Sammy Hagar: “I always got blamed for the keyboard songs in Van Halen. It was not me - Eddie wanted to do that!”

[Ben5150 26]

By Richard Bienstock

Don’t like the synthy sounds of the Van Hagar era? Talk to Ed, the singer says.

(Image credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

The debate over the musical merits of Van Halen vs. Van Hagar will likely rage on for time immemorial.

But here's some new information that might lead electric guitar players to reconsider their feelings on the matter: Sammy Hagar is not the one responsible for all the keyboards.

At least, that’s according to Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony.

The two former VH men appeared on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation on April 7, where they laid the credit solely at Eddie Van Halen’s red-and-white-striped feet.

"Finally, I get my soapbox here," Hagar began. "Everyone blamed me for the freakin’ keyboard playing on the Van Hagar era. Starting with 5150 and 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 and he wrote these beautiful songs like When It's Love and stuff like that, and Why Can't This Be Love, and it's such a cool lick.”

 

Added Anthony, "Once Ed really got into the keyboard thing he barely pick up his guitar for a long time, I remember. He was just playing keyboards all the time."

 

"So it wasn't like I’m sitting here saying, 'Hey, man. Let's do some more keyboard songs,'" 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 and 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’s going '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 you know, we had success and all that.

 

“But I kind of always got blamed for the keyboard songs. 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, you know, 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."

 

Despite shifting the blame for the keyboards, Hagar, um, finished what he started by praising his former bandmate's facility on the instrument.

 

"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. 

"I mean, he's funky with that left hand. You know, listen to When It's Love, man!" 

 

View full article

[VHRockrebel 6]

Well for my part, I think some of their finest work involved keyboard.  The guitar solo's in these songs usually kicked arse too.  Jump, Right Now, Dreams...  Cool songs in my book.

[jjvh5150 14]

I love all eras of VH , but when I'm at a party i only want to hear the classic lineup.