Michael Anthony: The Lost Interview with Steve Rosen (Part 1)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ต.ค. 2020
- Michael Anthony interview from 1986. A day after an interview with Ed. Enjoy!
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Hey, everybody:
By now, some of you may know that I finished my book on Edward. It took 14 months of writing and a lot of agonizing and a lot of sorrowful memories but I finally completed it.
The book is titled TONECHASER - Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen and is a chronicle of my friendship with him beginning in 1977 and
ending in 2003. It is a hardback and will run somewhere between 400-500 pages with some very cool black-and-white photos on the inside.
There is no other book on Edward out there like mine. I had a front-row seat to his life and and he told me things he never told another journalist. I wanted to write as honest and as
insightful a book as I possible could and I believe I've done that. I wrote about spending time in my Hollywood Hills pad while Edward noodled on guitar (if you dug the interview posted here,
you will really be captured by the book because I go into detail about what that was really like sitting there and watching this beautiful moment unfold); attending NAMM Shows with him;
introducing him to Ritchie Blackmore, Billy Gibbons and Les Paul; buying a set of guitar strings for him; jamming with him; and getting high with him.
I am exceedingly proud of TONECHASER. I had written seven books previously and this one was about 10 times harder than all the others combined.
More than anything, I want you to feel what I felt when I was around him. Beyond his guitar playing - and what else can anybody say about that? - he was a truly good human being though
a complex one. Hence, my title: Understanding Edward. As in, trying to understand and unravel who he was and also that he was an "understanding Edward." He was passionate and
compassionate in the people he dealt with and that side of him is rarely written about.
So, I hope you go out and buy the book! The cost of the book is $35 plus $12 shipping for U.S. residents. Please send $47 to my PayPal: scrosen@sbcglobal.net.
DO NOT FORGET YOUR ADDRESS!
I will happily sign any book.
For international fans, give me a shout and I'll give you shipping fees for whatever country you're from.
Contact me here: scrosen@sbcglobal.net
Thanks for your support.
After reading Noel's book, "Runnin' with the Devil" I lost a ton of respect for VH :(
Howdy Steven. I sent money via PayPal ($47) 4/9/22 @ 04:16am and included my address. When do you suppose these will ship? Thanks in advance. Ron C
@@YNSEVEN Hi Ron, Did you get your book yet ? If so what is your opinion? I want to order it as well but would like to see a few reviews first. None available online yet. Thanks .
@@guitarzan2201 have not gotten the book yet. I wish I knew what the status is on delivery. Maybe Steve Rosen will see this and give us all an update(?)
@@briandietrich1373 Absolutely agree. Too much drugs and egos probably to blame for a lot of crappy behavior.
The biggest tragedy in the VH legacy is that the band never fully reformed with Mike & now sadly never will.
Truth
Absolutely... was really looking forward to seeing them all on stage together. I truly believed that Eddie was going to get through this, even through all of the crappy updates. Such a shame man..
Yeh' don't give a crap that Wolfgang's Eddie's son, he was no replacement for Mike and when they played the Hollywood bowl with DLR before the end, was tragic that Michael was not on that stage, so many years of dedication was ridiculous to not have MA on bass for full original line up
Mike absolutely understood his role as bassist and executed it to perfection. What a great addition to the band.
His bass playing held it down for Eddie to explore and his singing allowed Dave to be Dave
Not to mention he's WAY better looking than VH's original bass player lol
@robert proctor here is my take on old David lee ....I have been a fan of the band since I was a kid... I have always heard about how bad Dave was live and you tube makes it obvious...but...I went back to listen to as much live vh from 77 through 81 that is available...I wanted to see if Dave could replicate on stage what he did in the studio the year the albums came out. He nailed it...from vh1 to fair warning he was stellar live...from 82 forward he leaned way more to the shtick aspect of what he does rather than replicating the records on stage. Once the 90s hit his voice began to diminish especially onstage. I saw him on the last tour with van halen and he was awful. I still love his era with vh and am satisfied that he was able to replicate the songs on each album live at least through fair warning. Sorry for the long winded response but it is an oft debated topic
@@michaelfrazia4569 dave's the greatest comedian there ever was, not to mention vocalist and singer! forget it, jackie chan-chan~
he's , literally ,
all soul, an original~ listen to the last rogan interview, for instance!
that stuff is beyond reprose, brougham~ c'mon, man~!!
