Spanish metal website www.rafabasa.com spoke with legendary singer JOE LYNN TURNER

about the project OVER THE RAINBOW, featuring former RAINBOW musicians Tony Carey (keyboards), Bobby Rondinelli (drums), Greg Smith (guitar) and Jürgen Blackmore, the son of the legendary Ritchie Blackmore (ex-DEEP PURPLE).

Rafabasa.com: Of course, everyone knows about your past, FANDANGO, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN etc., but it's clear that RAINBOW has touched you more than anyone else, even more than your own solo career. What does Rainbow mean for you?

Turner: "I love it because Rainbow is so special to me in the way that it brought me into the world stage. I was with Fandango and we had problems, the band broke up and the dream became a nightmare. In those moments I was like 'what I'm gonna do?', you know, and Rainbow came at the right time. I did a good job, Ritchie wanted to be more commercial, and I accomplish this and have many, many great songs because of it. Of course some people didn't like it, fine, but more people do like it so I feel very proud of it. Also, Rainbow was for me the opportunity of be on the world stages, making international noise. So for me Rainbow will be always a special place because it was the first jump that I've done it in my career. And it's gonna be always special for me."

Rafabasa.com: For a long time you had the intentions to rejoin Rainbow again. Some of them probably were real possibilities, and other just ideas of would doing it. As you can say, or as you can know, how many times have been real possibilities or very close occasions to have the real reunion in those years?

Turner: "To be very honest for you, there were rumors about Rainbow every six months for the last 15 years, but in my opinion there were just one moment when Ritchie may have done it. After that I knew that he was never going to do it again, I mean, I just feel it. And the years goes on, and there is the BLACKMORE'S NIGHT thing continues with album, play the album, make the album and so on. I know that there is no way for him to make it again, it's finished for Ritchie. It's a shame because he's one of the greats but I know that there is no way for this. This really leads me to this answer and I couldn't have another thought, and it's the reason to put on the things with Over The Rainbow, but with a Blackmore on guitar to be authentic, to be true. So, when I talked with Jürgen Blackmore was when the idea became real, because it is genuine, it's his blood on the project, do you know what I mean? It's a bloodline that comes from father to son.

So he was the important guy in this, and when Jürgen told me 'ok', I spoke to the other people, and they must be ex members of Rainbow. If it weren't like this, the people, the critics, media... could say 'it's stupid, a joke', but now you can't because it's for real. Tony Carey, Greg Smith, Bobby Rondinelli... everybody is in connection with the band and, they are a perfect representation of each time of Rainbow, of their time inside. All those things makes this project so real. Anyway, we know that we're not Rainbow but Over The Rainbow, but this is the only place on this planet where you can hear this songs in setting for one time... and maybe one time only, I don't know. How long can we live?, I don't know because if people don't want it, we won't live. But if they want it, we can play more and more and make a record, original music... But right now we just want to play the songs, to make a great representation. Anyway, I'm not going to sound like Dio, there is no way for that, but I will gave my best interpretation, and I'll do a good job because I'm a good singer. Also, I did those songs before with Ritchie, I have made 'Long Live Rock n' Roll', 'Kill The King', 'Man On The Silver Mountain', 'Lost In Hollywood'... So, to me this is an exercise not in reproducing but make a reinterpretation of Rainbow, and it will be very interesting. When you'll see Jürgen playing the songs, of course there will not the same as Ritchie, but he's his son, so he's going to do his best interpretation. In my opinion this is the point for what the Over The Rainbow thing is so interesting, because we take the original songs and we make our personal tribute to the band, to Ritchie and to ourselves. I think it's a very good idea, is a great combination and, again, the only way it can happens is of you have Jürgen Blackmore in guitar because Ritchie will not do it."

Rafabasa.com: So I suppose that the final reason to can make possible Over The Rainbow is the fact that Ritchie doesn't want to look back with Rainbow, and it's exactly the same with Purple. By the way, probably this one is the most real side of Rainbow that now is possible to see...

Turner: "Right! I think his is going to be the most real version, and probably one of the best versions of the story of Rainbow. Let's face it, let me tell the real story. This project is very real and if you don't see it, probably you couldn't see it again, and it's the reason because we would like to come all over the world, for the people to see it at least one time and stop the rumors because Ritchie gave it his blessings. He knows about it, very much, and he has discussed it with Jürgen and he knows that it's a good situation for his son. He wants to feel proud as a father, it's a very natural feeling, and he trust in Bobby and me in the project, because we're like big brothers to Jürgen. We know him since he was 15, and we're going to protect him, to take care of him like a young brother, so Ritchie feels very comfortable with it because he knows that his son is in good hands, and this is a important point for Over The Rainbow."

To read the entire interview head to this location.