The Hughes Turner Interviews - Part 1
This interview with Joe Lynn Turner takes us into the era of the Hughes Turner Project, in fact this was the very first interview that he did in which he talked about it. This interview was made on January 15 2001 and it has has only been published in MORE BLACK THAN PURPLE (issue 16) and the swedish rock publication BRIGHT EYES MAGAZINE (issue 12). To reach this point in time in our conversations with Joe, please read the earlier interviews, Part 1 & Part 2.
(Joe gets right to the point)
- Glenn Hughes, myself and my manager Mark Wexler had a conference call two days ago and we reached an agreement. The tour of Japan got us talking but we never reached any set plans. Glenn figured that he would record his next album now and that we could do something together a little later, but we said that we really wanted to do this now and he got fired up as we talked about it. So Iīll now fly to Los Angeles in February for our first writing session. Glenn has his rehab programme to think about so Muhammed will go to the mountain. Later on, Glenn will come over to New York and we will have another go at it. By April we should be on our way and this summer we should have something out.
What will the project be called?
- We donīt know yet! We havenīt talked about that. The music will be our first priority now. I guess it could be called Hughes/Turner or Turner/Hughes, I really donīt know. If you have any ideas feel free to share them with us. Our aim is to recreate the mid-70īs Deep Purple sound. Nobody else is doing it.
Will you be sharing the vocals like Glenn and David Coverdale did back then?
- Yes, probably on most of the songs. This is something that we have talked about. As you know, we sang a few old Deep Purple songs together in Japan and it was great. Glenn actually said, "You know, I had forgotten how much fun it is to be part of a band". He even said it to the audience.
How was that tour received?
- Like the Second Coming! Two sold out gigs in Tokyo. People regarded it highly, almost like they would a Rainbow reunion. It was excitement in the air. It was the best thing to happen in a long time.
It was your solo tour. How did Glenn come into it?
- It was just something that I suggested to the Japanese promoter when we discussed who should play on the tour and they laughed and said "You will never get Glenn to do it!". But I said, "Hang on, I know Glenn, let me put it to him", so I did. So we talked and I made it attractive to him. He would be able to do some of his stuff, we could share the vocals on some old tracks and I also offered him more money than the others got, simply because of his standing in music. So he jumped at it and we had a great time.
For the Purple fans it must have been fantastic. Did you record any shows?
- Pony Canyon, my label, have soundboard tapes but I have not heard copies of them. They are afraid that the bootleggers will get a hold of copies. If it sounds OK I guess some of it could be used as bonus tracks on the album.
It was good fun that you sang stuff that David used to sing and that Glenn played bass on stuff from your time in Purple.
- It was great fun. Glenn has got an amazing voice, he is like a white Stevie Wonder. But he knows he canīt do that funk stuff right now. He has decided to give the audience what they want. He said, "My fans made me who I am today so Iīm going to give them what they want".
So now you will?
- Yes. We have not written the songs yet but it will not be a cover album. It will be a fresh sounding album on which a certain era will come to life again.
Iīm really looking forward to it! I think it will be a highly regarded project.
- I think so to. It will be good for us both. And the timing seems right as well since the market seems to be friendlier to the old school of rock again. The radio is opening up to it again here in the states. Iīm very happy about that. Five years ago I thought it was all over, that Nirvana had killed the rock scene. Now people are tired of it and they want good melodies again.
David Coverdaleīs "Into The Light" is doing well on US radio now. His assistant Mike McIntyre told me that after his promotional tour they now had radio play on seventy stations across the country.
- That is good to hear. Iīve heard that people like his new record so it looks like he is helping to open up things again for us all here. That is good for us all. Itīs yet another positive sign. But old acts are playing to full houses and there is no way that the radio and the record companies can miss out on that.
Your last album, "Holy Man", seems to be your biggest success yet.
- Yes, I donīt know why. Maybe itīs one of the better albums? I think they liked it more in Japan because it was closer to Rainbow than the others. But yes, Iīve received a great deal of attention with this album. People now say, "Joe sings well again", but I think they say that simply because they can identify with the music.
