VAN HALEN NEWS DESK

Posts Comments

Eddie Van Halen’s extended 1984 keyboard solo

May 20, 2009 29 Comments

Here’s a blast from the past that most Van Halen fans have never heard!

“1984,” the little synth ditty that opens the 1984 album, was performed every night on Van Halen’s 1984 tour, right before the band launched into “Jump.”

Presented here is the only known recording of Eddie performing an extended version of “1984.” Listen carefully, and you’ll hear bits of other VH tunes including “Top Of The World”, “I’ll Wait” and of course, “Jump”.

Filed Under: Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen
  • satovan

    Amazing the only new stuff is old stuff……….

  • SCAR

    DLR with his doobie snack would make a cool poster!!!!

  • FAMAC

    Hard to believe Eddie one best piano awards when you hear that mess.

  • Big AL

    To ALL Van Halen FREAKS!!!!!

    Wolfgang graduates in 2 weeks and Ed get’s married in 4 weeks.

    Can you feel it, can you taste it???

    New music coming OUR WAY!!!!!!

  • Fernando Z, Quiz, PhD

    I CAN TASTE IT!! I AM HUNGRY FOR IT!! THIS “MUSIC” OF TODAY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT!!!

  • Erick

    This is no chickenshit, this is the MIGHTY VAN HALEN.

    Thanks for the posting VHND! It’s much appreciated.

    This is rock’n roll!

    ARE YOU READY !!!!

  • http://www.bellapop.com Bran Halen

    That was very cool. I wish that I would have been old enough to have seen VH back in ’84, or any other earlier tours for that matter.

  • Mark

    Very cool- never heard that version before and I have a ton of 84 boots- what show was this? Makes me think he was trying to piss Dave off that night since he never wanted Eddie to play keyboard to begin with. That is bar far the longest version of 1984 I ever heard…interesting

  • BubbaCo

    Nice to hear Eddie actually PLAYING the instrument live, as opposed to playing the synths on a track for the past couple of tours.

  • Dave

    I knew about this show and heard it was due to a technical difficulty in the sound house. They couldnt go into “Jump” yet because the sound guy needed to rewire the board.

    I cant believe this audio surfaced. WAY COOL!

  • Pliskin

    It sounds exactly the same as when my 2 year old daughter plays my keyboard!

  • mjc

    scar’s right on with the poster.

  • http://vhnd surfsno2008

    as for the “news”
    all these videos were online for a long time.
    as for the audio I think I might have heard it somewhere from a live show bootleg of the classic era.

    as for new music please dont kid yourself.
    this could take a year at least

    my suggestion release
    1. a greatest hits roth era with bonus tracks
    2. a live dvd/cd of the last tour
    3. a live dvd/cd of the clasic line up

    and make a damn new album.

    who knows they may even do something besides tour and play old songs.. just like black sabbath and RATM
    otherwise known as the payecheck reunion!!

  • RickieVanWhalen

    Snooze!

  • DANNY BOY

    VERY COOL ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS!!!????
    LIKE DAVE SAID “NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR DEAD ASS ON KEYBOARDS!!!” THAT SHIT SUCKS!!! FAIR WARNING BABY! WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST-THE REAL ASS KICKING HARD DRIVING VAN HALEN-YOU CAN TAKE 1984 AND STICK IT!!!!! IT MARKED THE END OF VAN HALEN AND IT WAS FOLLOWED UP BY DREAMS AND “THIS SONG IS ABOUT ALIENS” OH NO!!! everyone knew that keyboard crap would be a passing phase-Dave was 100% right-it was a complete departure from ROCK AND ROLL! If you still like that shit you probably haven’t been laid since 1984!!!!

  • JoePhishVH

    REAL, deep down Van Halen junkies like myself and most of us here will totally appreciate this track, no matter how weird/interesting/experimental it is. Anything Eddie touches an instrument, especially in the early classic days was GOLDEN, we know that as real true die hard fans. How hot is that jam with Al’s drums as well?!?!?! great catch here, bring on anyting you got there VHND, long live Van Halen!!!!

  • Dan Halen

    Why does every article about Van Halen have to include some talk about how Chickenfoot is not Van Halen? The “Mighty Van Halen” has not been doing anything but touring for the last 12 years. People may not like Sammy or the songs he does with the different band members he has been with, but at least he is putting out some new music. All Van Halen has been doing is selling everything, but new music. I would much rather buy a Van Halen album than some overpriced shoes. Maybe it is just me….

  • Rodney

    2 Weeks will turn into 2 years people
    LOL

  • Erick

    to Dan Hagar:

    THIS IS THE VAN HALEN NEWS DESK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Andy

    It’s the sound of Microsoft Windows 9 booting up :-)

  • pete

    Erick,they have to fill in the news somehow and if i recall they had solo dave roth news on here as well.if van halen would do something then maybe they would have some real VH news on here.

  • http://michaelquinn.com.au Michael

    Jebus that was boring after about 60 seconds.

  • http://vhnd surfsno2008

    DLR put keyboards on skyscraper!!oh but thats okay..
    get your facts straight man i think the keys on 1984 are sort of timeless and a great interlude to jump…
    duh.
    and dave made blues tracks in addition to blue grass!!! let alone everything else under the sun.
    he fav. type of music is soul and funk.

    and let just go ahead and bash ed for his ability to play keys.?? whatever hommie.
    like it or not jump is the most popular song of any era of van halen. period.
    case closed.

  • Chuck

    Good stuff. I heard a bit of Sunday Afternoon in the Park. Maybe I wasn’t listening closely enough, but at what point is “Top of the World” being played.

  • pete

    at the very end of “jump” you can hear the beginning riff of “top of the world”

  • vee aych rewles

    that was great! lookin’ forward to whatever comes next.
    VH!

  • phillster

    this opening keyboard jam proves 1 thing.DLR could`ve kept up
    with anything the VH bro`s “experimental” stuff demanded!
    Eat`m&smile was roth`s answer to”keyboard”rock.
    “SKYSCRAPER” was Roth`s idea how keyboard Should Be used in “Rock” format(experimentalwise)Can`t wait for New music
    VH-WISE(MAGIC:)

  • ringostore

    Eddie was just fooling with the keys longer that night, big deal, it was cool.

    If he truly has hundreds of songs and ideas, I hope he slams out a few keyboard riffs with his legendary guitar solo on top.

    Possibly he has another “jump” in the vault. Even though music is NOT infinitive.

    I just hope Eddie practices and lets the guitar talk instead of effects and pedals.

  • Fanboy

    Do you understand now why Dave left the band?