Jason Becker could release unheard David Lee Roth tracks

Jason Becker says he could finally reveal previously unreleased songs he recorded with David Lee Roth.

The guitar icon – who suffers from the debilitating disease ALS – replaced Steve Vai in David Lee Roth’s solo band and recorded guitars for the 1991 album A Little Ain’t Enough.

Becker, now 45, was diagnosed with ALS just days after joining the band and he was never able to tour with former Van Halen man Roth. But he says there are a handful of tracks that the two recorded which didn’t make it onto the album.

He tells Talking Metal: “There were a couple that didn’t make it. I think I might put them on my next album, but they won’t have Dave’s singing.”

On the decision not to tour with the band, Becker adds: “We were planning on going on tour, but when I was helping Dave, I auditioned some other players for the tour.

“I was having a hard time standing and playing. My legs would shake, so I had to sit the whole time. After that day, Dave and I talked and we decided I wouldn’t tour. He was depressed. I tried to make jokes and pick up his mood, but that didn’t really work.”

Becker made his name as part of the band Cacophony, which he formed with friend Marty Friedman. They released two albums, 1987’s Speed Metal Symphony and 1988’s Go Off.

Last year, Becker took part in his own version of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness of the condition.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.