@@tinfoilhatter he is definitely an original. Even his interviews in his 20s he was wise beyond his years. The first six van halen albums are some of the best good time rock music ever laid down. He was an integral piece of that.
Michael Anthony got treated like shit by certain band members in Van Halen, he always took the high road and that’s why all the fans love him because he did it for the fans. No matter what happened he went out there and played/sang for the fans. Never met the guy but obviously a huge amount of people say he’s down to earth, super nice guy. 👍🎸
Met Mike at NAMM one year. Super guy. He was exactly how you would imagine. 🤘🤘🤘
I could never understand it. He seems like the most easy going diplomatic guy that you’d ever want in a band
@@tylerthompson1842 People take advantage of people like because they now they are less likely to fight back.
Funny how he trashed Roth & talks up EVH & AVH- who according to Noel Monk had already taken away his songwriting credits- and would do it again w/Hagar in the band
@@Victory1507ci exactly, I laugh at these "class act" "nice guy" "screwed over" comments when he's talked shit about Roth and Classic VH going back to the Hagar days. Sobelewski just put his massive house up for sale too, and by the looks of it he didn't get screwed over and has done extremely well for a band member that didn't write (and rumoured to not even record after the WACF album)
Michael got screwed over by DLR & EVH, then got an even bigger screwing after Sammy joined. But Mike held his head high and kept a smile on his face. Mike's vocals we're a lot of what attracted me to the VH1 record. He didn't deserve the way he was treated.
Mike, was and is awesome. Solid bass and in bass terms - solid is everything. And his vocals were amazing. The band would not have been the same w/o him
Oh yeah, right here
There would'nt have a VH without every member of the otiginal band. What a lot of people dont't know is that once a band jells they find thier sound and then build a catalog around those players if you replace anyone it all falls appart nusically. Thats why VH sounded so different with Wolfie on bass. Not bad just wasnt the Van Halen We were all used to not to mentiion Dave Just couldnt sing at all anymore.
@@sambekins dave's new single, frickin' lo-rez-sunset is frickin' dyno-mite, man!! you oughta hear it! his voice sounds as great as it ever did...well, who knows, but live performance is one thing, and recording is another, i guess...and i suppose the damn thing could've been recorded twenty or forty years ago but the point is it's good! it's on-point! he knock'd it outta the park!! lo rez sunset! find it on you tube! you'll-be-glad-ya-did-that, man!
@@sambekins some lady, a channeler, did an 'afterlife interview' of eddie, and it was frickin' good! it could've been the real ed! i mean he had nuthin' bad to say, he was all positive, and just, it was really uplifting and then here comes his son, talkin' about 'you hurt my family'...and blah blah blah, and so the video got pulled down, what a shame, i don't think the kid had even listened to it, i don't see how he could have... but anyway,,,,i wanted to hear it again but no! thanks a lot, kid!
@@tinfoilhatter Cool glad you like it, frankly its not my cup of tea as usual Dave is all over the place his pitch is horrendous which makes it make it unlistenable in my opinion. Glad he is retiring although he retired in 1985 when he left VH for a solo career as a movie star which never came to fruition. He seemed to continue his screw the music its all about the show concept first seen with RedballJet. He was a great front man back in the day but that was a lifetime ago.
2/23/21 Thanks for posting this Mr. Rosen.
As a bass guitarist, I've always admired Michael Anthony's decision to play bass to support the songs of Van Halen. He was no doubt honored to have played with Eddie and Alex.
And Michael Anthony will keep on playing great music. I'm all ears.
Michael Anthony is just as important to VH as anyone else. Edward is the greatest but Anthony is awesome
After reading Noel's book, "Runnin' with the Devil" I lost a ton of respect for how they treated him..... Mike carried the flag for years.... The rest of them are a bunch drug and alcohol addicted idiots....
