Joe Lynn Turner: Always shining, through Sun & Storm

In March of 2018, it was posted in Crystal Logic the article "Morality and inexplicable changes in the music industry". That article was reposted many times and there was even plagiarism from online media. It was something new, a different view, stating changes in the music industry, mainly focused in metal music.


The general idea was how a few bands continue performing and releasing new music, and keeping the "brand name". There is definitely controversy behind those acts and different views.


The "older" artist that can't perform or compose music as good as before, his retirement or replacement by another artist (most of the times younger), a change in the "rights holder", and the thrust to perpetuate the presence of the "old brand" that is more safe than risk with something new. Even if that "older" artist was the founder or the primary songwriter. It doesn't matter anymore in the music industry and at that point we reach the morality issue.


The same questions that were originally posted in that article still stand for the future of music and they look more relevant from time to time. What will happen when all these old and major acts will retire? Is the music personified or just music matters even if the "persons" are not there? Is there a morality issue? Or is it just music after all? Or simply, everything about major acts will be just business, like there is a businessman that has bought a big band (or bands) and hired managers to handle his investments, no matter who is in the band? This is what was written back in March of 2018.


Joe Lynn Turner, one of the most soulful and expressive vocalists of rock, hard rock and AOR, started his career in the '70s with Fandango. His fame reached the sky when he replaced Graham Bonnet in Rainbow, performing in the albums Difficult to Cure (1981), Straight Between the Eyes (1982) and Bent Out of Shape (1983). After Rainbow's break-up and the Deep Purple reunion, Turner released his classic solo album Rescue You (1985) and later he joined Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force performing in the album Odyssey (1988).


Turner's career never stopped since then. He briefly joined Deep Purple recording the album Slaves and Masters (1990), he kept releasing solo albums, he worked with Glenn Hughes in the Hughes Turner Project, he had many guest appearances and was part of a few more bands. At some point, Joe Lynn Turner formed Sunstorm and the debut album was released by Frontiers Records in 2006.


Forward to December of 2020:

And then, Joe Lynn Turner made an announcement:

Few weeks later, a new line-up and story was revealed by Frontiers Records:

Frontiers Records is a label that has released countless projects in the wider field of hard rock and AOR, including respectful artists and a few of the greatest ones. So, besides brand names and classic bands like Journey and Whitesnake, among Frontiers' catalogue you will see many familiar names participating in new bands-projects. Most of those projects were an idea of the label that also used a specific songwriting team and similar productions. A few of those albums were really great, others didn't really work, but mostly there was a specific standard and sound.


We already have reached the moment where a label is actually the "band". The label forms the band and the name, has the rights, sets the course and how the "band" should sound. The artists performing are actually the employees and the label is the boss who even guides the "artistic vision".


Was Sunstorm one of those projects owned by the label? Is Joe Lynn Turner another "random guy" performing in one of those projects?


Sunstorm moves on without Joe Lynn Turner and any of the members that performed in the first albums but what's more disturbing is how the music industry  treats a legendary name like Joe Lynn Turner. Actually, they're just erasing him presenting Sunstorm as a label project whose members don't really matter and the name is above everyone. And here we're reaching again the morality issue and the questions mentioned in the beginning.


There aren't easy answers. And if there are, those will change over the years, just like how the music industry is changing. Actually, there are many different answers depending on the person. Musicians, people working in the music industry, promoters, fans. Everyone might have a different perspective. Some musicians might not be able to keep performing and the "brand name" will continue without them in a mutual agreement (and a contractual agreement depending on the name). Some fans will just say that they prefer other (replacement) musicians as long as the music is "better" performed, no matter if there won't be any original member left. Record labels and managers might become the new "rights holders" and keep those "brand names" they way they want, and in the end, the music industry can change so much that at some points, music won't be personified at all. It won't matter who was previously in the band and who formed it, even if he was Joe Lynn Turner. It doesn't even matter the name. THEY say.


But what Joe Lynn Turner has to say?

Is Joe Lynn Turner another "random guy" performing in one of those projects that doesn't really matter mentioning his name? Just after Frontiers' statement, Ronnie Romero, the new singer of Sunstorm wrote:

How did Sunstorm really start in the end?

It seems that in the end, the music industry is so powerful that nothing else really matters. They can even change history and the past, they can even set the future.


The author of this blog works in this industry for many years and has seen many things, but in the end, RESPECT is not just a random word. This is something you always must keep in mind. And Joe Lynn Turner isn't also a random guy or the nameless "former singer". Always respect the true history and the past and don't let "edits" change it.


Feel the music. Respect those who offered you moments that shaped your music life, and wrote the real history.

TEN / Gary Hughes interview

TEN is a melodic hard rock British band formed in 1995 by singer/songwriter Gary Hughes. That's for those unfamiliar with TEN... For the rest, TEN is one of the best bands of its kind. Sounds simple and becomes simpler when you experience the music. There is a new album out there called "Heresy & Creed" and TEN will play for first time in Greece, so there is no better opportunity for me to exchange a few words with Gary Hughes.

So, what took you so long to come at Greece for a live show?

Greece has always been a country that TEN wanted to play but it can be very difficult to schedule in a one off show in the middle of a European tour. In the past when TEN toured it was done in a tour bus and as much as possible the gigs were all driven to this was to keep the costs to a minimum as flying a band a crew is very expensive. The exception being Japan when we always played at least three show which made the tour financially viable. The Athens shows we’re about to play have been kindly organised by our good friend Jason Thanos who’s arrange everything for us. He’s been telling us for years that the Greek rock fans are the best in the world, so now we’ve got the chance to come and find out for ourselves and play for everyone which we’re so excited about.

