Throughout the history of rock music, there have certainly been quite a few close calls and “What if?” scenarios. And high on the list would be when Gene Simmons spotted a still-unsigned Van Halen playing a Los Angeles club, took them under his wing, but failed to convince the other members in Kiss, nor their manager, Bill Aucoin, to take the group on.
During a recent interview with Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson, Simmons revisited his seemingly close call with signing Van Halen, revealing that he regrets not convincing his long-time Kiss partner to see the band’s greatness. Gene offered (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):
“Paul [Stanley] knew stuff I didn’t know. I knew stuff he didn’t know. He should have taken my advice and signed Van Halen. I found that band.”
“I couldn’t convince Paul or the rest of the guys in the band or the management. They just said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said, ‘In a year or two, this is going to be the biggest band.'”
Going more into it, Simmons also discussed important career advice he gave them at the time, which they apparently followed. The bassist continued:
“[I] convinced them not to sign with a yogurt manufacturer. Literally. And I told them, ‘Forget about money. I’ll pay for it. I’ll fly you to New York. I’ll put you at Electric Lady Studios. I’ll produce your first 15-song demo.'”
Simmons’s demo has since been largely referred to within Van Halen bootleg trading circles as “Van Halen Zero.” It was recorded in 1976 and contained tracks that appeared on the first few classic Van Halen albums—tunes that were never re-recorded for subsequent VH records.
Luckily for the band, they caught the eye of producer Ted Templeman not long after their close call with Simmons, who helped get the fledgling band signed to Warner Bros. Records. And the rest, as they say, is history.