Yep. He was 1/4 of the original band. When bands change members it changes everything
Who’d have thought the Dave era of VH would age so much better than the Sammy era. Obviously Sammy is a better musician.. but Dave was such a creative, off the wall visionary. Eddie had the gift, but Dave knew how to wrap it. And he sounds amazing on those Templeman albums.
Something magical happened when the original 4 played together.
He does AND...at times he sound excellent live, yes LIVE, in the pre-fame days as many bootlegs attest.
You may think differently about Roth if you listen to his isolated vocal tracks. His PA system was what landed him a spot in Van Halen,his showmanship was the only thing that kept him there and a 3 letter word was what got him booted. "Ego "
There’s a clear line between Dave v Sam eras… Sammy is such a cornball… and cliche’ machine.
Dave defined a style of hard rock that didn’t exist before (or after).
Sammy wrote “I can’t drive 55”.
The idea Sammy is a “better musician” is laughable. That’s the VH brothers being g the VH brothers.
There would have been no VH to take over if Sam was the first VH singer instead of Dave.
Your crazy man Sammy did all the lyrics and had way better vocals than fake man Roth who can't sing his way out of a wet paper bag. What are you smoking?
Anthony got hosed big time after 1984.
after 1984 he got close to sammy and still plays with him sometimes
you could say that, but you could also say he was lucky to know and like the guys, or enjoy their company, for as long as he did, and they were perhaps just as lucky, but what do i know! i'm only a fan since 1978
It’s pretty sad that they cut him out - if he didn’t write songs, they shoulda encouraged him to create more. It’s more of a band when they stick together and treat everyone equally and they all have each other’s back. What can ya do, who knows what really went on with them.
When they cut him out, that was heartless. He took it like a champ, but still, Noel Monks book was eye opening. He seems like the only one grounded in reality.
Read Noel Monk’s book. He didn’t get hosed. He got BETRAYED.
Mike used to live up the street from me in Glendora, Ca., after he moved from Arcadia. He was always willing to take the time to talk to people. He was a great neighbor and quite a conservative guy.
I think he moved to Newport Beach now.
pretty strait-laced, was he? by now, i bet he would be!
You German
Newport Beach is his kickback relax beach house.... He's got a gigantic house in Glendora...
I met him at Disney World and he was a super cool guy. He was with a bunch of his family waiting to get in a restaurant. I went up to him and "Hey Mike, your names Mike right," he said " No!". I said " Yeah it is". He said " Yeah, your right". Then his whole family laughed. I got a pic with him and he said he was on a break and all the the other guys were out doing their own thing before their " Balance" tour. So cool.
@@tinfoilhatter Not straight laced but having morals .
Reliable talent on bass and vocals nailed the back up sound. Let’s face it - his being in that band made him famous as hell and rich.
Mikey was a bigger part of their sound that he's given credit for. Just listen to Wolf on bass and vocals as proof of Mike's importance.
@@marko6831 Spot on. Attempts to diminish his impact on Van Halen are misguided at best.
Just maybe the most uneducated comment ever.....
@@diamondd2778 Wolf is FANTASTIC but so was Mike and Mike will always be included in Van Halen when they're talked about .
Really cool note on “She’s The Woman” being the first original that Mike sang his trademark high harmonies on...super cool!
A dream project would be for Mike to add background vocals to A Different Kind of Truth. That album is a reminder of what VH sounds like w/o mike
Mikes solid bass playing and awesome background vocals are just as important to the VH sound as Dave/Sammy singing,Alex's drums and Eddies guitar.
You, sir, are a legend. When I was a kid, I read your interviews with Mick Mars, Yngwie, Eddie Van Halen, you name it. Keep posting dude!
