Originally Posted by TLO:
Have some Eddie Van Halen news? Don't feel like positing in the dudes death thread for the 500th time? Well this thread is for you!
I guess TLO means me...so here you go....
Imagine this: 135,000 fans at Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 and millions around the world watching the No. 25 Andretti Autosport Honda charging into Turn 1 at 230mph while wrapped in a Eddie Van Halen tribute livery. Through the early stages of April, there was no reason to imagine this scenario because it almost happened.
In what would have been one of the coolest collisions between motor racing and rock music, RACER has learned a sponsorship deal was in place for Wolfgang Van Halen, son of the guitar god who died in October, to promote his new album ‘Mammoth WVH’ ahead of its June 11 release in association with Andretti Autosport and the No. 25 Honda at the May 30 Indy 500.
As part of the pre-race ceremonies, Wolfgang Van Halen was meant to perform the song ‘Distance,’ a heavy track that deals with the loss of his father. And with the tribute car meant to be presented in the legendary stripes from Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Frankenstrat’ guitar, made famous in the late 1970s as Van Halen shot to the top of the rock music scene, the band’s legion of fans would have erupted.
For reasons that are unknown, Van Halen stepped away from the Indy 500 Andretti promotional plan which, in turn, opened the door for Stefan Wilson and sponsor LOHLA SPORT to claim the No. 25 Honda and fill one of the last vacancies in the field of 33 racers.
Article from February i hadn’t seen before. Found it interesting to read about wolf using the original frankinstrat and which song was Eddie’s favorite. Also the insight on a couple of the songs we’ve been able to hear. All good stuff. Sorry if it’s a repost.
Bonus thought. After the insight on the songs I re listened to them on YouTube, But instead of watching the video (which most have the words), I just played it and listened. Felt better for me somehow.
Bonus bonus thought; he also mentioned “mr Ed” a song we haven’t heard yet, will feature wolf doing some tap on intro and solo. Which inspired the song title. NOBODY should expect some sort of Eddie prodigy type expectations from this statement...... [Reply]
Article from February i hadn’t seen before. Found it interesting to read about wolf using the original frankinstrat and which song was Eddie’s favorite. Also the insight on a couple of the songs we’ve been able to hear. All good stuff. Sorry if it’s a repost.
Bonus thought. After the insight on the songs I re listened to them on YouTube, But instead of watching the video (which most have the words), I just played it and listened. Felt better for me somehow.
Bonus bonus thought; he also mentioned “mr Ed” a song we haven’t heard yet, will feature wolf doing some tap on intro and solo. Which inspired the song title. NOBODY should expect some sort of Eddie prodigy type expectations from this statement......
Thanks for posting. Hadn’t seen it.
A general thought...is it standard now to put out a bunch of songs before the album comes out? I don’t really remember waiting this long with just a drip of singles. [Reply]
A long lost video of Van Halen performing in front of giant dinosaur statues has finally been unearthed after more than 40 years.
“At the end of 1981 Van Halen filmed some videoclip settled in a Jurassic park in Italy, the ‘Prehistoric Park’ of Rivolta D'Adda (near Milan),” notes the YouTube uploader, Kosmo VanHalenItalia.
At the time, the band were touring Europe in support of their fourth LP, 1981’s Fair Warning. The video finds the band mime-performing along to their song “So This Is Love?” in front of a stone brontosaurus, while tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, and wooly mammoth statues look on. In the clip, David Lee Roth struts around wearing a piano scarf, colorful boots and button-up shirt (left open to show his chest, of course). Brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen have on coordinating striped outfits, while bassist Michael Anthony appears to be donning an orange prison jumpsuit.
“These videos aired on Italian state television, RAI 1, during a TV show called Happy Circus,” the YouTube caption further explains, adding that the “Van Halen Italia Fan Club” were the ones who uncovered the long lost footage (which you can watch below).
Speculation surrounding the mysterious “dinosaur video” has long run rampant among hardcore fans. The Van Halen News Desk notes that pictures from the video shoot, taken by one of the band’s roadies, were published in 1995 in the magazine The Inside. The accompanying story was short and shone very little light on the video, speculating “the dinosaurs never made it off the cutting room floor.”
“So This Is Love?” was released as a single in 1981, peaking at No. 15 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
