The Hughes Turner Interviews - Part II
This interview with Joe Lynn Turner was made a couple of weeks after the terroristattacks on the United States in september 2001. Joe had been in the thick of it back in New York but now he was in Los Angeles overlooking the final mixingprocess of the first HTP record. The conversation could hardly have begun with any other topic than 9.11, especially since I wanted to know if Joe was OK. This is how the conversation started...
- Weīve three telephones in the house and they all went off at the same time, even the private line that is only available to a select few, like my manager. They told us about the plane that had crashed into World Trade Center. My manager said "Turn on the tv, youīre not going to believe this", so I turned it on and all the channels showed how one of the towers was burning. I live outside of New York and thereīs a hill behind our house that has a view to the city so me and my wife rushed over there to see the fire from there. At that point the second plane came into view and as it crashed into the second tower I said to my wife "Weīre under attack!". Everybody was afraid and people were running around. I mean, we lived there and what would happen next? It was horrendous. The phone kept ringing because people knew that I was supposed to be on a flight from Newark at that time.
I turned on the tv here (in Sweden) after the second plane had hit and then the pictures from a third chrash at the Pentagon (that was now burning) arrived live. It was shocking and one wondered what would happen next.
- Yes, it affects you and the worst thing is I had already escaped the Pan Am 103 bomb over Scotland in 1988. I think we had been in Russia with Yngwie Malmsteen and I do recall arriving to London from Sweden and that it was a SAS plane that we came in on. I spent a couple of days in London with an ex-girlfriend of Phil Collen from Def Leppard and the reason that I stayed on was this charitything that I was going to attend. But I was going to be on that plane that blew up but that morning I didnīt feel too good so I decided to take another flight the next day. I had food poisoning. So Iīm in my bed and the phone is ringing and when I answer my mother cries out "Thank God youīre still there!". I didnīt know what she was talking about so she told me that the plane I was supposed to have been on had exploded over Scotland and that everybody had died. I turned on the tv and there it was, it was a sickening feeling. My first thought went to the rest of the guys but nobody had been on that plane. The bassplayer had travelled the day before and the Johansson brothers and Yngwie were still in Sweden. I still have that ticket. I took the next Pan Am flight after that and when we landed in New York we were met by the media. They thought that I looked like a famous person so they came running to me and asked all these questions but we just pushed them aside and walked straight past them. When I came home and sat down on my bed the tears came, I had an emotional breakdown. I knew how close it had been. And at Heathrow there had been a bombscare so we had been evacuated from there as well before the flight home. They offered us free alcohol on the flight because weīre all so shattered.
So you have survived two attacks?
- Yes. In London it felt like I was saved because of the charitything, you know, karma. But I know a lot of people that has lost their life or friends or relatives. My recordcompany MTM lost 30 people. Chuck Burgi whom I worked with in Rainbow lost family. I have survived twice so it feels almost like Iīm supposed to still be here, that God want me to live a little longer. Maybe it has to do with the subjucts that I bring to light in some of my lyrics? Bob Daisley was in New York for the Ozzy trial and he read my lyrics and he said "Damn it Joe, you really know what youīre talking about". And I think I do. Iīm not writing just about love anymore, Iīm writing more and more about serious subjects such as politics and I fear that this theory that weīre now ushered in towards a World Order can become a reality. I read the book "Fortunate Sun" by J.H Hatfield before it was banned recently. He claimed that George Bush Sr has done business with Bin Ladens father and that there could be more than meets the eye here. He was murdered in july 2000. You can also read "The Biggest Secret" by David Icke that reveals conspirasies from mankinds history right up to the murder of Princess Diana, and yes I think that she was murdered. Bob Daisley said "You know, maybe you shouldnīt write and talk about this" but I said "I think I can because I donīt think they listen to my records". On "Holy Man" thereīs a song called "Babylon" that deals with this. On my new record "Slam" you have songs like "Eye For An Eye" and "Cover Up".
I know that you have a history of recording records in New York, in Unique Studios. In the booklet for "Hurry Up And Wait" we can see you posing with the World Trade Center in the background and now this happens.
- Manhattan is so small that no matter were you were you had WTC nearby.
How is things going with "Slam"?
- My recordcompany in Japan, Pony Canyon, just called and they told me that it went into the charts at number 30 and they expect it to climb 10-15 notches. Iīve never had success like that before. Same thing in Germany. Iīve done quite a lot of promotion for it and the public seems to like what Iīm doing. Itīs a little strange to hear about it now because Iīm so involved in the thing with Glenn right now. But things are going well and Iīve worked hard for this to happen for years.
I would like to see you release a livealbum now.
- Then Iīd have to go out and tour first. Iīve been so busy just writing new songs. Iīve written something like 60 lyrics in two months, so that should tell you a little bit about how I spend my days.
Tell me about this project with Glenn Hughes.
- We call it HTP, or Hughes Turner Project, and weīre getting a good logotype for the record done right now. The record will not have a title from one of the songs or anything like that. Iīm staying here in Los Angeles to supervise the mixing process and it should reach the stores in february or march 2002. That also gives both Glenn and myself a chance to promote our own albums before all hell breaks lose with this. I think he may be interested in doing some work with Pat Thrall as well. But I can tell you one thing, no promotor is going to lose any money when we take this out on the road.
