HAGAR, ANTHONY, SATRIANI, SMITH 'Supergroup' CHICKENFOOT To Hit Studio In September

The new "supergroup" featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith recently began work on material for its debut album. According to Anthony, that music that has so far been completed for the band, tentatively called CHICKENFOOT, is "F--IN' rockin and we hope to be in the studio finishing it up early September so we can get out there and PLAY!"

Smith told The Pulse of Radio he got involved in the project by owning a home near Hagar's place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. "If you're in Cabo, of course you know Sammy 'cause he's, you know, he rules the joint," he said. "And he's a really nice man, he's a great guy actually. Somehow he's taken a liking to me, and we played in Vegas, and we played some cover songs — we're a good cover band now. He got pretty excited about it and it actually sounded really good. Him and Joe got together up at his place and they wrote like five things together, and we'll see."

Hagar himself spoke about the project in a recent interview, explaining, "We've written eight, nine songs...When people hear the music, it's LED ZEPPELIN. It's as good as that. I know that's a mighty bold statement...We could rival ZEP."

Hagar sang with VAN HALEN from 1986 to 1996, and again on a 2004 reunion tour, but left both times after feuding with guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Hagar said recently about his relationship with the troubled guitar hero, "I love Eddie, but we don't love each other. I heard that he got cleaned up again. Hopefully he stays that way and doesn't die, because before we both die we have to be friends again."

Chad Smith has been playing with former DEEP PURPLE bassist/singer Glenn Hughes as well as his own jazz combo since the CHILI PEPPERS came off the road last year after touring in support of 2006's "Stadium Arcadium" CD.