Chickenfoot update

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This topic has 19 voices, contains 33 replies, and was last updated by  ron 3164 days ago.

April 4, 2014 at 9:28 am Quote #34618

ron
(11464)

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/sammy-hagar-chickenfoot-2014/

Sammy Hagar On Finding His ‘Personal Jesus’ + The Status Of The New Chickenfoot Album
by Matt Wardlaw April 3, 2014 4:05 AM

When we randomly ended up talking with Sammy Hagar last week about the anniversary of his first concert with Van Halen, he was in a really good mood. He had just come in from the beach as the sun was beginning to disappear with storm clouds in the distance.

As we conversed, we took advantage of the opportunity to talk a little bit about ‘Sammy Hagar & Friends,’ his latest album, one which he is justifiably pretty proud of. Of course, on the subject of present day Red Rocker activities, we also made sure to check in on the status of the next Chickenfoot album.

Based on conversations that we’d had with his Chickenfoot co-conspirator Joe Satriani, it seemed like a pretty safe bet that we would be able to get an update from Sammy on where things are. We certainly got an update, but it wasn’t quite what we were expecting.

Q: Your new record is a lot of fun. There are so many flavors present from the way things open up with ‘Winding Down’ to some of the other unexpected twists and turns. I was really interested to hear how you were going to put your own spin on Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus.’ I love what you did with it.

A: Well, thanks. You know, that was one of those spontaneous things like, “Hey, what if we try that song?” I heard it on the way to the studio — I pulled up and it had just played on the radio. I walked in and said, “Hey, guess what guys, let’s try this” and everybody said, “Oh, f– yeah!” We actually listened to Johnny Cash’s version first and some of the changes weren’t right. At the time, Chad [Smith] was working with Rick Rubin on a project when he came up and he said, “Hey, let’s listen to the one Rick did with Johnny Cash,” but the chord changes weren’t quite right — Johnny didn’t have them quite right. So we went back and listened to the thing and we just took three takes and guess which one ended up being the one? The first one.

Q: Really?

A: [Laughs] Yeah, totally! We ended up overdubbing a little bit, I let Neal [Schon] do some stuff to it, but basically, the gospel singers and the background guitar parts are overdubbed. The vocal is live, bass, drums and the guitar solo and the noodling on the front and all of that is live. Neal just put some effects in the background. It was neat, because it was spontaneous. We all learned it together and then played it and it was great. I love that kind of s–.

Q: I know you’ve had a new Chickenfoot album somewhere on the agenda. What kind of work have you guys done on that item so far?

A: None. I sent Joe some lyrics the other day that I thought were just really great, like ‘Come Closer’ kind of lyrics. I was sitting up late one night and I wrote something real personal and ‘Come Closer’ was like that. I sent it to him and he wrote that music to the lyrics. So I sent him another thing and he gets back to me and says, “Oh, there’s some great prose in there — I love these lyrics, but what am I supposed to do with these?” and I said, “Let’s write a song” and he’s going, “Why, is there going to be another Chickenfoot?” like he was questioning it and I went, “I don’t know, is there?” [Laughs]

That’s the kind of thing that Chickenfoot is. It’s out there and I just don’t see us pushing everything else aside and doing it right now. We’ve all got busy summers and things [happening]. The fact that there wouldn’t be another Chickenfoot record is highly unlikely, because it’s too good and we all love each other so much. Doing it is just fun. It’s just very hard to make a record nowadays. As you well know, I spent a lot of time and creativity on my last CD, which I’m so proud of that. ‘Winding Down’ is just the coolest thing I think I’ve done…one of the coolest things I’ve done in my whole career. And then with ‘All We Need Is An Island’ and everything in between, it’s just like, “Wow.” I’m just loving that I was so experimental and so free-spirited and so free artistically.

It sold like 44,000 copies or something. I’ve got to tell you, thank God I don’t need money, because that album would have put me in the poorhouse. You know, I probably lost $150,000 and I hate to talk money like that, but it’s true. It cost me $150,000 more than I made from that record. And you know, the record company lost money and it’s like, “God, why do all of that to everybody?” I want to make records and I love music and I love writing, but my God.

