Sammy Hagar Performs “Bad Motor Scooter” In Winterland 1978

Sammy Hagar is a famous rock star even before Van Halen. He became quite well-known as the lead singer of Montrose, having impressed many with his charisma and husky vocals. The “Bad Motor Scooter” performance during his 1978 Winterland concert seemed like it should have been nothing short of a miracle. The rare footage can be viewed below.

“Bad Motor Scooter,” which can be found on the self-titled debut album by Montrose, is the first song ever written by Hagar. In it, he suggests that a female ride over on her broken motor scooter. He wants to visit her, but he’s too nervous to face her father. Ronnie Montrose’s slide guitar riff sets the tone for this tune. There’s a nasty motor scooter on the road, and this is the scene-setter.

In 1973, Montrose, who had played much softer guitar on two albums by Van Morrison, founded the band with new singer Sammy Hagar. That same year, they put out their Montrose album and were known for their high-energy performances. After recording one more album with the band, Hagar departed in 1975 to pursue a solo career, then, later on, would be recruited to join Van Halen upon the band’s singer David Lee Roth’s departure.