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Belly of the Beast

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Joe Lynn Turner’ s new album Belly of the Beast is coming out on October 28, 2022, via Mascot.

The promo pictures for the release feature JLT au naturel, finally owning up to how he is:

This chapter saw him make a crucial personal decision too. Diagnosed with alopecia at three-years-old, he began to wear a wig at 14-years-old, dealing with “emotional and psychological damage from cruel bullying in school.” So, he wore the hairpiece throughout his career until finally deciding to go without it. “In a way, it’s a blessing and a curse,” he admits. “I have nothing to prove, and I can wear a wig — or not. I am free to do what I want. I’m a grown man, and I’m getting to be an older man. Many men in this business eventually come to the decision to continue to ‘wear hair’ or shave their head which is very fashionable today. Either way, it takes a lot of personal courage. Assholes in high school trying to kick me around made me stronger and gave me the necessary motivation and strength to rise above the rest. Anger and pain are a great tool. If applied correctly, it could develop you to become the best version of yourself. Instead of running away, I was ‘hiding in plain sight.'”

joe lynn turner, promo photo for belly of the beast album

A lyric video for the title track has been posted to promote the album:

Thanks to Uwe Hornung and Blabbermouth for the info.



49 Comments to “Belly of the Beast”:

  1. 1
    Andy says:

    Wow, the picture was a little startling! You do you Joe! It’s actually a good look. JLT is one of my favorite singers and I wish that him and Ritchie were able to do more together. I recently discovered a DP bootleg from Philadephia with Joe when they were promoting the Slaves and Masters CD. They did a really good version of Truth Hurts. I never payed too much attention to the studio version, but the live version is fantastic. It’s a very overlooked gem. If you can find it, I highly recommend it. Would love an official release from that tour. I’m glad he’s well and still recording.

  2. 2
    Uwe Hornung says:

    It’s all good, Joe, you have a nice pate and would make a great Goth Metal frontman with that expressive look, no worries. Rob Halford is gay and we knew it for decades before he came out and you suffer from alopecia und we knew about the wigs as well.

    That promo pic with the coincidentally white snake (a bred white ball python to be exact) is also a lesson in subtle, uhum, venom. Remember when DP vocalist No 3 and No 4 had that little spat where No 4 accused No 3 of using voice pre-recordings on stage and the latter not only denied, praising the backing vox capabilities of his bandmates, but also low-ball-shot back in poor style: “What’s next, will I be accused of wearing a wig on stage?”

    Joe likes his revenge dish served cold for ultimate taste. Fits in nicely with Whitesnake’s aborted European tour – for loss of voice rather than hair.

  3. 3
    Rev. Harry Longfallis says:

    Bizarre! Couldn’t he have broken it in first with a grey wig, or a shorter one? It was enough of a shock when Gillan cut his hair short!

    My first DP show was supposed to be Irvine, CA during the Slaves & Masters tour, but they cancelled it. Eventually saw a video of another show on that tour, but still haven’t seen JLT (or RB) live.

  4. 4
    Gregster says:

    @ Andy… Wow isn’t the word lol ! I the album cover reminded me of the beast that was in 1991’s Alien-III…The tune itself is as heavy as it gets, & has all the pro’s & con’s of modern production, meaning that you can over-do-it, yet still hear things clearly…Pro-tools is great for that…

    Joe’s subject matter is pretty good too, & quite revealing, with lots of occult themes in there for good measure, though perhaps not entirely accurate per-se. That said, I’m glad to see the Bohemian Grove owl in there somewhere, as this is what our US-of-A elected officials seem to pay homage to, once a year around mid-summer…( No Bilderberg references which I thought interesting )…And kudos for spilling-the-beans on the COrona VIrus Disease 2019 vaccine. I pray that this was a placebo, time will tell.

    The music isn’t for me I’m afraid, but that’s not to say that it isn’t good, or doesn’t have good musicianship either. I have no doubt it will please many, so Kudos to JLT, I wish you every success !!!

