A fan filmed Over The Rainbow performing the classic Rainbow song, "Street of Dreams" at a July 10 show in Allentown, PA. View the clip below.
The band's guitarist, Jurgen "JR" Blackmore, son of the legendary guitarist of Deep Purple and founder of Rainbow Ritchie Blackmore, sat down recently for an interview with The Weekender, an Pennsylvania based music magazine. Read some choice excerpts from that interview below.
On how Rainbow fans are reacting to Over The Rainbow, which features Jürgen alongside four former Rainbow members:
"I would say in the beginning, nobody knew what was going on. One piece was liking it and was very happy that it was all happening again. Now, I'm very honest, I'm so happy, because all of the people that were talking, I wouldn't say bullshit, but those people are very happy. And we are very, very happy."
On receiving his father's blessing to pursue Over The Rainbow:
"I talked to him about this happening. He said, 'Yes, OK, go on, do it.' He knew I was a guitar player, and said 'Do what you want.'"
On whether the reclusive Ritchie, from the U.K. and now based in Long Island, N.Y., will come out to check out an Over The Rainbow show:
"I don't think so, because my father, how can I say... He is not interested in all the things and the world. He doesn't even go on the Internet. I don't know what he's doing. It's his choice. I don't know how he's feeling. I talk to him sometimes. But I know people around him told me they have heard a little of stuff from Over The Rainbow and always say it's great. And everybody says they are proud and 'Your dad is proud, too.'"
On being pleasantly surprised by the Over The Rainbow crowds in Europe, not only by their size, but also their enthusiasm and diversity:
"It's like a big party, it's awesome. It's all ages. I was thinking at the beginning, 'We'll only get people over 35.' And when we started playing our first shows, you'd even see 6-year-old girls on (their parents') shoulders. I talked to these people and said, 'Why are you so young, you never saw this band?' They said, 'That's the point. My dad grew up with this, and he always told me stories about this."
To read the interview in its entirety, Click Here.
OVER THE RAINBOW is:
Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW 1980-1984) - Vocals Bobby Rondinelli (RAINBOW 1980-1983) - Drums Greg Smith (RAINBOW 1994-1997) - Bass Jürgen "J.R." Blackmore - Guitar Paul Morris (RAINBOW 1994-1997) - Keyboards