“Encore, Thank You, Goodnight” features Hagar on vocals, Michael Anthony on bass, Joe Satriani on guitar and Kenny Aronoff on drums. The production – helmed by Hagar, Satriani, and Eric Caudieux – delivers a sound that is at once nostalgic and forward-looking.
According to Hagar, the dream that sparked the song and left a lasting impact came about a year after Eddie’s death.
“(Eddie) had a guitar around his neck and we were having a love fest since we hadn’t seen each other in a long time,” Hagar tells Rolling Stone about the vivid dream. “And he just started playing this riff, and I started singing.”
Hagar quickly awoke. “I just grabbed a pad and a pencil,” he said. “And I got my iPhone, my wife’s screaming, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘Writing a song!’ It just kept coming and coming. When I got up the next day, I grabbed my guitar and started to figure out the chords.”
For two years, the song remained little more than a rough iPhone recording, some scribbles, and a vivid memory of a dream. But earlier this year, he decided it was time to finish it with help from Satriani.
“I thought, ‘I’ll never write a song with Eddie again. This is the closest I can come to it,'” Hagar says. “When I told Joe about the dream and played him the thing he went, ‘Oh man. Hell yeah. Let’s finish that. That’s a cool song.'”
Rather than being a somber farewell, the song is a celebration and expression of appreciation – for the fans, and for the unforgettable chapter they shared in Van Halen.
“This song is my final bow to that part of my life,” says Hagar. “It’s not meant to be anything more than a thank-you – with love, with respect, and with one hell of a guitar solo.” Hagar also shared that Satriani’s contribution to the track brought a unique emotional energy. “Joe was the perfect partner to help me shape the sound – he brought in that big, emotional, guitar-driven energy that feels like Eddie’s spirit but is entirely of Joe’s creation. With Michael Anthony’s thundering bass and stellar Van Halen-esque background vocals and Kenny Aronoff’s relentlessly powerful driving rhythms, the song really came together on all levels.”
Hagar and the band will launch “The Best Of All Worlds Tour - The Residency” at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas on April 30.
Add some Sammy Hagar to your collection here.
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