Sammy Hagar has revealed new details about the tense recording sessions for Van Halen’s Balance album. He described Eddie Van Halen’s disruptive behavior during the process. The revelations came during an interview shared on YouTube.
Hagar described the difficult studio atmosphere. He explained how producer Bruce Fairbairn had to intervene to manage the tensions between band members.
“It’s so crazy because to go into the studio and not want to be there is just was for me was it was tough,” Hagar said. “But Bruce Fairbairn felt the tension between Ed and me and Mike and Ed. You know, Mike would put a bass part down and Ed would go in there and listen to it like [closely]. Bruce would go, ‘There’s nothing wrong with that note.’ I mean, Ed just wanted to crucify Mike.”
The situation became particularly problematic during vocal recording sessions. Eddie interrupted Hagar’s work repeatedly.
“Ed and I weren’t getting along ‘cuz he was disruptive when I was trying to do vocals,” he continued. “He’d come in before I was done and start making comments and I’d be like in there waiting to sing and he’d be have the mic turned off. He’s talking to Bruce telling him, ‘I want Sam to do this. I want Sam to do that.’ And Bruce would be arguing with him like, ‘Ed, get out of here.’ He’d finally he’d say, ‘Ed, get out of here. We got this.'”
The tensions eventually led producer Fairbairn to take Hagar to Canada. They completed vocal work away from the band dynamics.
“And it really would piss me off because I’m sitting there waiting for Ed to stop complaining about something he hasn’t even heard yet,” Hagar explained. “So Bruce said, ‘F*ck this. Come on, we’re going to Canada.’ And him and I went up to and I went Brian Adams’ house where he had a vocal booth in his studio and a board. That’s it. So, I did ‘Can’t Stop Loving You.’ I did ‘Don’t Tell Me What Love Can Do.’ I did ‘Deja Vu’ there.”
Despite the conflicts, Hagar noted that the band members could still recognize quality work when they heard it.
“I remember Ed hearing ‘Don’t Tell Me What Love Can Do,'” he said. “I remember Ed looking at Al going, ‘Yeah this is pretty good. We can’t poke holes at this, man.’ And I was sitting there, man. I was waiting. It was good that you know, Ed, no matter what kind of mood we got in at the end, him, Al, Mike, and I, any of us, if something was good you had to it, you know.”
These behind-the-scenes revelations shed new light on what would become Van Halen’s final studio album with Hagar. The album marked the end of an era for the legendary rock band.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that the Balance album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It sold two million copies shortly after its 1995 release. However, its momentum stalled quickly afterward. The commercial success masked the internal struggles that Hagar’s recent comments have now brought to light.
The band’s difficulties during this period were so significant that they even considered releasing a greatest-hits collection. Album Liner Notes noted that these tensions reflected the creative and personal challenges they faced. These struggles would ultimately contribute to the band’s decision to part ways with Hagar shortly after the album’s completion.
To commemorate Balance‘s 30th anniversary, Van Halen News Desk revealed that an expanded edition is set for release. The collection features two LPs, two CDs, and a Blu-ray with previously unreleased tracks and live performances from the 1995 tour. This comprehensive reissue will give fans a deeper look into the album that emerged from such turbulent recording sessions.
The expanded edition will notably include a rare live version of “The Seventh Seal” featuring the Monks of Gyuto Tantric University. Their opening chants added a unique spiritual element to the song. Ultimate Classic Rock highlighted that this collaboration represented one of the more experimental aspects of the Balance sessions. It showed that despite the interpersonal conflicts, the band was still pushing creative boundaries.
