New interview with Joe Lynn Turner on Classic Rock Revisited. Quite interesting even if you don’t agree with everything he has to say. He talks about his latest album Second Hand Life, his days in Deep Purple and the prospects of a Rainbow reunion and other things.

Here are some tidbits:

Jeb: Do you think Blackmore will ever quite doing Blackmore’s Night?

Joe: That is the question of the universe. […] I think it is possible that a reunion could happen – that is a political answer but he always gets tired of things and he always is looking for new blood so there is always the chance of something happening.

Jeb: If Rainbow were to get back together who should be the singer? Ronnie James Dio or you?

Joe: I know it won’t be Dio because I talk to Ronnie and he is doing quite well on his own. […] It should be me. I will tell you why, Dio had the heavier sort of dungeons and dragons stuff – don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff and I am even singing some of his stuff like “Last in Line” and “Rainbow in the Dark” in Big Noize. I am a huge fan of Ronnie James Dio but we [Rainbow with Joe Lynn Turner] did have the sales. We also had the worldwide notoriety and the commercial success. They had a poll one time about who should be the singer and overwhelmingly it was me — and I need the work [laughter].

Jeb: You were not a young kid when you joined Rainbow. You were 27 or 28.

Joe: I was immature. I was an American and I was used to seeing guys on stage trying to entertain an audience. I was over zealous and I was over doing everything. Ritchie and Roger helped to grow me up. Ritchie would say, “Just wrap your fucking legs around the mic stand and sing with all that soul power that you have. Quit prancing around the stage like some sort of poofta.” It made sense and I finally got it. Now, I kind of combine a little of both because I am an American and not a stoic, pretentious Englishman.

Read the whole thing here.

Have you been to a concert? Want to share your experiences with other fans? Write a review right here.

Whitesnake.com reveals cover art for the new Whitesnake album Good To Be Bad:

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

DeepPurple.org has an exclusive interview with Don Airey. He talks about his new album A Light in the Sky, Stanley Kubrick, Aurora Borealis, ways to cope with musicians’ stress, and jamming in 7/4.

Read the interview here.

Thanks to Mike Garrett and Gordon Dale for the info.

Since our favourite rumour mistress is on extended vacations on a private exotic island, I’ll have to do the honours of spreading the gossip myself.

As we’ve mentioned previously, Deep Purple plays an important role in the bizarre world of Russian politics. This little birdie told me today that the band is about to play a private gig at a Moscow Kremlin party:

Legendary rock band Deep Purple will play at Russian presidential candidate Dmitri Medvedev’s farewell party as he steps down from his job as chairman of Gazprom. President Putin will also attend the party in Kremlin.

Another little birdie says the party is to celebrate 15th anniversary of Gazprom and Deep Purple and Joe Lynn Turner are being mentioned among the invited, along with Tina Turner and some Russian acts. The concert will be held at the Kremlin State Palace and is supposed to be recorded on video and broadcasted at a later date. Management of the band refused comments to the press, perhaps quite understandably.

Dmitri Medvedev is the Russian presidential candidate endorsed by Vladimir Putin and is widely expected to win the March 2nd elections. He is an outspoken fan of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, prefers “vinyl sound” to that of CDs’ and publicly takes pride in his vinyl collection. Joe Lynn Turner’s private gig in Moscow on June 12 last year (Russian Independence Day) was organised apparently on his behest.

Well, a job is a job is a job, but I think that they should be threading carefully the thin ice of Russian (or any other) politics. Why? Because.

Money goes to money
Yes it always returns
Finds its way back to the big house
Where it lives all alone
Wraithlike silent partners
Operators of the system
Give words of quiet assurance
To an otherwise healthy victim…

Thanks to all the little and not so little birdies for the info.

UPDATE (Feb 10): It looks like JLT’s participation was a result of somebody’s too vivid imagination, perhaps even mine. The concert appears to go ahead with Deep Purple, Tina Turner and local support acts. Reportedly, Deep Purple will play 40 minutes to close the concert at the main venue and then play another set for a very small audience. The main event will be recorded and broadcasted on ORT on February 15 at 21:25 MSK. ORT is also available in many countries for cable and satellite subscribers, check your local listings. It doesn’t appear you can watch ORT online, but I’m sure it will quickly show up on Youtube.

Thanks to many people on the Russian forum for the info.

Deep Purple are a hard touring band. They stay on the road sometimes for months non-stop. Sometimes they manage to play concerts across 7 timezones in that many days. As Roger Glover once said: “I will play for free, but I want to be paid for being on the road.”

Next week the band embarks on the tour of Latin America. In 23 days they will give 12 concerts in 7 countries on 2 continents. So, how are they trying to stay sane with such schedule? LivingInPeru.com reports on the band’s rider for the concert in Lima, Peru:

“The group has planned to eat typical dishes and it is a fact that we will treat them to our national drink. They know about them and that is why they have requested our drinks in the bars in their dressing rooms,” said Peter Herrera, the event organizer.

Event organizers explained that Deep Purple’s tour manager and director had sent a list of the band’s requests, in which the band’s diet as well as their special requests were listed.

“They have requested that their leisure time be respected and warned that they tend to be loud, stating they will not let anyone control the noise they make anywhere,” explained event organizers.

Deep Purple will have five luxury vans, with Evian water, at their disposal while in Lima. The band also requested two dressing rooms with living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, offices and telephone as well as internet connections.

Plenty of fruit and a bar with typical Peruvians drinks such as Pisco Sour, are also on their list of demands.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net and LivingInPeru.com for the info.

The New Jaguar XF TV commercial in the UK has the ’68 version of Hush as its sound track:
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In a message posted on Myspace Glenn Hughes reveals title of his new album:

Hi Everyone,

I am very happy to announce the world release of my new Album:

“First Underground Nuclear Kitchen”……

It will be available the first week of May.

I am extremely proud of these songs. When I record songs, I never normally play them over and over, but this album is very addictive….I can’t stop playin’ it…..

It is a roots album, it is a true account of my musical heritage…it is an album, that is also fearless. Multi-dimensional…and remember, I never make the same album twice, I’m not one to bask in the past….it is an in the moment record….it’s very emotional.

I worked some long hours in my home studio…I believe that the hard work has been worth waitin’ 4……this is 4 all my fans, and beyond….this is a deep Musical Statement…..

I’ll leave you all a FUNK voice message shortly!

God Bless you all….

Glenn

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

Eric Wiltshire‘s interview with Ian Gillan that was conducted earlier during the Rapture of the Deep tour was posted on Youtube. Eric works for Radio Tatras International, which broadcasts out of Slovakia.

Listen to the interview and watch the slideshow:
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Jon Lord signed a copy of his Durham Concerto CD, and then donated it to the Linda McCartney Cancer Centre so they could auction it off. If you are interested in bidding, then head to eBay UK.

Thanks to Lesley Worrall for the info.