LIstening to Steve Rosen's interviews with Edward and reading Greg Renoff's book "Van Halen Rising," you realize that a great deal of what was written in the mainstream press was simplified hype. The idea that EVH and AVH had little training or musical background, underplays the fact that they (along with Mike) attended composition courses at College level in Pasedena for years. Even jam sessions at Eddie's house in Pasedena were serious affairs, they were all business, with songs that later appeared on albums being performed note-for-note. Renoff even includes details as to how EVH perfected his harmonic and hammer-on technique, jamming with local guitar players who had unusual technical abilities - going to their houses and seeking them out for instructional clinics. It wasn't off the top of his head - all of the things you hear were purposely crafted and honed - after years of practice and preparation. Even Roth talks about Alex and Edward being instrumentalists at a level most unsigned artists never dreamed of being - they didn't fuck around - even at their childhood home in Pasedena. Edward yelling "stop - stop," and Alex telling him off, then a fist-fight ensuing with Alex usually coming out on top, is referenced in print by Roth and other high-school friends. Alex was always ready to fight to get his way, friends said, you didn't mess with the Van Halens. WDFA, I remember seeing that written on the back of a bass-guitar or something at the time, and it stands up, we don't fuck around. Van Halen's mantra.
True...and you didn't even mention that both of them had classical piano training before they even reached the U.S......and that continued on while they were living in CA too. Apparently, Alex is/was an excellent pianist too while Eddie was, of course, winning awards for his performances.
TRUE. Edward saying he won all the piano competitions (he did) by ear, maybe so. But no professor would fail to notice he couldn't read. He absolutely could read.
Michael mentions or someone does in some book him getting ready to take finals at City College when asked to join - I hope he took his finals and got his degree for the 'hell' of it and because he's such a great musician.
Great stuff - just came here from the amazing interview with Eddie right after II was recorded. Thanks so much for posting!
Thanks a TON for putting these pieces of history up for all of us. Absolutely incredible to hear.
Just listening to him talk about playing & equipment, you can tell the guy is a real musician, not just some bozo like Ed would later claim he is. ¡Viva Michael Anthony!
Ed never meant that .
@@2216sammy Edward said he taught Mike how and what to play .... know your facts
Eddie seemed to become extremely bitter.
this is excellent Steve. thank you so much for posting this.
Yo, Rosen, THANK you for uploading this glut of unheard, kickass interviews lately! 🙏✌️
Hey, A.J.: How you doing? Thank you.
Thank you Steven! These are wonderful!
Thanks Steve! I've been reading your guitar articles for 30 plus years....EVH is why I still play guitar and so many others can say the same thing. I think we ALL loved him!
Thanks for sharing this! Great stuff !
So great to hear this interview with Mike!!!!!! LOVED IT!!!!!
GREAT interview with Mike. Never really knew about the dissension with Dave but I can see that for sure although Dave did make a 10 grand donation to the hospital that treated Mikes grandson who passed away a few years back. I rank Dave as 4th in the lineup of vocalists but as Dave said, "I'm not a singer, I'm an entertainer". One thing I never understood was Ed & Al low balling Mike on 2004 reunion tour with Sammy. Would be interesting hearing Mike answer the same questions today. Thanks for posting!
Mike Anthony one of the nicest guys in the world.
Thanks for all of the outstanding VH interviews Steve, you’re the best brother. Holler at me sometime my friend. 👍🏻
Class act always.., interviews,in person and a great bassist
I can't thank you enough for putting these great interviews from all the guys from van halen. The alex interview was awesome. 🎉🎉🎉
Glad you like them!
Thank you Steve, great stuff.
Looking forward to this!
Me too!
Loved your book Greg!
Nice guys always get washed away.... at least they can live with themselves and don't have to battle with their egos and all the drama. The sad thing is that Mike got screwed in the way he was treated as a human, he got screwed financially and he he was just tossed away. They never could have done it without him. Michael isn't the type of guy to spend the rest of his life lamenting about the way he was treated.
Well, he's reportedly worth 70 million dollars. Honestly, it's hard to feel too sorry for him. lol I mean I get it, but the history of rock and roll are filled with stories about musicians who got screwed and, in the end, didn't have anything to show for it. He's a legend and his legacy is secure. He probably knew what he was getting into. But I agree that he's a good dude and is underrated, etc.
What a GEM!!! Thank you thank you thank you !!!
