Former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner has once again fired criticism towards Ritchie Blackmore and his new-look lineup.
Turner said last summer that the guitar icon had been “misguided” into reactivating Rainbow and reported in 2015 that he’d been trying to bring about a reunion, until his former colleague unveiled a lineup featuring Lords Of Black vocalist Ronnie Romero.
He now says the reason he was trying to bring about a reunion was to keep Rainbow “authentic” and questions Blackmore’s decision over the new lineup, which also features Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson, Blackmore’s Night drummer David Keith and bassist Bob Nouveau.
Turner tells the Illawarra Mercury: “I had worked with Ritchie’s manager for over a year trying to put something together that was authentic. When I say authentic, I mean authentic lineup, regardless of who was still around, who wasn’t.
“We were going to have people that actually were in Rainbow – and they just pulled out at the last minute really and put this thing together.”
Turner calls this move “not so much disappointing as it was shocking” and adds: “Why would anyone of Blackmore’s iconic nature want to come out and not be as good as he can be?
“Because obviously the reviews haven’t been that good. And that’s not for me to say – that’s what people are saying. It’s obvious that it’s just not living up to snuff.”
Turner reports that it’s a shame that fans didn’t see an “authentic” lineup and says Rainbow fans “feel disrespected.”
He adds: “They were hoping that they would get a chance to see at least some cast of Rainbow members, all in one place, all at one time. And that just didn’t happen.”
In May, Rainbow released their first new studio material in 22 years in the shape of a re-working of 1981 hit I Surrender and a cover of Edward Elgar’s Land Of Hope And Glory.
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