  5. 5
    Matt says:

    Fair play to Joe at this point to address a personal situation.
    Sadly, I suppose image, style etc is a massive thing within the entertainment business and talent alone (especially when starting out) is not always enough to succeed.
    Anyway, on to the music, Joe has been and still is an incredible singer, wish him well and it’s a shame he didnt team up again with Ritchie back ib Rainbow.
    I see he’s coming to UK in Nov, so will try and get to see him.
    Andy, I agree re Truth Hurts, always loved that song, also Fortune Teller.
    Keep singing Joe!!

  6. 6
    Leslie S Hedger says:

    I agree! He looks good. Based on this song I am getting this CD. I also have the Philly show but I find it boring but it’s not JLT’s fault. He does a great job! I also wish there was an official live release from the S&M tour.

  7. 7
    Ivica says:

    He new looks phenomenal (71 years old),there will be no Samson effect in his voice :).

    Rough and ready rider
    In a supersonic sound machine
    Rock and Roll survivor …..

    Good luck JLT

  8. 8
    stoffer says:

    I like it, pretty decent song, not really into that heavy of rock anymore but a little hear and there is fine! As far as the look, hey it is what it is no judgement here, luckily I still have my hair although graying more daily LOL…good luck JLT

  9. 9
    joe says:

    he was good in Rainbow but not in DP

  10. 10
    Fernando Mattedi says:

    I don’t care about his look or his hair, Joe is a solid singer, and there are some dozen albuns out there to demonstrate that… Happy he is still putting out good songs, and IMHO, out of his comfort zone.
    @Andy #1… Just to agree with you, Truth Hurts live is a rocker! Sadly I think it is unlike they release something official from Mk5 Live (shame..) , but at least there are plenty of nice recordings around the web… I was lucky enough to watch them three times in 1991 in Sao Paulo, that line up was on fire on stage, Ritchie was enjoying and that pulled the others… And for those who never did, I suggest to give a listen to “Stroke of Midnight”, from JLT’s “Second Life Hand” album – that was how “One Man’s Meat” from The Battle Rages On would sound like if Joe stayed in Deep Purple … Long Live ROck and Roll (oooops, thats another line up song….)

  11. 11
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Perhaps I should write something about the music and not just on hair and scales?! ; – )

    I‘m with the Honorable Gregster on the music, not really my cup of tea (though not a million miles removed from modern day Judas Priest which I dig), but it‘s skillfully rendered, has balls and attitude. But I prefer Joe more in AOR/bluesy/soulful mode to this European style Melodic Metal (in whose creation Rainbow no doubt had more than a hand in). His voice certainly has authority on this charging track, no mean feat.

    And unlike with Ronnie Romero and his often phonetic vocalizing, you actually get the feeling Joe knows the meaning to the words he‘s singing.

  12. 12
    Coverdian says:

    I love his energetic voice, always have… but… this kind of speedy windmill metal has a bit synthetic taste for me. And the lack of better composing of songs… it seems that anyone has criticised post RJD Rainbow, but cats like Desperate Hearts, Spotlight Kid, Death Alley Driver, Miss Mistreated, Can´t Let You Go etc were excellent tracks which pass the test of time beautifully. No Ritchie no no good songs for exRainbow shouters, methinks, But anyway, all the best, Joe!

  13. 13
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Stoffer, that typo (?) is brilliant!

    “Not really into that heavy of rock anymore but a little hear and there is fine!”

    “A little hear” gets to be an issue with most heavy rock fans. Whenever I don’t hear our refrigerator alarm beeping and Edith (who claims it does, but I have yet to hear audio proof …) then questions my hearing I go: “Leave me be woman, I sacrificed my hearing on the altar of Deep Purple!”

  14. 14
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Call me the worst wuss wimp (www) on this forum, but two of my favorite JLT tracks are:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARuT6mHk4xk

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXQ7___4chE

    It’s the type of music only Yanks can do credibly and I say that in utter admiration before I’m accused of yank-o-phobia again … ; – )

    Come to think of it, there were quite a few parallels between Dio’s Elf and Turner’s Fandango – I believe it was down to a lot of the music being piano-composed and -driven. And of course they came from the same region in the US.

