Desmond Child recently spoke with Paltrocast about his friendship with David Lee Roth and how he disrupted Eddie Van Halen’s composing session. The songwriter detailed what happened when he and Roth first met. Roth’s introduction, which consisted of a spectacle, was shared by Child. He elaborated: “It was two strippers in spike heels, spies’ overcoats, and fedoras and black hats.” So you can imagine how quickly the hats and coats came off. I don’t think the heels ever came off, but they were writhing around on the floor like a couple of snakes, and I was like, “What?”
However, Roth stated in his book a few years later that he did not want Van Halen to collaborate with Child. The songwriter revealed how sharing disrupted his hopes to write with Eddie: “After our meeting, he never called me back and I was fine, you know, whatever, and then I was asked to go try to write a song with Eddie and the guys in the band.” Guess who drives up there almost as if he knew the session was going to happen? In a convertible, David Lee Roth.”
They were unable to collaborate on a single after Roth’s surprise visit. Desmond also explained why he wished to remain neutral. He stated: “He drives up, and we’re all getting ready to go into the house or into the studio to write up at the house.” He appears in the thick of it all, and the fact is that we couldn’t have our session, so he came to break it up. So it’s as if they’re saying, ‘Okay, well, why don’t we all write together?’ I was thinking… I didn’t want to get embroiled in a family feud, so I just left.” Speaking of books, Desmond is about to issue his first memoir, ‘Livin’ On a Prayer: Big Songs Big Life,’ on September 19th. Child will talk about his childhood, his path through the music industry, and his biggest successes. Desmond Child’s interview with Paltrocast can be found below.
