Photo: O’Donnell Media Group
Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has unveiled a year-end holiday treat in the form of a fresh and dynamic rendition of the 1980s classic “Ah! Leah!” by legendary singer-songwriter Donnie Iris. The track features an impressive lineup, including vocalists Chip Z’nuff (ENUFF Z’NUFF) and Stephen Shareaux (KIK TRACEE),along with Drew Fortier (THE LUCID) on guitar and Paolo Caridi on drums.
This updated version of the radio rock favorite is now available on all digital platforms.
Ellefson shared his enthusiasm for the project, stating: “The skinny tie alternative rock movement of the early ’80s was such a fun and creative era for music. ‘Ah! Leah!’ was not only a massive FM radio hit; it’s a hauntingly beautiful song with an unforgettable melody and lyric. Alongside acts like Aldo Nova, THE GREG KIHN BAND, Joe Jackson and THE CARS, this was a transformative time for rock music that shaped me as a young musician. This rendition brings together an amazingly talented group of friends and musicians to create a really cool version of this classic, setting a creative tone for the holiday season!”
Chip Z’Nuff adds: “Anytime I get the opportunity to work with heavyweights on a classic 1980s hit, I sonically attack with as much reflection and intent as possible. David Ellefson picked an incendiary track with Donnie Iris‘s ‘Ah! Leah!’, which is the perfect combination of pop meets metal in 2025!”
“Ah! Leah!” production credits:
Produced by David Ellefson and Drew Fortier
Mixed by Alessio Garavello at Rogue Recording Studios in Wembley, U.K.
Bass guitar recorded by John Aquilino at The Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH by Dave Mustaine in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.
In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.
Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.
Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace, February 28, 1943) is an American rock musician known for his work with the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo career beginning in the 1980s with his band, the Cruisers. He wrote the #2 Billboard hit, “The Rapper“, with the Jaggerz in 1970 and was a member of Wild Cherry after the group had a #1 hit with “Play That Funky Music.” He also achieved fame as a solo artist in the early 1980s with the #29 hit “Ah! Leah!” and the #37 hit “Love Is Like a Rock.”
In addition to performing on the first three Jaggerz albums and the fourth and final Wild Cherry album, Iris with his solo band has released eleven studio albums, one EP, two live albums, and two compilation albums. He continues to intermittently release new material and tour throughout the Youngstown, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio, and greater Pittsburgh areas.