Sammy Hagar / Beastie Boys (interview)

[cabojohnny5150]

http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/interviewssammyhagar08.htm

Jeb: When I first heard that Sammy Hagar was going to do a Beastie Boys song, I thought you had lost your freakin' mind.

Sammy: I have; you're not far off. I have been playing it for four years. I had to scramble to make the deadline for this CD, so instead of writing another song, I decided to include it. It is already a mini-anthem for me. That song rocks; it is my favorite Beastie Boys song. I like the Beastie Boys in general, people might not think so, but I do. Normally, in concert, I sing "Summertime Blues" or something else, instead of the first verse of the lyrics. When I went to get it okayed by their attorneys, they said I had to put the original lyrics on the recording. Come on! The world has changed. Rappers would have just stolen it and went on. Just so I wouldn't have trouble down the road, I went ahead and did it. I am not crazy about that first verse because it is kind of silly. I love the second verse. My production manager becomes Bling Bling and comes out on stage and sings the second verse.

[acamus]

http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/interviewssammyhagar08.htm

Jeb: When I first heard that Sammy Hagar was going to do a Beastie Boys song, I thought you had lost your freakin' mind.

Sammy: I have; you're not far off. I have been playing it for four years. I had to scramble to make the deadline for this CD, so instead of writing another song, I decided to include it. It is already a mini-anthem for me. That song rocks; it is my favorite Beastie Boys song. I like the Beastie Boys in general, people might not think so, but I do. Normally, in concert, I sing "Summertime Blues" or something else, instead of the first verse of the lyrics. When I went to get it okayed by their attorneys, they said I had to put the original lyrics on the recording. Come on! The world has changed. Rappers would have just stolen it and went on. Just so I wouldn't have trouble down the road, I went ahead and did it. I am not crazy about that first verse because it is kind of silly. I love the second verse. My production manager becomes Bling Bling and comes out on stage and sings the second verse.

What?!?! I'd love to know the behind-the-scenes discussion about this one. Here's a song that the boys don't play anymore, have distanced themselves from to various degrees over the years, they dismiss as silly, yet they don't want the first verse changed? They call themselves rhyme revisers, but don't want Sammy changing the first verse of a song they sorta disown? "Come on! The World has changed." This coming from Sammy Hagar, who most people, even many Van Halen Fans, dismissed as silly? Very, very interesting!

Thanks for the post!