Steve Lukather has addressed recent speculation about his involvement in unreleased Van Halen recordings through an Instagram statement. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf had reported that Alex Van Halen enlisted Lukather to play guitar on unfinished Van Halen tracks.
“For the record: Ever since Alex Van Halen dropped some we were gonna work together I think there is a huge misunderstanding,” Lukather stated. “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,” he continued. “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.”
The clarification follows earlier reports of Lukather’s potential involvement in completing unreleased material. Their decades-long musical collaboration and friendship provide important context to this development.
Historical Collaboration
Guitar Player highlights the deep connection between Lukather and Eddie Van Halen. The two musicians collaborated on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Lukather performed the rhythm guitar parts while Eddie delivered the iconic solo.
Their musical partnership flourished beyond this collaboration. Eddie Van Halen played bass on Lukather’s debut solo album. He later contributed to Lukather’s 2003 Christmas album “Santamental.”
Current Project Status
Guitar World reveals that Alex Van Halen is examining a substantial archive of unreleased material. This collection includes various riffs and ideas that he and Eddie developed before Eddie’s passing in 2020.
Alex initially considered using AI technology for the project. He ultimately chose to rely on human expertise for completing the unfinished work.
Future Developments
VH Links notes that the project’s final form remains undefined. No release date or detailed information about additional contributors has been confirmed.
Speculation continues about Wolfgang Van Halen’s potential involvement on bass. The project’s primary focus remains on preserving and presenting the unreleased material rather than creating new musical elements.
