![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan3.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/morse2.jpg)
Little funny ones
Metak Shrine has a rather interesting interview with Joe Lynn Turner:
Looking back on your career, do you feel there´s one album or a specific song where you feel you really nailed it?
JLT: According to most people… for a singer or songwriter to say “This is the one.”… it´s like my children. They´re all my children and even the little funny ones, the ones that didn´t come out right, but there is one that always comes to mind. Ricky Medlocke from Lynyrd Skynyrd said “There´s no greater song or vocal performance in rock and roll than “Street of dreams” and I think Richie (Blackmore) agreed and quite a few other people. I don´t why? Everybody says the music is just right and the lyrics are just metaphysically romantic. It´s just a moment in time that was captured and it doesn´t sound like anyone else, ever or ever will. I don´t know. For me, I can´t say, but I can say that other people think it´s “Street of dreams”. I have many stories on different songs. “Jealous lover” was a great moment when Richie just threw this riff at me and said “You´ve got 10 minutes to write the song!”. I had a fight with my girlfriend, who then became my first wife and I just banged it right out. The first verse was about her and my situation and then the second verse was about her and the third verse was about the audience being jealous lovers, because they all are you know! (laughs) Love me or hate me, love me or hate me. (laughs) There are so many cornerstones.
Read more in Metal Shrine
Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
No comment.
May 4th, 2013 at 16:58Go home Ricky Medlocke, you’re drunk.
May 4th, 2013 at 17:05Hmm, greatest vocal performance in rock ‘n’roll? Street of Dreams, Child in Time…. Difficult one.
May 4th, 2013 at 17:34For me, personally, Miss Mistreated and then Jealous Lover, best instrumental ever, for me Snowman!!! no doubt about that. Purple or well Ritchie should play it, some of his best playing ever.
May 4th, 2013 at 18:19I enjoyed that song, but let’s not get crazy now Mr. Turner!
May 4th, 2013 at 20:58With Rainbow definitely Spotlight Kid, Freedom Fighter (Difficult to Cure), Death Alley Driver, Miss Mistreated, Eyes of Fire (Straight Between the Eyes) Stranded, Fire Dance (Bent Out of Shape) and with Deep Purple King of Dreams, The Cut Runs Deep, Love Hurts, Wicked Ways (Slaves and Masters). Greetings from Mexico!!!!
May 5th, 2013 at 01:39Finally, the boy speaks and doesn’t put his ass in his mouth. This is the FIRST INTERVIEW I have read or heard by JLT that was almost closely somewhat decent and enjoyable coming from the ‘DIVA’ as he put it. Except for the ‘shaking his ass’ part. Ohhhhhh, my eyes burn……
Hey, I have to admit, he is a busy boy. Hope to see it pan out. One thing though. WHAT THE F..K HAPPENED TO OTR? Recording all this other BS yet somehow the OTR thing went belly up. Did big Daddy Blackmore or his BOSS put the kibosh on it????? I smell a rat in a Top Hat.
Ch-BeerZ?!
May 5th, 2013 at 05:08… for me … JLT hasn´t had any problems with his ego but at this moment I think, he is getting himself into megalomania …
This song has to be rightly called: “JLT of Dreams” (“…never wake up!!”)
He has no knowledge, that he is only one of a kind … and not a stand alone.
-kraatzy-
May 5th, 2013 at 08:51Every family has its little comedian.
May 5th, 2013 at 11:24JLT is the Voice of Rock. Just ask him!
May 5th, 2013 at 13:05He was the vocalist in RB’s Band. That’s good enough for me. In addition, the best DP reunion album was with JLT at the mike. Time will tell if the newbie album lives up to the moment.
May 5th, 2013 at 13:19This is not as bad interview as some other stupid stuff I have read from this guy.Glenn -he says is pissed off with Joe Bonamassa.Well ,next time,ME ,MYSELF AND GLENN should keep his mouth shut and tweet less !
May 5th, 2013 at 14:21What is wrong all of you?
JLT is a great singer. If you cant hear that – GET SOME LOUDSPEAKERS ang start all over Again.
Today he is together with Glenn the only DP singers WHO can nail it as in the old days. Gillan and Coverdale cant anymore.
