In a recent post, David Lee Roth revealed a previously unreleased “studio live” recording of Van Halen’s “Panama.” Roth’s new song release follows a string of songs he has uploaded to YouTube. This is a live studio recording of the band performing together. On social media, Roth announced the development with the caption “Link in bio to full version.” A NEW LEGACY FOR ROTH HAS BEGUN! David Lee Roth’s live studio broadcast from Panama.
The song only became available for streaming on YouTube on Thursday, so not much is known about it (September 1). Roth adds a few improvised vocal lines, and Eddie Van Halen’s trademark guitar work is there. Roth did not specify who was featured in tune or when it was recorded. With this release, some are questioning whether or not the musician will truly retire in 2021, as he previously announced.
Besides “Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway,” “Pointing at the Moon,” and “Low-Rez Sunset,” Roth has recently released more tunes that feature John 5 on guitar. Even more recently, Roth has hinted that a Van Halen tribute tour may be in the works. Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted made headlines earlier this year when he told the Palm Beach Post that he had been asked to join a Van Halen tour by Alex Van Halen and guitarist Joe Satriani.
The project “sort of just completely fizzled,” Newsted said in the conversation when he traveled to California with Alex and Satriani. And now, famous guitarist Satriani is musing about a Van Halen tribute tour. “If it ever does happen, it would be a huge honor and a daunting challenge,” Satriani remarked. Roth revealed that he and Eddie’s brother, drummer Alex Van Halen, have been discussing the possibility of a “real homage to Eddie” for “about a year.”
In a recent interview for the podcast Rock of Nations with Dave Kinchen, Satriani was questioned about those claims. When asked by Kinchen about the tribute, Satriani said he had participated in discussions about it. He claimed he had talked to Alex, Roth, and others. “I’ve been talking with Alex and Dave about creating something — a tour, something like that—that would be a true tribute to Eddie and the Van Halen heritage,” Satriani said.
He continued, “It was daunting to think of doing anything like that, but I saw it would be great labor of love for me. I felt pretty privileged to accept this test. You may say, “It’s quite complicated. And all I can say about it is that if it does happen, I know we’ll make it the greatest thing ever for the fans. We’ll all celebrate together not only the great Eddie Van Halen but the legacy that that band created, the incredible amount of music, and the goodwill and good vibes they created as a band.
And he said, “These things are always happening in the music industry, and you’re supposed to be very quiet about them because sometimes they don’t work out.” Satriani later expressed regret that the story had already leaked. “There are always ten wacky ideas floating about, and musicians are always, like, ‘Okay, I won’t say anything about this ’cause it may not work out. And I certainly don’t want to cause this person any emotional distress or throw a wrench into their other business endeavors.
We were all under an oath of silence, so it was a shock when Jason decided to go public. Like I said previously, if that were to happen, it would be both an incredible honor and a difficult challenge. Please don’t try to replicate his work, Eddie. You can study the music notation, be instructed in the fingerstyles, and acquire all the necessary equipment, but there was only one Eddie, and he was a true creative genius. If it does happen, though, I have faith that Alex will oversee the proper procedure. If the stars align in the future, we won’t know for sure until.