Van Halen Did Not Give Michael McDonald Writing Credit For His Work on VH Album 1984.

Get ready to be blown away by this little-known fact: Michael McDonald, the legendary singer-songwriter known for his soulful voice and hits like "What a Fool Believes" and "Yah Mo B There," actually contributed to the writing of a track on Van Halen's iconic 1984 album. And what's even more shocking? He wasn't given credit for it! It's a fascinating story that sheds light on the complex inner workings of the music industry, and you won't want to miss it.
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[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Well now, isn't that interesting. "I'll Wait" also has Ed's best solo, in my opinion.

[@MichaelJWane]

Funny, because that was one of the few he pieced together on tape!

[@Twobarpsi]

Love that solo too.

[@DennisDom]

best solo!!! You're high af! 1st album is the best and has the best leads Period! Eruption come on man! WTF?

[@Fearzero]

@@DennisDom Oh you mean only your opinion and tastes are valid? Pffft. Egotards are a dime a dozen.

[@DrewMIATL]

No way is that solo better than Secrets or Push Comes To Shove

[@TheMrskydog]

I guess Van Halen "kept forgettin" to credit him🤣

[@ralphfurley4217]

Good one

[@christianvanhorn8446]

I see what you did there! :-)

[@tony69em]

Cleverly Cool

[@chalkbunt81]

Yeah, they were " on their own".

[@edwardbanda6018]

There is a reason, and these guys are not telling the truth.

[@parose1457]

They told McDonald "We'll fix it and get back to you" He replies "I'll wait".

[@OutOnTheTiles]

I see what you did there.

[@buddywilliams5650]

Good One. Now the cat's out of the bag. 38-37 years later. It's time to give Michael McDonald his royalties off of, I'll Wait. It's funny in a way how many people called for help and knew the right guy Michael McDonald.

[@jaymonster125]

Now, I hear the chorus of "I'll Wait" in Michael McDonald's voice. This may be a permanent change...😳

[@n0tk0sher]

I hear it. Sounds great.

[@darrenbrown896]

@dbltrplx McDonald didnt sing! He wrote some of the lyrics to ILL WAIT! So no, you didnt hear it actually. Lolll

[@darrenbrown896]

@@n0tk0sher McDonald didnt sing!! He wrote some lyrics to ILL WAIT. So actually you DID NOT HEAR IT lollll

[@n0tk0sher]

@@darrenbrown896 I know that. I meant I could imagine him singing it in my head. I grew up on the Doobie Brothers and Van Halen, and I probably know a lot more about music than you.

[@darrenbrown896]

@@n0tk0sher well you may want to clarify that in your response Mr Know It All ;)

[@timburleson1078]

Wow! This is why "I'll Wait" is my favorite song on the album.

[@buddywilliams5650]

I agree, it's a very catchy tune. I like the whole CD/Album. No filler's needed.

[@timburleson1078]

@@buddywilliams5650 I agree also. That was a great one.

[@jameshartwell4345]

Dang. If your name is Mike, your screwed when dealing with these guys.

[@theelectrodefunhouse4651]

If your last name isn’t Van Halen you’re screwed with these guys.

[@christopherdunn317]

Ya mike's last named was changed by Dave not van halen brother's if you remember Dave didn't want Ed to get married ether looks bad for the band.

[@charleshendrix232]

Now that was funny

[@hhale]

​@@christopherdunn317 Eddie married Valerie in 1981 and Dave was kicked out of the band a few years later. Married life didn't really change his bad personal habits (smoking, drinking, etc.). So there's a real argument to be had whether or not marrying Valerie was all that good for the band or Eddie.

[@robertgruhlke9928]

😂😬😅

[@Vinion51]

I’ll wait is my all time favorite Van Halen song. It’s just so powerful.

[@stevec4178]

Would love to hear Michael sing I'll wait!

[@JerryCherryBand]

Wow! I can now hear Michael McDonald sing "I'll Wait." in my head with that soulful voice. Classic.

