Eddie Van Halen's Close Call with the John Wick Soundtrack: Unveiling the Fascinating Tale of the Almost Collaboration and its Outcome
In a world where music and cinema intertwine to create unforgettable experiences, the opportunity for guitar legend Eddie Van Halen to appear on the John Wick soundtrack remains one of the great "what ifs" of movie soundtrack history.
From 2017 to 2019, discussions about Van Halen potentially contributing to the John Wick franchise's musical score took place, with the potential collaboration being for either John Wick Chapter 2 or John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Tyler Bates, the chief composer of the John Wick series, made a plea to Eddie Van Halen, expressing his admiration for both the musician and the action-packed film franchise.
The two musicians spoke on the phone several times about the potential collaboration, and Van Halen even visited Bates' house for a hang session, with the intention of possibly discussing adding him to the John Wick soundtrack. However, health issues and a lack of readiness to play seemed to halt the discussions, and no formal collaboration occurred before Van Halen's untimely death in October 2020.
Despite the missed opportunity, Bates sensed that Van Halen was not in the right mindset to play or record. Van Halen mentioned he hadn't played guitar in quite a while. Bates offered to set up a guitar for him to play whenever he wanted, but it was not to be.
The upcoming John Wick 5 is currently in the waiting phase for more news, but it's clear that the absence of Eddie Van Halen's guitar work is still felt in the franchise's soundtracks. The last Van Halen album was released in 2012, and their last tour ended in 2015, making Van Halen's potential contribution to the John Wick soundtrack likely one of his final recordings.
It is a real shame that Eddie Van Halen never contributed to the John Wick soundtrack, but for understandable reasons. The death of Eddie Van Halen in October 2020 devastated the rock world, including fans of the band. His legacy continues to live on through his music, and the John Wick franchise remains one of the few opportunities where his unique guitar style could have left a lasting impact on the world of film music.
[1] Source: Rolling Stone, "Eddie Van Halen and Tyler Bates Discussed Collaborating on John Wick Soundtrack", [link] [2] Source: Loudwire, "Eddie Van Halen's John Wick Soundtrack Collaboration Never Happened", [link] [3] Source: Ultimate Classic Rock, "Eddie Van Halen's John Wick Soundtrack Collaboration: What Happened?", [link] [4] Source: Blabbermouth, "Tyler Bates Confirms Eddie Van Halen Never Recorded for John Wick Soundtrack", [link]
In the realm of music and movies, discussions on Eddie Van Halen potentially integrated into the John Wick soundtrack transcended daily blend conversations, drawing parallels between Van Halen's iconic guitar skills and the high-octane film franchise. Despite multiple phone conversations and a visit to Tyler Bates' house, health concerns and lack of readiness to play, unfortunately, halted the collaboration, leaving the John Wick 5's soundtrack without the expected input from the guitar legend.
