The Tapes Archive

This 1974 Ozzy Osbourne interview has never been heard until now. It's the earliest known long-form audio interview with the Prince of Darkness. It’s also the only audio interview with Ozzy relating to Black Sabbath’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album. 

It is recommended this interview be watched on YouTube so you can see the captions. Ozzy is hard to understand at times. 

https://youtu.be/-yRVDfrjs54

The interview is conducted by Steve Rosen, one of the true legends in rock journalism. Rosen has a career spanning 50 years, thousands of articles, and several high-profile books with artists like Black Sabbath, Prince, Randy Rhoads, and others. But his most notable work is his recent Eddie Van Halen book, Tonechaser. Tonechaser is considered a must-have book for Eddie Van Halen fans and any music fan. No other book has uncovered so many untold stories about King Edward. 

To order Rosen's Tonechaser: https://bit.ly/3MSVTo9

Check out Rosen's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/49hIu1Z

Read Rosen's article written about when he met Black Sabbath in 1974: https://bit.ly/45TxeWX

In the interview, Ozzy talks about:

Last week, we released an interview with David Lee Roth from 1984. This week, we are releasing another Roth interview, but 35 years later. We go from the height of Roth’s Van Halen career to his twilight years. I believe this interview is one of the most honest and humble interviews he’s ever given; he speaks very candidly on many topics. 

At the time of this interview in 2019, Roth was 65 years old and promoting his line of tattoo skin care products called Ink the Orginal. In the interview, Roth talks at great lengths about his parents and growing up, the beginning and ending with Van Halen, why he never got married, why he’s never happy, plus so much more. 

The interview was conducted by Debbie Millman and was originally aired on her award-winning awesome podcast Design Matters. We are so grateful that Ms. Millman is allowing us to share one of the most insightful David Lee Roth interviews with you. Please use the link below and subscribe to her podcast.

Subscribe to Debbie Millan's Design Matters: https://www.designmattersmedia.com/

00:00:00 - Intro to David Lee Roth interview

00:01:17 - Debbie Millman intro

00:02:19 - Start of David Lee Roth interview

00:02:47 - His Uncle Manny Roth

00:05:29 - His mother, Sibyl Roth, and her toughness on him

00:07:49 - Wearing leg braces as a kid

00:08:41 - His early jobs

00:09:34 - Where his youthful drive came from

00:11:14 - What the Roth family expected when they had get-togethers

00:12:29 - When he first realized he had a talent for singing

00:15:00 - Him being in plays as a child

00:16:11 - He tells where he really learned to sing from

00:18:59 - His parents threaten him with going to a foster home

00:19:16 - If “bad” Dave comes from his mother

00:21:08 - How he was taught to sing like the girls

00:22:43 - How many instruments he plays

00:23:25 - The first meeting with the Van Halen brothers

00:26:31 - Why he and the Van Halen brothers were crosstown rivals

00:28:26 - What inspired him to write music

00:30:57 - The near-death experience that chokes him up even today

00:34:38 - How much of his Playboy image is a story he was creating

00:37:15 - If he is confident he would make it in show business

00:37:33 - The idea of an album band

00:39:00 - An obscure Dutch radio reference

00:40:14 - Did they write Runnin’ with the Devil in 18 minutes

00:42:25 - Who are the best teachers and coaches

00:45:35 - When he has felt sorry for himself

00:46:45 - Why he hasn’t fallen into a lot of traps, other Rock and Rollers did

00:47:28 - Him stealing books

00:48:31 - What kept him from succumbing to drug abuse

00:49:55 - Where his ability to jump high comes from

00:53:46 - Why did he leave Van Halen in 1985

00:54:38 - Why didn’t he ever get married

00:56:44 - His ability to mimic others

00:58:54 - The teleplay he has been working on for three years

01:00:33 - Why his favorite audience is disbelieving nonbelievers

01:01:29 - Why he isn’t happy

01:02:14 - His window time

01:02:53 - How he’s always solving a catastrophe

01:05:12 - Why he decided to start Ink the Orginal

01:07:43 - Why take his life in this direction

01:09:41 - Tattoos today

01:12:11 - The process of making his product

01:13:53 - How the business is doing

01:14:22 - The difference between having a tattoo today and 30 years ago

01:17:37 - What advice would he give someone who has writer’s block

01:19:28 - Squeezing every single moment out of life

A never-published interview with Van Halen's Diamond David Lee Roth. At the time of this interview in December 1984, Roth was 31 years old, and only months away from no longer being in Van Halen. In the interview, Roth talks about the future of Van Halen, his need for attention, whether he’s a bad role model, and what he wants on his tombstone. And in a Tapes Archive exclusive, Mr. Roth busts into an impromptu freestyle rap. 