[@kickinvideo333]

I've got 1984 on cassette from 1984, CD from 1985, and 180g vinyl remaster (ca. 2012) and none credit Michael McDonald

[@sooparticular]

of course

[@thegoouch]

I keep forgetting……. to put your name on that song!

[@MikeConde]

🎵You don't know me but I'm your writer🎵

[@sunsetsoundrecorders]

@@MikeConde 😂😂

[@joevining2603]

@@MikeConde that got me laughing out loud (and singing the line)

[@MikeConde]

@@joevining2603 I'll never sing the original again :-)

[@digitalmarketinglab8294]

GOOD ONE!!!

[@stoneagedjp]

The more I watch videos like this, the more I realize how much popular music relies on teamwork.

[@hotlanta35]

Sometimes

[@fordhamdonnington2738]

Except if you’re Prince.

[@tenbroeck1958]

I just knew it was I'll Wait. The style was so left field for them. Cool song.

[@nitemareman1]

I'll Wait has always been one of my absolute favorite VH tracks. The first VH record I ever heard was 1984. I was 11 years old.

[@TheMarcusQuin]

Same here on all three counts. 1984 was my first VH experience, side 2 was my first ‘deep dive’ into an album and I’ll Wait always my favourite track. I picked up the cassette on my 11th birthday in 1984. 🤘

[@ForceMaximus84]

Now, I need to hear Michael cover the song.

[@emporium597]

Now every thing makes sense. I was introduced to VH via their 1984 release but more specifically the single, "I'll Wait". As someone who was raised on gospel and R&B, I loved the harmonics in the song I'll Wait and no one did harmonics better than Michael McDonald. It by far appealed to my young ear more than any other song on the album and is a song that I still very much enjoy to this day.

[@druidmechanics]

It's a good song, but if you listen closely you may notice that curing the chorus the F in the vocals clashes with the F# in the keyboard. Once you hear it it's like a pebble in your shoe.

[@fearsomename4517]

I love "I'll Wait" I guess I'll never learn

[@sdime9858]

I'll wait was always my favorite song off of 1984 , I like the fact the got Michael McDonald's help the song turned out great

[@mirasolbalaga5616]

I’ll Wait is one of my favorites of theirs. I think it’s so cool and unique, I think more for Eddie’s brilliant instrumentals and the attitude in Roth’s singing

[@adrianlyord5300]

Makes a lot of sense , it does have a R&B sound to it ! " I'll Wait" is a good song! Michael McDonald is a great singer/ songwriter so it definitely makes sense that he helped those guys in the studio with ideas and lyrics, etc. Great video!

[@asnark7115]

McDonald is a decent songwriter, with a lean towards the goofy and awkward. As a singer, he's embarrassing to listen to like a priest farting during a sermon.

[@billtmarchi4320]

Saw a story where they said that Michael Mac said he made more money on his 1/5 writing credits on that song than he made on all his doobie brothers songs.

[@Nitromessiah]

@@asnark7115 have you been deaf all your life, or just since your first radio? MM wrote the SONG OF THE YEAR grammy winner, and has the voice of a god.

[@wesleypratt7735]

That's an excellent comment, but Van Halen had an r&b sound from the beginning. The vocal part in 'I'm the one' and 'ice cream man' especially.

[@Nitromessiah]

Before MM passes, someone should track him singing "I'll wait" and put it over the instrumental track. THAT would be epic.

[@famachris]

I used to read all the Van Halen interviews, and I’ve known this for decades. Either Dave or Ed discussed this after 1984 was released, but my recollection was that Ted was also producing either a Doobie’s record or McDonald’s first solo so Mike contributed the chorus in a brainstorming session. I thought he just happened to be there, not that he was called to rescue. It’s so obviously a McDonald hook - once you know you it - you always hear it in his smokey voice. At least I do anyway. Now that’s a dude that can really write for piano.

