The Heart rocker recently shared some of her personal history with the iconic guitarist, who passed away last October at the age of 65 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
“We played with Van Halen a few times in the 80s at festivals and gigs where we were opening for them,” Wilson tells Australian Musician. “Those brothers are out of control, they were always out of control. They are the ones that we would end up at the bar of some hotel with and they be like, ‘try this kamikaze!’ They were a really bad influence on us (laughs). Then they would get into a yelling match they were so out of it. A couple of minutes later they would be like hugging and like .. ‘I’m sorry man I love you!’
“On stage they were an incredible rock band, especially Eddie .. with what he invented. One time Eddie said to me, and I love to tell this story … he said ‘I love the way you play acoustic guitar.’ I said ‘well thanks, coming from you, that’s everything, why don’t you ever play acoustic guitar?’ He said, ‘well I don’t really have an acoustic guitar.’ (Then Nancy says) ‘Well you sure do now because I’m giving you one right now!’
“Cut to the crack of dawn the next morning,” she continues, “and my phone in my hotel rings and it’s Eddie and he’s going ‘you gotta listen to this … listen, listen, listen!’ I’m like ‘Ok, I’m not even awake.’ He played to me over the phone this really beautiful piece of acoustic music that had elements of classical and then some really rock stuff in the middle and then another beautiful melodic flourish at the end. So I got to be the one who gave Eddie his first acoustic and somewhere, there’s got to be that song … somewhere recorded, which will probably turn up.
“What I did for him was… I wanted to return the favor of something so unforgettable, just over a hotel phone. So it’s about a minute and a half and it starts out very classically-oriented and goes into a rock thing. The shape is very similar to what I vaguely recall form what he did in his show and tell for me. I am really proud of it.”
Recognized worldwide for his breakthrough 1978 track, “Eruption”, Van Halen recorded several instrumental pieces throughout his career, as did Wilson with Heart.
Wilson recorded “You And Me” in her California home studio while working remotely with band members and special guests Sammy Hagar, Duff McKagan, Taylor Hawkins and Liv Warfield.
Nancy Wilson
“You And Me”
Release date: May 7
01. You And Me
02. The Rising
03. I'll Find You
04. Daughter
05. Party At The Angel Ballroom (ft. Duff McKagan & Taylor Hawkins)
06. The Boxer (ft. Sammy Hagar)
07. Walk Away
08. The Inbetween
09. Dreams (ft. Liv Warfield)
10. The Dragon
11. We Meet Again
12. 4 Edward
See also:
Heart singer Ann Wilson releases new single Black Wing
Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson debuts You And Me video
Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson streams You And Me title track
Heart singer Ann Wilson releases new single The Hammer
Search Heart at hennemusic
