Eddie Van Halen and Sheryl Crow perform “Bitch”

August 10, 2009 52 Comments

Back in 1997, Eddie Van Halen and Sheryl Crow joined VH1′s All Star Garage Band for a performance of the Rolling Stones classic, “Bitch”. This wasn’t on Youtube until yesterday.

Filed Under: Eddie Van Halen

jamminjohn

I was shocked it wasn’t on youtube too. That’s why I threw it on there.
http://www.bellapop.com Bran Halen

I liked that a lot. Though Paul Shaffer was kinda creepy in the intro.
Kimberly

Great great song…love ya Eddie
Sheryl..hmmm lol okay.

Anywho, like I said, loove this song,
Gonzalo

I have the DVD of that show, it’s amazing
Garrett

Damn, I thought for a second Ed might play a more traditional lead line,…then he busted out the two handed tapping and starting tearing it up! hahaha
Matt Collen

Nice, I remember seeing this when I was 16 or so.
steve

that pretty well sucked
Mike

That was painful..couldn’t get through it.
mightyk

Great cover of a classic tune. Is there anything Ed can’t do?
Jungleland2

The guitar trio of Bryan Adams, Ritchie Sambora and Eddie Van Halen is a strange sight. Sheryl Crow always sounds like she is singing harmony, not a lead vocal (too smooth, no spark) but classic rock stars just love her (or love looking at her) singing…I don’t quite get it.

Bryan Adams with Eddie Van Halen would be a better jam
Kevin

i loved it when eddie made up his own solo for the song
Adam

Ed’s playing is superb, as usual. Nice treat.
T.L.

There is SO nothing special about Sheryl Crow…
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

T.L.

Agreed!

I personally think her music sucks. There has not been one song that she’s released that has grown on me. To me she’s just not a rocker.

When i think rocker girls i think of the following: Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cheri Curri, Blondie, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, the girls from L7…..not her.
Troy Con

Agree on Crow, never knew what the draw was for her, other than the obvious good looks.

Eddie clearly carries the song. It’s been said before but this brings it up again, nobody has ever sounded like EVH on guitar. His sound is unique and un-matched.

EVH could play Twinkle, Twinkle little star and it would sound amazing.
Mr. York

Great! I love it.
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

Troy Con:

Right!?

Like Roth said in his book: “VH could play “Happy Birthday” and it would sound unique.”

So true!
Darren from Brooklyn

I too have the entire show on dvd. I bought as a compilation with his (Eddie)apearences on SNL and Mike Jackson and a tribute show to the guy who use to play with Dave Roth I forget his name he got A. L. S. Also on the disc is the tribut to Les Paul. Very cool stuff. All the best l8tr.
Bosox

I thought that was truly lame.
RickieVanWhalen

I love seeing anything from him but this was a real bore.
VAiN

Lame show… the material was NOT EVH-friendly…. he sounds out of place with that shitty backing band.
nick

Time and time again Duck/Dirty Duck hits the nail on the head.I have to agree with you, your comments on here are right on. Sheryl isn’t what come’s to mind when you think female rockers. Amen brother.
Rod

Some things I noticed.
1.) Paul shafer is more creepy than most child molesters.
2.) I was glad that Eddie played Keiths solo note for note LMAO (the stones should retire that song now because after the way Eddie played it, it would be a disgrace to ever play it again without him on guitar)
3.) I bet Eddie nailed Sheryl after the show!
phillster

I think i saw BOBBY KEYS(sax)from the STONES,probably why they chose “Bitch” -to sing it
Howza

Hahaha…Suck it Ritchie! Eddie owned him the whole show. Eddie has an awesome solo on Gloria. Can’t stand Ritchie’s boring Bon Jovi wimpy tone. Eddie is much more interesting to listen to.
http://www.droppingalmonds.com Brown Chicken

PS—Like the Crypt Keeper in Tales from the Crypt.

SC—I thought she was good and she is a very good performer. Based on the video, and I couldn’t see it very well, I think she was servicing Eddie during his solo…atta girl.

EVH—Although not in his style, I thought the backing band and other players did fine. If Keith Richards could have tapped his way to fame, we may have originally heard that version. Eddie didn’t look very good back then either. He looks much better now and he seems to be interested in all the stuff Roth did that pissed him off back in the mid 80′s.

When you boil it all down, unless you’re making new music and touring on originality, you’re a memory to the music world. I can’t wait to unlock the Van Halen grown up (Wolfie?) on Guitar Hero. I doubt the guitar playing VH fans will even buy the GH edition of their stuff; we’ve spent hours, days, weeks, and years teaching ourselves how to play the stuff for real.
Adrian

fuckin awesome solo but i think the guitar is tuned flat or maybe the horns are off someone is off key.
Jason

I remember seeing that. I think I have the whole show on a VHS some where……. but no VHS Player.

That’s the show where Richie Sambora kicked Eddie Van Halens ASS……………

The show was for a Cancer fundraiser. EVH was up on stage smoking the whole time……………….
Dawg1981

This was after Paul Shaffer had his “Afair” with Valerie!
Mark Sachs

1997 was right before EVH released III and took Gary Cherone on the road in 1998. Eddie´s still under contract with Peavey, thus rockin out with the white wolfgang.

