JOE LYNN TURNER
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 15th July 2009.
Joe Lynn Turner is, well, a bit of a god when it comes to rock music. He's sung with numerous huge bands and artists (including Rainbow, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen) and had a storming solo career to boot. He is still performing and recording on a regular basis and still at the top of his game.
This interview mainly focuses on his present venture, touring with the Over The Rainbow band featuring Bobbi Rondinelli, Jürgen Blackmore etc.
Hi Joe, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. How is life treating you at present?
JLT: Life is great! I am making a living doing what I love!
What made you want to get into singing? Was the voice there to start with, or did you begin with enthusiasm and develop the pipes as time moved on?
JLT: When I was in my first professional band (professional meaning a band that gets paid for their gigs), Ezra, I was the guitarist and background singer. I started singing lead when the singer got sick and, after that show, so many people came up to me and said they liked my singing I thought maybe there could be a career in singing in my future. So, I ended up being made lead singer of the band and my career happened quite by accident. I guess you could call it a perfect mistake...
Looking back, did you ever dream you'd still be going strong in 2009?
JLT: I thought I would always be in the music business somehow but was not sure at what level. The fact that I am still going strong (thank you for that compliment also) is a testament to the passion of the fans that keep me going and the fact that music trends may come and go but plenty of people still love this music.
Have you achieved most of your ambitions or do you see yourself still singing in another 10 or 20 years?
JLT: I do not think a person can ever say they have achieved all they want to achieve out of life. If they do, they are a rarity. As far as singing in 10-20 years... I sure hope so!
Who were your musical influences and inspirations?
JLT: Jimi Hendrix has to be the biggest of all. Deep Purple, Free/Bad Company, Mark Farner and Grand Funk Railroad, Black Sabbath. There are way too many others to name but those stand out in my mind.
What's it like being back with Rainbow guys playing Rainbow music?
JLT: It's electric! The camaraderie is great! The passion is still there for all of us and the fan reaction so far has made it all worthwhile. People deserve to hear this great music played live again!
You've performed Rainbow songs with, amongst others, Glenn Hughes and Graham Bonnet in recent years. Did a return to the Rainbow fold seem inevitable?
JLT: To be honest, yes. While I knew Ritchie was not in favour of a Rainbow reunion there was a relentlessness from fans, the media and concert promoters to see Rainbow back together. It really couldn't be ignored.
Ritchie Blackmore's son, Jürgen plays in Over The Rainbow. What's he like to work with, and was Ritchie himself tempted to join in with the project?
JLT: Ritchie is very happy doing what does with Blackmore's Night and they are enormously successful. So, no, Ritchie was not interested in joining but he did give his son his blessing. Jürgen looks like Ritchie and has some of his mannerisms onstage but has a different personality from Ritchie. Jürgen is more easy going and has a different sense of humour. He is also more of a shredder than his Dad. He likes to play very fast but so far the reactions from the fans (about his playing) have been very positive.
How was the name 'Over The Rainbow' settled on, and why was the band not simply called Rainbow? Presumably that was to do with the absence of Ritchie?
JLT: Number one--- we are not Rainbow! We are a celebration of Rainbow that is why we picked the name Over the Rainbow. We were all from these different incarnations of Rainbow and never even thought of being called Rainbow.
Is this a long term project, an occasional get together of old friends, or a short lived but fun venture to bring the JLT/Rainbow story to a close?
JLT: Right now, we are viewing this as an ongoing project with the hope of maybe putting out a live CD and making some originals down the road.
Can you tell us a bit more about Big Noize?
JLT: Big Noize plays great classic rock hits that the individual members were known for, either because one of us was involved in writing them or have performed them during the times of the song’s biggest chart success. What is different about Big Noize is its heritage and concept. All members have a related and connected past: Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Black Sabbath, Quiet Riot, Rainbow and Deep Purple. A Big Noize concert is a tribute to the bands that we were a part of: It’s a great project and we had a life changing experience when we went to Iraq to play for the Troops. We hope to book more Big Noize shows in the future. I have a great camaraderie with the guys in Big Noize and it’s always a blast playing with them.
Is there a Big Noize album on the way? 'Battlefields' sounds pretty bloody amazing!
JLT: Thank you for the compliment on the song. It was written by Will Champlain and Chris Antblad. Antblad is a writer/musician/producer who I have been working with a lot recently. As for Big Noize making an album, we have talked about it but scheduling is constantly a problem for all of us. Vinny is out with Heaven and Hell and so Simon Wright (ACDC, Dio) has been on drums for us in several of the past gigs. Vinny is still considered a permanent member of the band. We have discussed the idea of doing half live / half original.
Another Sunstorm album made its appearance this year. Is there anything you can tell us about it?
JLT: It's called "House of Dreams" and is out in Europe, the USA and Japan. I dug into my archives and found some songs from the 80s that I had written with other people: "I Found Love," a song I used to open up my concerts on the "Rescue You" tour. There's also "Forever Now" and "Save a Place in Your Heart," which I co-wrote with Paul Sabu. It has my version of "Walk On," the song I co-wrote with Desmond Child for the Jimmy Barnes album "Freight Train Heart." Jim Peterik brought in "Tears on the Pages"--- a song co-written by Jon Lind and Russ Ballard, "Say You Will" and "Gutters of Gold." The brothers Tom and James Martin wrote the other tracks on the record.
Any other projects on the go at present? You are such a busy bloke, there's bound to be a couple...
JLT: More tour dates with Over The Rainbow are on deck. I have a South American Tour coming up which should be announced very soon and I am always in recording and writing sessions. I know there is news ready to come out soon about the Voices of Rock project I am involved with, also with Metal Haven.
Is there anyone you'd still love to work with?
JLT: There are so many I can't name them all but I would like to work with musicians in another genre. Some younger rock musicians that I'd be interested in collaborating with are Johnny Lang, Chad Kroeger and Nickelback, Chris Daughtry.
What are you up to once you finish answering these questions?
JLT: Off to a recording session for a commercial jingle!
Anything else you would like to mention in the footnote?
JLT: My website is: http://www.joelynnturner.com/ My Space: http://www.myspace.com/joelynnturner I have a Japanese, Argentina and Greek fansite and all those links are listed in the LINKS section of my official website. Check them out! I am also on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/joelynnturnerofficial Find me on TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/joelynnturner
Thanks for your time Joe...
JLT: Thank you for your support and time also!
Do your best to catch Joe in concert somewhere in the world, and check out the review to that Sunstorm album here.
