In a recent chat with Guitar World, Steve Stevens talked about David Lee Roth’s offer to become ‘Eddie Van Halen part two.’
When asked whether he had Eddie’s approach in mind while recording ‘Dirty Diana’ since it’s often compared to ‘Beat It,’ Stevens said he didn’t focus on Eddie’s tone while recording and he doesn’t try to copy other guitarists.
He then revealed, “And I don’t know if it’s common knowledge, but I was approached to join David Lee Roth’s band initially, and I didn’t want to be Eddie part two, you know?”
“I think Steve Vai has a strong enough personality, and as a stylist, to make it his own. But I was in fear of falling into exactly what you’re saying – hearing Dave’s voice and hearing Ed’s tone,” Stevens continued.
Later in the conversation, the interviewer wondered how his career would have turned out if he had accepted DLR’s offer. Steve replied by saying, “Not really – by the time I met Dave I had already played with Eddie and hung out with him. I really liked the friendship and I just thought, ‘I’m not the right guy.’ And I didn’t want to leave Billy either.”
“I was approached while we were finishing up Billy’s third album, ‘Whiplash Smile,’ and I’m a committed band guy. I just thought, ‘It’s not the right thing for me.’ Plus, I’m too short – those guys are all tall!”
In a 2014 interview with the Double Stop podcast, Stevens further detailed Dave’s offer, explaining, “I met Dave, he came to my apartment, we went to lunch. [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,” the guitarist shared.
Although Stevens didn’t officially play on Roth’s debut album ‘Eat ‘Em and Smile,’ he influenced its sound. Producer Ted Templeman contacted Stevens for advice when Roth’s team struggled with the guitar sound. Stevens sent over his own gear, including Marshall equipment, which was used on the album.
