Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore could be returning to the world of rock and roll this fall, as singer Joe Lynn Turner claims that the mercurial musician is interested in reforming Rainbow.
Turner was Rainbow’s singer from 1980 to 1984, as Blabbermouth points out, a period during which the band achieved the heights of its commercial success. Speaking with Classic Rock at a solo show in London, Turner revealed that despite the failure of previous attempts, this year may finally see a reunion of the duo, who have also worked together as members of Deep Purple.
“He’s itching to do some rocking, and we’re going to get together in the fall. Ritchie is really, really ready to rock. He still has the chops too,” Turner said. “I’m not sure if it’s going to be a Rainbow reunion, or a bunch of remakes – which I detest, because you can’t improve on perfection. But that’s what’s happening.”
Joe Lynn Turner said he’s working on a Rainbow reunion with Ritchie Blackmore. Details here: http://t.co/b34J1YB8tK pic.twitter.com/vYCFKTrCJo
— UltimateClassicRock (@UltClassicRock) April 6, 2015
Blackmore famously left Deep Purple for the final time in 1993, going on to form his current band, Blackmore’s Night, with then-girlfriend Candice Night. Previous attempts at a Rainbow reunion have come close to fruition, yet according to Turner, they have constantly been stymied by the guitarist’s career with Blackmore’s Night.
“We had multi-million dollar deals set up with Live Nation,” he recalled. “A 60-day tour to start with, HD 3D movie, everything – and then he had to finish the album.”
JOE LYNN TURNER Says He Will Reunite With Ex-RAINBOW Bandmate RITCHIE BLACKMORE This Year http://t.co/DiHteH8i5i pic.twitter.com/D91CzDuCRm — BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) April 6, 2015
Previous attempts to reunite Rainbow also included bassists Jimmy Bain and Bob Daisley. Drummer Cozy Powell died in 1998, and original singer Ronnie James Dio succumbed to cancer in 2010, as the Inquisitr previously reported.
Though he expressed hope that the reunion would take place, Turner also acknowledged that plans could fall through, given Blackmore’s famously unpredictable nature.
“It’s Ritchie, man,” he said.
The singer also expressed his concern that a Rainbow reunion could be impeded if Blackmore’s “wife or mother-in-law gets in the way,” adding, “She drives me f***ing crazy.”
#Rainbow ‘s #JoeLynnTurner and #RitchieBlackmore Reuniting This Year? http://t.co/OtT3DtjWyS pic.twitter.com/576XOtGFTw
— Stingray ClassicRock (@StingrayCLRock) April 6, 2015
Earlier this year, Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale revealed that his band’s current album, which references his time in Deep Purple, came about after plans to reunite with Blackmore fell through. As for Rainbow, Joe Lynn Turner remains optimistic about a reunion with Ritchie Blackmore, saying “It’s probable.”
[Image via Twitter]
