http://eddietrunk.com/eddie-and-alex-van-halen-sign-publishing-deal-with-the-atlas-music-group/
Ed and Alex Van Halen sign publishing deal with Atlas Music Group
The Atlas Music Group has signed Eddie and Alex Van Halen to a worldwide publishing administration deal. The publishing deal is for Van Halen‘s entire music catalog, excluding the band’s last album, entitled A Different Kind of Truth.
Atlas Music Group CEO, Rich Stumpf, spoke to Billboard about its new deal with Van Halen. “This deal has been a long time coming. I have been after Irvin Azoff (manager for the Van Halen brothers) and Peter Paterno (the brothers’ lawyer) for five years, to find out if there would ever be an opportunity to work with the Van Halen catalog,” Stumpf told Billboard. He continued, “They are my favorite all-time band so this is kind of a surreal moment where my professional and personal lives are coming together.”
Stumpf also said Van Halen is the most important band the company has ever signed, since it was launched in 2013. “It speaks volumes that after being with one company for thirty years that they have chosen to move to an independent music publisher. This [deal] is an important moment not just for us but for the independent music publishing community,” Stumpf stated to Billboard.
The CEO said he is really looking forward to getting Van Halen’s music in films, television, and commercials. “This is a premium catalog, so we will look for the right films and brand advertisers to place their music with,” Stumpf told Billboard. Atlas Music Group is hoping to reach younger consumers with Van Halen’s music. “That is how you maintain the value of the (legendary artists) catalog by reaching the younger generations that come along,” the CEO stated. He added, “A lot of the decision makers themselves are young so we will have to educate them on the importance of Van Halen, and not just their many hits.”
Now that Atlas Music Group has added Van Halen to their roster, the company’s catalog has increased to 4,000 songs. Last year, Atlas and Nashville publisher, Combustion Music, created a joint-venture. That joint-venture increased Atlas Music Group’s team to 25-30 active songwriters, and the publishing company currently has fifteen staff members in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville.
Eddie Van Halen recently spoke at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History about innovation as part of the national What It Means To Be American program in a sold-out event.
When asked by Rolling Stone about the current plans for the band, Van Halen replied, “I’d love to make a studio record. Depends on everybody’s timing. I don’t know what Dave Lee Roth is up to now. I don’t know if he’s living in New York or Japan or wherever he is.”
[Edited on 2/23/2015 by jszfunk]
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I'd say signing a major act like Van Halen is a serious big time move for a relatively small publishing adm. firm. Most interesting is Eddie's comment about wanting to make a new studio album. Also, I understand young Woflgang may be releasing an album of his own by the end of the year as mentioned by Ed at the Smithsonian event.....
If a new VH record is anything like "A Different Kind Of Truth," it should rock as that album fucking smokes from beginning to end. Just an absolute sonic assault on the eardrums in my opinion.
[Edited on 2/24/2015 by Chain]
I wonder if Wolfie's album that EVH was talking about is actually the Tremonti album that he is playing bass on?
If you believe Sammy's book, this deal is probably because the VH Brothers (or at least Alex) are broke. I just hope mike Anthony still shares in the royalties for the early stuff.
Makes sense that the VH brothers would take their publishing elsewhere and separate from Warner-Chappell. They have distanced themselves from Warner Bros. to a certain extent, or at least were distanced from Warner Bros. (not sure which side started it). But in any event after their last contract expired they did not re-sign to Warner Bros. Records (proper) with any sort of extended record deal. They are now (apparently) doing one-off deals. ADOKT was released on Interscope. The new live album apparently is on Warner Bros., as are the 2015 remasters of the classic 6-pack. But when they released the 2000 remasters here in N. America in 2012, Warner put it out on their Rhino label instead. I just don't find it surprising that the VH brothers are trying to take control of their business dealings.
The move is also consistent with them insulating themselves within their inner-circle. One of the executives at Atlas Publishing, Jennifer Blakeman, was the founder and prinicple songwriter for the band Private Life, that EVH and Ted Templeman had signed to Warner Bros. and produced 2 of their records in the 1980s. Private Life also opened one or two VH tours back then too, and you can find youtube clips of EVH doing a promo for the Private Life record he produced. VH camp seems to have closed ranks around people they trust.
http://www.atlasmusicgroup.com/#/team/
I wonder if Wolfie's album that EVH was talking about is actually the Tremonti album that he is playing bass on?
