Doogie White

Exclusive Interview with Strangers [Part 1]

Passed over by Steve Harris but winning the absolute trust of Ritchie Blackmore


The grand ambitions of the 4th-generation singer

At last, RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW's album "STRANGER IN US ALL" is about to be released. If you read the interview with Joe Lynn Turner featured in this month's issue, it becomes clear that for Ritchie Blackmore, launching this version of RAINBOW was a bargaining chip with the record company that ordered him to bring Ian Gillan back to DEEP PURPLE. In other words, "leaving DEEP PURPLE = starting RAINBOW (or a solo career)" was a move planned ever since the release of "THE BATTLE RAGES ON...".

In fact, as will be revealed in Ritchie's interview in next month's issue, it seems the arguments from the DEEP PURPLE camp attacking him—claiming "Ritchie lacks professional responsibility" or "he's being terribly selfish" — were entirely fabricated or groundless accusations. However, regarding Joe Lynn Turner's claim that "Ritchie wanted to form a band with me," the nuance appears somewhat different. There was a proper reason why Ritchie chose Doogie White instead of Joe.

On July 20th, the day before Joe Lynn Turner's interview, I first interviewed the four members of RAINBOW other than Ritchie at the "BMG" office in NY. Then, in the evening, I moved to Long Island to conduct Ritchie's interview. Only Doogie White was living in the UK; he had arrived in NY the day before (just like me) and was set to return to the UK right after this interview. This Scottish-born singer—who had been active with MIDNIGHT BLUE since '88, visited Japan in '91 as the lead singer of PRAYING MANTIS, and returned to MIDNIGHT BLUE again in '93 — is inevitably fated to be compared to the "former RAINBOW" singers. However, the splendid singing that can be heard on the album seems more than enough to push that pressure aside. First, let's hear his story.

Please tell us how you came to join RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW.

The very first spark started back in '90 when Joe Lynn Turner was in DEEP PURPLE. I was unemployed at the time and couldn't afford a ticket to DEEP PURPLE's show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. So, I asked a friend of mine who worked at BMG, "The tickets are completely sold out, and I desperately want to see the DEEP PURPLE show, can you do something for me?" He said yes, and he even threw in a party pass as a bonus. He told me, "If you go to the party, the drinks and food are free, so go have a good time." I thought it would be a great opportunity to hand my tape to Ritchie. When I went there, Ritchie wasn't around, but his tour manager, Colin Hart, was. I gave the tape to him and asked, "If Ritchie happens to look for a singer in the future, I'd love to be considered as a candidate. Could you pass this tape on to him?"

Then, in early '94, I was working on a demo tape for Cozy Powell's solo album along with Neil Murray and a guitarist named Mike Caswell. One night, while I was hosting a party at my house, the phone rang, and a voice said, "This is Ritchie Blackmore, I'd like to speak with Doogie White." I said, "I'm Doogie..." and he said, "I am Ritchie." I said, "No way." I told him, "I don't believe it. There's no way you're Ritchie Blackmore." But the person on the other end said, "I really am Ritchie. I listened to your tape. I want you to come to a band audition." I thought it was such an outrageous, far-fetched story, so I said, "If you're really Ritchie Blackmore, answer two or three questions." He said, "OK." My main question was about the guitar solo on the song "Hold On" from the Stormbringer album. I asked, "What is special about the guitar solo on this song?" and he replied, "I played it entirely with my fingers." So I asked, "Ritchie, when should I come?" He said, "I've already sent the ticket, so it should arrive by Friday. Come next weekend." And so I went to a place called Bohemia, and the audition... I think it lasted over three nights, but on the first night, we played "Mistreated," "Man On The Silver Mountain," "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll," "All Night Long," and so on, and we had a great time. That's how Ritchie and I ended up working together.

Bohemia?

Bohemia is a small town near where Ritchie was staying on Long Island, and there's a rehearsal facility there. It's located right in the middle, between where the other band members were staying and where Ritchie was.

Who were the bassist and drummer at that time?

John O'Reilly had been in the band for exactly one week. Paul Morris was the keyboard player, and he had been in the band the longest. The bass player was a guy named Rob DeMartino, a musician who used to play in VIRGIN STEELE.

So you didn't hand over the tape because you heard Ritchie was looking for a new singer, right?