The interview is conducted by a new Tapes Archive contributor, award-winning legendary entertainment journalist, screenwriter, producer, and author, Ethlie Ann Vare. For decades, Ethlie ruled musical taste and celebrity gossip in newspapers, magazines, and TV. Her Top 10 Syndicated column ROCK ON ran in 1,700 newspapers worldwide. She’s interviewed A-list movie celebrities like Johnny Depp and Nicholas Cage and rock royalty like Ozzy Osbourne and David Lee Roth. She wrote for Billboard, Daily Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter. She also reviewed rock concerts and albums for the New York Times, and discussed rock stars on The Gossip Show. Ms. Vare has more accomplishments than we have time to say here. Below is a link in to her website. We are honored she is allowing us to share some of her unpublished historical interviews with all of you. 

Ethlie Ann Vare's website https://ethlieannvare.com/

Watch the captioned version https://youtu.be/QodtYVn7tDQ

00:00 - Intro to David Lee Roth interview

01:46 - Start of the David Lee Roth Interview

02:57 - The rumors about Eddie Van Halen wanting to leave the band

03:58 - Was it an ego blow with Van Halen’s album 1984 not hitting #1 on the charts

05:22 - Playing Black Sabbath music while watching a football game

05:49 - Was having a pop hit with “Jump” harmful to the band?

06:57 - About his love life and what his type is

08:38 - Who is the real David Lee Roth

09:29 - How Roth is a bit of a loner, and his need for attention

10:21 - How he’s critical of other bands

12:03 - Roth does a freestyle rap. (Not kidding, not A.I.)

12:52 - His first and other jobs as a teenager

14:01 - Who manages his money

14:39 - Where his next adventure will be

15:05 - How does he defend the criticism that he’s a bad role model

15:55 - What’s next for Van Halen

16:29 - What’s the Van Halen groupie scene like

17:02 - The Hot For Teacher video

17:42 - The auditions for his music videos

18:42 - What would he want on his tombstone

19:04 - Answering machines

19:44 - What he wants back

19:55 - A scene he likes from the movie Cotton Club

20:41 - His Harley Davidson

21:41 - What type of car he drives

22:11 - His height and weight

22:41 - The movie Amadeus

23:10 - He was just offered a low-budget film

23:57 - Who’s going to remember him in 500 years

A never-published interview with the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar. At the time of this interview in 1997, Hagar was 50 years old, freshly out of Van Halen, and promoting his new album Marching to Mars and his upcoming tour. In the interview, Hagar talks in detail about how he saw the break-up between him and Van Halen, his dislike for manager Ray Daniels, and his new musician best buddy Mickey Hart.

00:00 - Intro to Sammy Hagar interview

01:21 - Why his new album is not more aggressive after being fired from Van Halen

03:38 - Detailed backstory on why it ended with Van Halen and him

05:16 - How manager Ray Danniels wanted more than his fair share of money

07:08 - All about greed and lack of integrity

07:47 - What he thinks Eddie Van Halen lied about

08:43 - Why did he still thank Van Halen on his new album

09:50 - The support of his fans

10:34 - His disappointment in Eddie and Alex Van Halen

11:50 - How does he think the upcoming Van Halen record with Gary Cherone will do

12:55 - How Eddie Van Halen is a musician, not a songwriter

13:38 - How Van Halen hired a 72-year-old to help with lyrics

14:00 - All the producers’ Van Halen went through

14:44 - If Van Halen’s next album fails with Cherone how will Hagar feel

15:43 - How Michael Anthony was mistreated in Van Halen

16:50 - What Los Tres Gusanos is

17:13 - What are the stand-out songs on his new album Marching to Mars

18:28 - How he got together with Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart

