While a new album, opening for Metallica and playing headline shows were all big deals for Wolfgang Van Halen and his Mammoth WVH band this year, he was happy to be involved in another major project. Van Halen played rhythm guitar on "I'm Just Ken," a Grammy Award-nominated song from the hit film "Barbie" sung by co-star Ryan Gosling.
The track, which appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, is being re-released Wednesday, Dec. 20, in a new "I'm Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie)" version, and Van Halen tells us that being involved in the "Barbie" phenomenon in any capacity has been surreal:
"I couldn't believe it. I knew it was good, just from being involved in it and seeing what I was able to see. But to see how much, specifically the song I played on, to blow up as much as it did was pretty crazy to see." SOUNDCUE :17