[@diannaMV]

Here's the excerpt from Chap 12 of Ted Templeman's book: “Dave couldn’t come up with a melody or lyric to go with Ed’s keyboard track. I was stumped, too. Then Dave approached me with an idea. He said, ‘Hey Ted, can you asked Mike McDonald of he’d be willing to take a crack at this with me?’ I’m not sure Dave and the other guys appreciated what a coup this was for them. Mike was one of the most successful songwriters in the recording industry. He's written hits as a solo artist, as a member of the Doobies, and with stars ranging from Carly to R&B superstar James Ingram. At the time, Quincy Jones, who had done Thriller with Michael Jackson, wanted to produce him. Everybody was after him. So one early fall day [1983], the three of us met at my office in Burbank. We played a tape of the demo. Mike sat down at a keyboard and he and Dave began touching ideas off of each other. The way I remember it, Ed has the chorus written in chords, but Mike came up with the chorus melody, the song title, and contributed to the lyrics. After months of getting nowhere, Mike's input paid immediate dividends. That’s how ‘I’ll Wait’ became a song.”

[@standarddef8769]

When someone speaks in this manner I just think "dude spit it out already!" 0:41

[@RayfordRaySiegel]

Right

[@alanjamesh.zamorano1677]

I love Alex's drum sound on that song overall, it's so punchy. The synth bass doubling the string bass was a nice touch. And I think it has one of my favourite guitar solos done by Eddie.

[@AndyNyle]

yeah the solo is very pagey, physical graffiti era

[@evankeal]

Alex's electric bass drum sound is one of the most powerful sounds in rock music.

[@BRO77TX]

His fills throughout the song are awesome and can be used as a teaching tool for beginning drummers!!

[@gregorybarnett9096]

@@evankeal in my opinion, 1984 is the best sounding and mixed drum sound of ALL VH albums. I wish they would've used the same recording technique in the Van Hagar albums. His fills are so clear on 1984, whereas to me, they never got a better recording of his drums since. And i didn't care for the electric drums on 5150 at all. I still think it's a great album. All of the Van Hagar albums are great. I just wish his drums were as crisp and clear sounding on the Hagar records as was 1984. But to each their own. To me, there is no such thing as a bad Van Halen record. But I admit VH3 was their weakest, even though I call it a good album. Just not great. But some great ideas and moments. Whoever mixed and recorded Gary Cherone's voice should've been fired before this album hit the shelves. Their LIVE version of their VH3 songs sounded way better than the album's studio version of said same songs. Way better. And the VH3 tour was great because they played several Roth and Sammy era songs plus like 5 off of the Gary Cherone album. But every other VH album is a GREAT album. To my ears anyways!!!

[@markgabriel5797]

Roto toms with black dots and SM57’s and a Simmons kick drum sound

[@ralphfurley4217]

Knowing this now, "I"ll Wait' chorus doesn't sound like Roth's phrasing or note choice at all. I can hear Michael McDonald singing and writing it now. Makes sense.

[@thetruthchannel349]

Ill have to listen to it now. Ive never even heard that song. It comes on and I just hit stop on the record player and put on something else.

[@blahzay_]

@@thetruthchannel349 why wouldn’t you just listen to the song? Weird 😄

[@thetruthchannel349]

@@blahzay_ *Ya its weird they put such a boring song on a record but Van Halen never were known as good writers course until Hagar joined who was a pretty decent writer in that environment.*

[@thetruthchannel349]

@@blahzay_ I finally listened to it. Its got some cool synth work in it. The lyrics are so bad it made it hard to listen to. The A part of the chorus is pretty good. B part of the chorus is a huge let down. Its better than I thought it would be but its not a track I could sit around listening to. I can get why people like it.

[@edwardbanda6018]

Roth is just a charismatic singer and the stage presence, he actually does rendition songs. Tell us how he did on his solo take off? Sorry but when producers come out of the woodwork after EVH passing and try to condone their credits of Van Halen against a straw-man of Eddie Van Halen who no longer speaks on his own behalf. well the ridiculous stories fly around...unbelievable.

[@Rushmore222]

Without ever hearing about this story, as soon as they said Michael McDonald and 1984 "I'll Wait" immediately popped into my head.

