The Seduction of Gina score, by Eddie Van Halen
In 1983, Eddie Van Halen wrote three synthesizer songs (one of which included a guitar solo) for this made-for-TV movie, The Seduction of Gina, which starred Valerie Bertinelli as a compulsive gambler who cheats on her husband to earn money to gamble. The remainder of the music was done by Tom neuman.
Eddie wrote the opening composition without seeing any footage from the film. The other scenes were written based on scene descriptions from Valerie, though he and Donn Landee were shown a rough cut from the film. The director liked Ed’s work so much that he asked the guitarist to score the entire film, but Van Halen was unable to dedicate any more time to the project due to the recording of 1984, which was already in progress.
A lot of long-time VH fans have heard that Eddie wrote music for this movie, but have never seen the movie, nor heard the tracks anywhere. Two of the tracks from the movie can be heard in the clip below.
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December 9th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Damn keyboards….
December 9th, 2009 at 9:25 am
“You’re a guitar hero. . . who wants to hear you play keyboards”
December 9th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Very reminiscent of 1984.
Woof!
December 9th, 2009 at 10:02 am
All of a sudden the Mike Post as Van Halen producer thing makes sense.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Kudos to VHND for finding this- I always wondered what it sounded like; It kind of sounds like strains of “I’ll Wait” blended with a bit of “Jump” in there, set to a cheesy ’80′s sequensor; I agree Eddie needs a producer. The For Unlawful album was my fav of the Sammy days. “Right Now” had keyboards that were not offensive at all.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Bad movie + bad actress + bad score = breaking VHND news!
December 9th, 2009 at 10:23 am
First GLEE and now this!
Oh somebody kill me please,
Somebody kill me plee-ase,
I’m on my knees,
Pretty pretty please kill me.
I want to die.
Put a bullet in my head.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Very, very 80s. I liked the guitar solo but c’mon, it is what it is, a cheesy soundtrack for a cheesy made-for-tv movie probably done as a favor to his wife. Give the guy a break.
December 9th, 2009 at 11:20 am
If you allow yourself to strip away the 80′s tones the actual music is kind of cool. It’s reminiscent of “Jump”, as he’s using the same Oberheim presets, but the music is a little more adventurous and less focused.
I like to remember Eddie as the musical mad scientist type. This is when he was at his coolest, for me personally. He wasn’t angry yet, and he was truly about the music. So with all this said, I think it’s pretty cool to hear this today and think about “that” Eddie.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
sounds like screech on synthasizer playing for zack attack at the maxx
December 9th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Even genius’s have off-days.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
yeah.. 10 years of off days.. too soon??
December 9th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Jan Hammer called and wants his soundtrack back.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Always wanted to hear this, stuff like this is always interesting, it just makes me laugh that people are almost pissed of that it isn’t a “Mean Street” that they’ve never heard before! Around the 3:20 mark the guitar work sounds a little like the solo he played on “Once”, the Peter Gabriel type track from VH3…
December 9th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Sounds all over the place to me. What I would expect if I were to drop into the studio and see Ed fucking around.
December 9th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
topjimmy, its funny that you say that. I always thought Once had a Peter Gabriel vibe to it. And also the guitar work at the end of the song is very Clapton-esque, particularly 80′s/early 90′s Clapton, like “I Wish it would Rain Down” and some of the stuff from Journeyman.
I also thought that “One I Want” sounded a lot like a Rush song. I remember one of my first impressions of III was that it was the first time I could really remember anything Van Halen doing sounding influenced by other classic rock artists, and not just sounding like Van Halen.
December 9th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Wow, that’s very… 80s. I’m glad they don’t make music like this anymore. Reminds me of the soundtrack behind Rocky 5.
December 9th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Good comment topjimmy77. I’m 40 and I fully remember the 80′s and even 70′s. I don’t mean to sound condescending – please don’t take offense, but I wonder how old the people are that are trashing this soundtrack (it’s not a song). The 80’s were a different time period and so completely removed from today. And this was a TV movie, nearly 30 years ago. Would you really want Ed to waste a great riff on a frickin TV movie? Thank God he didn’t, otherwise we’d all be fantasizing about the Blue Ray DVD version that doesn’t exist of this old TV movie.
