VOA is the last solo album Sammy Hagar released before joining Van Halen. Around the same time Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen, guitarist Gary Pihl joined Boston. The title is a reference to the Voice of America broadcast network.
Watch behind-the-scenes clips of the "VOA" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMe-KP0cFPM&list=PL0ijEA95xg2PPz5OdXdJF1z640pnOyQ6Y
Stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Tegu60DeUzwWpA6vuhGxs?si=_Ez-qjYnSaCfIrMGHnT-2g
I Never Said Goodbye is a Sammy Hagar solo album, his only solo album released while Hagar was a member of Van Halen. The album was recorded in ten days as a contractual obligation to Geffen Records as a condition of his leaving the label to join Van Halen and their record label, Warner Bros. Records.
It is also sometimes known as Sammy Hagar, and some pressings even left it simply titled Sammy Hagar, but it is not the same album as his 1970s self-titled release.
The album was originally titled Sammy Hagar, and included an untitled cover. The album was re-named I Never Said Goodbye, the name being chosen as part of an MTV promotional contest.
It features Eddie Van Halen on bass. In an interview, Eddie said he also played a very brief part on guitar uncredited.
The songs "Give to Live" and "Eagles Fly" were also performed live by Van Halen together with Hagar. "Give To Live" also topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1987, a first for Hagar as a solo artist. The former song was included on the album Live: Right Here, Right Now, the latter on the optional Bonus Disk as well as on the "Jump" single.
[28 Year Anniversary]
28 years since "I Never Said Goodbye" came out!! WOW! This album originally had no title and had an MTV contest to name it – which I chose "I Never Said Goodbye". This album was actually recorded as a contractual obligation to Geffen Records as I was leaving the label and joining Van Halen. Overall I love this record, songs like "Give To Live" & "Eagles Fly" have gone on to be classics for me – they were even incorporated into the Van Halen live show during my acoustic performances.
I played all the guitar on this record Eddie did one small part in Eagles fly in the middle instrumental section he did his finger tapping chimes.
I really had a great time recording this record, and I really do love this record. I went around the world promoting this on TV and press ending in New York on the David Letterman show (see video below!) while I was crispy, but it was a great experience the record sold really well – over 1 million going platinum I was thrilled!
Jesse Harms on keyboards, David Lauser on drums, and Omar Hakim played drum overdubs on "Back Into You" & "Hands and Knees" – some bad ass drumming on their part! Damn, I miss this record, I'm gonna go put it on right now. -Sammy
This is a compilation album of Sammy’s Geffen Records releases and features two previously unreleased songs, “High Hopes” and “Buying My Way Into Heaven”.
Cosmic Universal Fashion is a Sammy Hagar 2008 solo album. It contains all new material along with a cover of The Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right to Party", and a new version of "Dreams" (which he originally sang with Van Halen).
The title track was previously released in a different version on an eponymous collection by a project called Baghdad Heavy Metal in 2007.
"LOUD" features Van Halen's Michael Anthony, The Cult's Billy Duffy with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver's Matt Sorum.
Sammy's version of "Fight for Your Right to Party" includes a guest lead vocal of Sammy's tour manager, Paul Binder, who is introduced as the character "Bling". Sammy has performing the song live with Bling for years, often infusing "Summertime Blues". In the album's liner notes, Sammy explains that the Beastie Boys would not let him change the lyrics. That being the case, Sammy then says, "Then the teacher was right."
"Psycho Vertigo" and "Peephole" feature Journey guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. Sammy, Neal, Deen and Michael were originally planning to form a new side project called Planet Us after finishing these two tracks but dissolved when Sammy and Michael rejoined Van Halen in 2004.
"Switch On The Light" features ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.
"24365" features Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins on backup vocals.
Full album digital booklet is available at http://dev.sammyhagar.com/cuf/credits/
Originally written in 2010 just in time to debut at a holiday fundraiser benefiting Homeward Bound, The Ritter Center and 17 Throckmorton, Sammy & The Wabos were joined in a live performance by fellow Marin residents and Grateful Dead musicians Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of The Grateful Dead. Sammy then teamed up with buddy Toby Keith for the 2011 holiday season, making this a duet as the pair share verses and the song was given a proper release.
In 2014, Sammy performed the song live with friend Nancy Wilson for the Heart & Friends: Home For The Holidays special.
In 2015, Sammy performed a live version of the song with Hawaiian musician Willie K for Alice Cooper's New Year's Eve fundraiser for Maui Food Bank.
In 2019 the song was released as a special picture disc for Record Store Day, with the b-side an unreleased live version of "Eagles Fly" from the 2019 Sammy Hagar & The Circle tour.
In 2021, Sammy & The Circle recorded a version as part of the Lockdown Sessions.