Some of you guys on here are killing me tonight. For example, Brown Chicken writing “I think she was servicing Eddie during his solo… ata girl“ hahahahaha

Then earlier Rod writing “I bet Eddie nailed Sheryl after the show!“ Once again hilarious stuff!

Finally, is it just me or could you see Bryan Adams swinging from the other side of the plate? If you know what I mean. Wasn´t this the time period when Adams just up and moved to France?

Anyway, a great way to end a stressful Monday, getting on the VHND and reading all the humorous comments! Thanks Guys!
name withheld

eddie did good. i think he had to hold back and that confuses him. sambora can play better within that style.
eddie always wants to sound different and reinvent the wheel when he plays. as eddies mind is busy doing that, and trying to underplay at the same time, sambora can just rock out on a blues jam and go all out. put sambora in some progressive pop hard rock like van halen and he is lost!
funny how eddie does the scream at the end of this video and almost misses the ending. haha.
i hate backing bands like this. they sound like a band on a carnival cruise line. yuck.
crizzle

Never thought much of that chump Sambora…over rated Sheryl Crow can suck it too, VH is the only really rock star on that stage.
Atomic Pete

Is it just me or does Eddie look a bit Keith Richards “ish”
in this one?
Ted

Ed didn’t really know the chord changes before the chorus, and was way up in the mix. h well…
Ryan

(1) Sheryl Crow is a great songwriter, an awesome singer, and she has some very nice curves. I thought she did a great job. Maybe if there was a dude up there (i.e. David Lee Roth) you guys would be happier.
(2) On the other hand, I thought Eddie Van Halen butchered this song. This is a Rolling Stones song, not a Steve Vai song…what is with the over-processed guitar sound? As usual, he always has to take the lead because he doesn’t want anyone to step on his shoes (Richie Sambora). And for your information ROD, Eddie Van Halen couldn’t hold either Keith Richards or Mick Taylor’s guitar picks. I love Eddie Van Halen (on the first couple Van Halen albums) and I’ll always respect him no matter how many nostalgia tours he does in his lifetime, but I think it’s pretty obvious how repetitive his playing has become. Yeah, Keith Richards does a lot less notes but they are different everytime and he has more taste in his index finger than EVH has in his whole body. I know this comment is going to spark controversy but I don’t care because I’m obviously against everybody here in that I don’t believe EVH is the surpreme god of mankind.
rick

Eddie didnt really *play* with the rest of the band. Didnt fit.
Rick

rick, you just summed up what I was trying to say in a couple words. Thank you.
Bosox

Hate to admit it but Ryan does make some sense. I hear alot of the same from Eddie.
dirtyfacedkidingarbagecan

Ryan doesn’t believe EVH is the surpreme god of mankind. C’mon Ryan get a grip.
lucky

Well, I like Sheryl Crow and EVH, but he butchered that song. Sometimes less is more, which is something the Rolling Stones did very well.

That’s not a slam, well, yeah I guess it is. Eh, who cares.

New album please.
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

Nick:

Thanks brother! I love them rock chicks!

Did you hear about the “Runaways” movie that’s in the process of getting made? At first I wasnt to sure if i wanted to see it. But i heard that lita ford and joan jett are producing or at least have an overlook of how its being made. So far the girls look pretty spot on! Dakota fanning is playing cheri and the girl from that twilite garbage is playing joan (she looks great). I’m pretty excited about the film. I always loved the runaways since i was a teen.
Those girls were ahead of their time. Check out the website http://www.TheRunaways.com for some really cool pics and concert footage of the band playin “Cherry bomb” in japan.

Damn cheri was cute…
DiamondDLR

Ryan speaks the truth. Ed’s playing on that song is totally boring and uninspired. Bryan Adams brought more to that song than Ed did, sorry.

If they broke into Unchained after Bitch, it would obviously be a different story.

PS – Sheryl Crow looks like Jennifer Aniston in that clip.
Chad

I hate that bitch. Fitting that she’s singing this tune. Look up the history of one Kevin Gilbert and see what a thankless whore she is.

Anywho, Eddie looks and sounds great.
lucky

Chad:
Kevin Gilbert was awesome. I didn’t realize Crow was his girlfriend. Wow.
Mark

Ed was there to be a wanker.

You don’t invite Eddie Van Halen to an jam session to play rhythm guitar.

I thought he was tasteful in how he did it and didn’t over play it too much when his role was to over play it.

But hey, to each his own.
David Alexander, Toulca Lake

Sheryl Crow was ho-hum.
The song is called “BITCH”, not “Sorta an unpleasant girl”.

Sheryl Crow does the white bread version.

Yawn.

Nice solo Ed.
BleedingEars

I’m always disappointed with these all-star jams. Too many people on stage and all their contributions end up in a big soupy mess. Should’ve been just Sheryl, Eddie, a bass, and a drum.
nick

Keep us posted on the movie.I think Lita Ford and Joan Jett are the only reason any other girl band out there ever came along.Good points out there about eddie.
John

This was the point where Ed’s playing became totally recycled riffs. same boring shit. It would have been better if Bryan Adams sang because he’s got a great raspy voice. Ed should have surprised people and tried to do something that fit the song better..
rockenvelop

EVH, enough said.