I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO MEET MIKE AT MY KIOSK IN HUNTINGTON BEACH AND HE'S A GOOD DUDE! ,,,,,,,,GREAT INTERVIEW.
I Love these interviews as a Van Halen I love to hear And see anything Van Halen! Thanks
I would love to hear a new interview with Michael .
Cant call Dave by his first name. It's always Al, Eddie, Roth. I know Dave was a pain in the ass, but he was as important to the bands success as Eddie. Not only was he a great frontman but a great lyricist. Maybe he wasn't a great live singer but on record he sounded great and very unique. I prefer him to Sammy even if technically Sammy's a better singer.
Sammy Hagar is the best
@@kennyparsons5723 Hager sucks , I never thought he fit Van Halen . Dave was the man.
The incessant trashing of Dave during this time period (and throughout their entire career) was completely uncalled for. Dave wasn't even talking about VH in interviews around this time. The Brothers would just bring him up completely unprompted. Real bush league stuff.
Mike was the only Bass player for Van Halen. I think anybody else and it just falls apart
WOW! SO real! SO raw! Fantastic!
Fantastic interview. Thanks Steve Rosen. So interesting to learn that live, Michael was the anchor, rather than the drums...Al...
Hi Steve! Good to see you brother. Your Eddie interview still is my fave from ‘78! So young and normal... Say, do you have a John Paul Jones interview you could possibly share with us? As a bass player myself, I love this Mikey interview. A lot of questions I have, have been answered here! Thank you for posting Steve....
Hi: Thanks. I do have a JPJ interview. I'll try and get it up in the near future. Best, Steve
Hey thanks Steve! I read in some Zeppelin book that you had interviewed him on the Ceaser’s Chariot. Or it may have very well have been in a hotel. How did you ever manage to get time with “the quiet one?”
When is part 2 coming? This was an awesome interview in part 1
Great interview Steve.. didn't talk too much and knew the history..well done
Mr. Rosen is a genius interviewer! His approach seems to be that of a bartender. He just sits back, listens, nudges, pours another drink for the customer, and when it's done...you have more new inside the head information that if one goes down a list of pre-arranged questions!! Steve is a master artist in his own right!!!
Thanks man.
Mike was definitel the unsung hero of VH and without him they wouldn't have been as good him being a rock solid bassist and amzing backing vocalist and super cool guy!
Question for you Steve: If I remember correctly, in your first interview with Eddie, you asked him if he could read music and he said of course he learned that along with theory. Later on in interviews (like your second one with him) he claimed he never learned how to read.
Did he learn to read or not? Obviously in the 1970s it wouldn't have been hip admitting to being able to read. (For example - As an aside, Jimmy Page claimed to be self-taught yet John McLaughlin has mentioned in interviews that he gave Page guitar lessons back in the 1960s.)
I can't imagine Eddie not being able to read music after 10 years of classical piano training. I don't care how good someone's ear is, I just can't see someone being able to just memorize huge scores. Any clarity on this topic would be appreciated! I am enjoying these interviews! Thanks.
I think he probably just said he never learned later on to add to his allure. Like a branding thing. Lets people who may not be formally educated musicians feel like they have a shot at fulfilling their dreams. If he studied piano growing up the odds that he know how to read, or at least did, are astronomically high
Check out the Icons interview he talks about it pretty casually how he took piano lessons for five years before his teacher realised he couldn’t read music, he was just copying his fingers. Which is still amazing lol 🤟🎸🤟
@@WhiskeyShred Thats actually amazing and funny af! The world really wasn't ready for Eddie he came out swingin from the start
Brother Alex can read music
A lot of musicians know to read music ... but one thing is know to read and another thing is 'Sight-Reading Music Notation' ... Very likely, Ed was aware of the names on the notes in the staff sheet, the notes durations, time signature, etc ... but Very likely, He wasn't a 'sight -reader' ... a 'Sight Reader' is a musician that you show a sheet of written music and he/she can play what is written at the first view ...
The majority who knows To Read but are not sight-readers, they need to study the sheet to decode the 'music' ...
The same as kids learning to read ... they go letter by letter, syllable by syllable ... word by word ... slow ... and after the end, they don't even know what they read ... but they tell you, Yes, I know to read ...
