Category: Interviews

CRR Interview with Alessandro Del Vecchio


Interview with Alessandro Del  Vecchio….
If you don’t know who Alessandro Del Vecchio is then shame on you! Singer, performer, writer and producer are just the main four talents. I’m guessing he is probably Italy’s best chainsaw juggler as well! He has been in Edens Curse, and is a current member of Hardline, and fronts his own band Edge Of Forever. When he’s not performing, he is Serafino Perugiono’s (head of Frontiers Records) go to guy for producing, performing and writing. If you want to witness Ale covering all 4 of these bases bases, then look no further than Frontiers Jan release of Revolution Saints where he singly wrote 8 of the 12 songs and had a hand in writing the rest, produced the whole caboodle, performed as keyboardist and provided backing vocals. He even sung one on his own, the Journey-esque ‘Way To The Sun.’
I caught Ale on a train ride home….
CRR – ‘Ciao Alessandro, I think I have lost count of the number of albums I’ve heard this year where you have had a presence. You don’t have to name them individually but exactly how many albums have you appeared on in 2014 as a producer, writer & performer?’

Alessandro Del Vecchio – ‘Well….let me think Paul…mmhh….I guess a lot:-) Surely this year has been crazily busy, but busy is good in this business.’

CRR – ‘I’ve changed my mind, please name them!!??’

ADV – ‘OUCH!!!! Moonland, L.R.S., Rated X, Three Lions, Bailey, Mother Road, Faithsedge, Ez Livin’ and more I guess.’

CRR – ‘How on earth do you get the time to do all of these things, your calendar must be rammed full?’

ADV – ‘Well. It’s tough but I am not able to say no. I’m in love with music and music is what keeps me alive. And also, I gotta add I work better under pressure:)’

CRR – ‘I suspect you have a very understanding partner?’
ADV – ‘Yes, I do.’

CRR – ‘What gives you the most satisfaction – writing, performing or producing?’

ADV – ‘All of them. I am easily annoyed if I do the same thing all over again. So shifting from one task to another makes me active and focused.’

CRR  – ‘Ive seen you a few times with the likes of Edens Curse / Hardline / Issa, and your voice is fantastic. Would you love to be more front of stage?’

ADV – ‘Sure I do. I’ve been singing on tour with Ian Paice of Deep Purple, Bernie Marsden of Whitesnake, Carmine Appice and with my own band Edge Of Forever. After the summer we will enter the studio with Edge Of Forever for our 4th album. That’s my vocal home. I’m also recording as a singer for 2 albums. One is a metal record and it’s kind of a nice challenge. Vocal parts are more like Russell Allen’s work on “The Damnation Game” than my usual melodic thing. The other one is with Domink Pfizer of Shakra. I also gotta add, I sing on a song on the forthcoming Revolution Saints record. The song is called “Way To The Sun” and Neal Schon of Journey plays a marvellous solo. I guess, you shouldn’t stop dreaming!’

CRR – ‘How did the tie in come to your Frontiers work? I guess the Italian melodic rock community is a tight knit one.’

ADV – ‘Well. I guess I knocked the door on the right time. We knew each other already as I did 2 albums with Edge Of Forever on MTM which was distributed by Frontiers back when MTM was a top label. I was looking for a label to work for and they were looking for a producer and songwriter.’

CRR – ‘I guess you cant say no to Serafino?’

ADV – ‘Serafino is great. I mean, our music would be dead without him and the people at Frontiers. How could I say no to the amazing works he makes me do? I owe him a lot. I respect him for he trusted my work and abilities and pushed me to be the producer I am today.’

CRR – ‘Out of all the above work you have done in 2014, which is the one thing that has stood out for you?’

ADV – ‘Writing, producing, recording, playing, singing and experience my top work ever with Revolution Saints. Being in the studio with Deen Castronovo, Jack Blades and Doug Aldrich is more than I could dream of. Not bad for an Italian:-)’
CRR – ‘What are your plans going into next year?’

