I Never Said Goodbye
Encyclopedia
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
(Geffen's distributor at the time, and also, Hagar's home when he was part of Montrose
).
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 1977 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.
"Boys Night Out" was performed live on 'Late Night with David Letterman"
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
solo album, his only solo album released while Hagar was a member of Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
. The album was recorded in ten days as a contractual obligation to Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
as a condition of his leaving the label to join Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
and their record label, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
(Geffen's distributor at the time, and also, Hagar's home when he was part of Montrose
Montrose (band)
Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar...
).
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 1977 self-titled release
Sammy Hagar (album)
Sammy Hagar is Sammy Hagar's second solo album, released in 1977. It is also often referred to as The Red Album, as it features Hagar's first anthem, "Red", which is also the basis for his nickname "The Red Rocker"....
.
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
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
promotional contest.
It features Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
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
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart in 1987, a first for Hagar as a solo artist. The former song was included on the album Live: Right Here, Right Now
Live: Right Here, Right Now
Live: Right Here, Right Now. is a live album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1993. It is their only live album released to date.-History:...
, the latter on the optional Bonus Disk as well as on the "Jump" single.
"Boys Night Out" was performed live on 'Late Night with David Letterman"
Song information
- "Returning Home" was intended to be a sequel to "Silver Lights" from Sammy's first album Nine On A Ten ScaleNine on a Ten ScaleNine on a Ten Scale is Sammy Hagar's first solo album.- Song information :* "Keep On Rockin'", a Hagar original, was covered by Bette Midler on the classic soundtrack to The Rose, albeit in a vastly different version....
. Whereas "Silver Lights" was a story about aliens taking humans off the Earth, "Returning Home" tells the story of the humans' return trip. Sammy said that it could also apply to a tale that his future self might tell a child at that time.
- "Standin' at the Same Old Crossroads" was released in an extended version on the "Give To Live" single.
- "Privacy" was inspired by several run-ins that Sammy had with California Highway PatrolCalifornia Highway PatrolThe California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
while driving in his car with black-tinted windows. While a court challenge would always rule in Hagar's favor, the law could not prevent the CHiPs from consistently pulling him over and giving him tickets.
- "Eagles Fly" was demoed with three other songs as a follow up to Hagar's VOA album before joining Van HalenVan HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
. Once they had almost finished recording 51505150 (album)5150 is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1986 through Warner Bros. Records. The album was the first to be recorded with new lead singer Sammy Hagar who replaced David Lee Roth....
, "DreamsDreams (Van Halen song)"Dreams" is a song by Van Halen released in 1986 from the album 5150. It was the second single from that album, and it reached #22 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year...
" had not yet been written, 51505150 (album)5150 is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1986 through Warner Bros. Records. The album was the first to be recorded with new lead singer Sammy Hagar who replaced David Lee Roth....
's producer Mick JonesMick Jones (Foreigner)Michael Leslie "Mick" Jones is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner.-Life and career:...
suggested that the band needed another song. Sammy presented "Eagles Fly" to the band acoustically, which was rejected for being too folksy. The band would later join Hagar performing the song live on their 1995 BalanceBalance (Van Halen album)Balance is the 10th studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 and, to date, is the fourth and final Van Halen album of all-new material featuring lead singer Sammy Hagar. It was also a more complete divergence from their earlier, more heavy metal sound...
tour. The song's lyrics deal with the level of consciousness when a human is first immediately born, where they are aware of all that is and all that was.
Track listing
- "When the Hammer Falls" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 4:09 - "Hands and Knees" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 4:52 - "Give to Live" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 4:23 - "Boys' Night Out" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 3:19 - "Returning Home" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 6:17 - "Standin' at the Same Old Crossroads" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 1:46 - "Privacy" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 5:23 - "Back Into You" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
/Jesse HarmsJesse HarmsJesse Harms is a session keyboard player and songwriter who was a member of Sammy Hagar's backing band from 1984 to 1987 , and from 1997–2003 as a member of Hagar's band, The Waboritas...
) - 5:15 - "Eagles FlyEagles Fly"Eagles Fly" is the name of a song written and performed by Sammy Hagar from his album I Never Said Goodbye. It was released in October 1987 as the third single from the album. It peaked at number 82 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number 22 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks.-Chart performance:...
" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 5:00 - "What They Gonna Say Now" (Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
) - 5:09
Personnel
- Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
- lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Eddie Van HalenEddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Jesse HarmsJesse HarmsJesse Harms is a session keyboard player and songwriter who was a member of Sammy Hagar's backing band from 1984 to 1987 , and from 1997–2003 as a member of Hagar's band, The Waboritas...
- keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals - David LauserDavid LauserDavid Lauser is a drummer who is most famous for playing with Sammy Hagar.Sammy Hagar and David Lauser played together in a band called Justice Brothers before Sammy Hagar joined Montrose....
- drums, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Albhy GalutenAlbhy GalutenAlbhy Galuten is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer, composer, musician, orchestrator and technology executive.He produced 18 number 1 singles with songs and albums selling over 100,000,000 copies...
: Additional Keyboards and Percussion - Omar HakimOmar HakimOmar Hakim is an American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer.Hakim credits jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri with giving him his first break in 1980; Hakim appeared in a video with Mainieri called The Jazz Life and began working with singer Carly Simon through Mainieri...
: Drum overdubs on tracks 2 & 8 - David Thoener: Engineer/Co-Producer
- Rob Beaton: Assistant Engineer
- Cary Butler: Assistant Engineer
- Robert DelaGarza: Assistant Engineer
- Marc DeSisto: Assistant Engineer
- Greg FulginitiGreg FulginitiGregory Fulginiti is an American recording and mastering engineer.In a career spanning three decades, Fulginiti was nominated for the TEC Awards by Mix magazine 6 times, earned 175 Gold and Platinum Awards, 25 Multi-Platinum Awards, 100 Number One recordings, 135 Grammy nominees, including the...
: Recorder - Mark McKenna: Assistant Engineer
- Toby WrightToby WrightToby Wright is a record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn. He is currently in Nashville, Tennessee working on Kara Clark's latest Ep.-Producer:...
: Assistant Engineer
Singles
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" b/w "Standin' At The Same Old Crossroads" (Extended Version) - US (Geffen 0-20712)
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" b/w "Standin' At The Same Old Crossroads" (Extended Version) - UK (Geffen GEF 23T 920 712-0)
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" - US (Geffen 7-28314-A)
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" - US (Geffen GEF 23)
- "Give To Live" - US (Geffen PRO-CD-2750)
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" - Canada (Geffen 92 83147)
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" - Germany (Geffen 928 314-7)
- "Give To Live" b/w "When The Hammer Falls" - Japan (Geffen P-2279)
- "Eagles Fly" b/w "Hands And Knees" - US (Geffen 28185-7)
- "Eagles Fly" b/w "Hands And Knees" - Japan (Geffen P-2323)
- "Eagles Fly" b/w "Eagles Fly" edit - US (Geffen PRO-A-2854)
- "Eagles Fly" b/w "Eagles Fly" - US (Geffen 7-28185-A)
Versions
- Geffen Records (US LP) : GHS 24144
- Geffen Records (US CD) : GEFD-24144
- Geffen Records (Germany LP) : 924 144-1
- Geffen Records (Germany CD) : 924 144-2
- Geffen Records (Canada LP) : XGHS 24144
- Geffen Records (Japan LP) : P-13530