That's right. I read an article in Kerrang! saying that Ritchie had quit DEEP PURPLE and that he planned to look for a new singer once he returned from his vacation, so before that, I had once called Bruce Payne at Thames Talent, their former management. I spoke with a woman named Wren Martin, and she told me, "Ritchie is on vacation, but you can go ahead and send the tape." So when Ritchie called, I assumed he had listened to the tape right then. But that wasn't the case. When Ritchie went home, his girlfriend Candice (Night) was sorting through a box full of tapes... he gets tons of tapes sent to him, and she was helping him out. Apparently, she pulled my tape out and told him, "You should listen to this tape. The singer you've been looking for is right here." So Ritchie listened to it. That tape was the old one I had handed to Colin Hart. It had two or three songs from MIDNIGHT BLUE on it. It also contained two or three demos of new songs I was working on with my friend Alex Dickson. He was the guitar player for MIDNIGHT BLUE, and now he plays guitar in former IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson's band. (Note: After MIDNIGHT BLUE, he joined GUN and played on Gallus, but left in '93 to join Bruce's band). I wrote a lot of songs with him.

There is also a rumor that you handed over a MIDNIGHT BLUE CD...

No, even I don't own the MIDNIGHT BLUE CD. That album was just an 8-track demo we made in the bathroom of the house we lived in... I sang while standing in front of a big mirror, looking at myself. Only one song, "Until Tomorrow," was actually recorded in a studio.

Could you tell us, in chronological order, about your past musical activities?

Right, I was in a band called CHAIN, which was another unsuccessful project. We made 8-track demos in that band too. Of course, I went on tour to Japan with PRAYING MANTIS, which was a lot of fun, but I never heard from them again after returning. I did session work with various people... I worked with all kinds of musicians. I worked quite a bit with a guitar player named Jan Cyrka, who used to be in ZODIAC MINDWARP & THE LOVE REACTION under the name Flash Bastard. I also worked a lot with Lea Hart from FASTWAY. I did a lot of backing vocals and made plenty of demos for publishers and record companies. Then, in '93, I went to audition for IRON MAIDEN. I went through two auditions and made it down to the final three candidates. That connection actually led to Cozy and Neil contacting me. Apparently, Steve Harris gave my phone number to someone who knew them... Most of it was demo work, which didn't make much money, but at least it allowed me to keep singing, and that was the most important thing. I could have cut my hair and gotten a day job, but I kept thinking, "If I just hang in there for one more week, something good might happen." And fortunately, this is how things turned out. After all, this is the job that any vocalist would dream of having.

How did you come to audition for IRON MAIDEN?

I've known Janick Gers for about four years. I handed a tape to Janick and told him, "This is business, it has nothing to do with friendship, but please give this tape to Steve. You can listen to it yourself first, and if you think it's no good, that's fine too." I went to the final two auditions, but in the end, I didn't get the job. I think it's probably because I’m too bluesy for their type of music. Plus, Blaze (Bayley) is very good. He's the ideal singer for that job.

At that point, do you think it was already decided that Blaze Bayley would become a member?

You mean when I auditioned? No, I don't think so. I'm sure they had Blaze in mind before it was officially decided, though. I think they thought, "We want to bring this guy in, but we should listen to how other people sing first." If IRON MAIDEN hadn't truly liked him, then Blaze... well, it's the same case with me and Ritchie. Huge entities like IRON MAIDEN or RAINBOW shouldn't make compromises.

How did you get to know Janick Gers?

We met at a pub one night.

I heard you live near Janick's house?

I live close to both Janick and Bruce Dickinson. Alex Dickson too.

Is it better for you now than if you had joined IRON MAIDEN?

This is the best place in the world for me. There is nothing else I want to do other than play with Ritchie Blackmore in this band. If Jimmy Page called me tomorrow and asked, "Do you want to play together?" I wouldn't go. I want to play with Ritchie Blackmore. I started singing because I wanted to play with Ritchie. I've always wanted to play Ritchie Blackmore's songs. And now, I'm playing with the man himself. I couldn't be happier. I don't want to be anywhere else.

Could you tell us a bit more about your feelings and respect for Ritchie?

