Joe Lynn Turner launches fresh attack on Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Clearly not one to let things lie, Joe Lynn Turner has launched a fresh critique of the latest incarnation of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow calling it “a mistake.”

Back in February, the former Rainbow and Deep Purple singer hit out at Blackmore’s new collective dubbing them a “covers band” then two months later suggested they aren’t worthy of the Rainbow name unless they record an album and tour.

Now, insisting he has “no sour grapes”, Joe Lynn has reiterated his point that there should have been “an authentic” Rainbow reunion and suggests that Ritchie was “misguided” putting the line-up together.

"The first thing I think I can say is that he's been misguided by people around him,” Joe Lynn told Eddie Trunk. “That's what I really believe. I believe he's been misguided, and I believe he trusts these people and I think that he made a mistake doing this."

He continued: "Look, I wish (Ritchie) well. I wanna preface this by saying I really wish Ritchie well. He's allowed to do whatever he wants. I have no sour grapes about this. I'm busy as ever. As he was quoted, 'Joe has his thing. He's busy and I've always liked him, and we have no problem.' He said that in the article in Le Parisien. So that's true.

“But at the same time, I wanted an authentic reunion. I wanted guys from Doogie (White) and Graham (Bonnet) and Bob Daisley and (Bobby) Rondinelli, and all these guys, and I wanted to have a Rainbow extravaganza, because there are a lot of fans that love Rainbow that still haven't even seen Raibow, and this would be the ticket for them. You know, maybe a two-hour extravaganza.

“So I guess the people, his advisers or whoever, could not sell him that particular (idea), or maybe they never even told him that. I actually have a feeling that he was not full of the information at the time, because certain things have come to pass that sort of indicated that he didn't know about it, to me."

Joe Lynn added: "Why he's doing what he's doing is still a mystery to me. I have my suspicions. I think they're probably too inside for me to even talk about. But at the same time, I just think he's been misguided.”

Alongside lynchpin Ritchie Blackmore, the band features Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson, Blackmore's Night drummer David Keith & bassist Bob Nouveau and new singer Ronnie Romero.

Together with two Monsters of Rock shows in Germany, they play a sold-out show at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on Saturday 25th June in what will be Blackmore’s first UK rock show in two decades.