Eddie Van Halen - Other Work

Other Work

Eddie van Halen has appeared on several projects outside of his enonymous band.

• In 1978, Eddie Van Halen appeared on another Ted Templeman / Donn Landee collaboration. Nicolette Larson's debut album featured Ed on the track "Can't Get Away From You".
• Eddie van Halen was invited by Quincy Jones to play guitar on the song Beat It, from Michael Jackson's 1982 album, Thriller. Steve Lukather of Toto played the main guitar riff and rhythm, while Eddie played an improvised guitar solo.
• In 1983, Eddie collaborated with Queen guitarist Brian May on the Star Fleet Project, a three-track EP consisting of a rock styled rendition of the theme to the popular anime children's show, a May penned track (Let Me Out), and an improvised blues track (Blues Breaker).
• In 1984, Eddie recorded several instrumentals for a movie called The Wild Life. Some of those recordings used ideas that showed up later in Van Halen songs such as "Good Enough", "A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)", "Right Now", and "Blood and Fire". However, only "Donut City" was included on the soundtrack album, which was released on vinyl and cassette, and never made it to CD format.
• Also in 1984, he provided the score for the 1984 television film, The Seduction of Gina.
• He played bass on Sammy Hagar's 1987 solo album I Never Said Goodbye.
• Also in February 1987, he appeared on Saturday Night Live as a guest musician with G. E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band when Valerie Bertinelli hosted the show. About twenty seconds into the performance, G. E. Smith could be seen telling Eddie, "Go faster!" Eddie Van Halen also appeared in one sketch with Valerie Bertinelli on that evening's show, which actually featured the Robert Cray Band as its scheduled musical guest.
• In 1989 he played bass on the opening track, "Twist the Knife" from Steve Lukather's debut album, as well as giving the guitar part which was taken from an outtake from the 5150 album titled "I Want Some Action". The main riff was also later used by Eddie Van Halen in the 3 album for "Dirty Water Dog".
• In 1993, he co-wrote and played a song with Black Sabbath members, Tony Martin, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler called "Evil Eye" on the Cross Purposes album, but he wasn't credited due to record company restrictions.
• He has also done soundtrack work for movies such as Over The Top (Winner Takes It All, a collaboration with Sammy Hagar), Twister (the instrumental Respect The Wind), The Wild Life (one song was reused in the movie Back to the Future, and Lethal Weapon 4 (The track Fire In The Hole from Van Halen III)
• In 1998 he performed guitar solos for the Roger Waters song "Lost Boys Calling" from the film The Legend of 1900.
• He has recorded with Dweezil Zappa, Jeff Porcaro, and Thomas Dolby.
• In July 2006, Eddie Van Halen recorded two new instrumental tracks (Rise and Catherine) which debuted in an unusual format: in a pornographic feature entitled Sacred Sin directed by a friend of the guitarist, well known adult director Michael Ninn. These tracks have since surfaced on the internet. Eddie also composed some minor uncredited piano interludes in the feature.
• In 2009 Eddie played a cameo role in the seventh season premier of Two and a Half Men where he plays the main riff from As Is off of A Different Kind of Truth for Charlie after he exits the mens bathroom. Ed explains to Charlie that one never knows when inspiration will occur, hence him taking his guitar into the bathroom. In this instance, Ed admits that the inspiration was "two burritos and a root beer float."
• In 2010 Eddie Van Halen appeared on Lopez Tonight and gave George Lopez one of his Wolfgang Guitars.