How Steve Stevens Almost Joined David Lee Roth’s Band

[Seshmeister]

How Steve Stevens Almost Joined David Lee Roth’s Band
by Matthew Wilkening October 26, 2014 9:13 AM


Read More: How Steve Stevens Almost Joined David Lee Roth's Band | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/david...ckback=tsmclip


Longtime Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens has revealed that he was invited to join David Lee Roth‘s solo band shortly after the singer’s departure from Van Halen.

“I met Dave, he came to my apartment, we went to lunch,” Stevens tells the Double Stop podcast. ”[But] I said, ‘Look, I’m in the middle of finishing up this Idol record [1986's 'Whiplash Smile'], I’m not gonna leave, and I’m committed to touring behind it. So you would have to wait for me.’ And by then he already had Billy Sheehan in the band. And he said, ‘I don’t think I can wait for you. Have you ever heard of this guy Steve Vai?’ I knew him from the [Frank] Zappa stuff. I said, ‘He’s an incredible guitar player. Him and Billy would be phenomenal together.’ So I passed on the Roth gig.”
However, Stevens still ended up having a big impact on the sound of Roth’s debut album, ‘Eat ‘Em and Smile,’ when producer Ted Templeman sent out an S.O.S. from their New York City recording studio. “I think Dave wanted to record in New York ’cause he wanted to get away from the Van Halen thing. But they were having issues getting a good guitar sound with Steve. Ted asked me to meet up with Steve and give him some pointers. He was using Carvin gear or something. So I called Ted and said, ‘You’re not gonna get a good guitar sound out of that stuff.’ I said, ‘Let me send over my gear. I’ll send over all my Marshall stuff.’ So that’s all my equipment on that first David Lee Roth record. I mean, that first record is just phenomenal.”

The rest of the hour-plus interview with Stevens is equally illuminating. He explains how Steve Howe of Yes opened his eyes to the world of rock guitar, how and why he left and rejoined Idol’s band, and what it was like helping Motley Crue singer Vince Neil launch his solo career, among many other things. You can listen to the entire episode here.
Stevens and Idol will soon be on the road in support of their new album, ‘Kings & Queens of the Underground.’

[Nitro Express]

I went into this music exchange store in the mid 80's and there was this Carvin tube head for a really cheap price. I asked the guy if it worked and he said don't bother to plug in because I would hate the amp. LOL! At least the guy was honest. Maybe it came back a few times and he wanted to avoid a next time.

[Nickdfresh]

But they were having issues getting a good guitar sound with Steve.

Yeah, ain't that the truth!

I might have preferred Steve Stevens, but then again, he's a bit one-dimensional. It's not like he and Vince Neil exactly set the world on fire..

[Nickdfresh]

Somebody once made a convincing post that Dave would almost inevitably ended up working with Randy Rhodes had he not been Buddy Holly'ed...

[Nitro Express]

I think Steve worked out fine. There was that interplay with him and Billy Sheehan. The whole giggling guitar and Roth funning around at the beginning of Yankee Rose is a great lead into the song. Eat Em and Smile was not Van Halen. It was something different but it was very Dave and Steve Vai added his unique flavor to the stew. He did his own thing. I would have hated to see a Eddie copy cat up there.

[DONNIEP]

Too bad Dave can't release his year old album worth of recordings he did with John. Sure would be nice to talk about some new news or music.

[DLR Bridge]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Angel]

Too bad Dave can't release his year old album worth of recordings he did with John. Sure would be nice to talk about some new news or music.

Yup. The moment that disc is released is the moment we know it's over...

[DONNIEP]

Yup. The moment that disc is released is the moment we know it's over...

Even I, with all the BS I talk about wolfie and stuff, don't want the VH thing to be over. I'd just like to see/hear/buy this new record. There's no reason Dave can't do a side project or two.

[DLR Bridge]

Even I, with all the BS I talk about wolfie and stuff, don't want the VH thing to be over. I'd just like to see/hear/buy this new record. There's no reason Dave can't do a side project or two.

Well, had he worked with LL Cool J, there might not have been a problem with releasing the cd.

