As American Songwriter shared on Thursday (Sept. 22), the Red Hot Chili Peppers teased a new Eddie Van Halen tribute song, titled “Eddie.”
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Well, on Friday (September 23), the famed Southern California rock band shared the song in full. The new track heralds the band’s new album, Return of the Dream Canteen, their second released in 2022, dropping on October 14. Previously, the band released Unlimited Love earlier this year.
“Eddie” is emotional, heartfelt, and clearly spoken from the band’s collective heart. It also features a blistering, emotive guitar solo. And Flea’s bass is outrageous and lovely.
“Sometimes we don’t realize how deeply affected and connected we are to artists until the day they die,” says frontman Anthony Kiedis. “Eddie Van Halen was a one-of-a-kind. The day after his death Flea came into rehearsal with an emotional bassline. John, Chad, and I started playing along, and pretty soon with all our hearts, a song in his honor effortlessly unfolded. It felt good to be sad and care so much about a person who had given so much to our lives. Although the song doesn’t speak to Eddie by name, it talks about his early days on the Sunset Strip and the rock n roll tapestry that Van Halen painted on our minds. In the end, our song asks that you not remember Eddie for dying but for living his wildest dream.”
Like many, Red Hot Chili Peppers were saddened by Van Halen’s death on Oct. 6, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. And like many, they made that sorrow public.
“Oh man, bless his beautiful creative heart,” Flea tweeted at the time. “I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi tonight. Break through to the other side my brother.”
Last month, the Peppers shared the first single from their new album, “Tippa My Tongue.”
Of the new LP and the prolific production from the band of late, the Peppers shared a statement signed by the collective group: “We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way.
“Once we found that slipstream of sound and vision, we just kept mining. With time turned into an elastic waistband of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well, we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. It’s packed. Made with the blood of our hearts, yours truly, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.”
RHCP is also set to headline the upcoming Austin City Limits Music Fest on October 9 and 16.
Listen to “Eddie” below. And Pre-order Return of the Dream Canteen HERE.
