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I'll Wait

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"I'll Wait"
Single by Van Halen
from the album 1984
B-side
  • "Girl Gone Bad" (US)
  • "Drop Dead Legs" (UK)
ReleasedApril 1984
Recorded
GenreSynth rock, hard rock
Length4:40
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald
Producer(s)Ted Templeman
Van Halen singles chronology
"Jump"
(1983) 		"I'll Wait"
(1984) 		"Panama"
(1984)

"I'll Wait" is a song by the American rock band Van Halen, taken from their sixth studio album, 1984 (1984). The song was written by band members Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth, along with Michael McDonald[1] and produced by Ted Templeman.[2]

It was the second single released from the record and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like "Jump," this song features keyboards almost entirely, including a synthesizer bass line, and also features heavy use of Alex Van Halen's Rototom drum kit. David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeman wanted to remove the song from the album, while Eddie Van Halen and engineer Donn Landee pushed for its inclusion.[3]

Despite the song being a hit, no video was ever filmed for it.

Background

The song was written as a collaboration between Van Halen and Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald, who was brought in by Templeman when Van Halen had trouble completing the song.[4] The single's original cover featured the band posing in the same location where the cover for the "Hot for Teacher" single had been shot.[citation needed]

The song's subject was inspired by a woman wearing men's underwear in a Calvin Klein print media advertisement.[3] Roth pinned up the ad beside his Sony Trinitron television and addressed the lyrics to the model.[5]

Track listing

US 7" single

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."I'll Wait" (radio edit)4:10
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Girl Gone Bad"4:33

UK 7" single/US 12" single

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."I'll Wait" (radio edit)4:10
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Drop Dead Legs"4:13

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100 13

References

  1. ^ Giles, Jeff (March 1, 1984). "1984". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  2. ^ Considine, J.D. (March 1, 1984). "1984". Rolling Stone.
  3. ^ a b Graff, Gary (January 9, 2014). "Van Halen's '1984' At 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review". Billboard.
  4. ^ "100 Best Albums of the Eighties, 81 Van Halen, '1984'". Rolling Stone.
  5. ^ "1984". Classicvanhalen.com.


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