ADV – ‘I’m in the studio now with Craig Goldy and Vinny Appice for Livin’ Out Loud, their new band. I’m actually completing writing the new Hardline record and we should start recording in spring if inspiration helps me on the last few touches on the song. In February we should start working on the new solo record by Ted Poley. I’m also producing the finest voice in metal which is gonna be awesome:-)’
CRR – ‘Despite being the hardest working man in ROCK, what is the one thing you would like to do as a performer/writer/producer?
Is there one person/band etc you would love to work with, or just one thing you would desperately love to achieve?

ADV – ‘Ok, Santa. Please let me enter a big act like Whitesnake or Foreigner, produce and write for Journey and be the guy who is taking Steve Perry back on a record. Hey, didn’t I say you shouldn’t stop dreaming?’ Or should that be Believing??

CRR – Any last message to the AOR community?

ADV – ‘I would like to thank all of the people who supported me through the years buying my music and helping me being who I am today. My biggest challenge is to keep my love for music fresh and alive every day and be the guy who is gonna help people feel better with my music.’

So there you have it. Talented songwriter (His songs for Revolution Saints are the type of quality that Neil Schon would kill his cat for), great producer, in demand performer for keyboards and BVs, but most of all a truly great singer who deserves to be heard by many more. To top it all of, he is also one of the nicest, down to earth people I’ve had the privilege to ever meet. I wish him great success in 2015 and beyond
https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/KeZKAVUyKQc&source=uds

Interview With Steve Newman of NEWMAN!

Steve Newman’s not a man to do things the easy way. He backed away from his record label and formed his own, ‘Chrome Dome’ to support his Newman project. He’s not your usual AOR/Melodic Rock by numbers kind a guy, and because of this draws a fervant and loyal kind of fan for his more thoughtful style of songwriting. Steve is currently promoting his excellent ‘Siren’ Album which I am certain will be at the sharp end of many a poll come the end of 2013!

CRR: Hi Steve; many thanks for talking to me today, I know you’re a very busy man…… This will be one of the strangest intros to an interview, but I have to confess, I’ve only been a fan for the past 3yrs or so, firstly hearing the excellent Big Life; I apologise for getting in on the Newman experience so late in the game. I was also taken aback by your performance at the dreaded Z-Rock last year….. So at least you’re still recruiting new fans :-)…….

Steve Newman: “Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you …. Hahaha.

Seriously Paul, great to talk with you, and I’m glad you have now discovered Newman!!”

….which leads me onto Siren, your tenth album; I have to say that I adore it!

“Thank you very much Paul, it’s really appreciated! We’re getting a great response for the new album, and the comments have been truly wonderful.”

It’s a very strong album from start to finish; which songs in particular strike a chord with you and why?

“Oh wow, good question. I think they all have strength for different reasons. When I write songs I have to believe in what I’m writing about so I have no particular favourites. I hope the album delivers in all areas and everyone can find something on there that they can rock out to!!”

You’ve co-written a couple of songs this time around with Pete Newdeck and Nick Workman, does it help by mixing it up a bit?

“Yes. I’ve admired these guys for years and it was great to work with Pete for the first time, we had a real blast; and of course Pete is now part of the live band, which is very cool. Nick and I have worked with each other before and we always try and jump at the chance to write together when we both have time. I think those songs have definitely brought some different colours to the new album.”

…and I’d have thought it’s taking some of the extensive burden away? Or is it rather satisfying having total control, what with your own label Chrome Dome and the whole Newman writing, playing, production, tea making experience?

“I am a control freak….ha.”

“I consider those songs, and working with those guys, a total privilege. It was just great to get inspiration from another direction in regards to the melody and lyrics, as those songs started out life as just musical ideas.” 
 The album cover is a thing of beauty; please tell me how the design came about, as it took me back to the good old days of the 80s where I’d buy an album purely on the strength of its cover!
“Thank you. I initially had the title of the album and an idea of the concept for the artwork. I worked closely with the Lassedesignen design company and came up with the art (for the cover), based on one of their stock images. I really liked the use of colours and thought it complimented the album wonderfully. I have never been a fan of the typical rock cover (as you can probably tell from my previous albums). I really admire artists such as Rodney Matthews, the late Storm Thorgerson, and my particular favourite, Hugh Syme. In this day of digital downloads I think something has been lost in regards to the artwork concept behind the music. Let’s bring back gatefold sleeves!!”

