Song stream: Sammy Hagar's 'All We Need Is An Island'

• Hagar%27s new %27Friends%27 album gets by with a little help from from Nancy Wilson%2C Kid Rock
• He conjured up %27Island%27 while in the South Pacific
• Next up%3A more Chickenfoot%2C more solo albums and maybe a Las Vegas residency

MILL VALLEY, Calif. — By all accounts, Sammy Hagar doesn't need to be recording new albums.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has the glow of a man in full bloom as he rolls up to El Paseo, the restaurant he co-owns with celebrity chef Tyler Florence just north of San Francisco, in a snorting black mid-'80s Ferrari 400i, one of many speedy rides owned by the man who everybody knows can't drive 55.

A successful entrepreneur whose Sammy's Beach Bar rum and eateries funnel funds to a range of charities, Hagar, 65 could while away the next few decades without singing a note. Fat chance.

"I do this to keep myself happy," says the ex-Van Halen frontman, whose latest solo effort, Sammy Hagar & Friends, is out Tuesday. "Recording new material keeps your juices flowing, and doing it with friends like Kid Rock and Nancy Wilson and Toby Keith is inspiring. It makes you up your game."

The 10-tune disc is an eclectic mix that sonically hints at bands as diverse as Mumford & Sons (the jangling intro to Father Sun) and Journey (the searing guitar work on Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus is in fact contributed by his longtime Bay Area pal Neal Schon). And there's a heavy debt to his beach-bum buddy Jimmy Buffett, with a cover of Margaritaville (with Keith) and Hagar's similarly sun-splashed paean to the good life, All We Need Is An Island, featuring a duet with Heart's Nancy Wilson.

"I was in French Polynesia with my family with no intention of writing music, didn't even bring a guitar, but that song came to me," says Hagar, who recalls buying a Tahitian mandolin off a local musician to help get the melody down. "I thought of Nancy right away. She's a sweetheart and a hell of a harmony singer."

Hagar recalls that when Wilson suggested she add a few verses from a female perspective, he balked. "I told her I liked it the way it was," he says, smiling and shaking his head. "But I came around. She added some great stuff."

At first, Hagar's plan was to have that new song lead off an anthology disc spanning his career with Montrose, Van Halen and as a solo act. But he changed his mind and opted for an album that showcased his famous friends.

After getting a producing commitment from John Cuniberti (Dead Kennedys, Train), who had set up his nearby studio, Hagar rounded up his longtime bar band, the Waboritas, as well as his Chickenfoot compadres — Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and guitar ace Joe Satriani (the quartet plans to record a third album early in 2014) — and set about conjuring a set list.

Inspiration came from all corners. The faithful interpretation of Bob Seger's Ramblin' Gamblin' Man was the result of an insistent plea from his wife, Kari, while Bad On Fords and Chevrolets was contributed by country star Ronnie Dunn. But Winding Down, which kicks off the album with a powerful rock growl, came straight from the heart.

"It's the last song I wrote, but it's magical to me," says Hagar, sipping a beer as the sun pours into the leather-clad booth in his steak joint.

"The news at the time just made me sick, we'd gone from that shooting (in Newtown, Conn.) of all those kids to the Boston bombings, and I felt like while I'm trying to wind down in life, the world is just revving up for mass destruction," he says, shaking his curly blonde mane. "But I've got kids (two daughters, as well as two grown sons from a previous marriage), so I can't tune out. This is my protest song."

Contributing vocals on the track is iconic bluesman Taj Mahal. How'd Hagar corner him?

"Funny story," says Hagar. "I met him in a small club in San Francisco in the early '70s, back when I didn't have a dime. But I was with some girls who caught his eye, and he came over and sat with us. I asked him how he came up with a song, and not long after I wrote (the Montrose hit) Bad Motor Scooter."

Fast forward a few decades to last summer, when Hagar bumped into Mahal at a concert on nearby Mount Tamalpais. "Do you know, he remembered our conversation from 40 years ago?" Hagar laughs. "Nice to have friends like that."

And he's got others waiting in the wings: "I will be doing this again," he vows.

Then again, with Hagar, it's a matter of so many ideas, too little time.

"You know, I'd love to do a residency in Vegas, but maybe focus on a different phase of my career each night," he says. "What do you think?"

Without waiting for an answer, the Red Rocker's mind hits the gas and is racing onto the next adventure.

This stream has ended.