    His story how he ended up with Rainbow is kinda cute:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtduggquxDw

  15. 15
    sidroman says:

    Joe Lynn Turner trying to be Rob Halford!

  16. 16
    James Steven Gemmell says:

    I’m hoping rock makes a comeback. It’s been dead in America for about 30 years, with some exceptions (mainly due to the corporate greed of radio-stations owners and the corporate greed of the music industry). There is a halfway-decent underground scene, but it’s not like the 1970s when it seemed there was a band practicing in every garage. But with most of the under-50 population into hip-hip/rap, country and limp-wristed boys’ bands like Justin Bieber, it’s going to be an uphill climb.

  17. 17
    Adel Faragalla says:

    I admire his strong effort and determination but I wish he kept it a bit simple. Good Music should never make you confused.
    But I still like his attitude for giving it all
    Peace ✌️

  18. 18
    sidroman says:

    Actually he looks more like Anton Lavey than Halford lol.

  19. 19
    stoffer says:

    Uwe it was indeed a typo, but thanks for trying to bail me out LOL
    my hearing is also not too good these days…too much MIJ on big bulky Pioneer headphones back in the day!

  20. 20
    mike whiteley says:

    The new look: In this age that champions being your “authentic self”, Joe has certainly done so in startling fashion.

    The new song: A definite throwback to the “100 note a second” guitar & rampaging double bass drums of the late 80s. I got my fill of this stuff 30 years ago..JLT sings well.

  21. 21
    david black says:

    “Au Natural” well the hair maybe but not the make up! Haven’t seen so much eye liner since the last time Dusty Springfield was on the TV

  22. 22
    Uwe Hornung says:

    sidroman @18: He just wants Candice and her husband to invite him back to seances where they can all have a, uhum, Baal together!

    Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!

    Which gives us the chance to elegantly introduce …

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKPexx3fIN0

    John McCoy’s driving bass was always grand.

  23. 23
    evillouie says:

    It’s all good, but what’s with the white snake? A nod to David Coverdale?

  24. 24
    sidroman says:

    Uwe, I doubt Candice and Ritchie would invite the late Anton Lavey over. In past interviews, I’ve read Ritchie deny that he is a Satanist, even though he is interested in the paranormal.
    I know that Sabbath back in the 70’s had a problem with some really weird people into Satan and the occult coming to their shows, and going back to the hotels that they stayed at. I wonder if Purple or Rainbow ever experienced similar problems?

  25. 25
    MacGregor says:

    Uwe @ 22 – you have exceeded all expectations in regards to that clip. A classic indeed now I will have to watch that old movie. I have watched a few of those recently, Nosferatu, Phantom of The Opera & I am about to watch that 1911 classic, L’inferno, talk about the dark side. Those slaves kissing Beelzebub’s rear end, outrageous behaviour, the evil devil strikes again luring the ‘innocent’ to their demise, ha ha ha! The Golden Dawn & Aleister Crowley, oh dear no wonder Blacker’s used to wear that hat! Although he didn’t get chance to purchase Crowley’s mansion at Loch Ness. Jimmy Page beat him to it. Maybe Ian Gillan was the possessed one?
    I used to own that Gillan album but not the Japanese issue hence I haven’t ever heard that song. Thanks for that. Cheers.

  26. 26
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Herr MacGregor, that Japanese Gillan album with Steve Byrd rather than Bernie Tormé is well worth an acquisition – at that point of their career I believe Byrd was the superior (more experienced) player to Tormé in the studio, more controlled , but nicely energetic (they played a pleasantly hefty SOTW version, see below at 12:28, he also plays a blistering solo during it). He brought a new wave vibe to the line up too (visually, he was a bit like a blond Wilko Johnson —> Dr Feelgood), look and listen here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkn420TcAH4

    Evillouie: Read my post at #2 for the answer to your question. I think the pale reptile is a scaly swipe at DC and his ill-advised lashing out about Joe’s condition a few years ago. David’s comment wasn’t exactly magnanimous then and showed little of the grand ‘live & let live’ stance he otherwise likes to exude.