After all, he's someone who has stayed successful for 30 years in this industry without compromising his music. When punk emerged, everyone thought Ritchie Blackmore would never survive. When he left DEEP PURPLE, they thought he couldn't survive. But he achieved success for 10 years with RAINBOW. The lineups changed constantly, but they were all successful. When he left RAINBOW to reform DEEP PURPLE, everyone thought it would never work out. But it did. Punk is making a comeback now in '95, but the new band Ritchie is putting together will be successful again. Ritchie can keep performing for as long as he wants because he never compromises. He is incredibly professional, and he expects a professional approach from the musicians who play with him. I believe that if I show that kind of attitude, he will accept me right away. I respect him as a guitar player and for his talent, and he makes me feel very comfortable. Of course, he could make me nervous if he wanted to, but he keeps things very relaxed. He also gives me confidence because he believes in me. He believes in my vocals and my performance.

The new album Stranger in Us All contains various songs that seem to suit each of RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE's successive past singers. Did you change your singing style depending on the song?

No, I didn't change my singing style. What remains consistent through the various eras of DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW is the playing of Ritchie, the master of riffs. When vocals are added to that, a unique sound is born. I completely understand your line of thinking and I agree, but that's because we drew upon that past energy. For instance, with the bluesy "Cold Hearted Woman," I'm really looking forward to doing double-vocals live with Greg — it's a track that wouldn't feel out of place on Burn or Stormbringer. Greg is a very talented singer too. However, when we were tracking vocals, he had a cold, so we left them out. I don't want to fixate on just one vocal idea. I can do a blues mood, the classical pop-music mood of "Black Masquerade" is fine, and I can do power ballads like "Ariel" or rock 'n' roll like "Too Late for Tears." We have continuity. It's me singing all of it, and I think it will be explicitly clear that I'm the one singing.

On this album, did you feel like there were a few songs where your singing style resembled Glenn Hughes?

That is a wonderful compliment. I grew up listening to Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Ronnie Dio, Graham Bonnet, and Joe Lynn Turner, so I learned all my techniques from them. Because I love Ritchie's guitar playing, I respect the singers Ritchie chose for his bands; I memorized all the songs and learned how they sang. I didn't consciously try to sing like anyone in particular. You can't gain any credibility by just sounding like another singer. Any musician starts playing their instrument because they admire and respect someone, but even if a guitar player respects Eddie Van Halen, they won't sound exactly like Eddie Van Halen. However, they learn licks and phrasing from him. It's the same thing. I didn't intend to think, "Glenn would sing it like this," or "Let's do it like Ian Gillan." I tried to sing like myself.

Ritchie has kept saying that he wants a singer who can sing like Paul Rodgers.

That's true, but every voice has its own color. Paul Rodgers' voice has a thick, husky quality. Even if I were forced to sing like Paul Rodgers, I probably couldn't do it. Paul Rodgers is a fantastic singer and I respect him, but I don't think about trying to sing like him. I wonder what people who listen to this record will think when they hear me sing "Stargazer," "Tarot Woman," "Burn," or "Child in Time". I hope you'll feel the same way. If you think "This is amazing!" I'd be incredibly happy.

"Silence" feels as though Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale are singing together.

I was actually envisioning something like Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker from the CREAM era. I know Ritchie is a fan of Jack Bruce, and he's Scottish. I wanted to do that kind of double-vocals. Of course, what Glenn and David did in DEEP PURPLE was influenced by what Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton were doing. While I don't mind being told that, if possible, I want that track to show off its own unique charm, and I'm really looking forward to seeing if Greg and I can pull that off live. It's a fascinating period in Ritchie's history because he pulled off things like that.

"Still I'm Sad" is quite different from Ronnie James Dio's singing style, isn't it?

Exactly. There's no way I could compete with Ronnie anyway. I want to showcase my own individuality in this band. I just sang it exactly how I felt it, rather than trying to sing it the way Ronnie did. If it sounded the identical, it wouldn't be interesting for the fans either. I sang the first verse like a standard rock version, became a bit more free on the second verse, and on the final verse, I just sang it exactly how I wanted and completely enjoyed myself. I wanted the listeners to enjoy it too. If I had sung it just like Ronnie, listeners would probably skip past it. But you shouldn't skip it. The guitar solo is magnificent. (laughs)

There were rumors that this album's sound would be close to the Joe Lynn Turner era, but hearing Stranger in Us All proves that those rumors were false. How do you feel this album differs from the RAINBOW sound of the Joe Lynn Turner era?

I think the Joe Lynn Turner era was highly keyboard-oriented. There were guitar solos, but there wasn't much of a foundational guitar presence—the keyboards handled that. On this album, keyboards are kept to a bare minimum. We wanted the guitar, not the keyboards, to solidify the foundation. I don't think there's any connection between that era and the current band.