Sorry for this rather blunt analogy now, but the songs aren’t your typical, boy meets girl, boy shags girl, etc., like other melodic rock formulae? I get the feeling that there’s more depth, thought and heartfelt reality than your run of the mill lyricist. What drives this process?

“No, you’re right, and thank you for noticing and appreciating this. I’ve always tried to add as much colour to my songs, both in the musical and lyrical content. The typical love songs have been done so many times before, so it’s nice to approach even these from a slightly different angle and also take on other subjects within my writing. I do find this a challenge and this is what always keeps it fresh and exciting for me as an artist.”

So, new album, and a new line up; you must be looking forward to the next few months of festival appearances?

“Oh yes, it’s a really exciting time. We have the new album out, which is getting some great reviews and taking this new live band out on the road is going to be a lot of fun. We all really get on with each other, not only musically, but personally too, so there are no egos within the band and everyone is there to have fun both on and off stage.”

It’s a crying shame that we don’t see too much of you over here, playing throughout the UK (especially the Wrexham area, where I am!). Would you like to tour as part of a ‘package’ which seems the way to get in front of large numbers?

“It is a great shame, but we’re working on changing that over the next year….. Our focus is on the Festivals as these generate a good percentage of the UK AOR fans, but hopefully we can secure ourselves on a tour or two in 2014….? Oh, and I’ve never been to Wrexham!!”

Say you had an infinite amount of money; who would you choose to be in the band, your Fantasy band?

“That’s a good question. It may sound corny, but I’d keep the band I have now. We’re all good friends and I know these guys so well. However, there are a few people I’d love to play and record with…..; Steve Lukather, and most of the other members of TOTO, Mickey Thomas, Glen Sobel, Ellis Hall (but I’d probably just end up sitting down and watching that). Richard Marx, Richard Page; there’s so many!!!…. Can it be an orchestra?”

Ten Newman albums in, what still drives you? It can’t be the money!!

“I love to create! For me, being an artist is a selfish disposition, and it needs to be that way for me to produce the music, believe in it, and be emotionally attached as a singer and player. But that is only part of what keeps me going; the feedback I get from fans through email and the shows we do is simply awesome and very moving. To produce something you truly believe in and then have someone get what you do is very cool indeed!!”

“I also get a tremendous amount of satisfaction on the technical side as well, with the production, writing and recording. Albums are always a great learning curve for me. Oh, and then comes the fame and fortune…., doesn’t it?”

Any intentions of say, another Big Life album with Mark Thompson Smith?

“Mark and I have talked about the next album and we hope to get it together. It will take some time as we’re both very busy but hopefully we can begin to work on something new in 2014.”

Was it a conscious decision for you to move away from guitar to vocals or was it just a natural progression?

“I take it you’re referring to the first Newman album? At that time it was necessity really. I had approached Mark Thompson-Smith to sing but unfortunately he was committed to a couple of other projects…. I had a bunch of songs that I wanted to get out in demo form – I had only ever sung backing vocals before – so it was an uphill challenge, but I came away after a couple of months with what I thought was acceptable, and fortunately the promoter of the first album thought the same, so the album got recorded, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

(Only if you want to……!) Couple / few quick random Q’s on your favourites….

Footy team….? – “I don’t follow football now, but growing up it was always Liverpool. I tend to watch the England games…., (if you can call them that!!)”

TV…..? – “Never really have time…, but when I get a chance I love the Sky documentaries. ‘Mad Dogs’ and ‘Trollied’.”

Film…..? – “I love movies; depends on the mood… ‘The Pianist’, ‘The Abyss’, ‘Apollo 13’…., ‘The Bucket List’, ‘Austin Powers’..”

Siren (see what I did there?)…. “Ha…My wife and Penelope Cruz; does that sound right? Oh, I’ll leave that one there I think!”

Album (not yours!)…? – “Changes every day… Today it’s TNT – “Intuition”.”