Gillan in the old days was from an other planet – but JLT is still a World class singer.
So ALL over again sisters in here.
May 5th, 2013 at 14:31Turner couldn’t hold Ian Gillan’s or Ronnie James Dio’s microphone stand. It’s time this clown realized that. He put down “The Battle Rages On” (Deep Purple, 1993) album with Gillan, calling it “The Cattle Grazes On”. That album is one-million times better than the album Purple put out before that with Turner on it (“Slaves and Masters”). Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord & Co. did all they could to try to save it, but it was just bad that the record company rightly demanded that Turner be booted, and replaced with Gillan. For Turner to even try to compare himself to Gillan is a joke or a disgrace, take your pick.
May 5th, 2013 at 15:56There is no question that this guy is one of the greatest rock singers of our time. His throaty, hoarse-like timbre is not too far off from Paul Rodgers’–which is why Blackmore took him despite some of his quirks. “Jealous Lover” is an example of that. Turner was exactly what Blackmore was looking for at the time.
Second, for me, two songs come to mind. The first is “Stone Cold”. I absolutely *hated* that song when I first heard it. What’s with the ballad? Where are the jams? But in time, I matured with it and came to appreciate not only the combination of everything–keyboard, bass, drums, and one of Blackmore finest solos ever–but the vocals are just tight–and the lyrics phenomenal. “You put me in the deep freeze!” Good stuff.
The second song is “Stroke of Midnight,” which was the original version of “One Man’s Meat”–as horrid a Deep Purple track as there ever was–but it shows what The Battle Rages On could have been. The album Second Hand Life is as close to Rainbow as Turner would come.
Third, the omission of Turner from the Behind of Music episode on Deep Purple cannot be excused. I can only suspect that it was deliberate from an outside source. Fair assessment of Slaves & Masters–meaning an examination of the music and not what one might feel about the singer personally–shows that this album remains the best of the post-classic albums up to Purpendicular. Even Blackmore calls it the best Purple album and it would be hard to contradict him as he would know.
Finally, I concede that none could reach Gillan’s level in his prime. But Turner has held up quite well over the years and remains a songwriter in his own right.
The guy does have an ego. Much of what he says about being taken care of 24/7 and having screaming fans in your face must have an effect on even the most stoic. But the ego does demonstrate the mantra “It’s difficult to be modest when you’re the best”–something I know quite a lot about. 😉 😀
May 5th, 2013 at 16:20JLT is so extreme and super heavy!
May 5th, 2013 at 19:47@#15: Oh yes, the omission of JLT from the Deep Purple edition of Behind the Music was an inexcusable travesty. After all, he played a crucial role in the storied history of the band, as even he would tell us if gently prompted. It’s hard to stomach the thought of scintillating footage of JLT being ground into the cutting room floor by careless editors. And, as all but the most uninformed Purple fans know, Slaves and Masters blows In Rock and Machine Head completely out of the waters of Lake Geneva. We can only hope that when Deep Purple is rightly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that JLT will be standing front and center to accept the award and make a brief speech on behalf all of the less vital members of the band over the past 45 years.
May 5th, 2013 at 20:42He’s a great singer and was just right for Rainbow at that specific time. Slaves and Masters is a good album but not really Purple…yes a cross between 80s Rainbow and 80s Purple with Gillan
May 5th, 2013 at 22:16It’s kind of sad what Medlocke did to Blackfoot, and kind of sad what Joe thinks. I still like his singing though. He’s very underrated. I love street of dreams, but best rock singing??? What about Dio on Heaven and Hell or Stargazer or Gillan on Child in Time or Perfect Strangers, even?
May 6th, 2013 at 01:01Living up East is all attitude. JLT is from NJ/NY area. Even the punk at the 7/11 store has swagger. It’s just what they do up here. Go to the Jersey shore….it’s not an outing…it’s an adventure. That said…JLT ranks up their with the best.
May 6th, 2013 at 13:46Steve
Joe was being asked to mention a song by himself, not someone else.
I like Street Of Dreams but I do have so many songs sung by him I like as well.
I think he did very fine in Rainbow, on the Odyssey album and loads of albums after those.
I just dont compare him to others, thats all.
Yeah, sometimes when being forced to voice an opinon.
Or when I feel so…….
