Author Greg Renoff spoke with BostonHerald.com scribe Jed Gottlieb about his new book, Van Halen Rising: How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Q: As maybe the greatest rock band ever, Van Halen makes an excellent subject for a book. But what hooked you on writing about the guys’ early days? Was there a story or memory that sparked the idea?  

​A: “I grew up a huge fan, and always wanted to know more about the band. I read every book and every magazine article I could get my hands on. But the more I learned, the more I thought that their early days had not been properly documented. So after I started doing some digging in late 2009, I discovered that there were many many stories that had not been told. Soon after that I went all in on the idea of doing Van Halen Rising.”​    

Q: I can’t believe producer Ted Templeman almost replaced (David Lee) Roth with Sammy Hagar way back in 1977. What kept Dave in the band?   ​

A: “Ted told me that after he heard Roth sing in the studio in early 1977 on some demos commissioned by Warner Bros, he started having serious concerns about Roth's vocal ability, hence the flirtation with calling Hagar. But Ted made clear that this was nothing more than a thought that he toyed with for a few days in his own head. Roth, as I document in the book, redoubled his efforts to improve his voice by taking vocal lessons in 1977. ​  ​The other key point is that ​Templeman says he knew that the other three never would have tolerated the idea of kicking Roth out for Hagar.”

Read the full interview at BostonHerald.com.      

In celebration of the new book, Renoff is streaming a “mega-rare, newly unearthed recording, live at Pasadena High School on April 25, 1975” of the classic Queen song "Now I'm Here”, which can be found on their third album from 1974, Sheer Heart Attack.

Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal solely focuses on Van Halen's incredible rise during the '70s.

This book is absolutely loaded with wild and interesting details on Van Halen's beginnings that even the most knowledgeable fans have never heard. A vivid and energetic history of Van Halen's legendary early years. It's a must-have!

Six years in the making, this is the first book to reveal the debauched details of the band's beginnings, from gonzo backyard parties to neon nights of rock glory on the Sunset Strip.

Drawing on more than 230 original interviews - including with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and power players like Pete Angelus, Marshall Berle, Donn Landee, Ted Templeman, and Neil Zlozower - Van Halen Rising is the first book to tell the untold story of how these rock legends made the unlikely journey from Pasadena, California, to the worldwide stage.

As for photos, it contains over 30 never before published photos dating back to the days of Mammoth and Red Ball Jet. All from the mid to late '70s.

 

 

Van Halen Rising traces VH's transformation from a backyard party band to a stadium act that captivated the rock world in 1978.

After years of gigging everywhere from suburban backyards to dive bars, Van Halen - led by frontman extraordinaire David Lee Roth and guitar virtuoso Edward Van Halen - had the songs, the swagger, and the talent to turn the rock world on its ear. The quartet's classic 1978 debut, Van Halen, sold more than a million copies within months of release and rocketed the band to the stratosphere of rock success. On tour, Van Halen's high-energy show wowed audiences and prompted headlining acts like Black Sabbath to concede that they'd been blown off the stage. By the year's end, Van Halen had established themselves as superstars and reinvigorated heavy metal in the process.

If you've ever wondered what it was like to see Van Halen play a massive backyard party, host a rowdy wet-t-shirt contest, perform on the legendary Sunset Strip, and blow rock legends Black Sabbath off the stage, this is the book for you.

Renoff is offering signed copies exclusively at Van Halen Store. Pre-order now and your choice of a signed or unsigned copy will be in your hands next month!

(Photo - Greg Renoff)