[@buddywilliams5650]

People would have freaked out on 1984. If they seen the the music and lyrics are. Edward Van Halen, David Lee Roth Michael McDonald. The Van Halen Brother's needed a spark of inspiration from a former Doobie Brother. It's funny also because the Doobie Brothers and Van Halen recorded for Warner Brothers. Imagine the royalties off the single I'll Wait? I would be a little upset also, if I was Micheal McDonald. Must be a Brother thing? What A Fool Believes. Great Story, thank you Sunset Studios.

[@MegaSammy70]

They both had the same producer Ted Templeman.

[@TerryWrightMusic]

Very interesting stuff! Thanks for the interview!!

[@sammyvh11]

Its a dam shame Al doesnt sit down and do podcasts more often. RIP Ed

[@RayfordRaySiegel]

A dam stops rivers.

[@dspencer1201]

Ted told Ed he hated this song, he said it reminded him of Hold Your Head Up by Argent. Ed couldn't hear the similarity but I get what Ted was saying.

[@chrisbrumbaugh9936]

Never knew this, I'll wait is one of my favorite songs while driving, I don't know why..

[@joshtaylor4583]

Not getting credit in the music world happens a lot.

[@MM1717mm]

in the graphic design biz too ... one day im gettin a lawyer

[@smartfart9003]

Ace Freley stealing Sebastian Bach's riff.

[@jerryware1970]

Many artists ‘forget’ to acknowledge borrowing other’s ideas.

[@smartfart9003]

@@jerryware1970 And in doing so rob the creators of what can amount to loads of money. I'm not a fan of the current copyright law, but that is what it boils down to.

[@Scyllax]

The words to “Margaritaville” were written by a country songwriter named John Benson from Phoenix, Arizona.

[@MatGurman]

I love seeing this room again. I’ve spent time in both sides of the glass in the late 70’s, days of S. Asher : ).

[@g.m.6417]

Ozzie & Sharron were king’s🤴at not giving credit or paying their musicians. There are quite a bit of seedy characters in the business! Including the musicians! Greedy people!

[@jamesradcliffe3985]

I think its been fairly well established by now that Sharon Osbourne is an absolute snake in pretty much every way.

[@Fearzero]

Yup Jakob Dylan says the other artists he had to deal with were far worse than the music industry people behind the scenes.

[@davidrice3337]

Okay lets hear facts or examples- 2nd hand info isn't reliable- I think the guitar players who come up with the iconic solos should get a writing credit- I don't know how one would document such a thing- I've read the sax player wanted a credit for the Icon solo on Baker's Street- but Gerry's recordings show he first played basically the same melody on guitar but Mr Rafferty didn't like the feel - man, talk an underappreciated talent- Gerry Rafferty- that Dude was an anvil- many layers to him

[@thetruthchannel349]

@@Fearzero Man, artists are just doing a different kind of sleaze for other reasons and there is no music industry anymore. Its all ran by Wall Street. The 'music industry' is just smoke and mirrors to hide the grim reality from the public who'd be disgusted if they knew the truth. Oddly, enough the music industry didn't die by natural causes. It committed suicide 30 years ago & it did it on purpose for some of the dumbest reasons imaginable which makes me think there was more going on than what appeared to be going on. Now, it makes perfect sense. At the time, it was VERY, VERY odd and I don't know anyone who's been in the music biz for 40 years who doesn't agree with that. They shot themselves in both feet. The real question for me is WHY did that really happen? There were so many shady things going on between 92 and 97 behind the scenes with record labels & publishing companies all going out at the same time and changing hands. As far as capital goes 91 and 92 was the financial peak for the music biz. Then suddenly the bottom all falls out and 'Grunge' becomes the fall guy but that doesn't cut it because any moron could have predicted that. Then a fews years later they sell out to Itunes because of the really bad decisions made which I believe were INTENTIONAL in the early to mid 90s.

