Hear Sammy Hagar Cover Elvis Costello’s ‘Pump It Up’
Sammy Hagar has released a cover of Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" as the second single from his forthcoming album with the Circle.
He says the Top 25 U.K. hit from 1978 "has been a Circle go-to backstage jam before shows." Hagar first mentioned possibly recording it last year in a post that also featured a snippet of the song. "This one might make a good cover!" he enthused back then.
The official music video is modeled after Costello's original clip. Watch it down below.
"Pump It Up" will appear on the Crazy Times, Hagar's third studio project with longtime Van Halen and Chickenfoot bandmate Michael Anthony, guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham as the Circle. Set for release on Sept. 30, Crazy Times was recorded in Nashville with producer Dave Cobb.
"Before I stepped into the studio with Dave, he'd told me he wanted the best of my career on this record, and he wasn't going to let me get out of that studio until I gave it to him," Hagar said in an earlier news release. "So, I said, 'If you expect that from me, at my age, as many records as I've made, you're going to have to push me,' and he said no problem.
"Obviously, I dug down and just tried to write good strong songs, great lyrics, great melodies and not worry so much about the arrangements because he had that covered," Hagar added, "and he pushed and squeezed every one of us. We went in the studio with seven songs and came out with 10."
The results were initially previewed with the title-track first single in July. Next week finds Hagar resuming his on-going Crazy Times Tour alongside George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Those dates continue through Sept. 10.
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