Best Gig…..Yours…..and as a punter……? – “Newman, Firefest 2010, (where we finally came of age as a live band); and Van Halen, Donington, 1984; 18 years of age, two rows back from the front; rawk!”

Newman achievement…? – “Every album I make and every time the band plays live, I never take any of it for granted!”

Ambition/s…? – “Ultimately to be happy and make the people around me happy.  See as much of the world as I can; I have a long list!!”

Thanks for this… I thoroughly hope “Siren” brings you the success you deserve. I know for a fact it will be at the sharp end of my 2013 faves come December….

“Thank you Paul, it’s been a pleasure. I’d like to take this opportunity of thanking your good self and your readers for all the support and I hope everyone enjoys the new album. See you on the road soon…; maybe even in Wrexham!! All the best ……………”
So there you go, top album, and more importantly a top bloke, one of the nicest people Ive ever had the privilege to interview 
  ALBUM REVIEW HERE http://www.chesyrockreviews.com/2013/07/newman-siren-album-review.html
 BUY THE ALBUM HERE http://www.newmansound.com/Shop.htm

Interview with Pierpaolo "Zorro11" Monti (Shining Line & Charming Grace / AOR all star projects)

CRR got the chance to get 15 mins with one of the brains, and sticks behind the new Charming Grace project, Mr Pierpaolo ‘Zorro11’ Monti. Charming Grace is a set of AOR songs with a twist, all duets!
CRR: First of all many congratulations on the new Charming Grace album. Its always a pleasure listening to melodic rock/aor, especially when theres a twist like it is here, played with duets!

PM: Hi Paul! Thank you so much for your so kind words and for this interview, I’m glad to be here discussing with you about Charming Grace!

Yes, as you correctly said Charming Grace represents something new in the melodic rock world… a full album of vocal duets, a things that no one never did before in this wonderful style of music.

The AOR & Melodic Rock scene is usually addicted to be old and unable to renovate itself, so for this reason I wanted to try something new which was cool in my opinion… I think we reached a very good result!
CRR: How on earth did you manage to get all of the people involved? Its quite a list you have.
PM: I had some experience gained in the past thanks to my previous album called Shining Line, another AOR all stars project with a line-up full of well-known guests from the melodic (hard)rock world. Today, thanks to the internet, it’s possible to start a lot of collaborations with different artists and musicians, and I think this is a great way to expand our creativity working together with a lot of experienced names of our beloved music!

I built in the latest years a good net of contacts in the melodic rock world, and I can say I love to contact every day new artists to propose them a possible collaboration together… it’s so exciting for me to involve in my music the old and new names of the scene that I listen every single day with their music!

CRR: Whilst on the subject, what made you think of the duet format? Did you have any other singers on speed dial ready to contact?
PM: As I was telling before, I consider this a totally successful experiment, it’s incredible to see how every single guest put its recognizable trademark in every song of Charming Grace, creating together with Dave some amazing vocal harmonies which represents for me the true quintessence of a project just like Charming Grace!

Regarding some other possible singers to contact, well my email never stop to operates every single day, it’s so exciting to come in contact with a lot of singers and musicians of the scene, and see if a collaboration together can born… it’s great!
CRR:And you also brought a known legend out of the AOR singers retirement home also (Im talking about Boulevards David Forbes)
PM: Yes, a true legend… Mr. David Forbes represents for me one of the most charismatic voices I heard in a lifetime, I couldn’t accept to leave his name forgotten after two amazing AOR masterpieces like the Boulevard’s cds!

Dave is an amazing singer and a wonderful human being… he immediately accepted to be part of the project, and I can say that it was one of the best days I lived in my life! I cannot believe I was starting to collaborate with one of my lifetime idols… I watched for a never ending time the pictures of the band on the two Boulevard albums in the past years, and now I have again a hard time in realizing that David is really part of Charming Grace! It’s unbelievable!

 CRR: Is it an easy project to undertake?
PM: Good question Paul. When you start an enormous project just like Charming Grace,  you know well from the start that you’ll have to face a lot of problems due to a lot of different factors.