[@Fearzero]

@@thetruthchannel349 You're preaching to the choir. Interesting fact; Richard Branson sold Virgin records in 1992 for 1 billion dollars. Talk about fortuitous timing of the market!

[@miket.220]

Man, Michael McDonald really is on everything!

[@kawasakiwhiptwo5821]

Nicolett Larson is also singing with Dave on Could This Be Magic. (?) from Women and Children First.

[@momb7791]

I've always been a VH fan but less so the more I hear about how they treated their bassist

[@fordhamdonnington2738]

It gets worse, read runnin with the devil by manager Noel Monk

[@paulcurie1235]

Everybody whinin and complainin about how Anthony was treated. Here’s a fact most people do not know. Every bass line and all recorded bass on EVERY VH album except the first is Eddie. Now that you’ve been educated, your opinion will change.

[@momb7791]

No I'm afraid my opinion does not change. Anthony is in every video and was on every stage.

[@JJ-oe9wc]

@@paulcurie1235 WRONG

[@JJ-oe9wc]

@@momb7791 You can't believe what some random has to say

[@lgnfve]

wow, amazing story. I dont usually like stuff like this but wow. now Ed is gone, we need to document as much as possible about VH. here in my town, st louis, VH sold out three nights on the 1984 tour. I was only a kid but I had never heard of anyone doing anything like this before. sure, Taylor Swift does this now, but back then, wtf lol. VH was not a concert, it was an event. Kshe95 banner contests, waiting all night outside in line for tickets and rushing the stage when the lights go out. was a moment in time, when you try to tell people now how huge VH was, they just can't understand. no one was like ed and there never will be another.

[@nunyabisniss1179]

God, I MISS those days!

[@lansingdoesbusiness9356]

Seeing the title of this about MM and I knew immediately what song it was.

[@drzecelectric4302]

Controversial take: I’ll wait solo is my favorite evh solo.

[@LoyalOpposition]

It's one of Eddie's Top 5.

[@michaelmichaels1850]

I'd love to hear Michael McDonald sing it.

[@hawkpantera9425]

Hell no

[@TheMrskydog]

"I'll wait, but I keep forgettin" 🤣

[@jarviswatson143]

You'll have to settle for Run To The Hills. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqqmdmt6i66CqZI

[@asnark7115]

Good gawd, WHY??

[@garyleesjukejoint9510]

Really enjoying this interview.

[@garyleesjukejoint9510]

@@danielduplantier4526 lol Thanks

[@ArizonaBasement]

I bet I know why they (VH) didn't want to credit Michael McDonald - it would have affected their "party till you puke" image with their fanbase and they didn't want that... :^(

[@brownsounddesign]

I'll Wait is a really good song!

[@Fearzero]

I find it a bit zzzzzzzz

[@dmitryowens]

Definitely - haunting and grooving at the same town, and some of Dave's best vocals.

[@buddywilliams5650]

@@Fearzero That guitar solo is a real Zzzzz 💤😴. Not! That's a great Guitar 🎸 solo and song overall. I'll Wait, is not Girl Gone Bad or Drop Dead Leg's or Panama. Even the other 😴 💤 tunes such as 1984, House Of Pain, Hot For Teacher, Top Jimmy even Jump.

[@Fearzero]

@@buddywilliams5650 You're definitely in the minority lol.

[@raypowers8083]

I would pay a premium for a copy of the demo with MM singing what became I'll Wait!

[@danielfronc4304]

Even more interesting is that The Bee Gees, of all people sonhwriters all, were having trouble with the intro or a hook with one song (I think it was The Edge of The Uniiverse). Serious writers block it was, and their producer ran into McDonald in the recording building and asked if he could help them past where they were stuck. He did, and yet didn't receive a co-writer's credit. He pitched a fit (rightfully so) and it was "settled out of court" with amongst other things, McDonald getting a co-writer's credit. I mean they sold over a hundred million units/streams worldwide but couldn't hive him a simple co-writers credit. Cheap, money grubbers or too full of pride perhaps.

