Former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner has made new accusations against Yngwie Malmsteen, claiming the guitarist took credit for songs he didn’t write. Turner discussed the matter in a recent interview.
Turner explained that after having his publishing checked, he discovered discrepancies involving songwriting credits from his time working with Malmsteen. He described the situation as theft, though he stopped short of directly blaming Malmsteen.
“And I had people check on my publishing and still found out that there were some songs that Yngwie was claiming that he wrote,” Turner said. “And yeah, and that’s unfortunate.”
“But we’ve been straightening that out now and collecting my share of the publishing on that because that’s just theft,” he continued. “And whether he knew it or not or his people were doing it or whatever, I don’t know. I’m not casting any blame, but it’s certainly suspicious that he’s still trying to have an iron fist, so to speak, and take credit for things he didn’t do.”
Turner went on to reflect on long-running grudges in rock and roll, comparing the situation to other well-known feuds within the genre.
“I mean, if you get under somebody’s skin that badly, you own them for life,” he said. “When you have that type of problem and you keep it for years and years and years, whether it’s Ritchie and Gillan or anything, any kind of problem, they own that person owns you because you’re irritated by it. You’re still pontificating and you know, I think one guy said one comment was, ‘Oh, he’s an old man screaming at the clouds.’ Which is an old saying, you know. And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, he’s yelling at the clouds,’ you know, like there’s something wrong here. There’s no need for that.”
He also recalled past remarks Malmsteen made about not needing singers. He described how other vocalists who worked with the guitarist reacted to those comments.
“And years ago, he said something about he never needed any of us singers,” Turner said. “And I think all of us, Mike Visera and Jeff Scott Soto and your everybody got together and started saying basically, ‘Hey, dude, you know, this is way out of line and you’re out of your mind for saying this. Why? Why do you have to go back to that?’ So, look, I did my job. I did it well.”
“And I put him on a map that he would never be on, okay?” he continued. “Until, you know, and now look, he’s got his hardcore fans. He’s got his fan base. God bless. Now he’s trying to do drums and produce and sing and write. Good. God bless you. Now you’re in full control.”
Turner said he has had no recent contact with Malmsteen. He prefers to leave the publishing matter to legal representatives rather than address it personally.
“The last time I spoke to him was ages ago. Ages ago,” he said. “I don’t, you know, it’s like there are certain guys in rock and roll that that we remain friends and you know, reach out on holidays or just you know, we intimately we do, but no, something like that. No, there’s no reason for me to say, ‘Hi, Yngwie. How’s it going?’ Not for any other reason except I have nothing to say.”
“I don’t have anything to say to him,” he added. “You know, if I’m worried about a publishing, I let publishers deal with it. I let my people deal with that. I don’t have to say anything to him because I already know what he said. He already said it in the press. What am I going to pick up and say, ‘Hey, you’re full of shit man. You know what are you talking about?’ Please never argue with a fool because they’ll bring you down to their level and you’ll never win. Never. You just have to ignore it.”
“Legal is legal. Let them handle it,” Turner concluded. “I’m not going to start arguing why did you say that and why did you think this and that’s childish. A lot of rock and roll is still childish, you know. It’s still is It’s very um arrested development or something. It’s like they’re still in the basement coming out, ‘Hey, what the hell you say that for?'”
The publishing dispute traces back to a collaboration that has long carried tension beneath its surface success.
Turner joined forces with Malmsteen in 1988 for the album Odyssey, a project that became one of the most commercially successful releases of Malmsteen’s solo career. The pairing brought together Turner’s melodic vocal style with Malmsteen’s guitar virtuosity, and the record is still regarded by many fans as a high point for both artists. Behind the scenes, however, the working relationship grew strained as the sessions progressed.
Turner has previously described the creative process on Odyssey as heavily weighted toward his own contributions. He has said that most of the lyrics and melodies on the album came from him. He has also acknowledged that Malmsteen brought many strong musical ideas to the table. That account lines up with his current claims. Turner is now asserting that his input on those songs was not properly credited or compensated through publishing.
The tension between the two extended beyond songwriting disagreements. Turner has spoken about Malmsteen becoming increasingly controlling as work on the album wore on, describing moments of visible frustration during that period. He has recalled walking around Stockholm in the rain, venting his irritation at how overbearing the situation had become by the end of the sessions.
That strain appears to have never fully resolved, resurfacing now in the form of a formal publishing dispute rather than a personal confrontation. Turner’s decision to let legal representatives handle the matter reflects the same approach he described in his recent comments. He continues to keep the business side separate from any direct communication with Malmsteen.
