Van Halen is the debut studio album by the rock band Van Halen. It was released on February 10, 1978. Van Halen was a major commercial success. The album peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and has sold more than 10 million copies in the United States. Van Halen received diamond certification by the RIAA and was received well by the general public making it one the best-selling albums in the United States.
The album contains some of the band’s most well-known songs, including Runnin’ with the Devil, Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love, Jamie’s Cryin‘, their cover version of the Kinks You Really Got Me, and the instrumental Eruption; played and written by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time and helped popularize two-handed tapping. Van Halen began recording demos in 1976. However, a three-track tape financed by Gene Simmons attracted no interest from record labels.
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen was not convinced of the quality of the material because they could not make the recordings with their own equipment. Simmons left to tour with Kiss after recording the demos, but said he would try to secure Van Halen a record deal afterwards. After recording the demos, the band was offered several concerts. At a sold-out show in their hometown, Pasadena, the group’s future manager, Marshall Berle, discovered the band.
He and musical entrepreneur Kim Fowley paired them with punk rock band Venus and the Razorblades for a gig at the Whisky a Go Go. After being well received by Berle at the Whisky a Go Go, the band gained the attention of Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman of Warner Bros.
Ostin and Templeman were impressed with the band’s subsequent performance at the Starwood, and Van Halen proceeded to sign a contract with Warner. The recording of their debut album began August 29, 1977 and lasted three weeks.
With producer Ted Templeman, it was mostly recorded live.Runnin’ with the Devil, Jamie’s Cryin’, Feel Your Love Tonight and Ice Cream Man contain guitar overdubs. Overall, the album cost approximately $40,000 to produce. The whole album only took a couple of weeks. The subsequent tour began with the band opening for rock acts such as Journey and Montrose in the United States. They later opened for heavy metal band Black Sabbath in Europe and the United States.
Side One
- Runnin’ with the Devil
- Eruption (instrumental)
- You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover)
- Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love
- I’m the One
Side Two
- Jamie’s Cryin’
- Atomic Punk
- Feel Your Love Tonight
- Little Dreamer
- Ice Cream Man
- On Fire
Van Halen
David Lee Roth: lead vocals, acoustic guitar on “Ice Cream Man” (Credited as “David Roth”)
Eddie Van Halen: guitar, backing vocals, electric sitar on “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love”[40]
Michael Anthony: bass, backing vocals
Alex Van Halen: drums
Production
Dave Bhang: art direction and design
Jodi Cohen: typesetting
Elliot Gilbert: photography
Logan Jervis: engineer
Donn Landee: engineer
Peggy McCreary: engineer
Jo Motta: project coordinator
Kent Nebergall: engineer
Ted Templeman: producer
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen (January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020).
