Among the rarities included on the upcoming box set covering the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen is an emotionally powerful song Hagar calls a “deep track on every level” – “Crossing Over”.
In the video above, Michael Anthony and Hagar talk about the song, initially written and demoed by Eddie Van Halen in 1983 under the title “David’s Tune”. He was honoring a friend who had recently taken his own life. Hagar had an interest in recording the song when he joined Van Halen in 1985 but it was shelved until the Balance sessions in 1995. Hagar wrote lyrics in honor of the recently departed Van Halen manager Ed Leffler. In the years since Eddie’s passing, Hagar says the song now has an ever deeper meaning.
“Crossing Over” was initially the B-side to the Van Halen single “Can’t Stop Loving You”, which was released on March 14th, 1995. It was also included in the Japanese release of Balance by Warner Japan. It can now be found on the upcoming Van Halen Sammy Hagar-Era Remasters & Rarities box set.
Listen To The Remastered Version Of “Crossing Over”