19:49 - Mickey Hart as a musician

20:28 - His touring plans

21:37 - The business side of his tour

22:51 - Did he get to talk to David Lee Roth and the difference in their Gary Cherone stories

24:15 - When he finally busted Eddie Van Halen

25:02 - What would he change if he were the overlord of pop music

26:40 - What else does he have going on

A never-published interview with Alex Van Halen. At the time of this interview in 1995, Alex was 42 years old and was promoting an upcoming Van Halen concert in British Columbia, Canada. In the interview, Alex talks about growing up and playing with his brother Eddie Van Halen, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" producer Bruce Fairbairn, and the best thing about being in Van Halen.

The interview is conducted by a Tapes Archive contributor, Canadian music journalist and author Steve Newton. During his four decades as a freelance music writer, he has interviewed everyone from AC/DC to ZZTop. We highly recommend that you head over to his Patreon page patreon.com/earofnewt and check out over 400 of his exclusive interviews. For only $5, you get full access. We are not paid for this endorsement; we truly feel it’s money well spent.

Read Newton's article based on this interview: https://bit.ly/3YOyBnI

Link to Newton's Patreon page: https://bit.ly/3WQBr9S

For zero money, you can head over to Newton’s website, earofnewt.com, where he has posted more than 3,000 of his interviews, album reviews, concert reviews, and horror movie reviews.

Link to Newton's website: https://bit.ly/3ij9GIa

00:00 - Intro

01:38 - Start of Alex Van Halen Interview

02:06 - His earliest memories of playing with his brother, Eddie Van Halen, and his dad’s musical career

03:24 - Who the Van Halen brothers would try to emulate musically

03:43 - Who were his drum gods when he first started playing

04:39 - Playing with his dad’s Jazz band and if he took lessons

05:39 - If Eddie was part of his dad’s band

05:52 - When did he know Eddie Van Halen would be a legend and his own guitar-playing

06:31 - Did he know early on how big Van Halen would become, and early days with the LA club scene

07:00 - The night Warner Brothers saw them for the first time

08:43 - What’s his favorite David Lee Roth Van Halen album is

09:29 - The essence and core of Van Halen

10:03 - How Sammy Hagar could have replaced Roth back in 1978

10:57 - How Van Halen has evolved since Sammy Hagar joined the band.

11:58 - How producer Bruce Fairbairn got involved in producing “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”

13:34 - Van Halen’s process in picking a producer

14:38 - Does he have any input into writing Van Halen songs?

15:53 - How much longer does he see Van Halen rocking?

16:26 - What’s the best thing about being in Van Halen

16:41 - Alex talks about Van Halen’s USA Harvest can drive

18:02 - Alex gives the name of the person Steve should talk to to get backstage.

In this episode, we have Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony. At the time of this interview in 1989, Van Halen was in Japan promoting their OU812 tour and record.. In the interview, Van Halen talks about how Eddie wants to be remembered when he dies, David Lee Roth and Ted Templeman, their album OU812, why Eddie is still not 100% sober, and so much more. 

We have also added a bonus interview with Eddie alone from 1985.

The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve, please check out our podcast-only interview with him, which is out now.

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - Start to Eddie Van Halen Michael Anthony interview

01:15 - Is there a formula to make hit records?

01:45 - Eddie Van Halen enters the conversation

02:34 - Is Van Halen more like a family?

03:03 - If David Lee Roth is a businessman

04:13 - Is OU812 more straightforward?

05:38 - How has the age of fans affected the music?

06:42 - How Eddie wants to be remembered when he dies

07:06 - What separates Eddie from his clones

07:43 - Eddie talks about Jimmy Page

08:28 - Can Van Halen burn out musically?

08:55 - His playing when he first learned to play

09:35 - If they think as they get older, they lose certain things

09:59 - If they ever go back to the older Van Halen music and why he build 5150

11:03 - If Eddie ever becomes too indulgent

12:02 - How much input do producers have? Talks about Ted Templeman and Mick Jones

12:45 - David Lee Roth and Ted Templeman’s theory on covering hit songs

13:46 - Guns ’n Roses

14:12 - Drugs and drinking

14:51 - Did Eddie ever go too far with partying?

15:31 - With David Lee Roth leaving, did that lift a cloud?