VHND.com is reporting it is a separate solo album from the Tremonti album. While not an "official" VH web-site, VHND is really no longer truly a fan site and are insiders that essentially speak on behalf of the band when VH isn't ready to go "official" with information on their own web-site. That is my take on it, but they don't post insider information without permission from the band to publish it, so if they're saying it's truly a WVH solo album then I suspect it is.
Most interesting is Eddie's comment about wanting to make a new studio album.
I just don't buy this for a minute. They've had 3-5 years to do another studio album if they really wanted to. I think it's just another Edwardism along the lines of "10 albums worth of material in the can" and the last record he bought was Peter Gabriel's "So" and his brother stealing his drums when he was out delivering newspapers on his bicycle. EVH has his inner-PR mind working 24/7 and he only says stuff that he thinks sounds good publicly, whether or not there is any truth to it. I doubt he's written a full album worth of material in the past 15 years (since recording the aborted follow-up to VH3).
The world is a better place with the VH band in it, but it's kinda sad what they've done to their legacy since ~2000.
http://www.atlasmusicgroup.com/#/team/
Sorry, can't seem to link directly to her bio. Try this link: http://www.atlasmusicgroup.com/#/news/post/MjIwMS1kMTQwMGQ
Or "About Us" > "Team" from the home-page.
Who sings for them now?
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Who sings for them now?
Nobody. David Lee Roth is the current vocalist though.
If you believe Sammy's book, this deal is probably because the VH Brothers (or at least Alex) are broke. I just hope mike Anthony still shares in the royalties for the early stuff.
Alex did file for bankruptcy protection several years ago (three divorces can put a serious dent in the checkbook i suspect) but no doubt made some serious coin from the 2004 reunion tour with Hagar and certainly made some big bucks from the last two tours with Roth. Especially the first reunion with Roth in 2007-08 which was the third highest grossing tour of that year (something like north of $95 million).
As far as Edward is concerned, I'm sure he made out big time from the last three tours as well. Also, for what it's worth, Valerie Bertinelli, when asked on Howard Stern's radio show a few years back while doing the media rounds to promote her book, was asked about her wealth compared with Eddie's and claimed that Edward was worth a shit load of money. As she put it, not "Howard Stern Sirius satellite money (reportedly Howard earned $500 million in his first Sirius contract), but that Ed was worth many millions of dollars more than she.
I have to believe if either were broke they'd be touring a great deal more than they do and putting out music on a more regular basis.
Lastly, regarding Michael Anthony, he stated in an interview several years ago that he DID NOT sign away his publishing rites as part of the deal to participate in the 2004 reunion tour with Hagar. What he did sell to the Van Halen brothers was his ownership percentage in the corporation known as "Van Halen." Basically this means Eddie and Alex are the sole owners of the name and corporate entity know as "Van Halen." and that Michael Anthony no longer has any claim to the name or profits or ownership to any assets held by such corporation.
If you believe Sammy's book, this deal is probably because the VH Brothers (or at least Alex) are broke. I just hope mike Anthony still shares in the royalties for the early stuff.
Exactly, these guys were my favorite band when I was young, but over the years' they're behavior has proven them to be unworthy of my praise.
Liked the last record but am tired with Roth especially live where he fell back into old habits of talking and singing drivel off key and sliding around like an idiot on stage. He ruins what the rest of them still are IMO. They did the last record using old material. Not sure if they have anything else stored that is as good as that but my personal opinion is that if they were to try to do something brand new with Roth it would be a train wreck.
Most interesting is Eddie's comment about wanting to make a new studio album.
I just don't buy this for a minute. They've had 3-5 years to do another studio album if they really wanted to. I think it's just another Edwardism
Kinda like Page always talking about he's got "New" stuff or he's going to be touring "next year"
quote:
Who sings for them now?Nobody. David Lee Roth is the current vocalist though.
Drew you haven't lost one iota of wit! 
Also Chain thanks for the info. I'm glad Michael Anthony still retains royalties and I'm sure was compensated for giving up rights to the corporation. I like Mike. He seems like a fun guy. And unfortunately Eddie's addictions and behavior have soured me on him as a person, but I wish him the best. Eddie was and is a brilliant/innovative guitarist.
quote:
Who sings for them now?Nobody. David Lee Roth is the current vocalist though.
Drew you haven't lost one iota of wit!
