Rainbow: Doogie White Has His Say!
Last week, Geoff Barton, Malcolm Dome and Dave Ling extolled the comparative virtues of Rainbow vocalists Joe Lynn Turner, Graham Bonnet and Ronnie James Dio, respectively. But one man was missed out – Doogie White.
The last singer standing, as it were, White spent nearly four years in Rainbow, and was the man exercising his throat on the 1995 album Stranger In Us All. So we thought it only fair to give him his shot in the limelight. Okay, then, Doogie, why does everybody ignore your era of the band?
“I think we got overlooked back in 1995, because the media in the UK were chasing grunge at the time. Nobody wanted to know about us then. We did hardly any interviews, got virtually no reviews for the album, and when we played Hammersmith Odeon one reviewer said we were a ‘chicken in the basket band’. (Guilty as charged – Malcolm Dome.)
“However, while we were overlooked in Britain and America, everywhere else we did really well. I know that the album sold at least 350,000 worldwide, and that was a while back.
“The other reason that album gets ignored – and so do I – is because it came out on BMG, whereas all the rest of the catalogue was on Polydor. So, when Polydor/Universal put together these Rainbow compilations, nothing from Stranger In Us All is included.”
White feels that there’s genuine merit in his sole album with Rainbow.
“I haven’t listened to it for a while, but the songs were strong. It’s just a shame that the production was too slick, too American. When Ritchie Blackmore and I first discussed the album we agreed that it should be pitched somewhere between Burn by Deep Purple and Rising from Rainbow. In the end, Ritchie compromised a little and went for something the American market could appreciate as well.”
So, what is Doogie White’s take on his predecessors? Who does he regard as the master?
“I’m a fan of all three of them. But, like all diehard fans, for me Ronnie’s era is the one. I’d regard Eyes Of The World, from the Down To Earth album, as the last true Rainbow song. No disrespect to Joe, who is a fantastic singer, but a lot of his stuff – such as Street Of Dreams – was fast food compared to the real meat.
“Oddly, the man whose era I found most difficult to capture on stage was Graham Bonnet. I think we only did part of Since You Been Gone in our live set, and nothing else from Down To Earth. He has this ‘roar’, you see. And it’s so hard to do that. If you get it wrong, then you sound horrible. I grew up listening to Ronnie – and others like Ian Gillan, David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes – so doing the early songs was really right up my street.”
White feels that the chances of a Rainbow reunion are really remote.
“I just don’t think it’s on Ritchie’s radar. But if it did happen, I’m not sure which singer he’d choose. I’d have to join the queue.”
Doogie White is incredibly busy right now. He’s working on new songs with Tank, collaborating with Dio guitarist Craig Goldy on a project and has finished work on his first solo album, which is to be called As Yet Untitled. As for his time in Rainbow…
“It was great fun, and Ritchie lived up to my expectations as a guitarist!”
For further info, go to www.myspace.com/doogiewhite
If you missed out on Classic Rock’s previous Rainbow shenanigans, you can read Dave Ling on Ronnie James Dio here, Malcolm Dome on Graham Bonnet here, and Geoff Barton on Joe Lynn Turner here.
I saw the band with Doogie a handful of times between ‘95 and ‘97 – including their last ever gig in Esbjerg, Denmark. They were great! I even got to meet Doogie a couple of times – and play football with him! He’s a very nice guy and an awesome singer. Look forward to his solo album.
Very overlooked album. He was ten times the singer that JLT was, and he has his own hair!
Good! I am glad CR did the decent thing, and not forget about Doogie.
I have seen him a few times, most recently with Tank at the Sweden rock festival and he is a fantastic singer!
The Stranger in us all album is some of Blackmore`s finest work with Rainbow.
Bizarre, at this years SRF i saw 3 ex Rainbow singers!
White (with Tank) Dio (with H&H) and Joe Lynn Turner (with Over the Rainbow)
great album great singer! check out the bootlegs of the european tour they are excellent!
Great singer. I know he auditioned for the Maiden job after Dickinson left, wonder what that would have been like?
Can’t argue with any of the above – Stranger in us all is a great album, despite the slick production. Saw the band at Hammersmith in ‘95 and thought they were better than when I saw them at the Rainbow in ‘81.
Good to see Doogie getting some coverage.
How about CR doing a feature on the Stranger In Us All album, after all it is the last Rock release from Blackmore.
Good point, Agent Robbo…I remember reading an interview with Doggie where he said how disappointed he was to have to audition for Maiden on Christmas Eve, and then find out that he’d lost the job to Blaze freakin’ Bailey!!!! Does any of you guys know where to find this interview?
I saw the 90s Rainbow 11 times, and it really fed off Blackmore’s rejuvenation that had occurred on his last tour with Purple. His playing was superb, and with Doogie White he had found a real gem of a singer. Not only someone fully immersed in the back catalogue, who could do justice to those songs, but also a man with a unique ability to improvise. On many nights Blackmore would play all manner of obscure tunes, with White the perfect foil for Blackmore’s spontaneity. It was a truly great and seriously overlooked period of Rainbow’s career. Hopefully one day some live recordings from ‘95-96 will be offically released so rock fans can hear what they missed.
Excellent! Dougie didn’t get overlooked in the end.
I can see it coming soon – Evans, Gillan, Coverdale, Hughes… or Turner!?
yay doogie!
after dio i think he was best;
could somebody give the guys @ hetal hammer a slap for saying this one should be avoided!
There are a couple of Maiden tribute albums out featuring Doogie. He does versions of The Evil That Men Do, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter and The Clairvoyant.
You can get them all as downloads at amazon for anyone interested.
Good idea, Leftin. And may I suggest you guys do the same with “Which Rush era is the best:
a) Rush to 2112?
b) A Farewell to Kings to Moving Pictures?
c) Signals to Hold Your Fire?
d) Presto to Test for Echo?
e) Vapor Trails to current?”
Rodrigo – Am not a Rush expert, but c) is my choice!
I thought Doogie was great on the studio cd and the rockpalast german tv ‘95 rainbow show but Ritchie slagged him off in an old interview.He said they were turning him down at the mixer by the end of the tour he was getting so bad.Strange,cause he always sang great with Yngwie Malmsteen whenever I saw them.Maybe he was saying stuff about Ritchie that angered him to the audience.At least one or two times he said introducing Yngwie,”He’s a very bad man,covets gold..and the like.I bet Yngwie got tired of hearing it after awhile and maybe thats why he got Ripper Owens?
[...] Or Doogie White, even? [...]
Doogie White the best Rainbow singer outside the Dio years. Stranger In Us All the best album outside the Dio years. And in chemistry keeping within the tradtional Rainbow sound and style. Easily the best line up outside the Dio years.
Still I`m Sad…what a brilliant reworking of this classic Rainbow interpretation.
Thank you Doogie for bringing some self respect back into Rainbow, if Ritchie should record another Rainbow album. You are the singer to carry it on from where you and the band left off.
Check You Tube for a nice interview from Japan
with Ritchie & Doogie. Ritchie plays accoustic
and Doogie improvises. Great “We are sad alcoholics”
song. LOL!
Thought Stranger In Us All was a fine album.
Sorry Doogie never got the chance to record again
with Ritchie. Would definitly love to see a live
release from their shows.