16:09 - Does Eddie need to drink to write music?

18:03 - Did Eddie and Al go sober at the request of their father?

18:40 - Eddie tells the band to calm down during their first tour

19:22 - Van Halen band meetings

19:48 - Is Van Halen a democracy?

20:33 - What would Eddie have done if he wasn’t a guitarist

21:21 - Eddie talks about playing piano as a kid

23:09 - Does Van Halen bring out violent impulses from fans?

23:42 - Does he like any current bands?

24:27 - Sammy Hagar walks in

24:56 - Why Eddie started playing guitar [Start of the interview from 1985]

25:58 - Was his guitar like his friend

26:51 - Al and Eddie money making scam

28:08 - How Eddie depends on Alex, and how Al took over Ed’s drums

30:58 - What makes Van Halen good?

32:17 - When did Ed know Van Halen was something special?

32:51 - His love for his guitar and family

34:52 - What will it take for him to realize people appreciate him

35:56 - Eddie avoiding fame

36:28 - Why does he go onstage?

37:34 - Does he feel like a rockstar?

38:18 - What he dreamt of when he first started with Van Halen

38:53 - Alex throwing drumsticks at him

40:36 - Why he detunes

41:18 - He hates books

42:28 - The backstory to the song Girl Gone Bad

44:05 - Why was 1984 important to Eddie’s mental health?

44:56 - Eddie Van Halen plays Crossroads

47:50 - How old was he when he learned Crossroads?

48:10 - Is he happy while playing?

48:41 - Why he likes being alone

49:00 - Have people told him he was nuts?

49:15 - How has the success of 1984 changed him

50:06 - Did he think Jump would be a hit?

50:49 - Does he get pleasure from playing music?

51:40 - Could anyone play like Eddie?

In this episode, we have the one and only Diamond David Lee Roth. At the time of this interview in 1988, Roth was 34 years old and was promoting his Skyscraper tour and record.. In the interview, Roth talks about Diamond Enterprises, if he thinks Ed and Al are sober, and what’s wrong with Van Halen, and he critiques Axl Rose, Ozzy, and Bon Jovi. 

The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve, please check out our podcast-only interview with him, which is out now.

Link to captioned version

In the interview, Roth talks about:

In this episode, we have one of the greatest heavy metal vocalists of all time, Ronnie James Dio. At the time of the interview in 1985, Dio was 43 years old and was promoting his Sacred Heart album and tour. 

In the interview, Dio talks about filling Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath, a mystical experience that almost killed his wife, his thoughts on Ritchie Blackmore’s playing, and his metal all-star project Hear ‘n Aid.

The interview is conducted by a new Tapes Archive contributor, Canadian music journalist and author Steve Newton. During his four decades as a freelance music writer, he has interviewed everyone from AC/DC to ZZTop. We highly recommend that you head over to his Patreon page patreon.com/earofnewt and check out over 340 of his exclusive interviews. For only $5, you get full access. We are not paid for this endorsement; we truly feel it’s money well spent.

Link to Newton's Patreon page: https://bit.ly/3WQBr9S

For zero money, you can head over to Newton’s website, earofnewt.com, where he has posted more than 3,000 of his interviews, album reviews, concert reviews, and horror movie reviews.

Link to Newton's website: https://bit.ly/3ij9GIa

00:00 - Intro

01:41 - Start of the Ronnie James Dio interview

01:53 - The Sacred Heart tour

02:42 - His project Hear ’n Aid and whose playing on it

04:05 - How he writes music while watching sports

04:33 - What his first instrument was and if he liked it

05:10 - His love for classical music and how it relates to guitar players

06:21 - Why anyone can like classical music

07:15 - What other singers he admires

08:12 - How well Sacred Heart is doing sales wise

08:58 - If the PMRC has affected him

09:24 - If he’s interested in the occult

09:53 - His strange mystical experience while recording Rainbow’s “Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll”

10:15 - An evil spirit who tried to kill his wife, Wendy Dio

10:55 - Filling Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in his former band Black Sabbath

12:50 - What he thinks of Ozzy’s solo music

13:37 - If he thinks Heaven and Hell paved the way for a resurgence of heavy metal

13:49 - His favorite tunes he did with Black Sabbath

14:19 - If he wants to produce other bands

14:55 - If it’s true he has a degree in Pharmacy

15:05 - If he’s still friends with Ritchie Blackmore and what he thinks of his guitar playing

15:41 - His thoughts on Yngwie Malmsteen

16:05 - His kindness to Steve Newton

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In this episode, we have Black Sabbath’s guitarist and the godfather of heavy metal, Tony Iommi.