I also noticed that the keyboards don't stand out much.

There's a ten-year gap, and I think what Ritchie wanted to do with Joe is different from now. That's why it maintains its freshness. I think this album is one of the best RAINBOW albums he has ever made. Any Ritchie Blackmore fan wants to hear incredible guitar playing, right? The songs are powerful, and all the performances are powerful. That's what everyone wants to hear. If there are fans who are disappointed because there aren't many keyboards, all I can say is that's a shame. We wanted to bring the guitar back to the forefront. Ritchie is one of the masters of riffs. Why should we swap that for keyboards to recreate an '80s sound? Even without doing that, we can create an incredibly hard, powerful, and magnificent sound. I think this record has also become the best-sounding RAINBOW record. It utilizes '90s technology to make it sound like everything is happening right in front of you. It's a fantastic sound. I hope people won't be disappointed just because there are fewer keyboards. Besides, Paul Morris is a wonderful keyboard player, so he will shine during the live shows. Ritchie obviously can't play two guitar parts at once.

What kind of songs will you be playing live?

I'll keep that to myself. I think it's better kept as a secret, otherwise it ruins the anticipation.

In that case, which song do you think is best suited as the opening number for the new RAINBOW show?

Let's see... I feel it's a tough choice between "Wolf to the Moon" and "Black Masquerade." I don't know yet, but those two are my choices. Both tracks are so powerful that the shockwaves will probably make the audience stand up. It's exciting.

What kind of attitude do you think you need to have on stage? Or in terms of outfits...

Ritchie is a master of the show. I always look forward to watching his playing. I'm going to consciously build him up. And he'll probably try to build me up too. If we do that, we can put on a fantastic show. It's not a matter of attitude; I just intend to do my absolute best. I have no idea what I'm going to wear yet. I haven't even thought about it. I might think about it when we discuss the stage set. But I will absolutely never wear an Aloha shirt, and I won't wear sunglasses either. (laughs)

The lyrics to "Ariel" were written by Candice, correct?

Yes. I think she did a very good job, especially on "Ariel." This song is a folk song that Candice and Ritchie wrote together, and it's completely different from his previous works. Ritchie was experimenting with various ideas for the riff. We tried working on it for two or three days, but it just wouldn't come together, and we were just one step away from throwing it out. Then Ritchie said, "I have something from a song I wrote with Candice that might fit this." So we tried working with that until the end. We ended up finishing the arrangement and everything in about five hours. I'm very satisfied that we could turn a folk song into such a powerful rock track. If she hadn't written good lyrics, we wouldn't have used it. In that case, we couldn't have used that riff either, and the song itself would have disappeared. So I'm very happy we were able to use it.

For "Wolf to the Moon," did you come up with the original idea? Or did she?

Originally, it was titled "Temptation." Our producer, Pat Regan, had written the lyrics and melody, and I rewrote them, but Pat didn't like the new lyrics or melody. So we went back to the original lyrics, but we still wanted new ones. One day, Candice came in, looked at the lyrics, and said the song's content should be like this... So Ritchie, Pat, and I talked it over, and we decided to make the song into what it is now. If what Candice wrote wasn't good enough, Ritchie wouldn't have approved it, and neither Pat nor I would have accepted it. This song consists of a melody I wrote, lyrics Candice wrote, and Ritchie's music.

"Black Masquerade" is the same way. We made three demos for it. I forgot the original title, but Candice wrote the lyrics to match my melody. I'm particularly satisfied with how "Ariel" and "Black Masquerade" turned out.

For the songs where only your and Ritchie's names are credited, does that mean Ritchie brought in the musical ideas and you added the melody and lyrics?

Yes. We experimented too. Ritchie would come up with a riff, and the two of us would think about the tempo and groove and try out various things. I always kept a small tape recorder with me because he plays without thinking about it. When I’d ask, "What was that just now?" he'd say, "Which one?" and he wouldn't remember. He’d think of ten different riffs and play one riff in three different ways, but he wouldn't remember it afterward, so I decided to record it on tape and organize it. I record my own ideas on tape too, and then develop them in my room. When a good one comes together, we go back to the studio and redo everything. We rewrote this entire album at least five times. It kept changing constantly. Specifically, there are six different versions of "Silence."