[@toddfrank3344]

Given what we've seen of how the Van Halen brothers have treated other people, this isn't surprising, unfortunately. Eddie and Alex could be ruthless. On the other hand Eddie guested for no fee on Michael Jackson's Beat It, so go figure..

[@chuckprice4541]

It might have been free but he got loads of credit where it was due.

[@toddfrank3344]

@@chuckprice4541 True dat, no doubt. Plus, now that I think about it, due to Van Halen's royalty contract I think he had to do it for nothing or split what he made with the others in the band (I'm sure he did NOT want to share any proceeds with Dave).

[@crnkmnky]

@@toddfrank3344 Whatever the reason (no moonlighting policy, royalty split, no pop policy), Eddie didn’t want the band to know he was doing it.

[@toddfrank3344]

@@crnkmnky Yah, although kind of difficult to conceal even if Beat It hadn't become a hit.

[@tasteapiana]

I guess I'm not alone in being bummed that it isn't a story like - Ed was so hip and cool at that time that he worked with Michael Jackson and Michael McDonald - instead it seems that Ed had nothing to do with it collaboration wise and just OK'd it after the fact. I always thought McDonald working with Van Halen was a bump to their credibility and a massive boost to their cool factor. I can't be alone in thinking that. That any of them got stumped now and then just shows that they are human and is a testament to how complex some of the arrangements really are, especially those that juxtapose intricate changes and rhythm parts with slick dead simple choruses. Also, I never heard anyone spell out Ed's comments at that time such as ''We just lost our lead singer, man :')'' which he reiterated many times after. Could it have been that in Ed's mind Dave was having too much fun in Templeman's inter-artist interludes - maybe because of the McDonald interaction(s)?

[@RJReda]

Legit one of my favorite low key VH songs

[@Plymouthmusicschool]

I always thought that Melody sounded nothing like Dave anything Dave would’ve ever written

[@soulfuzz368]

Exactly the same for me. I always kind of liked it but it never sounded VH to me.

[@crazeyjoe]

The Van Halen brothers did not want to publically name Michael McDonald. The "reasoning" they had their mindset was that may have alienated their fans by being aligned with an artist who was known for 1970's soft rock.

[@kingtrance6826]

How do you know? It’s a theory anyway…

[@crazeyjoe]

@@kingtrance6826 This is per articles that I've read in the past on this very subject.

[@tomhathaway4941]

I think they would be proud to have someone of McDonalds talent credited, especially Eddie, hed have no problem with it, he was great friends with Lukather, Schon. etc.., this wasnt about Eddie i dont think,probably more Roth if it had ANYTHING to do with the band, dont see Eddie pulling that with McDonald in a million years, just sayin

[@musclemass4026]

@@tomhathaway4941 It was Roth who asked Templeman if he could give McDonald a call, per Ted himself.

[@letmeadow4729]

This channel is f uckjng awesome!!!!

[@mikenickels8043]

This news is so old why all of a sudden are there so many videos on it?? Any average Van Halen fan knew this 20 years ago.

[@elsongs]

Wait wait wait wait wait, I did not see this in an episode of "Yacht Rock."

[@osanic]

Backlash to Yacht Rock - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWPJpoOwntWgodU

[@fordhamdonnington2738]

Ok,I’ll wait

[@cygnustsp]

This is so freaking interesting, i love it thank you

[@thevirgil1722]

Any one else curious to hear VHs perspective on this??

[@fordhamdonnington2738]

Eddie passed away.

[@myersonline]

You're seriously asking how Van Halen could do that? Really? The guys who screwed over David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, AND Michael Anthony? The Van Halen brothers know no loyalty. They're talented as hell... but that's about it.

[@dwh7434]

You got right. They knew what they were doing. Another jive move by the brothers.

[@ckatheman]

On the other hand all Van Halen members got writing credit on every song….

[@stevelimbert6846]

@@ckatheman Not any more

[@davidpatuto]

Ed rearranged ‘Beat It’ by Michael Jackson and played the guitar solo and never asked for a writing credit for it.

