Runnin’ With the Devil

The Zoo Crew is spinning the iconic track Runnin’ With the Devil by Van Halen, a song that kicked off their self-titled debut album with a rebellious roar. One wild piece of trivia is the song’s opening sound—a chaotic blast of car horns. These weren’t just any horns; they came from the band’s own cars, rigged together by guitarist Eddie Van Halen into a box powered by two car batteries and controlled with a foot switch. Producer Ted Templeman slowed down the recording to give it that ominous, rising growl, setting the tone for the track’s raw energy. The idea was sparked by Gene Simmons of KISS, who suggested using a car horn to open the song, and Eddie took it to another level with his DIY contraption, which the band even brought on tour to kick off live performances.

Another fascinating story comes from the song’s early days. Before Van Halen hit the big time, they recorded a demo of Runnin’ With the Devil in 1976, produced by Gene Simmons at Electric Lady Studios in New York. Simmons, blown away by their live show, flew the band out and funded the session, which included 15 tracks. Though the demo didn’t land them a deal right away, it showcased their potential, with a raw version of the song that later evolved into the 1978 classic. The track’s lyrics, inspired by the Ohio Players’ 1974 song Runnin’ from the Devil, are often misread as satanic, but the band has said it’s really about the free-spirited, no-strings-attached life of a young touring band. Fans on r/vanhalen still geek out over this, with one recalling how the song “sounded like it was from outer space” when they first heard it at a high school kegger, blowing everyone’s minds.

The song’s impact wasn’t just musical—it had cultural ripples. Despite only peaking at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100, Runnin’ With the Devil became a classic rock staple, with its video shot at the legendary Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. In 2016, Acura even used an isolated vocal remix of the track for a Super Bowl commercial, proving its enduring appeal. An alternate take surfaced in 2020, shared by a YouTuber named Groovefunkel Second Helping, featuring a different David Lee Roth vocal and an extended Eddie Van Halen guitar solo, sourced from the original 24-track session masters. Posts on X from @VanHalenNews and @UltClassicRock hyped this rare version, thrilling Zoo Freaks who love digging into the band’s archives.

Van Halen got their start in Pasadena, California, in the early 1970s, born from the musical dreams of Dutch-born brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen. The siblings moved to the U.S. as kids, with Eddie originally trained as a classical pianist before switching to guitar and Alex taking up drums. They formed their first band, Genesis (later Mammoth), playing backyard parties and high school gigs. David Lee Roth, a charismatic frontman from Indiana, joined after auditioning, bringing his larger-than-life persona. Bassist Michael Anthony rounded out the lineup, and by 1974, they’d renamed themselves Van Halen, a name Roth pushed for its bold simplicity. They built a cult following on the Sunset Strip, playing clubs like Gazzarri’s and the Starwood, where their loud, electrifying shows got them banned from some venues but earned them a fierce local fanbase.

Their big break came in 1977 when producer Ted Templeman caught their live act and signed them to Warner Bros. Their debut album, recorded in just a few weeks, dropped in 1978 and went on to sell over 10 million copies in the U.S., driven by Eddie’s groundbreaking guitar techniques like two-handed tapping and Roth’s swaggering vocals. The band’s early years were marked by relentless touring, including opening for Black Sabbath in 1978, where they often stole the show. Connect with the band on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans can dive deeper at the Van Halen News Desk, a go-to fan site for news and trivia, or join discussions in the Van Halen Fans Facebook group and on r/vanhalen, where Zoo Freaks swap stories and celebrate the band’s legacy.