In 1996 singer Sammy Hagar left Van Halen due to tensions with the band. That said, the group had to find a replacement. Before settling for Extreme front man Gary Cherone, they tried out another vocalist: Mitch Malloy.
Before the band’s manager dumped Malloy in favor of Cherone, Eddie had sent Malloy an instrumental demo track to turn into a song, which he did. Unfortunately it didn’t see the light of day until just now because Malloy was kicked out before he could hand it over. The track in question is called “It’s the Right Time” (which can be listened to below via YouTube). It sounds about what you would expect 90’s era Van Halen to sound like, just with someone who wasn’t Sammy Hagar. It is cheery, upbeat, and full of positive messages while interluded with Eddie’s melodic beastly playing. Malloy in an interview says:
Malloy says: “After an amazing time in LA, which included Ed saying, ‘Congratulations, you’re in the band,’ I’m leaving and he hands me a tape of an instrumental of the band and says, ‘Turn this into a song.’
“Well, I did write that song, but never shared it with anyone out of respect for the band. But, 20 long years later, I decided that with the challenging times the world is having, It’s the Right Time to share that uplifting song.
He adds: “Fans have wondered what I would sound like with Van Halen, now you will know. I hope you dig it.”
This track is definitely a must listen for any hard core fans of Van Halen. Even if you’re not, it’s still a fun tune.