Right now trying to make sense of my feelings towards the Now What!? album.
For now : Big improvement on ROTD and a more natural follow-up to Bananas.
Bananas, I still like, even despite all my other feelings when listening to a non-Blackmore/Lord led incarnation.
I dont think we or they have to be emberassed by the new album.
And thats just a start of my evaluation.
They usually say when asked to compare people/musicians it is an indecent route/idea to follow when searching for a new bandmember..
The suggestion is it is not good to have someone who copies Blackmore or Lord.
It is a bit awkward to hear Airey doing great work but at the same time he copies Keith Emerson a lot!!!
Or should I say he exactly did what I suggested to friends in recent years : Using his solo material as a foundation for a new DP album!
The album needs more listens for me to make up my mind about it.
It is weird :
I think they made a good album, on its own merits so to speak.
But do I feel like listening to a Deep Purple album?
Ermmmmmmmmmmmmmm………..
Somewhere I read Glover saying that they left THE Deep Purple sound behind ages ago and was glad so….
It is a different band.
The vocals do remind me of the IGB period somehow.
Quite versatile as well!
The production is ofcourse better than on ROTD.
IMHO they should redo some ROTD tracks : boost the sound where necessary, kill the damn fade outs where a song deserves to go on please, etc.
BodyLine is one of the catchy new numbers.
It reminds me of Hush, Rosa’s Cantina and……Ted The Mechanic!
I have not yet made up my mind about Steve’s contributions.
They seem fairly economised.
I dont notice much progression(Not that I did expect so)and also copying himself in places.
The solo in All the time in the world is the twin of the one in SIFLS for example.
It works, so…….is it a complaint? Not sure : )
Will I enjoy the BN album or the Black Sabbath album more than this?
I ll let you know : )
May 6th, 2013 at 19:20@ 15…T, You are kidding. right?! JLT is a great AOR singer. No doubt, but Purple are not and never will be an AOR band. Cant believe that you really believe that Joe is close to Paul Rodgers?! Paul alone can be mentioned in the same breath as all the great vocal innovators. Gillan, Plant, Rodgers. I know some will claim that Rodgers and Plant are not worthy, but the simple truth is: They are the innovators, they took the risks in the early days and still (arguably) the best.
@ 17…Randy. My thoughts exactly 😉
May 7th, 2013 at 07:40I can see JLT is being judged by likability not talent by some. RB did indeed choose JLT because he sounded similar to Paul Rogers. As far as I am aware….. RB has a knack for finding talent. @15 correcto mundo.
May 7th, 2013 at 13:56Jeff
Maybe JLT’s voice is closer to that of Rodgers than your sound is to Schenkers? : )
May 7th, 2013 at 14:37Haha!! Nice one Priest 🙂 I was far more influenced by Blackmore than MS ans Stratocasters don’t really sound like Gibsons to my ears…
May 8th, 2013 at 06:04As good a vocalist Turner was in Rainbow, & he sure did sing well on those 3 albums, there is no way he is in the same league as the great rock vocalist’s from the classic bands! Ian Gillan, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Jon Anderson, Greg Lake, John Wetton, Freddie Mercury, Paul Rodgers & Ronnie James Dio are the great rock vocalists in my book! There are others also, I just mentioned a few of the big names!
May 8th, 2013 at 11:33I once notice d your work with Gary Barden, so…….
May 8th, 2013 at 12:13JLT sounds like Paul Rodgers? Put down the crack pipe,son
May 9th, 2013 at 19:37Hey Weissheim, great comeback. I swear that is the first thing that came to my mind as well. Child in Time, or about 1000 others before any of his little girl squeals. Hey Cyclone! Really?
May 10th, 2013 at 15:51I also like Jason’s “No comment”. That is good.
May 10th, 2013 at 15:52“T” Are you kidding me? Are you JLT’s sister? “It’s difficult to be modest when you’re the best” something I know about? Are you Barbara f—–g Streisand?
May 10th, 2013 at 15:59I kinda like Barbara Streisand. : )
And what about Sinatra?
May 14th, 2013 at 10:44yeah, me too. JLT is sort of Streisandish in a Diva sort of way…..
May 17th, 2013 at 23:2633
: )
May 18th, 2013 at 10:11