Unearthed footage of Eddie Van Halen and Leslie West hit the Internet last night, courtesy of the Lightyear Entertainment YouTube channel. Their description reads:
“Never before-seen footage of the incredible Eddie Van Halen playing with the incomparable Leslie West and Corky Laing of Mountain at the House of Blues in Los Angeles in 2002. Includes behind-the-scenes footage of Van Halen and West, interviews, and a previously unreleased jam between the two legendary guitarists in a performance of “Never In My Life” by Eddie Van Halen and Mountain.”
Eddie and Leslie were friends for decades. West performed onstage with Van Halen a couple of times… c in August 1995 at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, and in a jam section during a February 2008 concert.
Now, we have footage of them performing together at a Mountain show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, August 10, 2002. Watch the video below.
Shop EVH Swim Shorts at VanHalenStore.com
In the video below, West has this to say about his friend Eddie Van Halen:
“I just think the world of this guy… Eddie Clapton was my first influence. But then, when Eddie came along, he breathed new life into my playing.
“I mean, I think he’s singularly responsible for making Michael Jackson crossover to the white audience with “Beat It”. Quincy Jones asked Eddie to play that solo in there, and that’s a motherfucker of a solo, man. It made that record.
“There is nobody else… I’m telling you right now… That comes close to what he knows on the guitar, and he doesn’t even know it. He’s so talented. I love him like a brother.
“He’s done things for my playing that make me want to learn new stuff. The tone that he has… the sound, and certain things… I need someone to listen to. You know, there’s only eight notes. It’s what you do with those notes… that’s the key.”
Eddie Van Halen passed in October of 2020, and Leslie West passed just two months later.
FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (EXPANDED EDITION) will be available on July 12 and includes two LPs, two CDs, and a Blu-ray.
The Expanded Edition includes:
- Two LPs of the album, completely remastered
- Two CDs with the original album remastered + rarities & live versions
- Blu-ray includes official music videos + live footage from Van Halen’s concert at the Westend Market in Dallas, TX on 12/4/91)
- Booklet Loaded with never-seen photos. 12″x12″, 32-pages.
More info & order HERE.