Michael Jackson's Lead Guitarists: Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Jennifer Batten, ...

Michael Jackson hired the best musicians money could buy.
What do you think about his lead guitarists?

Amazing photos that convey dynamism, emotion, sensuality, ... follow.

First, few incredibly sensual photos feature Jennifer Batten with Michael Jackson:
















Orianthi with Michael Jackson:







Eddie Van Halen with Michael Jackson:





Slash with Michael Jackson:

 

No Steve Stevens????

BTW, love the EVH pic....the man in his prime. Actually BOTH of them in their prime.

Brian

 

I think Eddie's tone on Beat It is his best, ever. It is real close to his tone on Fair Warning. Really great.

 

And Steve Lukather! Not that he did most of the grunt work. Where 97% of the time is to provide good guitar arrangements and the soloing is the icing on the cake.

The guitar is a rhythm instrument, after all.

 

Didn't know Slash had ever worked with Michael (MJ is not someone I've ever followed).

Has Eddie ever commented on playing for Michael in any interviews??

 

That is true. Eddie only did the lead. Steve did the rest. Steve rules anyway, and could have easily done it all.

 

Steve Stevens with Michael.

I did not want to overload the original post,
but since you've axed for it, you got it.



Has Steve Stevens ever been performing live with Michael?

 

"I just noodled along [on 'Beat It']...did two solos and they picked the one they liked. It took about twenty minutes. Michael Jackson was standing in the back going [mimics Michael Jackson], 'I really like that high, fast stuff you do.' Believe it or not, I did the Michael Jackson thing 'cause I figured nobody'd know. I swear to God. The band always hated me doing thing outside Van Halen. So then it comes out and is the song of the year...[a]nd I did it for free, too!"
- Eddie Van Halen, Guitar World, February 1990

Someone else can perhaps quote from Quincy Jones' autobiography as I don't remember the exact details, but the basic story goes that Quincy picked Eddie and his guitar up from his house, and stopped for a six-pack along the way. After Eddie came into the studio, he asked if he could play over the main bass-and-drums riff as opposed to the original plans. He then laid down two solos virtually off-the-cuff, and was gone in 20 minutes. If true, it's very rock'n'roll!

 

Dave Navarro (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Michael

Nobody likes or mentions Dave Navarro (Red Hot Chili Peppers)?

 

Steve Lukather about Eddie Van Halen

From here.

 

Why is it that in every picture Jackson looks weird standing next to whoever? It almost looks like he was airbrushed in.

 

Why is it that in every picture Jackson looks weird standing next to whoever? It almost looks like he was airbrushed in.

 

Out of all those pics, the ones with EVH are the best. Michael just looks terrible in all the others...

 

My question too.

 

That might be the only 1987-2009 pic in which MJ is the LESS absurd-looking person in the pic!

 

Orianthi is just so hott!

 

Wish there was decent footage from that Jacksons show that Eddie joined them at.

 

Yup. Though maybe good footage exists somewhere in a vault. I was always really surprised there was never an official video release from the Victory Tour - I never understood why they wouldn't want to get that sucker on home video...

 

Thought I read a few places that Eddie didnt get paid for Beat It? He didnt want $$$, he thought it was cool to jam w/MJ?

 

yeh he did, at madison square garden in march 1988. see 6:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULLF-LTD3w

the original live video with original audio can't be found on youtube for some reason though; this video is simply a montage of pro-amateur shot footage of "dirty diana" from new york, london, rome, paris, etc.

 

Quincy Jones called him and asked him to do it. Eddie was frustrated with Van Halen (the band) and he figured it was something he could behind their back, just for kicks.

 

I love Weird Al's "Eat It", when the guitar solo comes up, they show the guy shredding, starts to smoke, and then blows up! Heh.

 

Jackson: the 7 guitarists who shaped his sound

Eddie playing Beat It during a surprise appearance at The Jacksons' Victory Tour in Dallas, 1984

From here.

 

Because the guitar solo part of the old Jackson act was always during Beat It or Black or White, and he would always stand next to the guitarist, like he was feeding from the energy of the solo, or something. It's amazing how Jackson's act remained significantly the same from the Victory tour to This Is It, as these pictures show.