So does this mean that the next album will be more of the same?
- I donīt know. Iīm so focused on the project with Glenn now. But Iīll definitely record another solo album later this year. Akira Kajiyama played on "Holy Man" and on the tour. He is like a young Ritchie Blackmore. So he will be a part of this project now. He is into the Deep Purple thing. Glenn suggested that he could ask the drummer from Mr Big if he wants to record with us. Weīll see. But later on, we really hope to take this out on the road in Europe and Scandinavia.
People seem to enjoy your "Under Cover" records a great deal. Will there be a third covers album?
- Probably, yes. I enjoyed doing them and they are selling well.
What is going on with Motherīs Army?
- Funny that you should ask because Iīve just been on the phone with Jeff Watson and Bob Daisley. They have just signed a deal for the earlier albums for America now through South West. So things are moving again and this means that we will most likely record the fourth album later this year now. But we are a bit tired of the name. Have you heard about Bob Daisleyīs court case against Ozzy Osbourne for his publishing?
Yes, it has been mentioned here in the news.
- Bob should have millions of dollars from them and itīs not like they donīt have the money.
What is going on with the Voices Of Classic Rock project?
- Well, we just made five huge concerts in Mexico and one in Columbia and the interest has been huge, so the promoter now wants us back for a bigger tour that will cover all of South America. But before we do that we want to record an album with a few tracks with each singer involved and get that out. I donīt know when this is going to happen but it is a fun project and the audiences get a lot of great music out of it.
David Coverdale is putting his own label together in the US, is this a route that you have considered as well?
- Not really, no. Iīm really not all that interested. I guess my main focus is on the projects that Iīm involved in, in the musical side. It would be a time consuming enterprise to start up a label. Maybe he can afford to do it?
Your first album from 1985, "Rescue You", is impossible to get now. Have you considered to purchase the rights from the record company and put it out yourself?
- No, but itīs a good idea. Iīve never really thought about it. I have no idea what Elektra would want for it. But everybody is asking me how they can get it. I get mails about that all the time. It was available in Japan until a couple of years ago, so a few copies may still be around. My wife discovered it on Amazon.com so I bought five copies and stashed them away for safekeeping. It may never be released again. Occationally I find stuff that I didnīt know about. Recently I bought a Best Of Fandango album that I didnīt know about. My best source of information the last few years have been guys like yourself. Where would I be able to read about it?
Have you been in touch with Ritchie Blackmore?
- I tried to reach him last year. Myself, Chuck Burgi, Greg Smith and David Rosenthal tried to arrange a link with him so that we could have a conference and discuss Rainbow with him. His manager, Carole Stevens, said she would get back to us but she never did. I doubt that Ritchie ever heard about it. Or if he did, maybe she just said that we said "Hi"? She is Candyīs mother and she is looking out for her career first. And they have no interest in seeing Ritchie getting involved in Rainbow again. I think they are manipulating him. He might not be aware that people are interested in getting Rainbow together again, that people are keen to do it. Itīs rather sad.
We could see Ronnie James Dio front Deep Purple recently, which was both fun and strange. Strange because of the history.
- Iīm sure Ritchie freaked out when he heard about that. I know him well enough to guess what his reaction might have been. He must have thought "Ronnie has gone over to the enemy". So I think you can forget about Ronnie ever getting the chance to do Rainbow again. Ritchie is not very forgiving and he is not on good terms with certain people in Deep Purple.
How about a live album with your project with Glenn? Certainly that would be appreciated by many?
- You could have a point. Itīs an exciting project. Itīs good that we are finally doing something together. I knew him quite well a long time ago, we used to hang out. But he had his life and I had mine and we never got around to actually working together. Also, at the time, we were far to involved in drugs and we had big egos then. Looking back, we have all been unkind to one another in our generation at one point or another, but itīs great to see now how people are tying bonds again and how things are getting better. Itīs a very positive thing and Iīm glad that it is now happening. I feel excited to be here now and doing this. Iīm sure the fans will find it very interesting.
( End of Interview )
READ PART 2 OF THE HTP INTERVIEWS HERE