  27. 27
    Uwe Hornung says:

    I didn’t know so many of you here were closet satanists – it’s all beginning to make sense to me …

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3p8kIyqLI

    Me? I’m with Laura Nyro, I swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell! Here at 02:00 …

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgHnqTmKhoc

    Yeah, I love ‘horn rock’ too, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago and PAL.

  28. 28
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Flash thought: Perhaps Joe should have called his new album ‘Belle of the Beast’?

  29. 29
    Thorsun says:

    @2 Uwe, what a HEADSHOT at DC :))) “David’s comment wasn’t exactly magnanimous then and showed little of the grand ‘live & let live’ stance he otherwise likes to exude.” Seems exactly so, Sir!

    A little off-topic Uwe – can I find you on social media anyhow, or be granted your e-mail, please? I throughoutly endorse your comments – the level of insight, adequacy, knowledge and manners in putting things out to the board! I AM A SHAMELESS FANBOY, I admit that – openly! Hats off. :)))

    Reg. Joe, well, at least now that I know of his condition, at least I unerstand all thw “wigging through the years”. I was a little shocked upon seeing the image, thinking initially that he still tries to move away from masculinity, but at the end of the day… It looks pretty hypnotic for 71 year old.

    I might not be his biggest fan and either he isn’t my favourite singer, but his career has some amazing spots. I think “Bent Out Of Shape” is my favourite Rainbow LP cut with him, the tour was a blast (I only can’t dig the speed up of the tempo of the songs to the trash-metal trajectory – “Death Alley Driver” was in 1983 twice as fast to the original “Highway Star” (sic!) BPM rate. “Slaves And Masters” – the record is what it is – but the tour had its real blasts in the set – and it got Ritchie off the “I-must-compete-with-puddle-rock-shredders” tangent. He got equisiste, tasty, melodic and off to his cloud very often. “Truth Hurts” – t’is! became a masterpiece of light and shade on stage – often extended with “Fortuneteller” bit – another excellent slow crawler. And the “Cut Runs Deep” – with Jon Lord’s reigning in, always loved it.

    I think my hi-points of Joe’s recording output are the debut and third of Mother’s Army (self titled and “Fire On The Moon”). Lots of amazing tunes, greatly played by Bob Daisley and co, sung with fling and passion, raw and burning – even proggy at times. Amazing stuff. And I love “On The Ledge” from HTP. A true masterpiece by Glenn and Joe, much in debt to JJ Marsh’s guitar and compositional prowess. Amazing tune, should be a Deep Purple track, honestly.

    Uwe! Please let me know. 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Peace and frigging rock and roll to ye all – at the conclusion of the summer! :)))

  30. 30
    MacGregor says:

    Uwe @ 26 – thanks for that clip, wow they are hyper at that gig, very commercial sounding also. Big John McCoy moving like that looked very different to what I remember of him, maybe they toned it down a little for the Torme & Underwood Gillan band lineup. Yes the guitarist is good & ‘new wave’ is a good description of him indeed. Seeing Steve Byrd here reminded me of when I first witnessed Tull’s ‘A’ concert lineup on VHS with one Eddie ‘New Wave’ Jobson. Or as one commentator at youtube said, Devo. I do think the Torme lineup of the Gillan band rocked the best in many ways. Cheers.

  31. 31
    MacGregor says:

    Talking of JLT, I have listened to Rainbow’s Straight Between The Eyes album these past few days & was pleasantly reminded of a forgotten gem, Eyes of Fire. Wonderful to hear after so many years with that Eastern feel to the song & the lyrics are good also & Blackmore’s playing is superb. I just wish the drums had more oomph to them, they almost sound like a drum machine. No disrespect to Bob Rondinelli who I like as a drummer. Just the way they were recorded perhaps. That album is bookended with two classics in Death Alley Driver & Eyes of Fire. It is what lies in between that leaves me Stone Cold. Cheers.