By the time you joined the band, how far along was the songwriting?

When I joined, no songs were finished yet. From the moment I arrived for the audition, we started writing a song called "Judgement Day," but in the end, we never finished it. Every single idea was fresh for all of us. There wasn't a single pre-conceived idea. It all depended on what kind of feeling Ritchie wanted the record to have. A record started today vs. one started a week later would turn out completely different. It just develops from whatever Ritchie starts playing with the band. We never brought in ideas that had been archived on tape. Everything is a completely fresh song. For example, on "Hunting Humans (Insatiable)," Ritchie played a riff on the guitar, and I put a melody over it while singing like Ozzy Osbourne — we finished that one from start to finish in 45 minutes.

I did think it sounded like Ozzy.

Yeah, we tried all kinds of things, but no matter what we do, it always comes back to being properly RAINBOW. As long as Ritchie is playing, even if he uses a wah-wah pedal, it doesn't turn into Robin Trower or Jimi Hendrix. It's the Ritchie Blackmore sound. Even if he plays slide guitar, it doesn't turn into Micky Moody. It's Ritchie through and through. I think the same applies to the vocals.

Your vocals on this album show that you possess various styles. I was amazed by that talent.

I'm glad to hear that, I just wanted to do a good job. Because we spent time writing and recording a song, and then spent time writing another song and recording it... it wasn't all done at the same time. That's why my voice kept changing constantly. Furthermore, I don't want to be boxed into a single category like a progressive blues singer, a heavy metal singer, or a ballad singer. I want to do it all. To handle multiple demos and session work, you have to be able to do that, and you have to prove your capabilities wherever you go. If I have to sing a country & western song, I have to hone my technique to be able to sing that too. But it should still sound like me singing. The tracks on this album are very broad in scope. "Hall of the Mountain King" is a song with classical and operatic parts, and it wasn't something that could be sung in a bluesy style.

It's strange that someone with your level of ability failed the IRON MAIDEN audition. You mentioned earlier that you were "too bluesy," but surely you could have sung like Bruce Dickinson...

Even if I had become a member of IRON MAIDEN, I don't think I would be as happy as I am now. Being here is fantastic, and I believe the reason the IRON MAIDEN gig didn't become mine was so that I could do this job instead. I was destined to get this job, make this record, and do this tour. My mother always used to tell me, "Be careful what you wish for, because it might just come true." I was disappointed when I failed the IRON MAIDEN audition, but because Steve and Janick passed my phone number around to various people, I received calls from some really unexpected characters. I won't mention any names, though. So when the call came from Ritchie, I thought it was a joke too. Janick told me, "Yesterday, I got a call from someone like this, and a job like this. When I told Janick, "I was asked to do a job," he went over to his house to make a phone call and came back saying things like, "Hello, this is Jimmy Page..." (laughs)

What kind of songs did you sing for the IRON MAIDEN audition?

I sang 18 songs. From "Be Quick Or Be Dead" all the way to "Run To The Hills"... "Wrathchild" too. It was a very tight setlist. It made me realize just how incredibly good Bruce Dickinson is.

When you sang for the first time with RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW, was it "All Night Long" or...?

It was "Mistreated" and things like that. When I walked in, they did a key test while Ritchie sat in a chair. Then... I sang "Rainbow Eyes." As soon as I started singing “She's been gone since yesterday...”, Ritchie started playing along. However, until we reached the chorus, he didn't realize what song it was. When he said, "I don't know this song," I replied, "You wrote it, so you ought to know it!" We also did Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" and The Beatles' "Yesterday." We jammed on "Mistreated," "Man On The Silver Mountain," "All Night Long," "Since You Been Gone," "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll," and then some blues — the kind of blues he used to play live. I sang along to that completely improvised. We also played some newly conceived riffs, though none of that ended up on this record.

Many people say that working with Ritchie is difficult, but what kind of person is he to you?

He is a perfectionist. There is no doubt about that. He is also a genius. He's a very likeable person, and I've never felt any issues. This is his band, and he is the boss. If you like what he says, you just do it; if you don't like what he says, you can simply say "No!" If he asks for my opinion, I'll give it. Even if he doesn't ask, I'll make suggestions, and if he says he doesn't want to hear it, I say nothing. I don't feel any problems at all. If he feels there's an issue with me, he will tell me straight up. We made that agreement one night at a bar. He talks to me directly, and I talk to him directly. As long as we maintain mutual respect — and as long as I don't let some nonsensical ego get in the way — we can probably make at least two or three more albums together. If I stop being polite, act disrespectfully, or behave unprofessionally, I'll be fired, and Ritchie will look for another singer. But he is a great guy and fun to be around. He tells highly entertaining stories and has a great sense of humor. We share a similar sense of humor.

