Eddie Van Halen was tired of not having control. He was mad at producers, record labels and managers so he built his own studio. From there, he started to record 1984. He wanted synths on the album, he wanted every song to be a bit different and he wanted, more than anything else, no cover songs. 10 million copies later and their only no. 1 hit, 1984 became every bit of the masterpiece Eddie wanted it to be.
Fun Fact: The engine growls in “Panama” are from Eddie Van Halen’s Lamborghini. They mic’d it up as they cruised around L.A.
Learn more about the album:
Eddie Van Halen revisits Van Halen’s landmark ‘1984’ album
Van Halen Broke Out the Synths and Conquered the Charts with 1984
The Astonishing Techniques That Made Eddie Van Halen A Guitar God
Essential video:
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