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Exclusively Van Halen: Clapton vs. Eddie + Kinks vs. Van Halen! The Truth Behind the Riffs! 6/26/25
What happens when one guitar god pays tribute to another… and it backfires?
In this episode, we dive deep into the surprising fallout between Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton — two of rock’s most legendary players. It all started with a jam session in 1983, featured on Brian May’s Star Fleet Project, where Eddie and Brian recorded a slow blues track called “Blues Breaker” — dedicated to Clapton himself.
But Clapton hated it.
He called it “horrible.”
He said Eddie and Brian “can’t play” the blues.
And he delivered a scathing verdict:
“If he was that tuned into me and missed that point… then he missed the whole point.”
This video explores the tension between technical brilliance and emotional expression, the strict “rules” of blues as Clapton saw them, and how a friendship built on admiration ended with hurt feelings, harsh words, and never speaking again.
We also revisit Dave Davies of The Kinks and his own complicated feelings about being imitated — including a jab at Eddie Van Halen’s version of “You Really Got Me.”
From tribute to tension, from respect to rivalry — this is the untold story behind one of rock’s coldest guitar feuds.
🎸 Featuring:
• Brian May’s Star Fleet Project
• “Blues Breaker” tribute
• Clapton's 1986 Musician interview
• Eddie’s 1995 Guitar Player interview
• Dave Davies on Van Halen’s Kinks covers
• Clapton’s philosophy on blues
🔥 Hit like, comment your thoughts on the Clapton–Van Halen rift, and don’t forget to subscribe for more deep dives into rock history!
🎸 Join One of the Biggest Van Halen Groups on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/groups/EVHFANPAGE
🎸 Shop My Amazon Store:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/johnnybeane
📲 Follow Johnny Beane:
🌐 Website: www.johnnybeane.com
📘 Facebook: http://facebook.com/johnnybeane
📸 Instagram: @johnnybeane
🐦 Twitter/X: @johnnybeane
🎵 TikTok: @johnnybeanetv
📬 Send Fan Mail, Letters, or Products for Review:
Johnny Beane
4768 Soquel Dr
Box 232
Soquel, CA 95073
USA
💥 We talk all things Van Halen — live shows, rare guitars, interviews, and deep cuts.
Subscribe and join the fun!
#VanHalen #EricClapton #GuitarLegends #DaveDavies #TheKinks #BluesBreakdown #StarFleetProject #RockFeuds #GuitarHistory #JohnnyBeaneTV #exclusivelyvanhalen #brianmay #eddievanhalen
Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4906555367489536
View all episodes
By Johnny BeaneWhat happens when one guitar god pays tribute to another… and it backfires?
In this episode, we dive deep into the surprising fallout between Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton — two of rock’s most legendary players. It all started with a jam session in 1983, featured on Brian May’s Star Fleet Project, where Eddie and Brian recorded a slow blues track called “Blues Breaker” — dedicated to Clapton himself.
But Clapton hated it.
He called it “horrible.”
He said Eddie and Brian “can’t play” the blues.
And he delivered a scathing verdict:
“If he was that tuned into me and missed that point… then he missed the whole point.”
This video explores the tension between technical brilliance and emotional expression, the strict “rules” of blues as Clapton saw them, and how a friendship built on admiration ended with hurt feelings, harsh words, and never speaking again.
We also revisit Dave Davies of The Kinks and his own complicated feelings about being imitated — including a jab at Eddie Van Halen’s version of “You Really Got Me.”
From tribute to tension, from respect to rivalry — this is the untold story behind one of rock’s coldest guitar feuds.
🎸 Featuring:
• Brian May’s Star Fleet Project
• “Blues Breaker” tribute
• Clapton's 1986 Musician interview
• Eddie’s 1995 Guitar Player interview
• Dave Davies on Van Halen’s Kinks covers
• Clapton’s philosophy on blues
🔥 Hit like, comment your thoughts on the Clapton–Van Halen rift, and don’t forget to subscribe for more deep dives into rock history!
🎸 Join One of the Biggest Van Halen Groups on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/groups/EVHFANPAGE
🎸 Shop My Amazon Store:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/johnnybeane
📲 Follow Johnny Beane:
🌐 Website: www.johnnybeane.com
📘 Facebook: http://facebook.com/johnnybeane
📸 Instagram: @johnnybeane
🐦 Twitter/X: @johnnybeane
🎵 TikTok: @johnnybeanetv
📬 Send Fan Mail, Letters, or Products for Review:
Johnny Beane
4768 Soquel Dr
Box 232
Soquel, CA 95073
USA
💥 We talk all things Van Halen — live shows, rare guitars, interviews, and deep cuts.
Subscribe and join the fun!
#VanHalen #EricClapton #GuitarLegends #DaveDavies #TheKinks #BluesBreakdown #StarFleetProject #RockFeuds #GuitarHistory #JohnnyBeaneTV #exclusivelyvanhalen #brianmay #eddievanhalen
Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4906555367489536