Even if you're excited and 100% satisfied playing with Ritchie right now, don't you think that after a few years, you might start feeling frustrated by the fact that Ritchie is the boss and controls the direction of the band?

I've been a fan of his for a very long time, so whatever he wants to do with the band is completely fine by me. If he wants to make an acoustic album and asks me to co-write and sing it, I'll do it. If he wants to make a wicked, sinister album, I'll do that too. Because to me, this is the best band in the world. Even if everyone else leaves, I will still play with him. As long as we can get along, I’m in it with him.

Who decided the album title?

Ritchie did, of course. He decides everything.

What about the track titles?

The only title he actually changed was "Wolf To The Moon." The titles of the other tracks are just phrases taken from the lyrics. In the case of "Hunting Humans (Insatiable)"... the phrase "Hunting Human" doesn't actually appear in the lyrics, but the idea for the song came from the serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who murdered young boys. However, the track ultimately turned into something very sexy and sophisticated, completely detached from the original concept. Still, I think the title is excellent. You can view it psychologically, or you can interpret it as something sexy. Any interpretation works; it's very open-ended.

Are there any plans to shoot music videos?

I don't know. I think we should, but where would it even get airplay? MTV probably won't play it — only specialized rock shows might. Especially in Europe, the market is heavily dominated by bands like Pantera or extreme heavy music. I've visited America a few times since last December, and MTV is still playing the exact same videos as before: Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Counting Crows. They're all wonderful artists, but... what's the point of spending a massive amount of money to make a video if nobody is going to air our kind of music? Though personally, I would absolutely love to do it.

People think that while this music might sell well in Japan, Europe, and Scandinavia, it won't make it big in America...

Thanks for the concern, but I'm not really focusing on that right now. I'll worry about America next year. Right now, my only thought is to play in front of our loyal fans in the UK, Scandinavia, Europe, and Japan. Once that's wrapped up, I'll look into playing regions like South Korea, Hong Kong, and South America. I'm not looking too far beyond that, and I'm not stressing over having a hit in America. If the album does well and a single drops, we'll probably have to make a video. I'll leave those matters to the experts. All I care about is performing in front of audiences and delivering unforgettable shows. I feel we achieved that on the album, and we can do it live too.

In Japan, Joe Lynn Turner's solo album is being released in the exact same month as RAINBOW's. Do you feel any hesitation about being compared to him?

I haven't really thought about it. I think the two albums are completely different. Joe's album is supposed to be an R&B record, whereas this is heavy rock. Fans might compare the differences in performance between John O'Reilly and Greg Smith, but that's about the only similarity between the two records.

With John and Greg in this band, many fans automatically assumed that Joe Lynn Turner would eventually return to RAINBOW...

It doesn't bother me. I'm a fan of Joe Lynn Turner myself. Joe did an incredible job both in RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE, carving out a highly successful career. I wish him nothing but success. I've never met him, but I've heard he's a great guy. Right now, I am the singer of this band, and nobody can take this position away from me. So there are absolutely no hard feelings. If anyone loses me this job, it'll be myself. If I fail — if I don't deliver good work, step out of line, or show a terrible attitude — then I'll lose the gig. I don't think I'll lose my job just because Joe might want to come back, mostly because I don't think he even wants to return. If Ritchie wanted Joe Lynn Turner in the band, he would have brought him in. Ritchie asked me to join, so I'm staying in this band until he tells me otherwise. It's as simple as that. There are all kinds of rumors floating around about him going back to DEEP PURPLE or bringing back Graham Bonnet, but if he really intended to do that, he'd just go ahead and do it resolutely, and there's nothing I could do to stop it. I can't be losing sleep wondering who is going to replace me. I think I'm doing a good job, and I just hope the Japanese fans listen to this record and feel glad that I joined the band. I hope they aren't disappointed that Joe isn't singing, and instead tell Ritchie, "What a spectacular singer! Make sure you record the next album with him too!" I've already got my hands full just worrying about myself... (laughs)


© BURRN Magazine no 10 - October 1995