When the King of Pop met the King of Rock Guitar
Eddie Van Halen appeared on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album for the song, “Beat It”.
Eddie reflects on his experience working with award-winning producer/songwriter Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, in the later half of 1982:
“I used to have this old phone system in the studio. Phone rang, I picked it up and there’s this voice saying, ‘Yo, Eddie? That Eddie?’ There was lots of crackling and stuff. And I said, ‘Yeah, who’s this?’ But he obviously couldn’t hear me. So I hung up, figuring it was a fan. Phone rings again, and the same voice says, ‘Hey, Eddie.’ So this time I shout ‘Asshole’ and hang up. Phone rings a third time. ‘Hey, Eddie, Eddie, it’s Quincy Jones.’ Have I ever felt small.
‘Certain people in the band at that time didn’t like me doing things outside the group. But Roth happened to be in the Amazon or somewhere, and Mike was at Disneyland and Al was up in Canada or something, and I was home alone. So I thought, well, they’ll never know. Seriously: who’s going to know that I played on a black guy’s record? Michael said ‘I love that high fast stuff you do.’ So I played two solos over it and said, ‘You guys pick the one you want.’ It was 20 minutes out of my day. I did it for free and later everybody was telling me, you could have got a royalty point out of that record. But it didn’t matter because Quincy wrote me a letter thanking me, and he signed it ‘The Asshole’. I framed it. Classic.’
“Beat It” hit the charts on 3/12/83, lasting 15 weeks and reaching #1 in the U.S. and #3 in the U.K.
“Beat It” Guitar Solo (only):
“Beat It” Guitar Track: Solo (only) played by Eddie Van Halen, the rest by Steve Lukather
“Beat It” in concert, with special guest Eddie Van Halen:
For the “Beat It” video on youtube, click here.
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June 26th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
What a great jam at the end. Would be nice if the audio was better. Although kind of funny to hear Jacko scream ” You got it Eddie! EDDIE EDDIE!” LOL. Props to Ed for doing this. Many people think that the collaboration between RUN DMC and Aerosmith was the first real coming together of “Black” music and “White” music, but this was before that. Look how Eddie Van Halen, the worlds greatest rock guitarist who is white is just jamming on stage with Michael Jackson and his brothers, a pop/ R& B group of black men. This is ground breaking stuff here. Its a shame there is no clean footage of this. The only thing we have is the recording of Beat It. Would be kind of cool to hear Eddies other take. The one they didn’t use. At least we were able to see the King of Pop play with the King of Rock Guitar. Too bad Elvis Died in 1977. A year or 2 later maybe Eddie could have jammed with Elvis. Now that would be interesting. RIP Michael. Thanks for the music and inspiration. You will live on such as Elvis has by your amazing talents and these amazing gems such as Beat It you left us.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Ed did it for free..
I recall a Sammy poke at Al and Ed a while back.
“Do it For Free”
June 26th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
The pictures of Eddie on stage with MJ are Vintage Eddie. The “dice” shirt, bandana, torn jeans and of course, the 5150 Kramer. Classic!
June 26th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
I wish there was a better video of eddie playing with mike. the one they have is old. someone some where is gotta have some archives. start digging!!!! i wanna see and hear a clear version lol
June 26th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
funny thing on the live footage…it has been documented that Ed finished the solo early cuase he skipped over an entire section before doing the final tapping part..but being the consumate musician that he is, he noodles and fills in the gap!! also many do not realize that QJ wanted EVH to solo over a one chord vamping bridge, it was Ed’s idea to solo over the verse chords…so technically he should get co=writing creds too!
June 27th, 2009 at 12:57 am
True 80’s nostalgia! Although I was one of those “heavy metal” guys back in the mid 80’s and worshipped Van Halen, I was raised on a variety of music, and took crap from my friends for liking Michael Jackson. I thought it was so cool that my boy - Eddie Van Halen - lent his talents to help make the 80’s true masterpiece. I hope Eddie genuflects on the passing of MJ and kick starts his efforts to record the next great VH album. Until then, BEAT IT!
June 27th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Unbelievable people, the both of them. I wish I knew anyone who possesses the amount of talent they have in their pinky finger.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Ed came in too early with the solo. Also the noodling and dive bombs he was doing prior to the solo threw the rest of them off. Great guitar playing but everything gets lost at the bridge.
Who the heck is the hot-dog playin the guitar behind his back and doin all that stupid b.s. like he is gonna upstage ED? Whatever on that.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I went to this concert. Texas Stadium on the Victory tour.
Ed was in town at the same time for 3 sold out nights in Dallas on the 1984 tour so it made perfect sense for him to do this. A great week to remember. Seeing this and the mighty VH all in the same week!
June 27th, 2009 at 11:14 am
There has to be better footage of this out there.I remember the day back when the local rock station played “beat it” at first I said to my self,self what is this then in a second I said this sounds like Eddie.Low and behold it was. So I turned it up. Just awesome stuff.RIP Mike.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:29 am
When I look at the photos and videos of this article I think: 2 genious next to each other.
