What’s greater than some vintage, yet unreleased footage of Eddie Van Halen jamming out? Well, not much.
A newly unearth video shows guitar god Eddie Van Halen jamming out in him home studio in Los Angeles to a riff that would eventually become the 1995 hit “Amsterdam.”
Nestled into Studio 5150, named after the California police code for placing someone under an involuntary psychiatric hold, Eddie jammed away in what we would guess is the late 80’s. However, the track would be released on “Balance” several years later, giving a unique glimpse into the writing process.
“Whenever we make a record, the first thing we do is go over what we already have in the bag that we can pick from, and then we focus on writing new material,” Van Halen told Guitar World in a 2012 interview after receiving attention for using older riffs. “A good idea is a good idea no, matter when you do it.”