Rumors of a possible new Van Halen album being in the works started circulating last week. And now, Steve Lukather chimes in a second time, hoping to set the record straight.
First, the backstory:
Reports emerged in the Dutch press last week, with De Telegraf [paywalled] Alex Van Halen claiming that a potential new Van Halen album is in the works, and he’s asked Alex and Edwards’ longtime friend Steve Lukather to help complete it.
Alex stated, “Ed and Steve Lukather were very good friends, and they often worked together. There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can.”
After that report, De Telegraf reached out to Lukather for a quote, and got one. “Did Alex say that? Oh, in that case the news is true. “Ed, Alex and I were very close for years. It is true that we worked on it together.”
Many fans thought that Lukather’s involvement in the project would make sense and that he might be an ideal candidate for the job. After all, he’s been very close friends with the Van Halen Brothers for decades. He worked with Eddie on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Eddie also played bass on Lukather’s solo debut record and helped cut his 2003 Christmas album, Santamental.
Fans ran with this rumor. But they had many questions…
How much never-before-heard material is in Van Halen’s archives?
Will whatever they do result in a new studio album from Van Halen?
Who would sing on it? David Lee Roth? Sammy Hagar? Someone else? Or would it be released as instrumentals?
Who would play bass? Michael Anthony? Wolfgang? Someone else?
And as for guitar, would it be completely composed of never-before-heard Edward Van Halen playing? Some fans wondered if Steve Lukather would contribute additional guitar, or even if he’d be the only one playing guitar – as if Alex was forming a band with Steve!
Then yesterday, Steve Lukather again chimed in on Instagram with an important clarification:
“For the record:
“Ever since Alex Van Halen dropped some we were gonna work together I think there is a huge misunderstanding.
“I will NOT EVER play a guitar note on a VH song ever!.
“Al asked me to help him go thru a ton of unfinished recordings of Al and Ed writing and recording that never saw the light of day. As of now thats all I got.
“The fact that ANYONE would think for even a second that I would play anything on this is ridiculous. I have too much love and respect for that and … I play nothing like Ed.. more as a co-producer or something.
“I am honored Al would ask me though.
Let’s see …”
We’re glad to see Lukather addressing the rumor head-on. We always hoped and prayed that somebody would comb through the Van Halen archives and release the amazing music that is undoubtedly there. Only time will tell.
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