Thank you VHND for posting this. And to JB for uploading it in the first place. Hope you can scrounge up even more fun stuff for us.
Here’s a challenge…I haven’t seen this one since 1984. There was a super short promotional spot advertising the Hot For Teacher video before it was released: It was the 4 kids dressed up like Van Halen, and “Dave” (as in 13 year old Dave) was speaking directly to the camera, telling us to stay tuned for the coming world premier of Hot For Teacher. I’d love to see that again!
December 9th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Kinda reminds me of the closing credits of “The Wild Life”. Love the background voices of the guy trying to lure customers into a stripjiont! See, Ed was into the whole porn scene back then too!!! But seriously, it’s interesting, but I like the latest thing he put out… “Rise” & “Catherine”.I hope something drops soon… I am getting tired of listening to old boots of concerts & Demo tracks, along with 6 albums dating back to EARLIER than this!!!
December 9th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
VH Dude, the 80′s definitely was a different decade! i miss that “having fun” attitude from that time…
December 9th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Yeah Phil…bring that back! I guess, as they say, hope springs eternal…
December 9th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I remember reading an article with the master and he said that he has a lot of tapes laying around that most people would not find interesting. You have to remember that he was not writing a VH rock piece, it’s more to fit the show. The solo sounds pretty good….
December 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I`s born in `71,i remember the 80`s very well,
I could do without the jabbering overdubs,
But that music/sound WAS the shit back then!
Buy the time this was over i felt like i just watched
the A-team-”What You Lookin At Fool”!!!???(B.A. barracuss)
[MR.T]LOL
December 9th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Must have missed the Mimi Vice episode that this featured in.
December 9th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
‘ Miami ‘ is clearly what I meant. Just goes to show that we all make mistakes………..eh Ed……..!
December 9th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
That was awful. Some things should be left on the cutting room floor.
Kudos to VHND for finding this stuff though. The 80′s were fun luvin’, parachute pant wearin’, sold out arenas (multiple nights in many cities), and more innocent.
Now we have terrorists, big government, and a record industry that has completely tanked…you go Susan Boyle. Music defines past generations; the newest generation has missed out on a lot that comes from great rock-n-roll; therefore, they’re turning to past generations and finding some fun in 70′s, 80′s, and early 90′s rock-n-roll.
December 9th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Sounds kinda gay.
December 9th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
did mike post produce this? it sounds like the theme to a show fred dryer would star in, Eddie must of been watching alot of tv.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I have seen this film many times, taped it off local tv in 1994.
It was shot here in san francisco – maybe that’s why ive seen it.
The whole opening scene is Valerie walking to meet up with her husband for lunch, she walks past all the strip clubs in north beach like “big al’s” and the guy @ 1:30 is talking to Val as she walks by.
The second piece of music is Val driving over the bay bridge.
If i remember right she is hurrying home from a trip to las vegas – she becomes obsessed with gambling in this film and loses everything in the end. Eddie said in an interview back then that the director wanted music for the ending credits too but i always thought someone else did that music. It’s a dark piano piece and i never thought it sounded like Eddie.
So i always thought Eddie just did the music u hear here.
BTW that photo is of a guitar eddie gave to the hollywood guitar center.
A friend took that pic and sent it to me although ive been there a few times and stared at it myself. LOL!
JB
December 9th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Van Foot right on brother. The 80′s were great I only wish I was a little older to have fully enjoyed them. I do miss the 80′s hair. Girls in school their hair was all curly with Salon Selectives Apple Scented hair spray. Ahhh bring em back. Where’s my time machine????
December 9th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
the music ed did for “the wild life” soundtrack is very good
this music blows monkey balls
December 9th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
we got a comment board of comedians… hilarious.
