While appearing on the February 24 edition of SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk,” Wolfgang Van Halen addressed whether he will take part in the project currently being assembled by Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen and Toto guitarist Steve Lukather.
Alex previously confirmed that he has been compiling an album from unfinished material that was intended for the next Van Halen release before Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020. He later partnered with Lukather to finish the recordings, which already include drums, guitar, and bass, but still need vocals.
Earlier this month, Alex told Brazilian journalist Gastão Moreira that much of the bass on the recordings was played by Wolfgang, explaining that the tracks had been prepared for a future Van Halen album.
When asked by host Eddie Trunk about his involvement in the upcoming record, Wolfgang responded:
“I haven’t played anything yet. So, I’m not sure what Al is talking about in that respect. They could be older ideas that maybe we worked on 15 years ago or something, ’cause there was a couple of years where Dad, Al and I were just jamming in the studio for three years or something. But, yeah, I really do think it’s more of Al‘s thing to talk about. I’m really just here in a position of helping him with whatever he needs. If he needs bass on something, I’m there. If he needs anything else, I’m there. Whatever he needs. But it’s definitely his thing to spearhead. And I am in a support position.”
Wolfgang was also questioned about his role in the continuing reissue campaign of the Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen albums, which are being released through Rhino.
He said: “I’m there in a support position as well. Al is the decision guy. I’m just there to help him with whatever he needs. So, again, I’m just in that support position.”
A key part of the discussion with Gastão Moreira centered on confirmation that the upcoming album will include previously unheard, unfinished material that Alex recorded with his late brother, Eddie Van Halen.
Clarifying the purpose of the project and addressing questions about its quality, Alex explained:
“Ed [late Van Halen guitarist and Alex‘s brother, Eddie Van Halen] and I had a lot of stuff that we made, that we made musically that we never let go. Many people have asked, what about releasing unreleased stuff? Well, we’re not gonna release it in its embryonic form because it wouldn’t make any sense. But I’ve been fortunate enough to have Steve Lukather, who was a good friend of Ed‘s, and we’re working on putting a record together, but it has to be of the quality and the level of where we left it. Not just to say, ‘Hey, here’s some music that we made. If you like it, that’s great.’ No. It has to be the quality that we expect.”
When asked how Lukather fits into the puzzle of completing these archival tracks, Alex praised the guitarist’s musical intuition and ability to seamlessly tie the elements together:
“I call Lukather Luke affectionately. He is the connective tissue. Luke can play anything… But because of this talent that kind of blends in with everything, he doesn’t get the recognition that I think he deserves. And I may be wrong. Maybe he is recognized the world over. He should be, because I can’t play guitar. And I can work things out on a keyboard, but it takes me too long to figure it out. And by that time, the moment is gone. I went to Steve‘s house several times and we played a piece of music and he goes, ‘Yeah, I got it. That’s it. That’s all we need.’ Then he can do all the connective tissues. He knows where to put the solo, as far as structure and organ and structure and an organization. I have my opinions and he has his, and they are just opinions. So he can facilitate things that would’ve taken me 10 times as long. And I love the guy. We’ve known him for years.”
Alex also confirmed that the foundation of these songs was actually intended for the next Van Halen studio album before Eddie‘s passing. The core instrumentation—featuring Eddie‘s son, Wolfgang Van Halen, on bass—is largely intact:
“Well, these are recordings that were going to be the next [Van Halen] record, and that were stopped because [Ed] didn’t live that long… The drums are already recorded. The drums, the guitar and the bass are already in there. What we didn’t have is a vocalist, and obviously the subtleties and the glue — we call it the glue or the spackle…”
“Most of ’em is Wolf [Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie‘s son and former Van Halen bassist], because these are recordings that were made ready for the next record,” he told when asked who is playing the bass.
With the instrumental tracks largely secured, the massive hurdle remains finding the right singer. Alex revealed that they had initially approached Free and Bad Company legend Paul Rodgers, but health and vocal limitations prevented it from happening:
“We originally had plans to — I think I can probably say without talking outta school, one of the singers who we really, really, really wanted to use for the new stuff was Paul Rodgers, and he has a relationship with Luke and we grew up on Free and all that, but [Paul] can’t do it anymore. And it was very difficult for him to bring himself to say, ‘No, I can’t. Count me out.’ I respect that. I’m saddened and disappointed, but you know, that’s life… He knows he can’t do it — which I think is better than saying, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ and then not be able to do it.”
The search for the right frontman continues. When the interviewer suggested Led Zeppelin‘s Robert Plant, Alex was open to the idea but noted the importance of finding someone from their specific era who understands the musical context.
“Robert Plant is brilliant. But if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. And he’s out touring, doing his thing. He would’ve been an ideal choice. But nothing is etched in stone. And I really believe that the universe will work something out to where this project will come out the best it can possibly be. We have no other intent other than to have it come to fruition.”
Alex also briefly touched on “Unfinished“, the final piece of music he wrote with Eddie, which was recently released alongside his audiobook, “Brothers“:
“The feedback for that song was incredible. But there was no vocals on it and it was not completed. And that was the whole point… The lineage of how my brother and I did things was some of the stuff that our dad taught us were very deeply rooted, and one of his favorite songs was the ‘Unfinished’ by Schubert. And so this song was unfinished, so I figured we’d call it ‘Unfinished’ and then that’s it. We weren’t even aware that we were going to make this public at any point. This is just Ed and I working at the studio. Unbridled, unpressured, un-anything. And there are a couple of places, if you heard, where the needle goes right through the machine. [Laughs] I hope we didn’t blow up any speakers.”
Earlier on February 21, Rodgers revealed that he turned down Alex.
He wrote in a statement: “To squash the rumours… My health is good. I feel fit and strong and I am rehearsing to perform March 2nd at the Adopt The Arts Sound And Vision Awards in Palm Springs.”
“Thanks to Van Halen for inviting me to work on a track with them, but I am in my acoustic, zen phase of life.”
