Hard Rockers from Pasadena #RMF
This is the second annual Roctober Mewsic Festival hosted by Mary from Jingle Jangle Jungle and I’m happy to join along with her in the fun.
This month, I’m revisiting some of the classic 70s mewsicians and songs that either I didn’t catch the artist/band name or just forgot that I loved in my teen year. I hope you’ll stick around to enjoy some lost gems from the past.
In 1972, American hard rockers from Pasadena California consisted of two brothers, Eddie (songwriter/mewsician/founder) and Alex (drummer) known as Van Halen with David Lee Roth (vocalist) and Michael Anthony (bassist). It wasn’t until the late 70s that the band hit my radar. Give a listen to the band’s self-titled 1978 studio album to reach the US Billboard Pop Music chart at number 19.
Van Halen song titles in track order: Runnin’ With The Devil, Eruption, You Really Got Me, Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love, I’m The One, Jamie’s Cryin’, Atomic Punk, Feel Your Love Tonight, Little Dreamer, Ice Cream Man, & On Fire.
A bit of trivia. Van Halen’s ‘You Really Got Me’ is a 1966 Kink’s cover with six other cover artists to record the song since it’s release.
It’s interesting, I watch these old videos of male rockers while rolling my eyes. I never thought they looked sexy with unbuttoned or no shirts. I thought it made them look silly. I guess that’s just me but it doesn’t change the fact that these rockers have more talent in one pinkie than all ten fingers of today’s mewsicians.
Van Halen cranked out another album before the decade came to an end with Van Halen II (1979).
Van Halen II song titles in track order: You’re No Good, Dance The Night Away (the band’s first #1 hit), Somebody Get Me A Doctor, Bottoms Up, Outta Love Again, Light Up The Sky, Spanish Fly, D.O.A., Women In Love, & Beautiful Girls.
The 80s brought future successful for the band but by the mid-80s David Lee Roth was out of the band due to conflicts between him and Eddie. Sammy Hagar played with Van Halen from 1986-1996 and Gary Cheron (1996-1999). There’s been some downtime and Van Halen reunions with lead singers (Roth & Hagar) but I haven’t kept up with the band in years. Their early years will always live in memory.
More trivia...I liked the bands ‘You’re No Good’ cover which I always thought originated with Linda Ronstadt but wrong! Dee Dee Warwick performed the song first for Jubilee Records in 1963. The same year, Betty Everett, peaked #51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Cashbox R&B Locations charts. A year later on the other side of the pond, UK’s the Swinging Blue Jeans charted #3. Since Ronstadt’s cover, the song has been covered a couple of dozen times.
I hope you’ll travel with me back in time tomorrow with another edition of Rocktober Mewsic Festival!
X💋X 💋, Cathy
26 Comments
Mary B
I’m so glad that you went the Van Halen route for this post! As The Kinks won my battle of the bands, I went with all Kinks tunes… but I almost split it up and did half Kinks and half Van Halen. Excellent choice!
-Eugenia
Eddie Van Halen, one of the top guitarists! The group Van Halen rocks! I agree with the no shirt, tights pants look – not sexy to me either. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin was another one of those that donned that look. But, sexy or not, they created some fabulous mewsic!
Interesting tidbit about “Your No Good”! I see where Dee Dee Warwick originated the song and several others covered it but Linda Ronstadt took it to #1. Boogie on!
Cathy Kennedy
Eugenia,
It’s good to hear that I’m not the only woman who thinks these guys look silly but they do sound good!
Birgit
I do like some of Van Halen’s music like the one you showcased here. Eddie Van Halen is an excellent guitar player but I so agree with you about their opened shirts, big hair and way too tight pants. That look turns me off and I find it gross.
15andmeowing
I like Van Halen, especially with Sammy Hagar.
Sandee
I’m a Van Halen fan. Dance the Night Away is one of my favorites. Okay there are many.
Have a fabulous day, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥
Brian Frum
That was fun. We, well the Dad, really enjoyed the Kings back in the day and then Van Halen later. We were sad to hear that Eddie is dealing with throat cancer.
