit together from day one!gene Simmons really helped finance and produce their first demos in1976 and then put them out on the road with Black Sabbath on the NEVER SAY DIE tour in 1978!!!

David is really nailing it .Alex sounds great. Mike sounds really good. eddy sounds great deal is its 76 so his tone is advanced for time has pretty decent crunch :)

Simmons then opted out of further involvement after he took the demo to Kiss management and was told that "they had no chance of making it" and that they wouldn't take them." LOL!

Eddies riff on Big Trouble is kick ass!

Michael anthony's backing Vocals are such a big part of the VH sound .

Wow, awesome, interesting that Ed wasn't doing his tapping in these early recordings.

How about the riff in She's The Woman that became the Mean Streets break? Neat. (Btw, how in the world did STW not make it onto an early album?)

@carterc9171

8 жыл бұрын

did you know that she's the woman ended up on their 2012 album?

@floresnashvilledrummer

3 жыл бұрын

That threw me a for a quick second. That was killer!

@jeffcallicott9269

3 жыл бұрын

And how about that same break/solo on the demo version of STW being on the original version of “Mean Street”? The original song was called “ “Voodoo Queen.” It has the same riff as “Mean Street”, and basically the same solo as “Mean Street”/STW Demo... but otherwise it’s not the same song. And - no exaggeration - it’s even better. Do yourself a favor and look up Van Halen Voodoo Queen. Enjoy 👍🏼

@TrippedGian1

3 жыл бұрын

Also part of Eddie's full live Eruption solo became the intro to the finalized Mean Streets, of course

I remember my 10th b day , new RM 50 , Top down in parents 442 , and all of a sudden my father pulls out the Zeppelin 8 track and kicks up Van Halen ,,, I wore that out .. one of the great moments of music... still rock VH ( Dave only ) Really miss the power of early VH and wish David would get his voice back and stop the stage shows with talking ... regardless this is F..ing amazing to hear again ...and again..

EVH is the greatest!!!!!!!!!

that solo break during "on fire" , where the first chorus and the awesome riff is supposed to go.... just kills the entire song. i can see why they changed it

@seanwagoner4160

8 жыл бұрын

+Alan Lloyd Yeah, it sounds cool but it completely breaks the whole vibe

Wow! I can actually hear the bass!!!

15:18 - Somebody Get Me a Doctor! Awesome.

@MackAxyzz

7 жыл бұрын

You mean 'Mean Streets' maybe?

Ha the Guitar solo in she’s the woman was added to the solo in mean street!! Love it!

love ❤ this demo, Love Van Halen 1 TRULY HARD ROCK HISTORY!!! God am missing Ronnie Montrose. NO MONTROSE MONTROSE ALBUM NO TED TEMPLEMAN i Van Halen 1 album!!! After hearing the Montrose album they were so blown away they only wanted Montrose's producer & Engineer when the recorded Van Halen 1 album.😉

3:31 "Woman In Love" is a fantastic unreleased VH original

@malo6868

3 жыл бұрын

4:05 reminds me of early Aerosmith...and when he says "My loves got no rain check baby" Dave reminds me of Fonzie, lol 6:50

wildh0rse12 years ago On Fire 0:00 Women in Love 3:32 House of Pain 6:58 Running with the Devil 10:32 She's the Woman 13:58 Let's Get Rockin' 16:51 Big Trouble 19:54 Somebody Get me a Doctor 22:30 Babe Don't Leave me Alone 26:34 Put Out the Lights 29:30 Show less

You can produce, mix and master anything you want, but this shows that a good rehearsed performance on record beats anything. Running With The Devil just sounds like the version on the debut record, but with mp3 quality.

MAN I wish I could've seen them in their club days !! This should be properly produced and released, very dry, no reverb or delay, would sound a lot better with some Jape. Love it when the experts are wrong. No one would sign the Beatles either, how hard do you suppose they are kicking themselves now ?

Man little did Van Halen know their fortune that night that Headwinds was playing second fiddle to them. Wow life is strange.

This is Badass!

fucking amazing

One demo tape from the 70's blows off Van Hagar. Sorry I like Sammy but this is Van Halen.

@tommymann69

6 жыл бұрын

MkMeRun Sammy is great by himself or with Michael Anthony and chickenfoot

@plutomoon8106

5 жыл бұрын

Hagar is just a different act-style. This was VH boogie-woogie.