Tell me about the record.
- Itīs a damn good album. Itīs just jammed full with great music. The variation is there, it got everything from hardrock in the tradition of Rainbow and Deep Purple to big ballads and even some funk. Joakim Marsh from Glenns band plays guitar. Akira Kajiyama from my band is playing on one track. Paul Gilbert is on it. You have songs that will remind you of "Highway Star" and "Street Of Dreams". I came in a few days later than the others because of the attacks so some of the basic tracks were recorded and it was so damn good. I just know that people are going to like this. You know, the plane I flew in with was almost empty and they security was unbelievable. They picked you clean of anything that could be used as a weapon, things that nobody cared about at all before was now taken.
Do you think that thereīll be more records with Glenn Hughes?
- In the light of how good this is I would say yes, I donīt doubt it for a second. But it would also depend on the sales of this one. But as I said, people are going to love this.
And itīs original material only?
- Yes, no covers at all. Itīs huge. The harmonies reminds me of Queen.
Are you sharing all the vocals?
- Yes, but we have a ballad to ourselves but even those tracks have shared backing vocals. Mike Scott has produced the record. Heīs worked with Glenn the last few years. My ballad is called "Mystery Of The Heart" and it reminds me of "Street Of Dreams". Then thereīs a Paul Rodgers type of song called "Sister Midnight" that is very good. Hard but easy on the ears. And the opening track "Devils Road" reminds me of "Highway Star" in attitude. The album is commercial but in a positive sense.
If we look back on your career we find a three year hiatus from the point that you left Deep Purple to your first soloalbum in ages, "Nothingīs Changed" (1995). What really happened there?
- There was so much negative stuff happening to me all at once. First the fact that Deep Purple behaved like pigs. I know now that Ritchie didnīt want to bring Ian Gillan back but that the others did. But it was done in such a nasty way, kind of behind my back and that was very disapointing to me. Iīm normally a very positive person but what happened there kind of drained my spirit. My blood turned purple. I allowed myself to become bitter and I walked away from everything. I thought "OK, Iīm going to spend time with my daughter and thatīs it", and that period was very good for me. I quit drugs and alcohol and started to feel good about who I really am and I also got a pretty good idea of what I wanted out of life from that point on. But as I reflected on all of this Nirvana arrived and I still recall the moment when I realised that the business I knew had collapsed and that rock was essentially announced dead. And I thought "My God, itīs all over". The business just turned its back on all of us.
Your first record after Deep Purple was a very personal affair, a far cry from the heavier side of bands like Rainbow and Purple.
- It was a very personal record and I got a lot of stick from people that had wanted it to be something more traditional. But you know, the very point of recording in your own name is that you can do something a little bit more personal. The "Under Cover" records were completely stress free and I had a lot of fun doing them. There was no pressure and then they sold well and people enjoyed them. On "Hurry Up And Wait" I did a more commercial record and with "Holy Man" I explored a more serious side. With "Slam" weīre talking about a straight ahead rock sound again. Ritchie said something that I never forgot, "Never listen to critics because if you believe in the positive you also have to believe the negative". Thatīs a good thing to carry with you. You have to do what you want at any given time and thatīs why my records have identities of their own. I mean, I donīt want to make an endless stream of records that sound exectly the same. I couldnīt do that. I know that some people do but I couldnīt. A rainbow has many colours.
How is the radio in America shaping up?
- Itīs opening up gradually for my type of music and some of the stations are back to what they used to be before the collapse in the early nineties. Iīm going to do an interview with KNAC here in Los Angeles tomorrow and they are now playing music that spans the last 30 years or so. People are so tired of all the crap, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Slipknot. Itīs just crap. People want songs with strong melodies and real people that performs them. This business needs to turn the clock back but everything goes in circles anyway. Things are getting better. Iīm so happy to be working with Glenn Hughes now. I recall that moment when I asked him if he wanted to go to Japan with me and when he said "I would never do it for anybody else, but Iīll do it for you", and thatīs how it started. And Pony Canyon saw how good it was and came up to us and said "Do you guys want to record an album together?". It all fell into place and we sealed the deal with a handshake. I mean, this is so natural and weīre having a lot of fun doing it. I think that Glenn appreciates it from the heart as well and I gave him more space in the old Deep Purple tunes than maybe David did. But I did say early on that if we were going to do this it couldnīt be a funk thing, and he realised that. This is for the fans that have supported us through our rock years.
Iīm looking forward to this record and I think that a lot of people do.
- I think so to and Iīm happy about this because I know that thereīs no way that people are going to feel that weīve let them down. We want to tour and I really do hope that we can come to Europe with this record and to Sweden. And I want to come over with my band as well. We have to wait and see, who knows whatīs going to happen now. Anything could happen and we have to deal with it come hell or high water.
( End of Interview)
Mike Eriksson (Atlantis Online - August 2005)
Atlantis Online