“Heresy and Creed” is your last TEN album, just one year after “Stormwarning”. What is the response to these two albums from press and fans?

The response has been tremendous. It’s was always a concern after our hiatus of five years between “The Twilight Chronicles” and “Stormwarning” if the fan were still out there? Thankfully we needn’t have worried because our fans are some of the most loyal in the rock work. The press we’re also very complimentary and we got some really great reviews. All in all we’re happy to be back and I can promise we won’t be leaving it five years to do the next record. We have many ideas and plans including an un-plugged DVD and also a Live DVD/album.

It is obvious that most of your songs are lyrically inspired by life, what surrounds you, and personal moments, so what grows old and dies after the love has gone? What’s more important in life?

The lyric in “After the Love Has Gone” is basically saying that your soul and reason for being is eternal and that’s what’s important but love can be a fleeting, passing moment, enjoy it for what it is because it might not be there forever.

Musically, where does your inspiration dwells?

Many things inspire me to write songs but with the “Stormwarning” album for example I wanted to go beyond the standard love or tragedy songs on previous records. My inspirations come from instances and experiences in my own life, news stories and the events in the lives of people around me. For instance with “Endless Symphony” which is a comparison between someone’s life and a musical score. The idea being life goes through many moods and emotions just like the music in a symphony the light and shade thing again. Music and life are very much paralleled and I though it would be interesting to make that comparison in a song.  I’m also inspired by Sci-Fi books and films, the dark side of the mind and strange phenomena. The song “Centre of my Universe” is based on the idea that a person can instantly become everything to you, you’re reason for being and the strengths created when those two factions meet. Another concept I had was “The Wave”, this is based on the idea that waves come onto the beach and then retract and head back out to sea. I compared the tide to the ebb and flow of our lives, again a very emotional song.

In the times of downloading and “free” music, how easy or difficult is for a band like TEN to survive? What’s your opinion about the present situation in music industry?

Each year it gets tougher and tougher for a band such as TEN to balance the books and continue. Record companies are continually reducing the advance which can make it even harder to produce a quality product with less money available. The record companies are not making what they used to so cuts have to be made. Last year we got a clear example of this when “Heresy & Creed” appeared on various free download sites before it had even been officially released. It doesn’t take a genius to know this is really bad for the band and the record company. I don’t know what can be done to stop these things from happening but I think you have to look at the bands that are still successful and it appears that the shift has taken place from making money on CD’s to making money on touring and merchandise. This is now the market place, the album is now only a vehicle for a tour and that’s where the money can be made for a band to survive in this difficult financial climate.

In the second half of the 90s, you came up with “Ten”, “In the Name of the Rose”, “The Robe” and “Spellbound”. Four melodic hard rock landmarks released in less than five years. Which are your memories of that era?

It’s interesting now thinking back to that era because at the time you’re too busy experiencing everything and living the dream that you have no time to stop and really analyze what’s actually going on. It all seemed to take place in a flash and you left thinking how did we fit it all in, in such a short period of time?  The most memorable period being for me were those first Japanese shows when we really didn’t know how we’d be accepted. We needn’t have worried, it was TEN mania from day one. I remember us being followed by fans from the airport to the hotel, then from the hotel to the show and then from the show to the “Hard Rock Café”. It was so intense but also very enjoyable, after all this is what you do it for and you have to embrace and soak it all up while you can because it definitely doesn’t last forever.

You had too many line-up changes over the years and you are always the main composer. Is TEN really a band or just a vehicle for Gary Hughes?

No one likes to see a band change personnel but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Musicians feel the need to move onto pastures new and that has to be expected. TEN is no exception but having said that we still retain 50% of the classic line-up with John, Steve and myself. TEN is still a band and everyone contributes their own ideas and styles when recording and playing live. I’m not averse to collaborating on tracks but when I write I have a complete vision of what the songs should be. It’s a system that’s served us well for the past 17 years and I don’t see any reason why it should change now.

If you could turn back time, what would you change and which are your best memories in TEN?

I’m not the kind of person that looks back and has any regrets, the past is the past and there’s nothing we can do to change it. I’m more interested in the here and now and what I’m going to be doing in the next few weeks and months As the song says “Don’t look back”. I stated in the previous question about the first Japanese shows which hold my fondest memories of the early days of TEN.

What the future holds for TEN and Gary Hughes?

TEN will continue, as always, to release records for as long as the fans want us to. We have no intention of stopping anytime soon let me assure you of that. As I stated previously we have many great ideas for the future including an unplugged and live DVD/CD. We’re also looking into the possibility releasing all the previously un-released material, studio and live, possibly as a box set containing a booklet and rare un-seen photography.

Give a message to the TEN/Gary Hughes Greek fans and what should we expect from your upcoming live show?

We’ll be hitting the stage with all the good stuff, the best of the best from each album. We simply can’t wait to be over there playing for our very first time on Greek soil. It’ll be an honour and a privilege to play in the birth place of civilization, where it all started. You guy’s have a lot to be proud of in your beautiful country. I know you’ve gone through some tough times recently and so have we over here in the UK but hey just for one night we’re gonna forget about all the negative stuff and have a real party. So please come along and help us take the roof off!

TEN latest album "Heresy & Creed" is released from Frontiers Records.

TEN will perform in Athens - Greece on March 1st, at Kyttaro Live Club. One day before, there will be a special acoustic show at Bat City Club.

Visit: http://www.tenofficial.com/