Van Halen + Michael McDonald??

Mr. Willy

Mr. Willy

Well-known member
Apparently Michael McDonald help Van Halen write “I’ll Wait.” I’ve never heard this. Any of you guys?

 
Old news. Eddie Trunk mentioned it on TMS long ago and it was in Ted's book too. Pretty sure I read it somewhere else way long ago. But MM was really chapped about lack of credits/publishing.
 
Rick Lee said:
Old news. Eddie Trunk mentioned it on TMS long ago and it was in Ted's book too. Pretty sure I read it somewhere else way long ago. But MM was really chapped about lack of credits/publishing.
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I’d never heard the story. Is it true that I’ll Wait is one songs that lead to Roth leaving? I knew he had a problem with the keyboard and pop direction Eddie wanted to go in.
 
I love the song, but the first time I heard it, I thought it was a Genesis-tune. At times, it's kinda "Turn it On Again"-ish.

Nice live version from '08:
 
Yeah, all those 70s LA guys sort of knew each other so I´m not surprised. EVH and Michael McDonald both played at Jeff Porcaros memorial concert, for example.
 
I saw the MM interview on it - he was more diplomatic about having to go back and chase the money on it. I find it also hard to understand DLR's objection to the poppier side of keyboards etc when he was doing stuff like "Crazy from the heat" and "Just a gigalo." He was embracing the lighter side and humorous side of stuff at that point and I think he would have sang anything if it gave him the ego stoke and success he wanted.
 
legend71 said:
I saw the MM interview on it - he was more diplomatic about having to go back and chase the money on it. I find it also hard to understand DLR's objection to the poppier side of keyboards etc when he was doing stuff like "Crazy from the heat" and "Just a gigalo." He was embracing the lighter side and humorous side of stuff at that point and I think he would have sang anything if it gave him the ego stoke and success he wanted.
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Totally agree on the DLR point. It never made sense to me that he’d quit the band over keyboards. I’ll bet it was personal. I don’t think EVH was an easy guy to work with.
 
After listening to 1984, I said to my drummer; The songs are strong, commercially, but these guys are done. When DLR left the band, I said; "If they're going to continue in the direction of the last album, they should hire Sammy Hagar. True story.
 
Dave quit because he thought he was going to be a movie star that would eclipse his VH career. LOL. Those guys hated each other from the first time Dave auditioned for VH (and didn't get the gig) around 1974. That never changed. Read VH Rising and Ted's book. He had a movie deal that got tied up in limbo forever. When the Crazy From the Heat EP had run its course and the schism with the brothers was at its peak, he quit, got his own band together and released EEAS. And he hit a home run with that. But we all know his solo career thereafter never kept up with how well VH did with Sammy.
 
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