-_-
December 9th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Fun to listen to because it’s Eddie, but yikes!!! Horribly cheezy! Could have been from a scene in Hunter!! Lol…
December 9th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Better than VH3. Just sayin’….
December 9th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Sounds raging gay…bloody awful
December 9th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Cool to hear some of Ed’s stuff that hardley anybody has heard but, can any of you post his soundtrack score from “the wild life”? there are some songs on there that still rock to this day!! very interesting compositions on there.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Oddly reminiscent of the music in Fletch. “Uh!… you using the whole fist there doc?”
December 9th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
hey ron,
oh yeah i always loved the ending credits music eddie did for “the wild life”.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Van Foot makes an interesting point, though I disagree with so many people calling this thing that bad. It was said, “a record industry that has completely tanked.” The 80′s and its ‘sound’ were why it succeeded. It was emotional with feeling and direction, unlike that crap that’s been produced since the 90′s. Music and all of entertainment has gone to hell. I’d definitely be more into a modern TV show or movie if it actually had decent music playing.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:30 am
Mark:
Loved the Jan Hammer comment! LOL!
It made me go home and put in season 2 of Miami Vice!
December 10th, 2009 at 9:40 am
http://www.thetyser.com/
Don’t know if you guys have seen this, but for your entertainment I offer:
The David Lee Roth “Runnin’ with the Devil” Sound Board.
December 10th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Yup lets all rip on the guy that gave us tons of GOOD music. This sucks. Big deal. Bunch of critical musical geniuses on here.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Russ…I have seen it; love it, it’s hilarious.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Folks, the REAL reason DLR left in 1985. Now we know!
December 10th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
you all know ED reads this, the more we fuck with him the longer we have to wait for a new album
December 10th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Classic 80′s Oberheim synth !! You have to keep this music in the context of the scene it was written for. The second arpeggiated Ob-8 part was for a scene where Valerie was driving in traffic and over a bridge. It worked well in the scene. I always liked the part where the notes start climbing and modulate up. Also, speaking of Peter Gabriel’s influence on Ed – you can tell Ed spent alot of time listening to “So”. Listen to the bassline in “Sledgehammer” and then listen to the six string bass lick Ed plays in “Spanked”. They’re almost identical. “Spanked” has a more minor feel, but they are close..
December 10th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
WHERE IS THE GUITAR INTRO TO WILD LIFE AND THE ENDING SAME OUTRO! Somebody put it on here.
I had a AIWA stereo in the 90′s and rented the WL. Movie just to record it on to a cassette so I could play it in my car.
However this is a cool soundtrack too!
December 10th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
PS. Where do U Chime in like MA said?!!
I say, I say I like Cataloupe and bean burritos. I say.
Merry Christmas!
(Call your local radio station and tell em to put on 1984′s Band Aide, Feed the World)
December 11th, 2009 at 6:59 am
I love eddie but I never cared for “made for tv” music.
I thought the music for the wild life was eh too.
But hey….it’s all a matter of opinion. Maybe if I played an instrument I’d feel differently.
December 12th, 2009 at 12:39 am
only true musicians could understand the approach on this……it starts with lots of cold budweiser and a carton of marlboros
December 12th, 2009 at 10:44 am
…or you could go the old school ed approach:
6 pack of SCHLITZ talls and a carton of marlboros!
December 12th, 2009 at 11:29 am
SO-
…who wants to bitch about “jump” now?
December 14th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Not me!
I love JUMP!
It reminds me of summer’s long gone and it still puts a smile on my face!
December 16th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Edward… if only I could sit in your studio and listen to all your tapes of recorded music. Oh Heaven! No matter what anyone else says, you are truly a diversified musical genius. Love ya!
January 26th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
this was simply awesome and i also want to say happy berftay to eddie the badass guitar wizard. i have to say this was succh a departure of the eddie we all knew. and for one i am allways excited to see a musician break out of the box to explore any new avenue to express his skill.
after all the dave hype after all the michael hype i never stopped loving the the band who stole my attention from them disco bitches
thanks to you eddie and the mighty V A N H A L E N!!
CHRISPI