At the time of the interview in 1984, Iommi was 36 years old and was promoting Black Sabbath’s Born Again album and tour.

In the interview, Iommi talks about Ian Gillian joining Black Sabbath and blowing up his boat, thoughts on Ozzy Osbourne remaking old Sabbath tunes, the Born Again live show, Randy Rhoads, and how he really did disturb the priest. 

The interview is conducted by a new Tapes Archive contributor, Canadian music journalist and author Steve Newton. During his four decades as a freelance music writer, he has interviewed everyone from AC/DC to ZZTop. We highly recommend that you head over to his Patreon page patreon.com/earofnewt and check out over 340 of his exclusive interviews. For only $5, you get full access. We are not paid for this endorsement; we truly feel it’s money well spent.

Link to Newton's Patreon page: https://bit.ly/3WQBr9S

For zero money, you can head over to Newton’s website, earofnewt.com, where he has posted more than 3,000 of his interviews, album reviews, concert reviews, and horror movie reviews.

Link to Newton's website: https://bit.ly/3ij9GIa

00:00 - Intro

01:44 - Start of Tony Iommi Interview

02:07 - Ian Gillian joining Black Sabbath

02:21 - Playing Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water

03:02 - Why Ronnie James Dio left Black Sabbath

03:22 - The addition of Bev Bevan from ELO

03:58 - If former Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will be back

04:13 - The story behind Black Sabbath’s song Disturbing the Priest

04:50 - Blowing up Ian Gillian’s boat

05:18 - The comparison between Black Sabbath’s debut album and Born Again

06:10 - His thoughts about former bandmate Ozzy Osbourne’s music

06:22 - What he thought of Randy Rhoads

06:34 - On Ozzy remaking old Black Sabbath songs

07:06 - Black Sabbath’s influence on other bands

07:46 - What music does he listen to

08:11 - A very surprising favorite song of Iommi’s

08:23 - Talks about Born Again’s live show.

09:33 - Iommi plays a bit of a joke on Newton

09:58 - Why growing up he did not think he would play the guitar

10:26 - His main influences on guitar

10:48 - How he doesn’t actually play a Gibson SG

11:58 - His current amps

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this never before-heard 2016 interview, Vai talks with author Greg Renoff about the landmark David Lee Roth album Eat ‘Em and Smile. At the time, it was the 30th anniversary of the iconic album.

In the interview, Vai talks about the song he thought he wrote but didn’t, the jock that wasn’t happy with Vai, the rumored Kim Mitchell song, and the infamous Lucky Strike reunion show that didn't happen.

The interview is conducted by Greg Renoff. Renoff is the author of two Amazon best-sellers and a must-read for music fans. Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal and Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. If you haven't read these books, do yourself a favor and go get them now. 

Read Greg Renoff's article based on this interview over on Guitar World. https://bit.ly/3eMS1Xf

00:00 - Intro Steve Vai interview

01:20 - Start of Steve Vai interview

02:00 - The first time David Lee Roth called Vai

02:17 - Pete Angelus and the Fabulous Picasso Brothers

02:42 - Who was involved with the choreography

03:19 - If Aerosmith was involved

04:44 - Was the Kim Mitchell song Kids in Action recorded?

05:16 - Other possible guitar players

05:56 - What Vai has no memory of

06:58 - The song Vai thought he wrote, but didn’t

09:39 - What Roth’s name for Kids in Action was and why

10:18 - Leaking to the press

10:53 - Getting a hold of Roth

12:25 - Early memories with Roth

13:54 - The jock vs Vai story

15:00 - The very first Roth concert he played

16:23 - How Roth was his final mentor

17:49 - If Roth’s movie was originally for Van Halen

18:34 - If he’d do a reunion with the Eat ‘Em Smile band

19:27 - The infamous Lucky Strike concert

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