  32. 32
    MacGregor says:

    Uwe @ 27 – yes there certainly could be a few ‘dark side’ aficionados here, you just never can tell! Talk about never can tell, I only watched that Rosemary’s Baby movie a few months ago. I also did watch that Danish ‘Haxan’ 1922 movie that the Gillan song had used an excerpt from as a video clip. More an old school documentary movie along the lines of the witchcraft & witch trials etc & the Spanish inquisition era & that of course was horrific. It was hard to keep watching at times, however being such an old film it did have it’s moments & put that Gillan song into some perspective, at least in regards to what it was about, sort of.
    Blood Sweat & Tears, they had some good songs indeed, I remember that one well from when it was a hit. Keep those clips coming in, even if from the ‘dark side’ we can handle it. Cheers.

  33. 33
    MacGregor says:

    Here is one for you all, Gillan band live ‘Laughing in Heaven’ clip on a sitcom. Cheers.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IimJVGDAEM0

  34. 34
    Eitablepanties says:

    Joe still sexy as hell, hair or no hair.🤭

  35. 35
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Thorsun, my email is no secret, just google Clifford Chance and Uwe Hornung and you have me:

    uwe.hornung@cliffordchance.com

    I’m not on social media – facebook, twitter, instagram and all that is for youngsters! ; – )

    But together with a couple of other bass nerds, you’ll also find me here at ‘The Last Bass Outpost’:

    http://www.bassoutpost.com/

    I’m the ‘uwe’ there and one of the administrators.

    Re the headshot at DC: I like David and he can be charming, he had a great voice (and possibly could have it again if he found the right register for it); but that snipe against a medical condition of Joe was uncalled for – I already disliked it strongly at the time. I shoot off caustic remarks all the time myself and sometimes I have to regret them and/or apologize for them, but that would have been beneath me. Hopefully, David has apologized for it to Joe in private, but that white ball python in the pic seems to indicate otherwise.

  36. 36
    Thorsun says:

    Hi Uwe! Thanks a lot for replying my call. Ich habe mich auf deine e-mail gemeldet. 🙂 (Hell, I’ve been learning Detusch in the past, I’ve no idea if it still works.) 😀

  37. 37
    James Steven Gemmell says:

    @31 ‘Straight Between the Eyes’ was their most hard-rocking album, from my perspective. I saw the tour in ’82 at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Iron Maiden was the first band up, and they brought Eddie the Cyclops up on stage. Bruce Dickinson was on vocals. Fine show. Then, .38 Special came on and did great. 38 was on tour this summer in the U.S. And Rainbow was the third act of the night and did not disappoint. I liked Dio and Bonnet the best amongst the Rainbow crooners, but all were good. I saw an unofficial Blackmore Facebook page the question of whether fans would be interested in seeing Ritchie playing one or two shows with Purple before they call it a day. I thought that horse was long since dead, but the rumor mill is in overdrive.

  38. 38
    MacGregor says:

    That ‘No Laughing In Heaven’ song performed live took me right back to the gig I went to in 1981. October ’81 to be precise. Great lyrics & a real stomper of a song. Gillan went off that night & I will never forget going outside after the support act to indulge etc & a mini bus pulled up next to us. The band fall out & Gillan looked mightily high indeed being lead inside. A classic night it was going to be after witnessing that & it was all that & more. Gillan hit the nail on the head with those lyrics to that song, well I presume he wrote them. Great bass sound from McCoy also. Colin Towns a superb musician he is. The whole band were great! From that to Sabbath to Purple, how did Gillan survive all that. What did a journalist call him in an article I remember reading decades ago, ‘old leather lungs”, something along those lines. Cheers.