Well, I am a worker (electrician), my wife and myself we have to work every day in order to move forward. My dream as a boy was to be a rockstar, create music in a recording studio, go on tour with thousands of people at my feet and obviously have a lot of money,so I can not understand when a person has talent and manages to succees as a musician, actor or athlete can throw everything to the wind (I think,to name only some, of Michael, Eddie ,Witney Houston, Mickey Rourke or Diego Maradona, the best soccer player of history).
Maybe I’m just a dreamer but if I had this luck I would have enjoyed the fruits of success.What is your opinion about it?
June 27th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Eddie is The King of the guitar players. Clapton is God. Hendrix is the better of all time.
MJ is the king of pop of 80´s and 90´s. Before we have Elvis and The Beatles.
Pelé is the King of the soccer and the best soccer player in History!!!
Maradona…is the second best soccer player (far, far away)
That´s the truth. All the world agree with that. (Except Argentina!! ha ha ha). Period.
Diego Maradona is the best that you see playing, Rob5150!!
It´s like compare Michael Jackson with Justin Timberlake…
Sorry!!
June 27th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
In Guitar World (february-1990), Eddie was chosen guitar player of the 80’s. Among many reasons that we know and agree, was the solo that he made for MJ’s Beat it. Besides the fact he produced a masterpiece in 20 minutes, his participation in a record of a black artist changed the way music industry see black music, racial barriers were broken. So GW called him “national treasure”. Nothing elses to say. (Wait: Gee Lopz is right-Pelé is the King of the soccer).. Brazilian fan
June 27th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I remember the first time i heard the beat it solo,i was at work and a buddy of mine,who was black came up to me and said that he had the new michael jackson cassette and eddie van halen played on the song beat it!!! Im thinkin’ he doesnt know what he’s talkin’ about,we go out to his car and he plays the song and when the solo rips in i knew right away,yep it’s eddie!!! I have jammed on the solo ever since!!! But then again,who has’nt!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 27th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Johan Cruyff is the best soccer player of all time, 2nd/3rd are Pele and Maradonna.
Cruyff is Dutch, just like King Eddie.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Two of the most talented moving and most charismatic artists ever together!! WOW!! THE BOMB…
RIP MICHAEL AND THANKS FOR THE MUSIC!!
EDDIE ROCK ON!!
@ROB5150
unfortunately success in such big amounts changes people and kinda reveals human weakness…u gotta be strong to not take off in the situations these guys experience…you gotta be really tough…so i guess someone like us can’t quite understand the pressure under which these people are sometimes…
GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU
GREETS FROM A GERMAN FAN (of both evh and m.j.)
June 29th, 2009 at 12:10 am
anyone notice that somebody photoshoped the Fender Frankenstrat onto that picture that was roughly taken in 1982? And that in this “above clip” it sounds like “Secrets” at times?
June 29th, 2009 at 9:44 am
“Certain people in the band at that time didn’t like me doing things outside the group.”
Well we all know Ed adopted that philosophy himself at some point. Or maybe that rule just applies to everyone except Ed. I think when Ed did this solo he technically “quit” the band.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
You’re absolutely right, Russ. Because recording two guitar solos over 20 minutes — and not getting paid for it — is certainly equal to going out on a full tour and billing yourself as “The Other Half” while making money playing songs you didn’t even really write.
Yes, I see your point.
Funny how something Eddie spontaneously created in less than a half hour 25 years ago still has such a lasting musical legacy — while a full “Other Half” tour resulted in, well, what really?
That’s why a lot of us are waiting — with equal parts patience and confidence — for the next VH record.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Well my post was meant to be tongue in cheek, but since you mention “The Other Half” I must say I didn’t see a problem with that because that’s what Sammy and Mike were. When that new record comes out I hope you like it. It will be another VHIII, only with Dave singing instead of Gary. Of course I don’t believe a new record will ever come out.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Love him or hate him it doesn’t matter.No matter what has been said or what will be said.Micheal was great and will truely be missed by fans and artist alike.He was a big influnce on a lot of artist,I was singing Micheals music at a young age.My heart goes out to his family.My preyers are with you in these sad times.Remember the good times.
My love to the Jacksons,
Rich Allan
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Yes, nicely incorperated. Secrets is a great song!
August 10th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
You see that picture… I was there, July, 13 1984, Texas Stadium. Michel Jackson and Edward Van Halen share the stage for “Beat It”.
Basically the Jacksons had a 4-day run of shows in Dallas that started a day earlier than the 3-day run of shows that the Van Halen boys had scheduled. They had a rest day before the Dallas shows started up, and since the Jacksons show was in town, they came to see it. The remaining members of Van Halen were sitting about 10-12 rows in front of me on the floor… seeing the guys off-stage, and Eddie up there playing with Michael more than made up for having to take my bitch of a girlfriend to the show in the first place.
Anyway, I was also there three days later, July 16, 1984, as Van Halen would play their very last North American show with the four original members at the old Reunion Arena. The guys did some shows in Europe later that summer, but it was over for the original Van Halen.
1984… what a great f’kin year!