[DLR Bridge]

I remember geeking out over piecing together the fact that the picture of Steve in a Carvin ad served as the photo reference to the Flex-Able album (that's right, album) cover.
image.jpg

[DONNIEP]

Well, had he worked with LL Cool J, there might not have been a problem with releasing the cd.

That couldn't be any worse than that country song he did with Travis Tritt. Talk abouta terd...

[FORD]

That couldn't be any worse than that country song he did with Travis Tritt. Talk abouta terd...

That was an accident. Dave was a little drunk that night, and thought he was working with Sobolewski again.....

[binnie]

It would have been interesting - I sense that Steve Stevens can adapt his style for pretty much anyone.

[vandeleur]

Didnt Steve Stevens and seb Bach butcher/pub band/guitar hero a van tune posted on here .
I know am a tough audience but if they played the fat ox like that the clink of brown ale would be deafening

[DONNIEP]

That was an accident. Dave was a little drunk that night, and thought he was working with Sobolewski again.....

Mikey's plugs look better than ol' Travis's

[vandeleur]

id smash the bird she has that catherine zeta jones meets blow job mouth thing going on

[Nitro Express]

Too bad Dave can't release his year old album worth of recordings he did with John. Sure would be nice to talk about some new news or music.

As long as Dave has his trailer hitched to the Van Halens for whatever reason, he can't do anything. The brothers even got pissed off at Mike for selling hot sauce even when it had nothing to do with them or the band. But Eddie can sell all the shit he wants and Alex can sell drum sticks and ride cymbals. Two fucking hypocrites. If you are in Van Halen and that isn't your family name bend over.

Frankly. I wold love to see Dave tell them to fuck off actually.

[Nitro Express]

It would have been interesting - I sense that Steve Stevens can adapt his style for pretty much anyone.

I think he's a real musician meaning he can read music and understands theory. Those are the guys who can adapt because they have the skills to adapt. You can have great players but frankly without a broader musical set of skills, you are limited. Studio musicians are real musicians and yeah, some of them actually have some stage magic in them.

[cadaverdog]

id smash the bird she has that catherine zeta jones meets blow job mouth thing going on

I was looking for a bird on her hat. I forgot you guys call females birds.

[Sarge]

I'm glad he went with VAI.
I enjoyed Stevens with Idol and Vai with DLR. Worked out fine..

[Angel]

Even I, with all the BS I talk about wolfie and stuff, don't want the VH thing to be over. I'd just like to see/hear/buy this new record. There's no reason Dave can't do a side project or two.

You know that. I know that. Somebody tell Ed..

[twonabomber]

Yeah, ain't that the truth!

I might have preferred Steve Stevens, but then again, he's a bit one-dimensional. It's not like he and Vince Neil exactly set the world on fire..

That's Vince's fault! I will not tolerate slams on Steve Stevens!

(admitted Stevens fanboy bias showing)

Listening to the interview now. I had suspected that Warners made Stevens work with Neil after Atomic Playboys didn't meet expectations, and that's what I'm picking up from this interview.

Stevens looked bored playing Mick Mars' parts. I liked Atomic Playboys, and most of Exposed. Don't care for the sappy shit.

I have a bootleg of the Stevens/Michael Monroe Jerusalem Slim disc. It's okay. I am no major Monroe fan though.

Saw the Whiplash Smile tour, and then Idol sans Stevens on the Charmed Life tour, and then twice more together. They are much better together than apart.

[FORD]

Didnt Steve Stevens and seb Bach butcher/pub band/guitar hero a van tune posted on here .
I know am a tough audience but if they played the fat ox like that the clink of brown ale would be deafening

Never heard him play it with Sebastard Bitch, and I wouldn't want to. But he's played "Jump" with Idol on occasion, and that sounded pretty good.....

[vandeleur]

Things I learnt from that video .

Ed was billy idols bass player before he found slim fast .
Steve Stevens is shit at copying ed.
Jump is never gonna be my fav van song no matter who plays it , and with only 3 people in the audience joining in the other 50 thousand agree .
Oh and not sure when that was but billy idol is in a lot better Nick than many of his punk rock contemporaries .