Cathy Kennedy
Brian,
Hmmm, I don’t know the Kings. I’ll have to check into this. Yeah, that’s sad about Eddie. I had just heard about this in Debbie’s comment earlier today. I wish him well.
songbird1329
Ice list. I like Van Halen.
Cathy Kennedy
Robin,
Van Halen is a popular band and it seems my circle of friends generally are fans of the group. They are quite good.
scr4pl80
Nice list. We’ve seen Van Halen once a few years ago and I thought the show was pretty good. My husband was disappointed a bit but he liked them before I did so maybe they were missing something at this point. I must admit that David Lee Roth was a little full of himself that night and I could have used more music and less talk from him.
Cathy Kennedy
Janet,
David Lee strikes me as the type of guy who might be a little full of himself judging his performances I’ve seen on YT. 🙂
Christine
I saw Van Halen in concert a few years ago, it was very loud what can I say, lol.
Cathy Kennedy
Christine,
Yeah, I bet the concert was loud. That’s one reason why I don’t like going to them. My hearing is too precious to me especially now more so with it not being the greatest. I’m perfectly content to listening to mewsic on the stereo or radio. 🙂
John Holton
Van Halen just showed up on my radio one day. To be honest, I’ve never given them much thought, although David Lee Roth did a pretty good cover of Louis Prima’s “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” and Eddie Van Halen managed to marry Valerie Bertinelli, and his son Wolfgang from that marriage is now playing drums for his dad.
Cathy Kennedy
John,
I remember ‘Just a Gigolo’. That song title always makes me smile for some reason. I have no idea. Maybe it just sounds funny to me. Oh yeah, that’s right Eddie married Valerie Bertinelli. I had almost forgotten that. I always thought they gave their boy an odd name. Wolfgang is a big name to live up to. 🙂
John Holton
Eddie’s Dutch, which would explain the name. Maybe Wolfgang is a family name.
Cathy Kennedy
John,
That’s a thought. It’s certainly an old name and you don’t hear it often. You never know with those in the entertainment industry. They seem to pick the off-beat names to give their kids.
Debbie D.
Eddie Van Halen is one of the most talented guitarists around! I was saddened to read his throat cancer has flared up again and wish him well. Van Halen was a great band, especially with David Lee Roth in front. Sammy Hagar, although an excellent singer in his own right, just didn’t have the same vibe, for me. I too thought “You’re No Good” was a Linda Ronstadt original. Interesting bit of trivia, there. Thanks!
Cathy Kennedy
Debbie,
Oh wow, that’s terrible to hear about Eddie. I have an uncle dealing with throat cancer. He just lost his wife about three weeks ago to cancer. It’s some sad times right now with so many people dealing with such sickness and loss. Hopefully, Eddie, as well as my uncle, can beat this awful disease.
csuhpat1
Super cool songs. I remember I started listening to the classic Van Halen in about 1981 or so.
Cathy Kennedy
Patrick,
Thanks for reminiscing with me through mewsic!
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
As you might imagine, Van Halen was one of the most requested bands on the late night hard rock & heavy metal program that originated from our MTV style station. I favor the early David Lee Roth years and enjoyed their cover of “You’re No Good.” Thank you for tracing the song’s origins back beyond Linda Ronstadt to Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne’s less well known and less successful sister, and to another great R&B talent Betty Everett. I also enjoyed Van Halen’s cover of The Kinks’ hit “You Really Got Me.” Eddie’s band also covered Roy Orbison’s big hit “(Oh) Pretty Woman” and Martha And The Vandellas’ monster “Dancing In The Street.” My favorite cover associated with the band is Diamond Dave’s first solo ht, a cover of the Beach Boys’ “California Girls.” Released at the start of 1985, the music video promoting that single was a huge hit on MTV and on my station.
Thank you for the mewsic and memories, dear friend Cathy, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Cathy Kennedy
Tom,
Van Halen did do a number of excellent covers of some oldies. I think there are a number of Van Halen fans among my readers and I hope they enjoy today’s playset. Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a good day.
Alana
I remember being introduced to Van Halen by the same man (he served with my husband in his Air Force flight) that introduced us to Boston. The guitar work on the first Van Halen album blew me away!
Cathy Kennedy
Alana,
It’s cool to recall who introduced you to what and how it made you feel.