Joe Lynn Turner From Rainbow to Solo career Now he doesn't have to stand in the shadows any longer. Joe Lynn Turner, lead singer of Rainbow, has launched his solo career in a brilliant way. I don't think Rainbow will come back, he says to OKEJ April 1, 1984: Ritchie Blackmore had decided after a lot of pressure and hundreds of phone calls to give Deep Purple another chance. On the flight home from the Japan tour, Ritchie and I sat next to each other. We drank, talked and drank and finally decided to put Rainbow on ice. Joe Lynn Turner, 34. On the phone from New Jersey. He was Rainbow's singer for four years and appeared on three records. Now Rainbow is "temporarily over". I find it hard to believe that Rainbow will return, says Joe Lynn Turner. My solo career is going so well that I don't know if I want to continue with Ritchie. Persistent rumors say that Deep Purpie will once again split after the concert at the Rock in Rio festival next February. "They were only in it for the money this time".... Rainbow has a contract with Polydor for another album. The question is whether they will fulfill the contract or whether they will settle for releasing one more live LP. We are planning a live album, says Joe Lynn. It will be a record with both Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet and me. My part was recorded during the last Japan tour. Joe Lynn Turner claims that he is certainly not ungrateful to Ritchie, but that he has so much else to fight for right now. "It might be right to work on the solo career now," he says. Joe Lynn Turner didn't decide to make a solo record just because Rainbow was sidelined. No, already at the end of 1983 the plans were emerging. Now here we are with one of 1985's bed-wise best rock records "Rescue You" is simply a brilliant debut by Mr. Turner. Thank you for that, he says after receiving my compliment about the relatively good telephone line. I have really worked hard to prove that I am something on my own. It takes so much from an artist who has sung in a big established band when he or she goes solo. I want to show that I don't live on old merits. "Rescue You" really feels its own. I had a lot of pressure on me when I made the record, but now everyone says I succeeded.... Now Joe Lynn Turner was lucky enough to get a prickly producer, even if the giant Roy Thomas Baker did a fairly traditional job. Roy Thomas Baker has actually retired as a producer, but when he heard about my losses, he decided to make an exception. That really feels honourable. Joe Lynn Turner, the band And Roy Thomas Baker headed to Bearsville Studios in Woodstock where all the basics were recorded. The bedspreads were then made in a studio in Suffren, New York. Joe Lynn Tuner always worked very closely with Alan Greenwood, a keyboard player who was in the first edition of Foreigner. Otherwise, his band now consists of Chuck Burgi (drums, known from Rainbow and a number of other bands, including Balance and Brand X), Bob Messano (guitar, who also plays bass on "Rescue You") and Barry Dunaway (bass, with a past with Pat Travers). An iron gang, says Joe Lynn. I take them with me on both the USA and Europe tour. I hope to be able to come to Europe in winter. It would be fun to be there with the weather in Sweden. As it stands now, Joe Lynn Turner is leaving joining Aerosmith (Yeah, they're back!) in December, Pat Benatar in January and Journey (last tour, say that) in February. There are many indications that Joe Lynn Turner can soon go on tour as a "headliner". "Rescue You" and the single "Endlessly" are doing very well in the US, the radio stations are going crazy playing them. In addition, the record has received very good reviews. So far I have not planned for a new solo record. There are at least four-five singles to pick from "Rescue You". So the conversation slips into some interesting threads, for example: Was working with Ritchie Blackmore as bad as they say? There are many funny stories, says Joe Lynn. Sometimes it was very difficult and often I did not understand what was happening. Ritchie is a moody and eccentric person who demands a lot from those around him. Sometimes the situation between us was very tense. But I won't be unfair, we had a lot of fun too... I see Rainbow as a kind of schooling period for me. I learned a lot from Ritchie. I am grateful for that time. For Joe Lynn Turner, Rainbow now seems to be a closed chapter. He has other things to think about... Joe Lynn Turner was born and raised just a stone's throw from Bruce Springsteen in New Jersey, and they often met at a lot of clubs in their youth. I grew up with a lot of music, says Joe Lynn. But then Led Zeppelin, Free and those groups joined. My favorite singers are Paul Rodgers, Lou Gramm (yes, sure!), Steve Perry, Ronnie James Dio and Daryl Hall. The Beatles, says Joe Lynn and sighs. I think they did it all. Joe Lynn Turner's musical background includes a number of local bands. Then he made four records with Fandango and the best material was released by the label as a stickered compilation album "Featuring Joe Lynn Turner from Rainbow". Then it became Rainbow. And now a very promising solo career. Well, that's it, we'll hang up the phone now.... thanks, it was nice... © Stefan Johansson - Okej Magazine, Sweden 1985 Photo: © Michael Johansson