Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is not ruling out a return to 'American Idol,' though he says in a new interview that if he did come back it would be in a much different role.

The vocalist told E! Online, "I wouldn't go back and be a judge. I'd be a mentor … I loved the fact that you go through 700 people, and out of that, you really can pick someone that has talent, because they have to audition anyway. And I'm just grateful that Jennifer [Lopez] and I and Randy [Jackson] could pick people that wound up being so good."

Tyler and Lopez were not brought back after last season, and it was recently announced that country superstar Keith Urban, along with pop favorites Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj would join Randy Jackson on the four-judge panel.

When asked about the lack of a rock presence on the panel, Tyler said with a smile, "We'll see what happens, right?"

As for the issues that his initial Idol commitment caused with Aerosmith, the singer explained, "We'd just come off a tour and I took 'Idol' and I didn't tell these guys, to be fair, and they got bummed out. We got into a lot of ya-ya because of tumult that happens in a band. Sometimes stuff doesn't get talked out quite properly, but it always turns out as songs down the line anyway."

When asked earlier this year why he took the 'American Idol' gig, the singer explained, "I think I'm an adrenaline junkie. It was a risky thing. I didn't know whether I'd get berated."

The show's loss turned into Aerosmith fans' gain though when the band hit the road this summer for the 'Global Warming' tour with Cheap Trick. The two bands will resume another leg of shows in November, surrounding the release of Aerosmith's 'Music From Another Dimension' album, due Nov. 6.

More From KOOL 101.7