A Music Sight Reader, read music as you read this text ...
A true master of his craft. holding down the low end strong for all us sinners
Lol.
MA is the Ringo of VH. No Ringo, no Beatles. No MA no VH, as we know it. Backing vocals, alone...
AWESOME!!!!
Years from now, this man will be standing TALL with character as Alex turns into Gollum with all the outtakes and unreleased tracks.
Do you have anymore interviews with Ed that we haven’t heard yet?
The really cool 50 minute interview by you, just after van halen 1 tour, with eddie playing some of the van halen 2 songs and clapton's crossroads solo just disappeared from youtube! Would you be able to save the situation?
I wonder. While Eddie was making amends.. did he give back all the royalties he and Alex took from Mike? Or was that not a thing? This goes back to 1984 so, I'm curious on that one.
I love EVH but they really shit on Michael. I wonder if Edd ever at least said I'm sorry?
I wonder how he could have went back with those guys after what happened in 1984. He had the opportunity to say screw you guys but he stayed.
They shit all over him. I don't blame him for staying away.
@@primateproductions126 he knew what he had. Like any job, you don’t have like the people you work with. I wouldn’t have left VH at that time. At least he got a friend when Sammy joined
@@bobloblaw8660 Yeah I get it. Even with the loss of money, I’m sure he made a lot more money than if he left. But you can’t fake it on stage in front of 15,000 fans every night. It must’ve been tough for him at first. I’m sure there was a lot of animosity. And his views of the van Halen brothers probably changed forever.
Godspeed Edward Van Halen.
Class act
Cool interview! MA's description matches my 1st VH concert experience to a T, Roth basically screamed, jumped around and changed clothes, no singing whatsoever ; )
Right at 8:05 That's where Ed got that idea that he he had to show Mike what to play... That's the first and only time I've ever heard that that's got to be where he got it from
Sounds like their was an issue/misunderstanding surrounding it too. Probably several things in particular they didn't like.
Shocked in total shock
The funny part is the bass sound on the album 5150 is awful. If you go back and put that in and listen to it, it sounds horribly thin with way too much high-end that is almost brittle. Go back and listen to classic Van Halen records with templeman and they still sound killer...
Agreed. The whole record just sounds thin. And Sammy sucks.
@@2high2die Agree very thin/Tinsley. I understand your view on Sammy but I dug it.
Yeah bass sound on VH 1 & Fair Warning & older stuff is meaty as heck and prominent in the mix. 5150 bass is lower & thinner.
It's interesting/odd that (from this interview) Michael thought his bass was understated in the mix prior to 5150. Maybe that's just humility, but there are plenty of Roth-era songs where the bass is super prominent.
I'd argue that Mike is playing actual bass lines in the early Roth stuff, whereas 5150-onward he was relegated to riding that 8th note the entire time. After Eddie got his own studio the team approach to VH was lost and he started adding more guitar tracks.
One of the most irreplaceable high tenor voices in rock n' roll, and he had a brass background as well which is a shame that VH didn't utilize that. Ed was too much of a control freak.
Eddy, how do you kick out Mikey
Who the fuck is eddy?
I absolutely love mad Anthony
Needs more volume!!
8:14-9:14
Bassists take notes: Michael Anthony knowing his role
What date is the recording
86
Why did the book never come out?
Wow. Post two 1986 interviews - one with Ed and the other Mike - (both seem to have had the same cold and sniffles) which are nothing but bashing DLR. For a guy who couldn't sing (they say), and a guy who couldn't do anything right (they say), I'll bet they could have been a popular band by 1986 if they just had a different singer the first 8 years. BTW ... how did that "Ed's my best friend now that DLR is gone" work out for Mike a few years later? Any interview after he was abandoned by Ed?
So where does Mick Jones appear on "5150"? And did he really contribute to the production sound wise?
I always thought it sad that he ended up leaving or fired or whatever screwed up shit happened in Van Halen , Eddie and Alex became millionaires and never was truly happy sad !
Everything Steve has was lost.