To go in with Chickenfoot in this day and age and spend as much money as we spend on a record, because I own my own studio and we use it part-time, but you know, [there are still] certain things, having four guys flying around and coming around and staying in hotels and renting cars, it costs twice as much to make a Chickenfoot record and I’m just thinking, “Who wants to lose a half a million dollars? Okay, me — let’s go do Chickenfoot again!” You know? It’s crazy. It’s a really weird world out there for that kind of music. My album came out and sold close to 17,900 copies or whatever it was the first week and it was No. 22. Drake sold 670,000 or something and came in at No. 1. Elton John sells like 40,000 and comes in at No. 3. It’s like, “Get out of here!” You know what I mean?

Q: Oh yeah….

A: In the Van Halen days, we sold a million in the first week and went on to sell five or six million records. Not that I’m complaining — it’s all good, but it’s really tough to make a record nowadays. Thank God I have my own studio so I can do it, but even then you lose money.


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June 3, 2015 at 9:02 am Quote #45758

ron
(11464)

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/joe-satriani-new-band/

Joe Satriani Plans to Form New Band in Chickenfoot’s Absence
By Nick DeRiso
June 2, 2015 2:15 PM

Joe Satriani just took part in a partial Chickenfoot reunion as part of Sammy Hagar’s Acoustic-4-A-Cure concert, but he doesn’t see it leading to bigger things for the supergroup. During a revealing new talk with Ultimate Classic Rock, Satriani intimates that he just might be looking for collaborators with less on their plates these days.

Satriani notes that Chickenfoot drummer Chad Smith also showed up at the benefit concert. “So there was the three of us — the three ‘Footers where there, the gentlemen of the ‘Foot hanging out,” he tells Ultimate Classic Rock’s Matt Wardlaw. “But I get the distinct feeling [a new album is] just not going to happen. For reasons that are too boring to go into, I’ve kind of giving up trying to be the instigator, of trying to get another record done.”

Chickenfoot last put out an album of original material in 2011. In the meantime, Satriani has openly called for a long-hoped-for reunion, but to no avail. The guitarist is now set to release his second solo album since Chickenfoot III arrived, and songs he said were originally earmarked for the next Chickenfoot project have become part of a new animated series. He’d composed those tracks in a flurry, after a period in which Satriani was down with the H1N1 virus.

“I recorded all of the demos for a new record, and I really just couldn’t get people motivated to get going with it,” Satriani says. “So, that music has moved on. At the end of the benefit, although it was one of those fun things with being up there with Sammy and Chad again, I just got the feeling that they’re not thinking it’s in the cards. So, I’m actually looking forward to maybe finding another band to collaborate with. I started thinking, ‘You know, that’s what I should really do. I should move on.’”

Satriani is quick to note, however, that he hasn’t closed the door on Chickenfoot. “If the guys want to do something, I’m always ready for it,” he says. “I love Chickenfoot, and I think it’s one of the coolest things that’s ever happened — to all of us. I’m a bit heartbroken that we weren’t able to work on a couple more albums, and tour. That would have been really great. But you’ve got to move on. That’s reality. Those guys have other things to do that are important to them. So, I respect it.”


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June 3, 2015 at 12:29 pm Quote #45760

jroundy
(1418)

Interesting…. I figured it was Joe holding up any new Chickenfoot… maybe Chad, but they could easily replace Chad.

I will guess it has something to do with Sammy.


The poor folks play for keeps down here…They’re the living dead. Nobody rules these streets at night like Van Halen!!


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June 3, 2015 at 2:16 pm Quote #45762

JasonA
(1104)

This is the second time I’ve read Sammy saying something like this. It sounds like he’s just too cheap to make another record and have it sell less than 100k copies or whatever.


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June 3, 2015 at 2:24 pm Quote #45763

ron
(11464)

JasonA: This is the second time I’ve read Sammy saying something like this. It sounds like he’s just too cheap to make another record and have it sell less than 100k copies or whatever.

Yet his latest release (“Sammy Hagar & The Circle: At Your Service” released a couple of weeks ago) only pushed 7,000 copies in week one of sales.