It can happens that some guests can refuse to participate after their initial “yes”, that some of them can send you some wrong parts, or again that some recordings need to be postponed for various reasons, blocking the works of other guests that need to re-schedule their commitments.

Anyway I think that with the hard work and professionalism everything could be solved, it’s all in the passion you’re able to put in the work you’re done and in the sacrifices you’re disposed to do if you have to face some troubles… it’s all in the love you have for this amazing thing called music!

CRR: How much of a hold do have on all the performers/players?
PM: I can say that we leave total liberty to express every single guest in our song! We usually give a “basic line” as reference (for example Dave did the demo parts of all vocals for the singers), but we always ask to every guest to express himself in the best way possible adding or changing everything he feels right! After that we consider every single change done and we think carefully of what keeping for the best final result possible!

CRR: Did you allow them to take part in the writing process wherever possible?
PM: Well, we usually send a finished song to a guest, but we’re always opened to change it if we receive some cool suggestions from one of them!

For example one song’s title after the suggestion of one of the guests: the hint was really cool and we immediately accepted to change it!

I think that the key word to spread the creativity of everyone is “collaboration”: I hate to give orders just like a dictator, and I also hate if a guest pretend to do something by himself… the best result can be reached when you try to reach the same goal together!
CRR: I can imagine that it took some time to plan and to get everyone to play their parts?
PM: Yes, it’s been a long long work. Every guest has his personal life and career to pursue, so it can happens that it’s not easy to draw together a good schedule in respect of everyone’s commitments.

For this reason I think that a good plan it’s the basic thing for making a successful project… a lot of things can wrong for a big variety of factors, but if you did a good plan in the beginning you can face all the problems in a better way!
CRR: Did any travel over to you, or was it a case now of a lot of people working via the web and their garden sheds?
PM: With the low budgets of today, I think it would be impossible to travel for each one to collaborate “live” on a project like this. For this reason it’s thanks to the internet that we’re able to do these kind of collaborations, ‘cause with the improvement of the technological level everyone can record his parts and talk together from another side of the world.

In Charming Grace we have guests coming from USA, Sweden, Germany, UK, Brazil and so on… I think we need a major label budget to arrange a meeting with every single guest!
CRR: What are the memorable aspects of recording an album like this?
PM: It’s without doubt sharing the big passion for the same music! It’s collaborating together with people you watched for years on a cd booklet, and that you appreciate now more and more after they put their enthusiasm in your music giving their best for the success of the collaboration together! It’s discovering that many of them are keeping alive the fire for this art after a long career in the music biz, showing to the new generations the true love for the melodic rock world!
CRR: And come to think of it, the agonies and pitfalls?
PM: The bad moments are those which are opponents to the good ones… think for example to some guests who accept in the beginning to be part of the project, and then refuse to do their work few days before the deadline we fixed to receive their parts… maybe they don’t think to the big amount of problems they give us with this kind of behavior.

CRR: You’re involved in so many projects nowadays, is this how you have to set your stall in the 21st century, especially if you’re a melodic rock devotee. Especially Alessandro…..he’s in everything!!
What else have you got plans for in 2013?
PM: I’m always active with my music, I write a lot of new music every single week and I’m always ready to start something new in every single moment!

For this moment I want to concentrate myself in the promotion of Charming Grace, but I’m sure that I won’t be able to stay quiet for too much time… so I think that I’ll need to start something soon within the end of the year! I don’t know exactly what, but I promise that you’ll be the first to know when I’ll decide it! LOL

Please let me spend just two words regarding Alessandro: he’s one of the most talented artists I’ve known in my life. He’s an amazing musician, a top class producer and finest songwriter… he’s in my opinion one of the key points for the future of the melodic rock scene, and I wish him of the best for an amazing an long career in music! He deserves it!

CRR: Also Pierpaolo, please feel free to add in anything else to may want to discuss
PM: Paul, I need to thank you so much for your important support, it means a lot to me in these hard times for the music scene! It’s thanks to fans like you that artists can make music again… U rock mate!

Charming Grace has been a wonderful adventure for us, it’s been a very demanding project but we’re very happy of the final result we’ve been able to reach!

