Van Halen quit Warners for Interscope

After almost a year of rumors about labels like Columbia, it has now become official that Van Halen is signing with Universal's Interscope Records. They leave Warner Brothers where they have been for the full 35 years of their career.

It was a full label effort to get the group with the label led by chairman Jimmy Iovine who said he "heard the band was available and wanted to work with them. It was decided at the 11th hour." Iovine was on hand Thursday for the signing announcement along with all four members of the group (David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen), Irving Azoff of of LiveNation and Front Line Management Group and other representatives of the label group.

The group will release a new album early in 2012, their first with Roth in the group since 1984. An announcement is expected at the Grammy Awards Nomination Concert on November 30.