[@LoyalOpposition]

Michael Anthony never wrote a song. He said he would videotape Eddie playing bass and duplicate it. I think the Van Halens wanted Wolfie in the band. It's their name. Read what Michael said about Roth after 1984..

[@m00ndawg]

If there were reservations abt keyboards not fitting with VH style its not unthinkable that there were discussions that Michael McDonald didnt either. Its show business. People contribute all the time on songwriting, and arrangements and dont recieve credit. Especially producers. Mike got paid thats the main thing. If he wanted credit in print he should've contacted his people to arrange the terms before going to Teds office. It was Teds idea to call him so you can bet it was Teds idea to leave his name off the album. Ted was a lot more than a producer. He was a savy businessman.

[@stopthehate1749]

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the hottest band in the world.... VanDoobie!

[@JDCUSA]

🥁

[@donkkong5551]

I don't blame him one bit. You cut your neighbor's grass you expect to be paid.. Michael Mcdonald is just as cherished as VH by the way both of these greats were the soundtrack to my youth....

[@SleepySlimTV]

I would love to hear Michael McDonald do a performance of this song. Is there a recording of it somewhere?

[@threeleggedman]

When I first heard it I thought the song was going for the Genesis sound. It reminded me of Abacab and the treatment on Phil's voice.

[@crnkmnky]

It seems that “oversights” like this happen a lot with artists who print “I wrote and performed everything on this album” (um, except for that one thing). I would _like_ to think that’s why Michael McDonald wasn’t credited, especially if Dave and Ted failed to inform Eddie. The Jacksons’ 1978 album was written entirely by The Jacksons… except that “Blame It on the Boogie” was written by _Mick_ Jackson from England. 🤦🏿‍♀️

[@robchell9196]

Eddie got nothing for the ‘Beat It’ solo.

[@Roy_1]

@@robchell9196 I'm not sure he really wanted anything for it, I think he kind of aspired to be a pop star and was happy to be there. He should have been credited on the album at the very least, but as soon as you hear it you know who it is.

[@MatGurman]

It happens a lot. Especially to Michael McDonald. He’s such a nice guy, I’m sure he is chill about it. His sound is so distinctive you can always find him even when he’s uncredited. Soul bomb!

[@Madkre8tor]

I for one find it hilarious that Van Halen stiffed ol' Mushmouth for writing credit. Way to go you maniacs.

[@ObsidianLife]

I immediately thought it would be "I'll Wait"...

[@gl3605]

Definitely in my top 3 VH songs.

[@user-iu4vc4hx1z]

At least EVH was honest when he said Michael McDonald taught him everything he knew ;)

[@ET5150]

Need a Donn Landee interview

[@stevebernhard7653]

He's been deceased for a long time.

[@sooparticular]

@@stevebernhard7653 what????

[@WineSippingCowboy]

The 1st printing of 1984 said "written by Van Halen". I have the LP. 💿 The correction did not happen until the 2000s.

[@ArtGuitarLTX]

i knew it was "I'll wait" before they even said it lol.. What a great song.

[@ChromaticHarp]

Apple Music Credits Eddie, Alex and Micheal Anthony for I’ll Wait!

[@fireside007]

YOU ~ ROCK ! ! 🤛

[@m00ndawg]

If u ever wanna hear a great bluegrass twist on I'll Wait check out Strummin' With The Devil The Southern Side Of Van Halen. Blue Highway nailed it.

[@Deadbeatradio]

Heard and or seen the movie, The Wild Life? Eddie, Alex and Don Landee are all over the soundtrack. Real cool

[@MrSmallpoxSatan]

Best Van Roth song ever anyway.

[@danielh9252]

Ted Templeman doesn't get enough recognition for the number of great songs and records from a pretty diverse range of artists.

[@daviddalziel884]

Absolutely! Everyone from Captain Beefheart to Doobies and Van Halen and beyond and they all sounded great !

[@WillHal1000]

MM: Guess I'll wait for VH to give me the music credit I deserve.