  39. 39
    MacGregor says:

    @ 37 – lucky you witnessing that Rainbow gig. I purchased my first rock concert video here in Oz in 1983 & it was Rainbow’s Between The Eyes concert VHS. We were just moving from Beta to VHS here at that time & I didn’t even own a video machine, as most didn’t. Hiring one out was a good thing & that Rainbow tape was worn out big time. I find Difficult to Cure the strongest album regarding songs & also heavier in the rock department. Those 2 instrumentals are also great. Rainbow went even more AOR for the next album & more again for Bent Out Of Shape. Still those ballads are very good songs that JLT really excels at vocally, however my preference is more for the typical Blackmore inspired classic rock, eastern or medieval style epics & the instrumentals of course. All much better than Slaves & Masters though for any JLT vocal inspired songs. That album just doesn’t work for me, it isn’t a bad album, just mediocre & not enough harder rock songs for me. Regarding the Blackmore guesting with DP nostalgia from many fans, yes that still goes on as it does with Floyd fans & Zeppelin also. Some people are still clutching at straws with those sort of fantasies. Cheers.

  40. 40
    MacGregor says:

    Ok I will admit it, I am one of those aficionados that harbours a short cameo from Blackmore with DP. Not a full concert necessarily, just 3-4 songs & Beethoven’s Ninth with Steve Morse playing along as well. I still hope that one day that could happen & it may even bring a tear or two to my eyes. Just don’t let Uwe see that comment, I have to keep that hard colonial take no prisoners reputation in tact. Cheers.

  41. 41
    Uwe Hornung says:

    “Just don’t let Uwe see that comment …”.

    And yet I have, back to the chain gang, MacGregor, sofort! : – )

    I don’t think Ritchie needs my blessing, but would I welcome him playing a gig or just a few songs with Purple? Damn well I would!

    Just make sure you don’t play them too fast so he can still keep up! (insert nasty little devil emoticon here)

    Not giving Ritchie his due as regards his lasting influence in and on DP is really omelettes aginst eggism. I’m totally aware of that even if I think that he largely squandered his talent with Rainbow. But I understand that a lot of people here listened to Rainbow first as their first contact with Ritchie and then went backwards and that’s alright. I started with DP though (even if latish, it was already 1975) and immediately noticed something lacking on that Rainbow debut, good and great as some of the riffs and Dio’s performance were, but Ritchie’s influence was too overbearing (though the Elf guys played well on that album, especially the groovy rhythm section). It’s not good for him if he has everything his way.

    But in an alternative universe … imagine if the song ideas from the Rainbow debut had received a Mark III treatment and formed a double album together with Stormbringer? That would have been DP’s Physical Graffiti, a sprawling, yet impressive opus documenting the band’s versatility.

    There I said it. That Led Zep released something impressive once. Don’t quote me.

  42. 42
    MacGregor says:

    @ 41 – I have already picked the songs that would be played Uwe. Towards the end of the concert Blackmore emerges from the dark shadows of the abyss & starts the Black Night riff they run through that song without the crowd participating in any way & then the obligatory Smoke get it’s due recognition & the main concert finishes with Perfect Strangers. The encore ensures Steve Morse appearing also & they rattle through Lazy with all it’s duelling guitar & keyboard razzle dazzle, then they crank into Beethoven’s Ninth with Blackmore of course playing the slide guitar pieces & then they finish with what started it all, Hush. A good selection of favourites & also what defined Purple in many ways & as you pointed out, not too fast any of those songs. Not bad eh, for a convict who had to chisel all that into stone somewhere in the outback of Gondwanaland. Regarding the Rainbow debut, as you are aware it was a solo album of sorts, hence the title, so of course Blackers is all over that album. Regarding that ‘Stormbringer” Magnum Opus you mentioned. There is no way Coverdale or Hughes should be involved in anymore than they already had been with DP. They squandered their opportunity in many ways & I couldn’t think of anything worse. That Rainbow had to appear on the horizon to put an end to the Purple machine. Well it did almost & fate took control of what was left. Nice to see the Led Zeppelin nod & I will quote you on that one sometime in the future, it is written in stone don’t forget. Cheers.

