Van Halen Reportedly Recording With Roth

February 26 -- While still officially unannounced and unconfirmed, so many people are talking about singer David Lee Roth reuniting with Van Halen that it would be a shocker if the rumor were false.

"David has been recording in the studio for the past two weeks," the latest source tells the New York Daily News. "They have five tracks recorded and are looking to tour in summer of 2002."

After recording hits such as "Jump," "Dance the Night Away," and "Panama," Roth, an original member of the hard rock act, was kicked out in 1985.

Roth's replacement, Sammy Hagar, left the band in 1996 amid a flurry of ill will and accusations on both sides, with Hagar eventually reviving his solo career. At that time, talk of Roth returning ran high — and he entered the studio with his old band to record two bonus tracks for a greatest-hits collection and appeared with the other group members on MTV.

The band, however, left Diamond Dave in the lurch and instead named Extreme frontman Gary Cherone as its new singer, prompting Roth to lash out in an open letter, saying, "It sickens me that the 'reunion' as seen on MTV was nothing more than a publicity stunt. I was an unwitting participant in this deception."

After the failure of Van Halen III, the sole album recorded with Cherone, bandleader and guitarist Eddie Van Halen is apparently once again reaching out to Roth — who's apparently amenable to letting bygones be bygones.

"They've both realized that people want to see them do their dance together," the source told the Daily News. "And both guys want to make oodles of money."