Eddie Van Halen. Known for screaming guitar solos and planet-shaking riffs. But did you know he could break your heart with the most emotive piano playing? Eddie showed off his sensitive side with this beautiful cut of the power ballad “Love Walks In” with Sammy Hagar at the ‘93 Bridge School Benefit. Stripping the Van Halen monster back to a single voice and piano is not the easiest thing to do, but with the musical genius of the late great Eddie, it hits the mark.
Sammy also shines here, singing as well as the studio version, if not better. The level of talent required to sing over a lone piano like this, with absolutely nowhere to hide, and deliver this calibre of vocals, shows that Sammy was the real deal. The performance also displays the undeniable chemistry between Eddie and Sammy, who formed the core writing duo of the band at this point. The Music Man has to say that this era of Van Halen has some real gems in it.
Sammy uploaded the classic performance in HD to his YouTube channel in 2020, where it hit 1.5 million views. Fans were digging hearing the dynamic duo here and added comments such as “Sammy’s voice sounds exactly like the original. Just amazing” and “Sammy’s range is unreal. This live version is everything with Eddie doing his thing on piano. Pure talent between the both of them.”
The Van Hagar era delivered plenty of spicy live cuts. One of The Music Man’s favorites is “Why Can’t This Be Love,” which the boys delivered on August 27, 1986, at New Haven’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Sammy’s guitar skills really added to this era, giving Eddie the freedom to work his synth wizardry, expanding the scope of the band’s live sound.
Van Halen issued “Love Walks In” on July 28, 1986, as the third single from their seventh studio album 5150. The songwriting is credited to all four Van Halen members and is notable as being the first song that the group wrote with Sammy. For the lyrics, Sammy drew inspiration from what he says was his contact with aliens, stating that “I’m a firm believer – have seen, have felt, have been contacted three or four different times.” The frontman claimed that they “downloaded my brain information” during these experiences. As reported in Classic Rock, Sammy wrote the lyrics on the spot upon hearing the music and sang his vocals into a handheld mic.