Last year, there was a report and rumor that Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen were working together, but we no idea on what. Then came Alex’s comments last week on the podcast Metal Sticks, hosted by Iron Maiden Drummer Nicko McBrain,
“I’m getting ready to do this record with Lukather and a couple of other people. It should be exciting.”
Steve has added some clarity to those rumors saying,
“Ever since Alex Van Halen dropped some [news that] we were gonna work together I think there is a huge misunderstanding.
“I will NOT EVER play a guitar note on a Van Halen 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, that’s 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. [It’s] more as a co-producer or something.
“I am honored Al would ask me though.
“Let’s see.”
So for now, it looks like there’s a ton of Van Halen music in the archives and Alex has his old friend Steve helping him go through it. What will we get to hear in the future? Time will tell.
Here’s a fun fact from rock and roll history. Steve Lukather and Eddie Van Halen appear together on the same song once. Steve plays the main guitar riff, and Eddie plays the guitar solo on the song “Beat It” by Michael Jackson.