Thinking Michael Anthony's role in VH was very similar to Chris Squire's role in Yes (thinking vocals)..
You can't even hear the BASS on the VH albums!
Hey...the money is in the melody...mike got a great harmony voice....perfect bass style for evh....but easy to find in the overall picture...not easy to find? Evh....he wrote the songs....his guitar sells....he calls the shots right??
Always hated when sammy said"we"...talkin bout van halen.like he was anything more than a hired hand!
77777777777kki
The bottom line is Eddie wanted his son in the band. HELLO! :)
they (ed, al n david) treated him like shit during 1984.. so undeserving of that.
Loved him on there first album
Let's be real they were never the same after Dave left in 1985.
Something magical happened when the original 4 played together.
Surprised to hear Mike rip Roth for nearly five minutes straight! He usually doesn't talk trash and I'd never heard of any riff between him and Roth, but man....that was a bit eye opening. Of course, given how close he and Sammy became and are, it's not totally shocking...but given his reputation it still kinda is.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise at all, he dealt with his bullshit just like ed and al. Yrs ago i heard him make a dig at roth’s sexuality on a adam carolla podcast and he says the same thing here.
It’s funny how he said Billy Sheehan wouldn’t fit in the band, and then you hear he was asked 3 times to join by Eddie.
Cocaine is a helluva drug
He said anybody could be Billy Sheehan. ...easy😆
I ALWAYS felt like Michael was held back! But, I suspected it was likely Alex holding him back to keep Edward as the star. I mean, just a suspicion... big brother looking out for the little brother. Especially since Edward was a once in a lifetime rock virtuoso!
I disagree with what Michael says here... I would have LOVED if he could have been more free. Bass is the glue but... when you look at bands like Rush or even Flea in the Red Hots.. they provide almost another melody backing. Two very different styles but Their bass is such a huge compliment. I live the bass and I love bassist that can fill and riff. But yea, always felt Michael was held back and it bothered me!
I love his approach. He does what fits. He is not trying to be a rockstar. He's being what he is - a musician. I'm glad DLR left, for his sake. I think the band is more of a band with Hagar fronting. Plus, Sammy is a musician himself. So he gets it.
I'll take Noel Monk's word for it - the other three members totally screwed Michael. Read the back of the first couple of albums "ALL songs written by all four members of Van Halen" yet they forced him to give up those royalties. Ridiculous. No excuse for that kind of back stabbing greed towards a loyal bandmate who delivered GREAT backing vocals and never caused problems.
Michael Anthony is a nice guy but he always talk shit about Roth. As a fan for about 36 years that always bothered me . Thats a shame. Love u Mike .
Please don't take this wrong, I love Mike. I love Mike's playing. I love Mike's singing. Eddie was my absolute guitar Hero. And Alex was in any top 5 in those days. BUT without DLR there's No Van Halen period. They would of been a good band like Montrose or grand funk.... They would Not have been the Mighty Van Halen and that was also because of MTV. I get this was not long after Dave left so Mike was mad still. That's totally understandable but without Dave, that Magic Never Happens. JMO guys 👍. Also I love Sam too😂👍
"Without DLR there's No Van Halen period" Um no it goes like this "Without Edward Van Halen there's no David Lee Roth period Ed would still famous without DLR. Dave was the greatest front man ever But what a pain the balls :)
“It’s really easy to go out and be a guy like Billy Sheehan” honestly have no idea what he meant by that. I have a lot of respect for Alex, but that was a pretty bitter thing to say.
its "easy to be a Billy Sheehan..." WOW!
Unpopular opinion but common sense to me: Was Mike's background vocals reason enough to give an equal share of royalties? Eddie was a genius and the rest of the them were more privileged to be with him than the other way round. I think Eddie should have gotten the highest percentage ahead of Dave, Alex and Sammy. Mike's bass parts anyone could have done.
Anyone could of done it, but he DID do it. Equal partners was the agreement the band made from day 1. Ed & Dave could have taken more from the beginning but they didn’t.
