Michael Anthony confirms there is a ton of material at 5150 studios

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311boogieman

311boogieman

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This is probably the closest confirmation to what a lot of us have been wondering about. Doesn't mean it is a done deal, but it is promising :yes:

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/michael-anthony-unreleased-van-halen-material
Michael said:
“I used to know people who collected really quality bootlegs and I’ve got sacks of bootleg stuff [including] shows that are almost album quality,” says Anthony. “Back in the day, there was always that one sound guy who would ‘accidentally’ record a live show for himself – and all of sudden, there it is!”

The bassist says he also has a few videos taped by “the house” at venues like the Maryland Capital Center, noting, “It is kind of sad that there hasn't been more stuff like that that has been available to the public to see from the band, especially the Roth days.”

Perhaps the most enticing tidbit from the interview is the prospect of an extensive catalog of early live recordings stored at Van Halen’s 5150 facility that have yet to see the light of day.

“I know for a fact [on] all early tours, we used to record every single show,” says Anthony. “That was just for the band so that we could critique ourselves after every show and this went on for a few years... the first few tours we would record almost every show. I'm sure [they’re] somewhere around Eddie's house, or Wolfgang's got them now – they've got a lot of these tapes."
 
311splawndude said:
This is probably the closest confirmation to what a lot of us have been wondering about. Doesn't mean it is a done deal, but it is promising :yes:

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/michael-anthony-unreleased-van-halen-material
Michael said:
“I used to know people who collected really quality bootlegs and I’ve got sacks of bootleg stuff [including] shows that are almost album quality,” says Anthony. “Back in the day, there was always that one sound guy who would ‘accidentally’ record a live show for himself – and all of sudden, there it is!”

The bassist says he also has a few videos taped by “the house” at venues like the Maryland Capital Center, noting, “It is kind of sad that there hasn't been more stuff like that that has been available to the public to see from the band, especially the Roth days.”

Perhaps the most enticing tidbit from the interview is the prospect of an extensive catalog of early live recordings stored at Van Halen’s 5150 facility that have yet to see the light of day.

“I know for a fact [on] all early tours, we used to record every single show,” says Anthony. “That was just for the band so that we could critique ourselves after every show and this went on for a few years... the first few tours we would record almost every show. I'm sure [they’re] somewhere around Eddie's house, or Wolfgang's got them now – they've got a lot of these tapes."
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Hopefully Wolf decides to look through all of that and gets together with the rest of VH to decide on releasing some cool stuff.
 
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Warner Bros went through their vaults several years ago and put together an album or boxed set with a bunch of rarities. They shelved it when adkot came out. The vaults at 5150 aren't the only unreleased material.
 
Kelly said:
Warner Bros went through their vaults several years ago and put together an album or boxed set with a bunch of rarities. They shelved it when adkot came out. The vaults at 5150 aren't the only unreleased material.
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By "their vaults" you meant the WB vaults? Just checking. Good to know too
 
311splawndude said:
By "their vaults" you meant the WB vaults? Just checking. Good to know too
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Yes. Warner still has all the VH masters and whatever they paid for while VH was on the label, as far as I know. Sunset Studios has a youtube channel. They've talked a lot about it over there.
 
As usual, bands missing the boat on free money by not releasing a live album of the tour…. No idea why this isnt done more, even by bands w a static setlist.
 
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Kelly said:
Yes. Warner still has all the VH masters and whatever they paid for while VH was on the label, as far as I know. Sunset Studios has a youtube channel. They've talked a lot about it over there.
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yeah, I've seen some of those Sunset Studio vids on youtube and they are gold. Including the iso track stuff :yes:

rsm said:
Hope it's somewhere safe from fire, floods, mudslides, earthquakes,...
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Better move it out of Cali then :lol:


tonedover said:
As usual, bands missing the boat on free money by not releasing a live album of the tour…. No idea why this isnt done more, even by bands w a static setlist.
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Agreed. And in this case I don't think anyone would consider it a greedy cash grab. We Want this stuff out. We NEED this stuff out. :D
 
I have mixed feelings on it myself. I would love to hear other ideas he had brewing etc. But there is also a reason that the stuff never made it on a record or was never finished. We have the demos and the bootlegged stuff already. It kinda ruins the mystery for me when all the bones of songs are picked over but that is just me talking.
 
As far as releasing Van Halen stuff, I think Alex is going to be the one to sell the idea to. Sammy was just on SteveO’s podcast (really good one, too) and was saying getting things past Alex is impossible; Sammy just did a documentary with Netflix, talking about his history (it’s part of a bigger doc) and when Netflix hit up Alex/VH camp to use some Van Hagar songs for the background of Sammy’s interview, he denied the use of it.

Dunno if he’d change his tune if it were DLR era stuff as I’m assuming this is an aspect of his gripe with Sammy. Dude’s only stopping money from being put in his bank account by doing this, as well as keeping VH’s music alive in modern entertainment to some capacity.

Dream Theater had a pretty cool way of releasing unofficial official bootlegs, they just made their own label and released them on there. Vai also did that Music Box thing where he put out a ton of rare shit, all his soundtrack stuff and some older recordings of songs and did it on his own label instead of going through whoever he was signed with at the time.

Really, while it’d be cool to hear some unfinished VH stuff, I’d even buy a CD of Ed just noodling/dialing in tones/working out a song. Occasionally you watch a documentary or something and see someone working out a part, trying to figure out how to transition it, I love that shit, gives you a fly on the wall POV.
 
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