[@SuperQdaddy]

Still waiting...once on a lifetime

[@pm2819]

You’ll wait till the settlement comes down. Van Halen 😎

[@totigerus]

No way you’ll get paid now!

[@RyanInLA]

I'll WAIT... for these guys to get to the point!

[@markshaver3814]

I'll wait reminds me of Phil Collins. I would love to hear him sing it!!

[@WhyTheHorseface]

Michael says he wrote the entire lyric and melody for that tune. At 52 minutes into Michael’s interview with Dean Delray he talks about it.

[@davoshaunessy7481]

Love that song

[@ricksolis3942]

Wow, you learn something new everyday...thanks for the info.

[@snakefinger]

In the long run Mike would have to wait.

[@ROCKNROLLFAN]

But Michael McDonald should have still received credit for basically writing the song because the chorus is the hook.

[@onetruthmediacompany]

Wow, I never knew this.

[@muldoon67]

Curious if it was a case of him not getting his name printed on the album label/cover (possible oversight) or Was it more that he was not gonna get paid (more deliberate)?

[@thetruthchannel349]

He probably got paid. There was also probably a settlement over him not getting credit. In the age of the internet that would have blow up into a huge thing. Back then things like that happened all the time. Read what happened with Sheryl Crow's break-out album. I have nightmares about that situation. I do. That was REALLY bad.

[@wignersfriend2766]

"I'll Wait" probably has paid McDonald a nice royalty the last nearly four decades, so yeah, it is about the money. And rightfully he should have received credit for royalties and had his name on the album cover as a songwriter!

[@ArvidNielsen]

Dunno what I’m missing here - checking the credits in the Apple Music lyric, a Michael Anthony is credited along side Eddie and David?

[@kennyblackbird5794]

Al Van Halen claimed Dave " couldn't sing for sh*t" when he first joined the band.

[@sco3putt]

He was right. Sammy blows him away vocally.

[@Fakename70]

You left out the bit where Roth came back to audition after he fine-tuned his vocals and actually put the work in to LEARN how.

[@thomasdaugherty472]

Like he was the only one who could possibly know that and it wasn't obvious to anyone who has ears that function. Dave had a cool "parlor trick howl" that was unique and it worked great at first. Michael Anthony made up for what Dave lacked when they harmonized. He lost his ability to sing anything years ago. It's just a cabaret lounge act now.

[@kennyblackbird5794]

@@thomasdaugherty472 I've always thought he had a pretty good singing voice. Nice baritone and a mid range tenor banshee "howl" . A mix of R&B, R&R stylistics with of course that Jim Dandy like persona.

[@careful__Icarus]

VanHalen just "Keep Forgetting" to credit Michael.

[@aleksik4028]

I'll Wait great tune.

[@flix4u]

Interesting story

[@andybaldman]

The Sunset Sound recording channel has tape hiss in their audio from 2021???

[@brentjannereth3599]

this was news to me. I hope they ended up giving Michael McDonald credit on that song

[@sbrave]

So had MMD not gotten attorneys involved, they might have dicked him out of those royalties...weak.That song is still on the radio today.

[@escaton74]

I don't know about the album, but on the all the 7" and 12" releases of that single McDonald is credited. he once remarked he made more from that track than any Doobies song

[@MaverickGrabber71]

I didn't catch if they said how long it took to update the credits in the liner notes. Need to check my copy. Wish I still had the LP that my wife had when we were dating. I noticed Tidal has McDonald listed first in the writing credits.

[@MaverickGrabber71]

Liner notes on my CD do not include him. Just says "All songs written by ... *list of band members*"

[@crnkmnky]

@@MaverickGrabber71 I would _like_ to think that Michael McDonald wasn’t credited because they simply _forgot_ to add “except for…” 😏 Maybe Tidal lists songwriters in alphabetical order…

[@viniciusmarcilio3194]

Where’s that tape now??

[@marksc1929]

...never cared for Michael McDonald's singing....but lots of respect for his songwriting and accomplishments ..