Yngwie Malmsteen recently discussed his decision to decline an offer to join David Lee Roth’s band before Steve Vai took the role, sharing his thoughts in an interview with eonmusic.
During the interview, Malmsteen was asked about his history with David Lee Roth and whether the offer occurred before Steve Vai joined the band.
“Yes, what happened was that I was on tour with my solo band in 1985, and I had a band called Talas as an opening act, and the bass player in Talas was Billy Sheehan,” Malmsteen said. “Roth would come to the shows all the time, and he had just left Van Halen, and he wanted to get the hottest guitar player, I guess.”
He explained how the offer came about and expressed some regret over his decision to turn it down.
“So he told me he thought we could do a great thing together, and I think he’s an awesome guy, and I really like the Van Halen albums with him, they’re really good and everything,” Malmsteen continued. “I probably should have done it, but I didn’t. So I just basically said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks. I’m honoured, but I’m really on a roll now,’ which I kind of was, but not really [laughing].”
Malmsteen also noted that despite declining the offer, the two remained on good terms.
“So we’re on a friendly basis,” Malmsteen added. “He would give me a lot of advice about how to deal with the press and shit. A very, very smart guy. And then he got Steve, which was great, so it all worked out.”
This reflection sheds light on a notable “what if” moment in rock history. Malmsteen was already building momentum with his solo career, while Roth was preparing to launch a new band after leaving Van Halen.
The timing of Roth’s search for a guitarist makes Malmsteen’s account plausible. Roth assembled a virtuoso supergroup in late 1985, consisting of guitarist Steve Vai, previously of Frank Zappa’s band, bassist Billy Sheehan, previously of Talas, and drummer Gregg Bissonette. The band’s debut album, Eat ‘Em and Smile, arrived in 1986. Notably, Sheehan’s presence in the lineup connects directly to Malmsteen’s story, since the bassist was playing in Talas on Malmsteen’s 1985 tour when Roth began courting him.
Vai went on to play a defining role in Roth’s post-Van Halen career. Eat ‘Em and Smile was an immediate success, and Roth’s 1988 follow-up, Skyscraper, climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum, powered by the Top 10 lead single “Just Like Paradise.” The pair’s chemistry made their partnership one of the most celebrated of the era.
Malmsteen’s claim that he was “on a roll” also had a clear musical basis. His band, Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force, released Marching Out in 1985, followed by Trilogy in 1986, which featured the vocals of Mark Boals and Malmsteen himself on both guitar and bass. Those records kept him focused on developing his own band and his signature neoclassical style rather than joining Roth’s project.
