A previously unheard gem from the Van Halen archive is to be released as part of the limited-edition version of Alex Van Halen’s new book on the band.
The song, Glitter, was demoed in 1974, just a year after the band changed its name to Van Halen. But getting your hands on a copy will be a real battle. The book, Van Halen, is an official chronicle of the band and is limited to just 1,500 signed and numbered copies.
Still, it’s big news for Van Halen fans, coming just shy of two years after the release of Unfinished, the final song Eddie and Alex Van Halen wrote together before the guitar legend’s 2020 passing.
Glitter features original bassist Mark Stone, who left the group later that year. He features alongside the Van Halen brothers and David Lee Roth.
The track will be served up as a 7” picture disc vinyl, featuring artwork inspired by the band’s 1984 tour design. It also stands to be the earliest Van Halen track ever to see the light of day.
The B-side is a specially selected spoken-word recording from Alex Van Halen, born from conversations he had with the book publisher, Genesis.
“Van Halen opens the Van Halen family archive for the first time,” Genesis says. “The band’s story is told through an extraordinary collection of correspondence, tour memorabilia, album artwork, press material, musical equipment, unpublished photographs and much more.”
The 312-page tome traces the band’s Dutch origins, their arrival on US soil, and the glitz, glamor, and chaos that followed.
You can pre-order the book from Genesis for $475/£345.
