I took full advantage and bid out fellow Van Halen fans to grab my own copy. I can’t recall where I read it (maybe it was right here on the VHND) but I eventually found out that “Crossing Over” was available as a bonus track added to the Japanese version of ‘Balance’. Maybe the most personal Van Halen track recorded. Despite the less than pristine sound I was blown away by the raw emotion of the song. It may have even been taken from a cassette tape, uploaded at a low-bit rate.
I first heard ‘Crossing Over’ on the internet sometime in the late 90s. I would have to assume the band felt the same but, if so, why was it left off of the ‘Balance’ album? At least it was in the US album release. Added was Alex Van Halen’s massive drumming along with Hagar’s powerful vocals, both panned across the music in stereo. The results are astounding. Put on a pair of ear buds and turn the track up and you can hear Eddie’s original track from 1983 with all of his instrumentation and vocals all in the left channel only. What’s interesting about the track is what you can hear upon close listen. Soon after it became a new Van Halen song titled “Crossing Over.” According to Uncle Joe’s Record Guide, Eddie decided it was time to let his bandmate use the music.
Once again Hagar wanted to use Eddie’s song, eager to convey his thoughts regarding what happens when a person dies and “crosses over” to the other side. A year prior to recording the ‘Balance’ album, Van Halen’s manager, Ed Leffler, died of cancer. Whatever the reason or reasons, the track sat on the shelf of Eddie’s 5150 vaults for another decade.įlash forward to 1994. According to Michael Christopher’s Ultimate Classic Rock article, when Sammy Hagar joined the band in 1985, he was interested in recording the song. Eddie played all the instruments, including drums and bass (sound familiar Wolfgang Van Halen fans?) while adding his own lyrics. Its origins date back to 1983, when Eddie demoed the track on his own, titling it “David’s Tune” for a friend who had sadly taken his own life. The song was actually not even written during the ‘Balance’ sessions. I, personally, couldn’t be more thankful for Warner Japan’s decision to include “Crossing Over” since it remains one of my all-time favorite Van Halen songs and one that has touched me even deeper now that the man who wrote the song is no longer with us – Edward Van Halen. It eventually found its way to me through its inclusion on the Japanese ‘Balance’ album release. “Crossing Over” was a hard track to “track down” back in the early days of the internet. It would turn out to be the band’s only non-LP B-side. It also included a non-album song called “Crossing Over” as the B-side. On March 14th, 1995 Van Halen released “Can’t Stop Loving You”, the third single from their album ‘Balance’. A prime example is the song released 26 years ago today – “Crossing Over”. But there is, as die-hard VH fans know, a darker side to the band, one that can deliver every bit as much power and emotion as their most uplifting tunes.
Ask the average fan to describe Van Halen’s music and they’d probably think of good times, backyard parties, reaching for the skies and achieving dreams.