I 'll Wait - Wikipedia I 'll Wait `` I 'll Wait '' Single by Van Halen from the album 1984 B - side `` Girl Gone Bad '' ( US ) `` Drop Dead Legs '' ( UK ) Released April 1984 Recorded 5150 Studios ( Los Angeles, California ) Genre Synth rock Length 4 : 40 Label Warner Bros. Songwriter ( s ) Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald Producer ( s ) Ted Templeman Van Halen singles chronology `` Jump '' ( 1984 ) `` I 'll Wait '' ( 1984 ) `` Panama '' ( 1984 ) `` Jump '' ( 1984 ) `` I 'll Wait '' ( 1984 ) `` Panama '' ( 1984 ) `` I 'll Wait '' is a song by the American rock band Van Halen, taken from their sixth studio album, 1984 ( 1984 ). The song was written by band members Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth and Michael McDonald, and produced by Ted Templeman. It was the second single released from the record and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like `` Jump '', this song features keyboards almost entirely, and includes a synthesizer bass line. The song also features heavy use of Alex Van Halen 's Rototom drum kit. David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeman wanted to remove the song from the album, while Eddie Van Halen and Donn Landee wanted and pushed for its inclusion. Despite the song being a hit, no video was ever filmed for it. Contents 1 Background 2 Track listing 3 Personnel 4 Charts 5 References 6 External links Background The song was written as a collaboration between Van Halen and Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald. McDonald was brought in by Templeman when Van Halen got stuck completing the song. The single 's original cover featured the band posing in the same location where the cover for the `` Hot for Teacher '' single had been shot. The song 's subject was inspired by a woman wearing men 's underwear in a Calvin Klein print media advertisement. Roth wrote the lyrics while the advertisement was tacked onto his Sony Trinitron television. Track listing US 7 '' single Side A No. Title Length 1. `` I 'll Wait '' ( radio edit ) 4 : 10 Side B No. Title Length 1. `` Girl Gone Bad '' 4 : 33 UK 7 '' single / US 12 '' single Side A No. Title Length 1. `` I 'll Wait '' ( radio edit ) 4 : 10 Side B No. Title Length 1. `` Drop Dead Legs '' 4 : 13 Personnel David Lee Roth : vocals Eddie Van Halen : keyboards, guitar Alex Van Halen : drums Michael Anthony : keyboard bass, backing vocals Charts Chart ( 1984 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 13 References Jump up ^ Giles, Jeff ( March 1, 1984 ). `` 1984 ''. Ultimate Classic Rock. Jump up ^ Considine, J.D. ( March 1, 1984 ). `` 1984 ''. Rolling Stone. ^ Jump up to : Graff, Gary ( January 9, 2014 ). `` Van Halen 's ' 1984 ' At 30 : Classic Track - By - Track Review ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` 100 Best Albums of the Eighties, 81 Van Halen, ' 1984 ' ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ `` 1984 ''. Classicvanhalen.com. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Van Halen singles Van Halen `` You Really Got Me '' `` Runnin ' with the Devil '' `` Ai n't Talkin ' ' bout Love '' Van Halen II `` Dance the Night Away '' `` Beautiful Girls '' Women and Children First `` And the Cradle Will Rock... '' Fair Warning `` So This Is Love ? '' `` Unchained '' Diver Down `` ( Oh ) Pretty Woman '' `` Dancing in the Street '' `` Where Have All the Good Times Gone ! '' 1984 `` Jump '' `` I 'll Wait '' `` Panama '' `` Hot for Teacher '' 5150 `` Why Ca n't This Be Love '' `` Dreams '' `` Love Walks In '' OU812 `` When It 's Love '' `` Black and Blue '' `` Finish What Ya Started '' For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge `` Poundcake '' `` Runaround '' `` Top of the World '' `` Right Now '' Live : Right Here, Right Now `` Jump '' ( live ) `` Dreams '' ( live ) `` Wo n't Get Fooled Again '' ( live ) Balance `` Do n't Tell Me ( What Love Can Do ) '' `` Ca n't Stop Lovin ' You '' `` Amsterdam '' Twister soundtrack `` Humans Being '' Best Of -- Volume I `` Me Wise Magic '' `` Ca n't Get This Stuff No More '' Van Halen III `` Without You '' `` Fire in the Hole '' A Different Kind of Truth `` Tattoo '' `` She 's the Woman '' This 1980s rock song - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I%27ll_Wait&oldid=842632237 '' Categories : 1984 singles Van Halen songs Songs written by Michael McDonald ( singer ) Songs written by Michael Anthony ( musician ) Songs written by David Lee Roth Songs written by Alex Van Halen Songs written by Eddie Van Halen Song recordings produced by Ted Templeman 1984 songs Warner Bros. Records singles 1980s rock song stubs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2014 All stub articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 23 May 2018, at 17 : 27. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sang i'll wait by van halen
Answer: David Lee Roth: vocals