Patty Smyth and Van Halen

[Don]

i'm sure everyone's heard the story about Eddie approaching Patty to take over for Diamond Dave when he left the band. Anyway, here's Eddie joining Patty on stage for a song back in 1984.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04E_mqBUlOk

[kgdjpubs]

Eddie also approached Jimmy Barnes at the same time, who was in LA recording his For the Working Class Man album, but Barnes turned him down.

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/music/ ... -9n5q.html

With Jimmy Barnes' releasing his 16th solo album, Rage & Ruin tomorrow we have to wonder whether he would've ever got this far if the rumour was true that he was once asked to join Van Halen after David Lee Roth left.

"It is true", Jimmy told Triple M. "It would have been fun. [Eddie Van Halen] is a great guitar player and [Van Halen] are a great band.

"But it could've been disastrous because I was starting out in a career as an alcoholic and drug user and he was already into his!" he laughed.

Jimmy Barnes was living the rock n' roll dream in Los Angeles recording the mega-selling Working Class Man album when he got the call from the Van Halen superstar.

"Janie (his partner) said 'Eddie Van Halen's being ringing for you. And I went 'Yeah, yeah, yeah'. And she went 'He has. Here's his number!'."

"I gave him a call and Eddie said, 'Jimmy, I want to talk to you about joining the band. Can you come to the house?'. And I said 'I'm actually babysitting my daughter'. And he said, 'Where are you staying? We'll come to you'."

"So him and his producer came to the house and they looked more ragged than me. And I said, 'I've just left [Cold Chisel] and the last thing I'm gonna do is jump into another band, but I really like Van Halen'.

"He said 'It's not gonna be anything like Van Halen. We're only gonna be doing ballads'. And I went 'I'm definitely not the right singer for you!'."

Obviously Working Class Man was a massive album for Barnesy and his career went through the roof yet again, but does he ever think what would've happened if he did join Van Halen?

"Who knows! It could've been fun," he says. "But I just don't think it was the right thing at the time and you gotta go with your gut instinct."



Honestly, I think Sammy Hagar was the best singer for the band at that point. Smyth might have worked, and Barnes would have made controlling Roth seem easy by comparison. Things probably worked out for the best on this one.

[Don]

Patty's voice hasn't held up as well as Sammy's that's for sure. I first saw her with Scandal as unannounced openers for Journey in 1982. When I saw her and Terri Nunn opening for Pat Benatar a over a year ago, her voice was haggard. Even on the slow stuff she was shot. I don't think she was a smoker but her voice sounded like it, just trashed. Still, I give her props for being out there, unlike he who shall not be named.

[kgdjpubs]

Patty's voice hasn't held up as well as Sammy's that's for sure. I first saw her with Scandal as unannounced openers for Journey in 1982. When I saw her and Terri Nunn opening for Pat Benatar a over a year ago, her voice was haggard. Even on the slow stuff she was shot. I don't think she was a smoker but her voice sounded like it, just trashed. Still, I give her props for being out there, unlike he who shall not be named.

can't speak for Smyth, but unless he's lost something in the last few years, Sammy Hagar has done a WONDERFUL job of keeping his voice. I don't know what he does, but vocally, he just doesn't change.

[Andrew]

Honestly, I think Sammy Hagar was the best singer for the band at that point. Smyth might have worked, and Barnes would have made controlling Roth seem easy by comparison. Things probably worked out for the best on this one.

Eric Martin auditioned also....but they 100% made the right choice.

[portland]

Patty's voice hasn't held up as well as Sammy's that's for sure. I first saw her with Scandal as unannounced openers for Journey in 1982. When I saw her and Terri Nunn opening for Pat Benatar a over a year ago, her voice was haggard. Even on the slow stuff she was shot. I don't think she was a smoker but her voice sounded like it, just trashed. Still, I give her props for being out there, unlike he who shall not be named.

can't speak for Smyth, but unless he's lost something in the last few years, Sammy Hagar has done a WONDERFUL job of keeping his voice. I don't know what he does, but vocally, he just doesn't change.

Tequila??

[texafana]

Patty's voice hasn't held up as well as Sammy's that's for sure. I first saw her with Scandal as unannounced openers for Journey in 1982. When I saw her and Terri Nunn opening for Pat Benatar a over a year ago, her voice was haggard. Even on the slow stuff she was shot. I don't think she was a smoker but her voice sounded like it, just trashed. Still, I give her props for being out there, unlike he who shall not be named.

can't speak for Smyth, but unless he's lost something in the last few years, Sammy Hagar has done a WONDERFUL job of keeping his voice. I don't know what he does, but vocally, he just doesn't change.

Tequila??

Simple. Singing (and designing) 90% of your tunes that are in your normal range. At that point you can sing all day long, all year round, your entire life.

[brandonx76]

Honestly, I think Sammy Hagar was the best singer for the band at that point. Smyth might have worked, and Barnes would have made controlling Roth seem easy by comparison. Things probably worked out for the best on this one.

Eric Martin auditioned also....but they 100% made the right choice.

Have to agree, certainly from a financial stand point...