@@joejohnson273 Maybe they didn't know how unequal things would be in the songwriting and playing. People begin that way, split things equally but if the contribution varies greatly it's no longer fair to the ones who contribute the most. No Eddie, no Van Halen. Eddie alone would still have some of the best instrumentals on record. Maybe he'd be on the classic charts with Spanish Fly type songs.
i totally disagree that "anyone could have done it". mike is a great bassist, period.
Totally accurate. Mike is a very average bass player. Good backing vocalist. Not a lead vocalist. Never written a song or lick or lyric in his life.
@@51502 Mike was a millionnaire by the early 80s. Don't judge his condition by yours. He was never poor by any stretch. In fact I think he's richer than Dave now.
Good stuff. Thanks. But, uh, sometimes you don’t have to constantly reinforce interest with the uh,huh affirmations. We’re you amped on coke or something? Totally understandable, if so, lol.
Without DLR no one, no one, would ever hear of VH! Lol!!!
GREAT guy...when you are asked if you werent a rock star, what would you be? and you respond working with handicapped people...that says it all...Mike was UNDERAPPRECIATED...even as solid as he was...he was the ANTI Roth...w/o Mike the band would have fell apart long ago...Mike has skills you cannot learn on an instrument or music instructional video...it used to be called character and integrity!
Mike used to live up the street from me in Glendora, Ca., after he moved from Arcadia. He was always willing to take the time to talk to people. He was a great neighbor and quite a conservative guy.
I think he moved to Newport Beach now.
Check out Roth on Rogan. You may change your mind.
@@MarkAhrens-HeritageFilms --i really like Dave...he is a star no doubt, but he was dramatic in a rock band...more a stage actor than singer
He sounds like Vince Neil
Touching u touching me making me feel good?
They f'd Mike over for years, since the beginning.
Not true at all, get your band history straight: The VH band split EVERYTHING evenly 4 ways and Michael Anthony benefited GREATLY from Ed and Dave's songwriting royalties through ALL OF the classic VH up until 1984 album, THAT is when they redrew the contract to eliminate Michael's piece of the publishing.
@@lastdaysguitar they made him an employee at that time and threatened to fire him...in the middle of the 1984 tour..their old manager says this in his book.. they kept fuckin him over...know your facts
@@tcrane8630 You just proved my point! Noel Monks book CLEARLY explains that Michael was VERY well taken care of and treated well up until the 1984 release. Your claim that they f'd him "for years, since the beginning" is total bullshit!
@@lastdaysguitar That doesn't mean he was getting an equal share of publishing etc. According to info from their manager, Michael was getting dicked on publishing since the beginning.
@@sbrave I just read the book & you are wrong, he had a FULLY equal share right up to the 1984 tour. "Halfway through the 1984 tour, the other 3 guys had a contract for Michael whereby he would relinquish all royalties and merchandising not only from that point, but from the 1984 album itself. Michael lost millions". Their manager Noel Monk says it's the most despicable thing he has ever seen in his 40 years in the biz. Mike made his money touring and Eddie Van Halen says the it was him who played bass on all VH albums not Mike except for VH 1. It's s worth noting that Michael Anthony's Net Worth shows him well into the $90 million dollar mark so your claims he was always ripped off is bullshit. Eddie and Alex are $100 and $90 million respectfully.
(Apologizing in advance for what I'm about to type)
Rock stars are clean shaven...
J.Garcia: "Hold my beard"
Billy Gibbons: "The girls go crazy for a(bearded) Sharp Dressed Man!"
Kinda Doggin on Dave alot. Without him he wouldnt be giving this interview. And have awesome life.
So, Eddie D I D show Mikey how top play !!! LOL
Yeah right...in the reunion tour Eddie asked Mike to stay on one note, so people wouldn’t notice when he fucked up and play the wrong chord. If he didn’t know how to play he wouldn’t be playing with Joe Satriani. Case closed.
@@51502 Yes, also it can be misconstrued and misunderstood what that means exactly, and why...
Mike rules .in too meny ways to list mike is better than claypool its easy to lead and solo its hard to stay in the pocket very rare bringing the weight makes the power 🔋
It's really to be a Billy Sheehan. Um ok Mikey, lol