Dio fans are guaranteed something special when the band tour next month. Check out Dio’s tour dates here.

Talking exclusively to Classic Rock, Ronnie James Dio revealed that they’ll be playing a new song on tour.

“It’s called Electra, which will be released as a limited-edition single, although I’m not sure as yet just how we intend to put it out.

“However, it was important to me that Dio didn’t just come over on the back of the old material, but that we had something fresh to offer.”

Live, the band – also featuring guitarist Doug Aldrich, bassist Rudy Sarzo, drummer Simon Wright and keyboard player Scott Warren – will be concentrating on their own back catalogue this time around, with nothing at all included from Black Sabbath.

“We’ll probably do a coupe of things from Rainbow, but there’s no point in doing anything by Sabbath. I’ve been doing that with Heaven & Hell. There are a lot of people out there who are fans of Dio the band, rather than of me as the former singer with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, and for them we’ll do some material we’ve not done for a long time from the Dio era.”

The band are also planning a new album – or rather two. The aim is to record these simultaneously next year.

“I want to finish the story started with the Magica album [released in 2000]. There are two parts left, and we’ll do those together. At moment, though, I’m not sure when we’ll be recording. Part of the reason for this is that there’s more happening with Heaven & Hell.”

On the H&H front, Classic Rock can reveal that Dio and his bandmates – guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinny Appice – will be touring the UK early next year.

“I’ve heard we’ll be over in February, and knowing the way things work with this band we’ll probably do a lot more touring on the back of that. Not that I’m complaining. Working with these guys again has just been so much fun, and very rewarding. There are no egos getting in the way now. We’ve all grown up a lot.

“I’m delighted with the reaction to our album [The Devil You Know]. We knew it was good, but everyone has been so positive about it  – that’s just so gratifying. The challenge now is to better it, and also to do something a little different.”

As if all this wasn’t enough to keep the celebrated vocalist busy, Ronnie Dio’s still working on his autobiography ["It's on the back burner right now, because of everything else that's going on"], plus there’s the real prospect of an Elf reunion.

“I’ve been talking to my cousin ‘Rock’ [guitarist David 'Rock' Feinstein] about getting that band back together, and it’s certainly on the cards. But, as usual, it’s dependent on schedules coinciding.”

Elf were the band with whom Dio sung prior to joining Rainbow. They released three studio albums, and Ronnie’s ambition is to re-record some of those songs.

“I’d only want to do an Elf tour if we could come up with a new album. That would include reworkings of some of the older songs, which I don’t think we ever did justice in the studio, plus also a few new tracks.”

For further info, go to www.ronniejamesdio.com

Who was the best singer in Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow? Read the case for Ronnie James Dio here.

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