EDDIE VAN HALEN Reaches Out To SAMMY HAGAR Over G.O.P.'s Use Of 'Right Now'

According to The Pulse of Radio, Sammy Hagar says that Sen. John McCain using VAN HALEN's song "Right Now" in his campaign ads has made he and long-feuding ex-bandmate Eddie Van Halen get in touch with each other.

Eddie and Alex Van Halen, who co-wrote the song with Hagar and Michael Anthony, have objected to the song's use by the G.O.P. Hagar told Rolling Stone that that ad spurred Van Halen to reach out to him, saying, "I got a message on my cell phone and it was Eddie's voice. He goes, 'Sam? This don't sound like you. I got the wrong number.' And he hangs up! So I hit redial. He didn't answer, but I left a message: 'Ed, it's me. If you would like to talk about the 'Right Now' situation I'd love to speak to you about it.'"

He says that he's been getting positive responses by friends and fans over the song's use: "I got calls from relatives, friends, doctors, lawyers... everyone thought it was so cool. Then I started getting excited. Those words are an old Zen philosophy — it's totally cool that they're timeless."

Hagar is thrilled with the G.O.P.'s use of the song — although he admits that he'd be just as happy with the Obama campaign using it as well: "I got goosebumps from it — my fur went up... I was honored that a potential President of the United States used those words in a positive sense, like, 'We gotta act now!'"

He touched upon the fact that Eddie Van Halen objects to the use of the song for a political ad but not a commercial one: "Why didn't (Van Halen) say no when Pepsi Cola gave us a million dollars to use the song in a Pepsi Light commercial? That's when you say no. That isn't the message of this song. But when a potential future president is using it to bring a message to the world, I'm going, 'Hell, yes!'"

Hagar says that he's keeping his presidential choice private, saying only, "I vote for the man, not the party."

"Right Now" is included on VAN HALEN's 1991 album "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge".