Van Halen says 'no' to Hagar-era hit

Van Halen says 'no' to Hagar-era hit

"American Idol" contestants rarely display any business savvy, especially as it relates to the music industry. David Cook, the "AI" champ from season seven, was assigned radio promo duties for Carrie Underwood's Fox holiday special and decided to talk about what will not be aired and why: A Cook-Underwood duet on Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love."

The show's producers at 19 Entertainment apparently did not believe the initial rejection they received from the Van Halen camp when permission to use the song was first requested. Figuring legal and financial issues could be worked out later, they proceeded to film the duet, which now rests on the cutting room floor.

Logic apparently did not enter the picture here. The last incarnation of Van Halen was a reunion with singer David Lee Roth and all songwriting has commenced with the goal of recording a Roth-led edition of Van Halen. "Why Can't This Be Love" was a hit from the Sammy Hagar era and, quite naturally, did not make it into sets on the 2007 VH tour.