[vandeleur]

On second hearing it's not terrible and 10/10 for enthusiasm for Seb

[Guitar Shark]

Count me as a fan of both Stevens and Bach. Stevens sounded great with Idol, and to this day I still like several Skid Row songs. "Monkey Business" is a particularly good one.

[Kristy]

Saw F A T Steve last night on Kimmel. Pa-Tha-TIC. Actually, Steve looked looked like your typical middle-aged F A T kid going on 14 doing his best in not trying to embarrass himself too much to Billy Idol's highly arthritic fist pumps and face sneers. Music was your sub-standard corporate "punk" with a lot a sequence and cheesy lighting. Steve would be better off he if he playing in Skynyrd, showing his F A T chubby cheeks every now and then at Comic Con to those who don't have clue-fucking-one as to who he is. 'Blue Highway' was his peak - all he could do (and has done) is go downhill from there.

[Kristy]

On second hearing it's not terrible and 10/10 for enthusiasm for Seb

Ghey. The drummer looks like a twice convicted felon and the bass player on his way to a diabetic coma. These fucking rock stars, man. There should be a law for when they get too old they are banned from playing live in public - permanently!

[twonabomber]

Saw F A T Steve last night on Kimmel. Pa-Tha-TIC. Actually, Steve looked looked like your typical middle-aged F A T kid going on 14 doing his best in not trying to embarrass himself too much to Billy Idol's highly arthritic fist pumps and face sneers. Music was your sub-standard corporate "punk" with a lot a sequence and cheesy lighting. Steve would be better off he if he playing in Skynyrd, showing his F A T chubby cheeks every now and then at Comic Con to those who don't have clue-fucking-one as to who he is. 'Blue Highway' was his peak - all he could do (and has done) is go downhill from there.

Even worse...I think it was lip-synced.

[Kristy]

Better yet, F A T Steve should hook up with Katy Perry.

Now that would fucking RAAAAWWWWK!

[twonabomber]

Why not? Nuno Bettencourt toured with Rhianna.

[Von Halen]

'Blue Highway' was his peak - all he could do (and has done) is go downhill from there.

Good call Kristy. "Blue Highway" was my favorite song from that album, from day 1.

Still love the riffs in "Eyes Without A Face" and "Flesh For Fantasy" too.

[binnie]

On second hearing it's not terrible and 10/10 for enthusiasm for Seb

Steve also plays a tune on Seb's new record, which is pretty good.

[degüello]

I don't know, some of that interview has a whiff of BS, to me... Stevens is good in his own way, but he's nowhere near the level of many players of the time, especially Vai.

Would Roth really have been that interested?

[Von Halen]

I don't know, some of that interview has a whiff of BS, to me... Stevens is good in his own way, but he's nowhere near the level of many players of the time, especially Vai.

Would Roth really have been that interested?

Whoa! How the hell you been?

I like Stevens way more than Vai. Always have. To me, Vai has always been a solo player. He just doesn't seem to fit in with a singer, or band. I feel the same way about Satch, although I think Satch is a much better rhythm player than Vai when in a band with a singer.

[degüello]

Hey, Von! Been great, thanks. How are you?

Found the Army on Tapatalk now, which is all I use these days, so I hope to be around more.

Good points, but Vai's work was so killer on EEAS... however he doesn't seem to have matched that band-type playing ever again, true.

It just doesn't seem to me that Stevens could even play Eddie's parts when doing VH tunes. Stevens' approach seems simpler, more of a riffing/layering-oriented thing, to me. Even in that HFT clip with Bach, he sticks to rhythm and Pete Horn takes all the leads.

Anyway, good to see you. Those DDLR days were good times.

[Kristy]

On second hearing it's not terrible and 10/10 for enthusiasm for Seb

As for Sebastian Cockblock, the dude so desperately wanted to be the next Robert Plant but only ended up sniffing Ted Nugent's boxer shorts.

[Kristy]

I will not tolerate slams on Steve Stevens!

F A T Steve is actually a likable guy. It's just that he finds himself in and out of a dysfunctional codependent relationship with Billy Idol.


Dude needs help.

[Nitro Express]

I'm glad he went with VAI.
I enjoyed Stevens with Idol and Vai with DLR. Worked out fine..

Yup. I agree. Vai and Sheehan were a great team.