I hope that the melodic rock fans could feel in this album the same emotions me, Dave and Amos had in creating it, it’s been done for the love of melodic rock music and it has inside a piece of our hearts and souls!

Many thanks for all Paul!!! Cheers!!!
So there you have it – drummer, songwriter, with a contact address book to kill for, and a really nice bloke, passionate about AOR / Melodic Rock. Long may the community continue to support people like Pierpaolo, carrying the AOR torch into the 21st Century!
Album review, here –  http://www.chesyrockreviews.com/2013/03/charming-grace-st-album-review.html

Chesyrockreviews Interview with Joe Lynn Turner

 
 
After many years (30+) of listening to one of the great loves of my life (well, vocalists) I wondered if I could manage to interview the legend that is Joe Lynn Turner. Joe was snatched by Ritchie Blackmore from Fandango to become the face and more importantly the voice of a ‘new radio friendly’ Rainbow, and boy did he make them successful. With songs such as ‘Cant Happen Here’, ‘I Surrender’, and two of my all time fave’s ‘Stone Cold’, and ‘Street of Dreams’. He also has something in his armoury not to make Blackmore issue him his P45. 
From here, Joe released his excellent solo album ‘Rescue You’, and then (surprise) joined no other than Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force for an album (Odyssey) that Malmsteen has ever yet to top and is one of the best melodic rock albums of its time. Joe has basically never stopped working and has literally put his own sound onto many different projects, and thousands of songs via HTP/ Akira Kajiyama/ Sunstorm/ Cem Köksal/ Mothers Army/ Brazen Abbot/ Jan Holberg/ Michael Men to name but a few, with many guest appearances and a clutch of mighty fine solo albums. Because of which he follows the mantra ”Have mic, will travel!”
His latest is the 3rd Sunstorm album for Frontiers and is albeit a mixed collection which includes Michael Bolton penned classics (review here – http://www.chesyrockreviews.com/2012/02/sunstorm-emotional-fire.html)
I managed to track Joe down on one of his few days at home. Well, we were both in the US at the same time. This is the lowdown….
1. I was speaking with Scott Metaxas of the band Prophet last week at a UK melodic rock festival. He told me something very interesting that I never knew about your career. You were the first singer that they had and then apparently you were approached by Ritchie to join Rainbow. True? If so, how do you think your career would have panned out if you had have joined Prophet?

JLT: Wrong! I have never been in the band Prophet. I saw them live a few times but that is it. I knew the guys in the band…we are all Jersey boys! But Ritchie Blackmore saw me at a club in Long Island and then phoned me to go to an audition! It had absolutely nothing to do with Prophet! This is bull!…and my career panned out just great!

2. You must be the hardest working guy in Rock! It seems to me that you must have recorded literally thousands of songs in the last 30+ years. Out of all the ones you have recorded as JLT/ Rainbow/ Malmsteen/ Deep Purple etc’ which song or songs give you the most satisfaction?

JLT: I’ve been asked this often and I still have the same answer because it is the truth…every song I have recorded is important and satisfying in its own way. Songs are like children…they might be different but one is not necessarily more special than another. Having said that, the songs that made the most impact on my career and brought me to the next level after some recording and touring success with Fandango were “Stone Cold” and “Street of Dreams.”
3. Moving on from this, which song/s that you didn’t write, do you wish you had have written, or just sung. There’s some good stuff on the ‘Undercover’ cds, would it be something not covered on these 2 cds? I think you slayed the version of ‘Back In Black’ you did with Collen.

JLT: Thanks for that!…lol!…It was fun to do. Brian Johnson loved it too!…lol!…but there are too many to mention! As far as writing I wish I had written the Henley song “Heart of the Matter”…it’s a very personal song… lyrics are killer!

4. After all the stuff you’ve done over the years, do you still have lots of ambitions left to fulfill?

JLT: I think you always have to have some ambitions, dreams, goals. I do not have anything really specific but I am working on some projects that I hope come to fruition. I am working on some music for film, some country-flavored songs, too much to list here! But a more general goal is to just keep working, touring, recording. Fortunately, there are many cities and countries around that world as well as fans that still want to see me perform and churn out new music so as long as the demand is there…I’m ready! As I have said in the past, “have mic will travel.”