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June 3, 2015 at 2:46 pm Quote #45764

JasonA
(1104)

It’s probably much cheaper to record & release a live album than it is for a studio album. Even though he says he owns the studio.


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June 3, 2015 at 2:46 pm Quote #45765

eruption1962
(1366)

Who gives a FUCK about Sammy Hagar anyway! What a fucking douche! I don’t care how many albums VH sold in the late 80s early 90s…this guy fucked them up good! :evil:


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June 3, 2015 at 3:22 pm Quote #45768

cabojohnny5150
(46)

eruption1962: Who gives a FUCK about Sammy Hagar anyway! What a fucking douche!I don’t care how many albums VH sold in the late 80s early 90s…this guy fucked them up good! :evil:

how do you figure Sammy messed up VH? I personaly like both VH eras. Sam & Dave were completely different. But DLR was out in 1985 for whatever reason. Someone was going to replace him. Sammy was an excellent replacement.
As far as Chickenfoot, I would love another Chickenfoot record. I think Sammy at his age just doesn’t want to put in the time it takes to do another record. Way more studio time than doing a Sammy Hagar & Friends cd.


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June 3, 2015 at 5:00 pm Quote #45769

single-8
(222)

eruption1962: Who gives a FUCK about Sammy Hagar anyway

+1


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June 3, 2015 at 5:47 pm Quote #45770

VAiN
(2777)

eruption1962: Who gives a FUCK about Sammy Hagar anyway! What a fucking douche!I don’t care how many albums VH sold in the late 80s early 90s…this guy fucked them up good! :evil:

If they would have only changed the name of the band we could have avoided all of this. There’s no doubt that the complete shift in musical direction post-Dave makes the VH ‘legacy’ disjointed at best. 2 parts that don’t really fit. If you came up on Fair Warning, ou812 isn’t going to do a goddamn thing for you.


Resident dickhead. I will hurt your delicate feelings.


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June 4, 2015 at 6:06 pm Quote #45779

dokkendude
(3023)

Lots of ppl give a f**k
and just so we’re clear, if you think the Hagar years are f**ked,
There were 4 ppl in that band, not just Sammy

We get that some ppl don’t like Sammy
But you Sammy haters have turned into Sammy Trolls damn near
every time Sammy news is posted

We get it, message received you hate Sammy…Next!!

eruption1962: Who gives a FUCK about Sammy Hagar anyway! What a fucking douche!I don’t care how many albums VH sold in the late 80s early 90s…this guy fucked them up good! :evil:


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June 4, 2015 at 6:19 pm Quote #45781

Revo11
(985)

That acoustic benefit show was really good – Hagar, Hetfield, Satriani, Cantrell, Linda Perry, the lead singer fromTrain, and Adam Sandler. I was center balcony about four rows back. Sandler’s songs were funny, as usual, and he did a killer version of Ramble On with some other dudes.


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June 4, 2015 at 10:22 pm Quote #45785

cabojohnny5150
(46)

I was at the acoustic show too. awesome setlist! does anyone know if there is audio or dvd boots of this?


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June 5, 2015 at 1:07 pm Quote #45794

frankm
(4888)

ron: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/sammy-hagar-chickenfoot-2014/
In the Van Halen days, we sold a million in the first week and went on to sell five or six million records

Times have changed.

I wonder if fan-direct is a better model. I also wonder if those figures include iTunes downloads. Distribution has changed.


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June 5, 2015 at 3:53 pm Quote #45795

wjamflan
(1089)

frankm: Times have changed.

Ain’t it the truth. No matter what side you take – if any – you have to accept that.

It sold like 44,000 copies or something.

Tokyo Dome sold almost that amount in it’s first week. Who knows what the final number will be. The bottom line is that Sammy sees the writing on the wall and it isn’t pretty.

So I sent him another thing and he gets back to me and says, “Oh, there’s some great prose in there — I love these lyrics, but what am I supposed to do with these?”

Oh my. Maybe he doesn’t see it. He actually believes he’s a good writer…. 8-O


“This hamburger don’t need no helper.” – DLR 5/17/15


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