Also Chain thanks for the info. I'm glad Michael Anthony still retains royalties and I'm sure was compensated for giving up rights to the corporation. I like Mike. He seems like a fun guy. And unfortunately Eddie's addictions and behavior have soured me on him as a person, but I wish him the best. Eddie was and is a brilliant/innovative guitarist.
Another little known tidbit about the 2004 reunion is that part of the deal was that Sammy was given exclusive rites to the "Cabo Wabo Cantina" franchise. NOT the Cabo Wabo tequila brand Hagar started, but the restaurants themselves.
Previous to the 2004 tour, the Van Halen brothers still owned some of that corporate entity and Hagar was required to compensate them for use as a brand name on his Cantina restaurants. If you recall, Sammy was in the process of opening I believe a third restaurant and basically wanted complete control of "Cabo Wabo Cantina" before doing so. While very few know the exact details, the Van Halens most likely got a pretty penny in this exchange and Hagar opened his next restaurant literally while the tour was underway.
Rumor has it Alex was indeed broke after his third divorce to none other than Ray Daniel's sister (Ray of course being the manager of Rush and short lived manager of Van Halen during the short lived Gary Cherone era) and so may very well have taken Sammy up on his offer to the reunion tour as a means to capitalize and Hagar's desire for complete control of "Cabo
Wabo Cantina."
Meanwhile, Eddie was a complete mess and basically should have been in a hospital and certainly not on tour given his health and addictions at the time. Given all this, in my opinion the entire 2004 reunion was one big business decision to benefit Hagar and Alex Van Halen. All at the expense of Ed's health and Michael Anthony's being basically forced out of the band and a big pay cut for his appearance fees (as stated by both Michael and Hagar in interviews) on his last tour as a member of Van Halen. But hey, there's a reason why it's called the music business... 😛
I have always liked Mike and the guys forced him out which sucks.
But in the grand scheme of things, he was pretty lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Also to be with guys that split the writing credits between all members. Easy for EVH to question that later. Not like Mike was the innovating driving force. In fact after countless VH shows, I can safely say that his bass solos were the worst noise that I ever saw/heard at a major show. Runs around like a madman but no actual bass playing. Just effects and noise. Beer run.
I have always liked Mike and the guys forced him out which sucks.
But in the grand scheme of things, he was pretty lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Also to be with guys that split the writing credits between all members. Easy for EVH to question that later. Not like Mike was the innovating driving force. In fact after countless VH shows, I can safely say that his bass solos were the worst noise that I ever saw/heard at a major show. Runs around like a madman but no actual bass playing. Just effects and noise. Beer run.
Feel the same about Mike, CanadianMule....Very nice guy and I'm glad he made a boatload of money off songs he never wrote and still does. He certainly could be considered one the luckiest bass players in the history of Hard Rock. Also, his bass solo did suck. Strange given I think he can play a decent bass when he chooses to.
That said, he absolutely knew the minute he stepped on stage with Hagar on that Roth/Hagar tour in 2002 that he was probably toast as far as being in the continued good graces of Eddie. Given that Hagar was enemy number one with the brothers at that time.
From what I can gather from interviews it was Hagar who insisted Mike be included in the 2004 reunion tour. The brothers, seizing on an opportunity, countered with the offer to Mike of a reduced appearance fee and selling his interest in corporation "Van Halen." Mike, knowing this was probably going to be the last big pay day of his career, took the offer. Essentially everyone made out very well except Michael Anthony. Although I'm sure he still made more money on those 80 shows that many of us probably do in a lifetime.
Kind of shitty, but it is a business and Mike knew there were consequences to his touring previous with Hagar.
I really like the "Different Kind of Truth" reunion record with Dave, and I really hope they make another record with him. Quite frankly, I think he is a fool if he does not pursue it. Dave will never starve to death - royalties roll in, and I am sure there is always a reality TV show that would have him - but he will never ever have a public platform like VH.
However, I wish he would take a cue from Robert Plant. The videos I saw from the last VH tour showed Dave trying to hit ridiculously high notes and failing miserably, for no good purpose. Robert Plant has always been pretty smart about finding new ways to sing songs that lessen the need for him to hit every high note. I mean, "Rock'n'Roll" off Zeppelin 4 had Robert singing insanely high notes, but a mere 2 years later, you see him in the "Song Remains The Same" movie singing that song quite differently, much lower, and making it work. Dave could certainly do the same and deliver a much better show.
