Listen to the isolated vocals on the Van Halen song ‘Hot For Teacher’
Question: was David Lee Roth a good singer? He’s still alive, so I guess we can make that a present-tense query: is David Lee Roth a good singer? One of the best shots against the legendary original Van Halen frontman (one that I’ve repeated myself more than a few times) was that Roth wasn’t even the best singer in his own band. Whenever you hear a strong vocal melody or an impressive high-pitched note, it’s more likely coming from bassist Michael Anthony than actual lead vocalist Roth.
But putting aside the dubious vocal tones and bizarre screeches that have become his signature, I would argue that, if nothing else, David Lee Roth was a tremendously effective singer. That’s distinct from being a technically gifted singer, but riddle me this – who else could have pulled off singing for Van Halen? When Sammy Hagar joined the band in the mid-1980s, they had to completely change their style to more impassioned ballads and straight-forward arena rock, likely because trying to replicate Roth’s party-rock style was damn near impossible.
I’ve shared previously that one of my favourite videos on the internet is the isolated vocal from ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’. It’s four minutes of pure, unfiltered ridiculousness, complete with ear-splitting squeals, random shouts, kazoos, and even some scat-singing. In essence, it’s everything fun and insane and intoxicating about Roth condensed into one vocal track. But it’s not the only isolated vocal that is pure front-to-back entertainment. If you’ve heard the isolated vocal for ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’ already, may I point you to the isolated vocal for another Van Halen classic, ‘Hot For Teacher’.
Here, we get yet another manic Roth lead vocal. But there’s also a lot more going on: all of the “classroom talk” that fills out the song is present here in full, meaning you can hear every chuckle, bottle clink, and paper rustle on top of Roth’s ruminations on slow clocks and being tardy. Of course, it’s impossible not to shout along with Roth’s “I brought my pencil / Give me something to write on, man” when you know it’s coming.
As for his actual vocals, Roth has almost fully completed his turn away from melody and into gonzo gameshow host territory. The only “note” that Roth seems to go for is on the line, “I heard about your lessons, but lessons are so cold.” On the “so cold”, Roth extends into his falsetto range with dubious results. Mostly, Roth relies on shouts, excitement, and charisma over any actual singing talent to carry him through ‘Hot For Teacher’.
In fact, when actual harmonised vocals do enter the song, they tend to be jarring on the isolated vocal track. Anthony and Eddie Van Halen had their barbershop harmonies down pat by 1984, and they sparkle here. If there’s one credit to give Roth, it’s that he knows how to blend himself into the harmonies when the time comes. He did it all the way back in the doo-wop breakdown of ‘I’m the One’ and continues to find his place within the stack of voices during the chorus of ‘Hot For Teacher’.
But then again, who is coming to a Van Halen song to hear David Lee Roth give a technically proficient performance? That is so anathema to what makes Van Halen great, and if Roth had tried to sing like a regular human being, he would have been drowned out by Eddie’s monster guitar chops. So instead, Roth found his place as the ne’er-do-well narrator that hangs above the noise and causes trouble throughout the Van Halen catalogue. Because of that unique flair, David Lee Roth remains one of the most legendary frontmen in the history of rock music, even if he wasn’t necessarily one of the greatest singers in rock music.
Check out the isolated vocals on ‘Hot For Teacher’ down below.
