Eddie Van Halen thought about quitting when producer Quincy Jones phoned to request he play the iconic solo on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”
Believing it was just a joke, Van Halen unintentionally fired back at the music icon. He remembered shouting into the phone during a 2012 CNN interview, “What do you want you f—ing so-and-so!,” “What in the world do you desire?” After Jones shared his identity, Van Halen promptly apologized, yet admitted he still harbored skepticism.
I was still uncertain if it was him by 100%. I stated, ‘I will inform you. I’ll see you at your studio tomorrow.’ And behold, I arrived to find Quincy, Michael Jackson, and some engineers there.
Jones and Jackson authorized Van Halen to freely manipulate the song, leading him to boldly direct an engineer to revamp his section of the song.
I had almost completed the second solo when Michael entered. I was unsure of his reaction to my actions. I gave him a warning and he paid attention afterwards. After listening, he turned to me and said, ‘Thank you for not just playing a solo, but actually showing a passion for the song and improving it.’
Even though he wasn’t given credit, it was quickly evident that Van Halen played guitar on “Beat It” as the song quickly became a chart-topper. Van Halen also took the stage with Jackson to play the song in July of 1984.
Learn more: Eddie Van Halen violated a band policy in order to participate in ‘Beat It’.
Jones mentioned the phone call incident while honoring Van Halen after his death in 2020, expressing gratitude for his contributions to the song and joking about the need for multiple calls to convince him it was really Jones.
It is likely that Alex Van Halen regrets that Eddie did not end the call with Quincy Jones.
During the promotion of his memoir Brothers in 2024, Eddie’s bandmate Alex Van Halen expressed lingering resentment towards his brother for playing on the “Beat It” single, which contributed to Jackson’s Thriller album surpassing Van Halen’s 1984 on the charts.
In a Rolling Stone interview, he angrily asked why you would offer your skills to Michael Jackson. I simply can’t comprehend it at all. The amusing thing was how Ed escaped by telling a lie, saying, ‘Who even knows that child?’ You were the one who made the error! Tell the truth. Do not make things worse by behaving foolishly.
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