Early Career to Present
In high school, Joe formed Ezra, performing original material and cover songs by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Free and Deep Purple. In 1976, JLT enjoyed his first taste of national success with Fandango, a band described as an eclectic mix of R&B, pop, country, jazz and melodic rock. Turner sang and played guitar on all of the band's four albums. Fandango toured with numerous artists including The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys and Billy Joel.
After Fandango split, JLT received a phone call from legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. This resulted in an audition and Blackmore was so impressed that he immediately enlisted Joe in Rainbow.
Rainbow, while popular in Europe and Japan, had not reached the same level of success in the US before JLT joined. With Turner's contributions (largely considered more pop-oriented), the group was catapulted to a new level of American success. Several tracks from albums with Turner reached the Top 20 on rock radio charts in the early- to mid-80's. "Stone Cold" became Rainbow's first Top 40 hit and the band's videos were played in heavy airplay on MTV. Turner recorded three studio albums with Rainbow: Difficult to Cure, Straight Between the Eyes, and Bent Out of Shape, which featured the single "Street of Dreams". Rainbow disbanded in 1984, and Blackmore rejoined Deep Purple.
After the break-up of Rainbow, Joe released a solo album, Rescue You, produced by Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen and The Cars. JLT co-wrote most of the songs with keyboardist Al Greenwood (Foreigner). The first single, "Endlessly," received extensive airplay on radio and MTV. A tour with Pat Benatar and an acting role in the movie Blue Deville followed.
In 1987 Joe also supplied backing vocals to the Michael Bolton album 'The Hunger'. He appeared on the tracks 'Hot Love' and 'Gina'.
In 1988, he joined Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and recorded the greatly successful album Odyssey (1988). The brief tour that followed the release of the album included a concert in Leningrad which was recorded and then released as Trial by Fire (1989). In 1989 he left the band to join his ex-bandmates Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover by replacing Ian Gillan in Deep Purple, making him their fifth singer. With Deep Purple Joe recorded the album Slaves & Masters. The album's sound was different from the traditional Deep Purple sound, and although many thought it sounded fresh, in general Deep Purple fans did not like it. The tour supporting the album was financially successful, but the audiences were unhappy with Turner's performances and vocal about their desire for a return of previous singer Ian Gillan. After the tour, Joe was fired, reportedly much to his and Blackmore's displeasure.
Joe Lynn Turner has been working mainly on his prolific solo career since his departure from Deep Purple and has worked with Glenn Hughes under the "Hughes Turner Project" name and with the Bulgarian guitarist Nikolo Kotzev and his band Brazen Abbot. Joe also participated in Nikolo Kotzev's rock opera Nikolo Kotzev's Nostradamus. He has also put out 3 albums under the band name Mother's Army. In recent years he took on very successful studio project Sunstorm and worked with Japanese Guitar player Akira Kajiyama for the album Fire Without Flame. Joe Lynn Turner was a guest in the Voices Of Classic Rock Shows, along with his colleague Glenn Hughes. In 2005, Joe had a guest appearance on Blackmore's Night album The Village Lanterne singing on the Bonus track Street Of Dreams, which was originally written by him and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore with the band Rainbow.
In recent years, Joe Lynn Turner has performed in several concerts alongside Graham Bonnet, his predecessor in Rainbow and has also been a member of a touring band Big Noize.
In 2008 he has formed Over The Rainbow, a new band comprising of former Rainbow musicians (Bobby Rondinelli on drums, Greg Smith on bass, Tony Carey on keyboards - replaced in mid 2009 by Paul Morris) and Ritchie Blackmore's son J.R. Blackmore on guitar.
Helter Skelter
Joe Lynn Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
Do, don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Will you, won't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Look out
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Look out 'cause here she comes.
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
Well do you, don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Look out
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Look out helter skelter
She's coming down fast.
Yes she is.
Yes she is
(I've got blisters on my fingers)
The song "Helter Skelter" by Joe Lynn Turner is a cover version of The Beatles' original track of the same name. The lyrics of this song are enigmatic, with multiple meanings and interpretations. The song starts with a reference to a slide, where the singer goes to the top and returns to the bottom, where he sees someone he loves. The repetition of this action symbolizes the cyclical nature of life, where we have to start again and again from the beginning, but always with the hope of finding happiness or love.
The refrain "helter skelter" is one of the most intriguing aspects of the song, as it is a phrase with various meanings. The original meaning of the term refers to a British amusement ride where people would ride a slide around a central pole, creating a circular, chaotic movement. The Beatles' song "Helter Skelter" was linked to the Manson Family murders, as Charles Manson misinterpreted the song as a call for a race war. The song became a part of the legal case against Manson, and as a result, the term helter-skelter became a term for anarchy or chaos.
The lyrics of the song suggest that the singer is trying to please someone by coming down fast, but this person may not appreciate him for who he truly is. It could also refer to the idea that the singer is high, and he's coming down from the drug-induced feeling of euphoria. Overall, "Helter Skelter" is a song that is open to various interpretations, and its popularity lies in the ease with which listeners can identify with its lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
When I reach the lowest point, I make my way to the top of the slide.
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
I pause, turn around and take another ride down again.
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
I go down the slide again until I see you.
Do, don't you want me to love you
Would you prefer me not to love you?
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
I'm coming down quickly, but I'm way ahead of you.
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
Please tell me the answer! Come on!
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
You may be good at loving, but you're not a great dancer.
Helter skelter, helter skelter
In chaotic disorder, it's helter-skelter.
Will you, won't you want me to make you
Would you let me make you?
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
I'm coming down quickly, but please don't let me ruin you.
Look out
Be alert and watchful!
Look out 'cause here she comes.
Be careful and beware; she's coming quickly.
Well do you, don't you want me to love you
So, do you or don't you want me to love you?
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
I'm moving quickly, but please don't let me shatter you.
Look out helter skelter
Be cautious in the chaos.
She's coming down fast.
She is coming quickly.
Yes she is.
Indeed she is!
(I've got blisters on my fingers)
I have sores on my fingers.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind