Sammy Hagar has released a new episode of his Story Time with Sammy video series where he looks back at his 1987 song "Eagles Fly" and how Alex Van Halen dismissed the track the first time he heard it, only to wonder why Sammy didn't save it for Van Halen after it appeared on Hagar's "I Never Said Goodbye" album.
The Red Rocker explains in the clip, "I'm at the studio. I'm playing it for Ed, and Alex is standing in the background, and I'm... on guitar, acoustic. And Alex goes, 'Sounds like John Denver!'
"I'll never forget it! I'm going, 'Yeah - what's wrong with that? John's a bad motherf***er! Shut your mouth when I'm talking about John! ... it was just such a funny reaction."
Sammy went on to record the song for his solo album and recruited Eddie Van Halen to play guitar and bass on the track, along with backing vocals. Hagar explained what happened next, "Alex heard it on the record, and he goes, 'Hey, man, you should have saved that for Van Halen!' I said, 'Dude, don't you remember what you said about that song?'"
The song would go on to be part of Van Halen's live shows. Sammy continues, "It was just really ironic that it [became] one of his favorite songs. [It was] one of Eddie's favorite songs of mine... And it should have been on a Van Halen record.
"That would have been unbelievable if it would've been on OU812. But it is what it is; and it's a song that I will play for the rest of my life." Watch the full episode below:
Sammy Hagar Performs Flying High Again At Ozzy Osbourne Farewell Event
Sammy Hagar Excited For Ozzy Osbourne's Final Concert
Sammy Hagar Reveals 2025 Birthday Bash Details
Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar Marathon Coming
Live: Lollapalooza 2025 - Day Four Report
Live: Lollapalooza 2025 - Day Three Report
Live: Lollapalooza 2025 - Day Two Report
Hot In The City: Drunk Shakespeare Staggers Into Phoenix
Live: Lollapalooza 2025 - Day One Report
Metallica's Lars Ulrich Addresses Sphere Las Vegas Rumor
Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home Documentary To Premiere August 18th
Hear Winona Fighter Unplug For Violent Femme's 'Blister In The Sun' Cover
Of Monsters and Men Return With 'Ordinary Creature' Video
Peter Gabriel Taking Fans Back To 1982 With 'Live At Womad'
Saving Abel 'Keep Swinging' With New Video
Trivium Announce 'Struck Dead' EP With 'Bury Me With My Screams' Video
Singled Out: saturdays at your place's what am I supposed to do?