@redrayman

5 жыл бұрын

MkMeRun so true!!!

FKN RAW and the Double BASS Really Strikes THRU !

Very cool. Thanks for posting. Amazing How so much of this material ended up on a different kind of truth a couple of years ago

@dickrobot

10 жыл бұрын

I know, right? I like the variations on these early recordings.

I have that same flyer and I was at that show at the civic.

_Also_ *Headwinds* and *Eulogy* Written in much smaller print, at the bottom of the flyer. Which I presume opened up for Van Halen.

Pretty awesome. I have that flyer. I was in the band Headwinds. You can see the name of the band on the flyer.

Amen to that Mike is unsung hero!

Gracias, amigo, excelente sonido

killer guitar riffs !

R.I.P EVH

This is great! You can hear quite a few riffs in here that ended up in other songs. And even a couple songs wound up on A Different Kind of Truth.

Dave's singing was actually pretty good here! Mike sounds great too!

Hey Robert, thanks for the upload, superb.It's very close to their 'Zero' (the one a year before they recorded Van Halen 1). Having read some of the comments from the KISS / Gene Simmonds haters, he did a superb job of recording & mixing a raw & young VH, and he probably regrets not sticking by them and managing them.

I Love this demo, great versions!!

I saw them play at the first TEXXAS JAM in 1978 ! and then again at the US Festival in 1983 !

Mid to late 70s what a great era for kick ass party rock music! This is better than the album,a reflection of the vibe in the world back then,Raw,wild,&FREE!

Nice VAN HALEN Great 👌

Stellar!

a lot of the parts are the same... which is pretty cool... nice to see that we got pretty much the original content with Ted Templeton... even the solo on I'm On Fire... still will always be a DLR VH fan...

WOW 3rd song is same music as "Girl Gone Bad"! 1984!!

@DrewMIATL

5 жыл бұрын

Mike McKay incorrect. It’s House of Pain.

I Love this, My 9th Bday❣

The most conspicuous point here is that Simmons failed to capture Eddie's jaw-dropping brilliance, which immediately struck Ted Templeman as being akin to that of jazz legend Charlie 'Yardbird' Parker; instead Simmons opted for a more streamlined and homogeneous 'band' sound which did not put Eddie's guitar out front. When Simmons helped VH make these demos in late '76 it was all supposed to be hush-hush but a lot of people on the street, including myself, knew about it through the buzzing local grapevine. But this promising chapter fizzled-out quickly, and word spread equally as fast that VH had been rejected by Kiss manager Bill Aucoin, despite the enthusiastic support of Gene Simmons; the implications of this were clearly negative & embarrassing. I talked with Eddie frequently at the time, and mentioned the demos to him at a VH Starwood gig in late '76. He raised his eyebrows and blurted out "How do you know about those demos? That's supposed to be a secret!" I said "Are you kidding? Who DOESN'T know about you guys and Gene Simmons? Everyone knows!" Curiously, several of the songs recorded- On Fire, Women in Love, Big Trouble and Put Out the Lights- were not in VH's Starwood setlist at the time, and She's the Woman, Let's Get Rockin' & House of Pain, which were regular staples in VH's Starwood setlist, were lyrically altered for the Simmons demos; for some reason, Roth chose to use lyrics for these songs which were virtually wholesale replacements of what he was concurrently singing onstage.

@dozerthecat

3 жыл бұрын

Gene said Eddie wasn't tapping at the time, so a bit changed between this demo and VH1

@jonsilence

3 жыл бұрын

@@dozerthecat: Correct; No tapping, no whammy, no "strat"; at the Starwood shows EVH was playing a Gibson ES 335 and the Ibanez Destroyer. EVH: "I used to have an old Gibson ES-335 that was my main experimental guitar. That was the one I refretted and painted and totally screwed up! I mean, I did everything you can imagine to that guitar to ruin it. But I learned from it. It’s too bad, because that guitar would have been worth some bucks today." He painted that particular 335 a pale, pistachio green that was similar to the color of his house in Pasadena at the time! You have to wonder.....

totally raw....not a lot of effects or post production. I absolutely LOVE THIS! it's the rock guys my age free up with...

Terrific stuff!