5. Considering the huge number of bands resurrecting careers, do you wish that you could have done something with Rainbow? I think that would have been huge for Rock fans

JLT: Absolutely! And you are correct, it would have been great! Look at all these late 70s/80s melodic rock bands acts that are touring this summer. They are doing decent business from what I hear. When I was active in Over The Rainbow people in many countries were craving the Rainbow sound again.

6. Is that why you perform as ‘Over The Rainbow’?

JLT: Over The Rainbow is on a hiatus now but we did have a lot of success when we were touring. All of us are too busy with other projects and because OTR was/is made up of world class musicians they are all in demand whether it be a mostly solo career or playing as a part of another major act or project.

7. Onto more recent times, please explain how all the Sunstorm albums, came about? &. I’m even more intrigued by the latest offering of Michael Bolton songs? I always have a heated discussion with my wife as I prefer the ‘Everybodys Crazy’ MB, and she (obviously) loves the ‘Soul Provider’ sell out MB !! To the point where she is telling me again now!!

JLT: The concept was an idea from Frontiers, my record label. The guys that run the label are major melodic rock fans and they got a hold of some of my older demos and songs that were never officially recorded and released. They thought it would be a good idea to resurrect those songs and also include other songs, written by other writers, that would fit the concept…that would be in the same mold.

The latest Sunstorm does have a couple of Bolton songs from his rockier days. I do have some regret in that I would have liked to include more of my songs from my archives. None of the songs on the latest Sunstorm are written by me. I was on tour in Russia and doing business plus vacationing in Turkey when the song list had to be signed off on. It was Frontiers who suggested all the song ideas but the fans love it so I am happy to hear that!


8. Theres some good songs on the 1st Sunstorm album that were intended for your 2nd solo cd, why did they take so long to see the light of day
JLT: Well…there was too much money spent on my first solo album…I guess you could say the record company blew out the budget on that one and although I was signed for another album…a follow up…that album never happened. Some of the Sunstorm songs might have ended up on that second solo record after “Rescue You.” As for why it took so long…I am always writing and had so many songs in my archives but as other projects came along and as my revived solo career took off some of these songs did not fit in with those albums or projects. But…they fit in great with the Sunstorm concept!

9. Out of all the many albums you have recorded, is the one in particular where you think, ‘that one is close to perfection’ or ‘I really nailed the whole thing’? If I could pick one it would be close between Bent out Of Shape, Odyssey, and Rescue You!

JLT: That is a question that requires a very biased opinion. The Malmsteen record comes to mind…but again it’s a matter of taste!

10. How much money do I have to raise to get you over to the UK to play? (joke! Ha!)

JLT: I would love to go back to the UK again. We’ve had some offers to play the UK but so far, the ones that have come in did not make business sense at the time. Remember what I said at the beginning of this interview…this is how I earn a living. This is my job. All artists end up playing some gigs where they lose money. That’s just part of the business and it is expected but you have to be careful not to overdo it, or, do it where your expenses are low. My JLT band is loaded with world class musicians and they all have their own lucrative projects or are in demand by other artists. They are based in the USA and so am I and the cost to fly the whole band overseas for a couple shows can be cost prohibitive unless the offer makes business sense.

11. Finally Joe, whats next for you? What can we look forward over the course of the next few months?

JLT: Well…I am touring through November and con-currently working on a “new” country cd! I want to stretch out and do something different and there are a few other projects as well….so…thankfully I am very busy!

Many thanks for giving me years of pleasure

JLT: Thank you for your support and time.
So that’s the legendary Joe Lynn Turner, never resting on his laurels, always busy looking for new opportunities. I must say that a country album is a bit left field for some people but JLT is just the bloke that can make the transition, and I wish him all the very best with this project.
Now can someone please pay the man to tour the UK!
(Thanks to Lisa Walker for making this happen, and my total gratitude to JLT for taking the time in his busy schedule to answer my fan-boy questions!)