  43. 43
    James Steven Gemmell says:

    @39 I have those albums – I might have to give them a listen again. Phil Aston of Now Spinning – with his massive box-set collection reviews – always motivates me to listen to the old LPs, too. In fairness to JLT, it had to be hard to step in and replace a legend on the ‘Slaves’ album. They shouldn’t have called it a DP album, but record companies always are thinking about sales. It was like Gillan with Sabbath. ‘Born Again’ was great, but there are always those who want to hear the “original” singer.

  44. 44
    MacGregor says:

    @ 43 – thanks for the Phil Aston link, I haven’t ever noticed his site & comments before & I do a fair bit of youtubing at times. Not as much as Uwe does of course, he he he! Aston was at the top of the page & I clicked on July 2022 & Rainbow Rising & DP In Rock, how is that for a coincidence. Bravo, thanks again. Cheers.

  45. 45
    Uwe Hornung says:

    “Not bad eh, for a convict who had to chisel all that into stone somewhere in the outback of Gondwanaland.“

    LOL, Convict MacGregor, I won‘t hold your choices against you and see to it that you get a less stressful position in the camp kitchen!

    Lazy as a duel between Ritchie and Steve is indeed a good idea.

    Re Coverdale/Hughes vs Dio, I can’t help it but I always found their musical input a bit more ‘adult’ than what Dio provided for Rainbow – that over-earnest sword & sorcery stuff struck me as adolescent even back when I was still one myself. I like the RnB lyrics to Hold On and I wince at the ones of 16th Century Greensleeves. My juvenile desires found it easier to relate to “Your sweeter than the morning when the sun is shining down on me …” to “It‘s only been an hour since he locked her in the tower …”. I‘m a man of simple pleasures. And the Coverdale/Hughes delivery and phrasing was just more rhythmic and swinging too.

  46. 46
    MacGregor says:

    @ 45 – Literature & it’s many forms eh? A little like music & it’s many variations. Regarding the Stormbringer album I like the title song, Holy Man, Gypsy & Soldier of Fortune as my favourites, good lyrics on all those & to my liking of course.
    Lady Double Dealer is a good ole rocker also. However lyrically High Ball Shooter anyone? Each to their own & Ole Cov’s isn’t known for his ‘waxing lyrical’ so much. Although Glenn Hughes possibly wrote certain lyrics also. Now where is that Gypsy & her crystal ball? There is a Rainbow influence unknown to Coverdale at the time. Soldier Of Fortune & also the Stormbringer song & I remember Jon Lord being dismissive of those lyrics. Each to their own again. Thanks for the less stressful position in the ‘camp’ kitchen. I hope that wasn’t a double entendre, he he he? Oh for the want of my quill & parchment? Cheers.

  47. 47
    Uwe Hornung says:

    “Thanks for the less stressful position in the ‘camp’ kitchen. I hope that wasn’t a double entendre, he he he?”

    For once, my remark was innocent and made with only best intentions!!!

    Hughes’ lyrics otoh are often esoteric and don’t really grab me, but they’re never cringy.

    Re High Ball Shooter, those lyrics were pleasantly dumb, but at least had a, uhum, bullish young man’s attitude, I liked this part especially:

    Now I wanna play piano
    But my fingers don’t agree
    They’re busy on you woman
    And I feel your fingers workin’ on me …

    Evocative. Coverdale, that great English poet.

  48. 48
    MacGregor says:

    @ 47 -I knew what you meant, just me being silly with words & as we were talking about words & lyrics etc. Yes a young Coverdale at least he was genuine back then, learning the ropes after being thrown in at the Deep end. He did well for someone so naive & new to the game. Cheers.

  49. 49
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Joe gets support from his predecessor (also never a long hair man):

    https://blabbermouth.net/news/graham-bonnet-praises-joe-lynn-turners-bravery-for-finally-ditching-his-wig-you-have-blazed-a-trail-today

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