Steve Lukather Clarifies Role on New Van Halen Release
Steve Lukather has taken to social media to clarify recent reports of his involvement in a new Van Halen release. The Toto guitarist wrote via Instagram, “For the record: Ever…
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Peter Frampton and Steve Lukather speaks onstage at the TEC Awards during the 2019 NAMM Show at the Hilton Anaheim on January 26, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)
Steve Lukather has taken to social media to clarify recent reports of his involvement in a new Van Halen release.
The Toto guitarist wrote via Instagram, "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!"
Lukather continued, "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."
He concluded, "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."
What Has Been Reported About This New Van Halen Release and Steve Lukather's Involvement?
[inlink id="van-halen-details-on-a-report-of-a-new-album" text="As we reported last week"], a Dutch outlet quoted Alex Van Halen saying a new Van Halen album is in the works.
The outlet in question is De Telegraf. While their article is behind a paywall, Guitar World noted the outlet quoted AVH saying that not only is there an album in the works, but Toto's Steve Lukather is also involved.
"Ed and Steve Lukather were very good friends, and they often worked together," said Alex in the interview with De Telegraf. "There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can."
De Telegraf also quoted Lukather saying, "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.”
Other than this information and Lukather's update on Instagram, very little else is known about this alleged album. However, this report brings to mind the infamous and mysterious 5150 vault, which is supposedly filled with all sorts of music.
Alex Van Halen said in a November 2024 appearance on Talk is Jericho that there are "probably three or four records [worth], if not more" in the 5150 vault.
He added, "No, I'm serious. There was some good stuff in there. And you have to remember when you're in the thick of it, sometimes the really great stuff kind of passes you by and it's not until you revisit it, going, 'Whoa! I forgot about that. This kicks ass!' But that takes time. And you want to do it right. I want to do it right."
Of course, fans did get a taste of some vault material recently with "[inlink id="unfinished-eddie-alex-van-halen-final-song" text="Unfinished"]," an instrumental track that was featured in the audiobook recording of AVH's memoir, Brothers. "Unfinished" was the last song Eddie and Alex Van Halen wrote together before his death in October 2020.
