Former Rainbow and Deep Purple frontman Joe Lynn Turner has opened up about his turbulent working relationship with guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. He describes the Swedish musician as a “top-level egotist” and “narcissist” who required careful psychological management.
In a candid interview, Turner explained his unique approach to collaborating with the notoriously difficult guitarist. “You have to be a psychologist to a certain degree,” Turner stated. “I don’t think anybody got along with Yngwie Malmsteen as good as I got along with Malmsteen. You’re talking top level egotist, you know, narcissist.”
Despite acknowledging Malmsteen’s challenging personality, Turner praised his undeniable talent. “And God bless him. He’s a freaking genius with all his stuff. But people who are that beyond talented have traits like that. You have to just understand that,” Turner explained.
Turner revealed his strategy for managing the relationship using a metaphor that became his guiding principle. “I always used to say I have a whip and a chair like a lion tamer, you know. And I would go in with the whip and the chair and let the lion roar and come back and go forward when I could and come back when I had to,” he said. “It’s a push-pull relationship.”
The vocalist emphasized that he never compromised his artistic integrity while remaining flexible. “I never really sacrificed myself. If he didn’t like a lyric or a melody or one word or a line, I would respect it and I would change it, come back to him. And nine times out of 10, I think it was better, which shows to go, as we said, that when you have somebody you can trust to review something or be critical of something that you can come back even better when you look at it again,” Turner reflected.
Turner’s working relationship with Malmsteen produced some of the most commercially successful music of both artists’ careers. Turner and Malmsteen collaborated on the 1988 studio album Odyssey, which became Malmsteen’s most commercially successful record. The partnership also resulted in the live album Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad in 1989, showcasing the chemistry they had developed despite their personal differences.
The Odyssey album represented a significant moment in both artists’ careers. Turner brought his melodic hard rock sensibilities and powerful vocal delivery to complement Malmsteen’s extraordinary guitar virtuosity. The collaboration blended technical mastery with accessible songwriting. Turner handled the vocal arrangements and lyrics while Malmsteen contributed the music and guitar work.
Before his collaboration with Malmsteen, Turner had already established himself as a respected vocalist through his work with the legendary band Rainbow. Turner sang lead vocals on several of Rainbow’s most important albums, including Difficult to Cure (1981), Straight Between the Eyes (1982), and Bent Out of Shape (1983). This experience with one of rock’s most demanding frontmen and musicians prepared Turner for the challenges he would face working with Malmsteen.
Turner’s tenure with Rainbow had taught him how to navigate complex creative relationships with highly talented but temperamental musicians. The skills he developed during those years—balancing artistic vision with collaborative compromise—would prove invaluable when he later worked with Malmsteen. His background in handling the egos and creative demands of Rainbow’s lineup gave him the experience necessary to manage Malmsteen’s narcissistic tendencies while still producing quality music.
One of the standout achievements from the Odyssey collaboration was the radio-friendly track “Heaven Tonight,” which became a major commercial success. This song exemplified the successful formula Turner and Malmsteen had developed. It combined Malmsteen’s technical guitar prowess with Turner’s accessible, melodic vocal approach. The track demonstrated that despite their personality clashes, the two musicians could create commercially viable hard rock music that appealed to mainstream audiences.
