In a new chat with Levi Buckley of Sticks For Stones, legendary vocalist Graham Bonnet offered an update on the upcoming studio album from the GRAHAM BONNET BAND — and confirmed that Bruce Dickinson has already laid down his parts for their anticipated duet.
Bonnet, known for his iconic work with RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ, and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, revealed that songwriter Russ Ballard has contributed multiple tracks to the new record. “Russ Ballard has written three songs for us, two of which I think are definites [to go on the record], and we might even do the third,” Grahan revealed (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “But the third one he sent me recently is a little bit too poppy, possibly. But, hey, [the Ballard track] ‘Since You Been Gone’ [which RAINBOW recorded during Graham‘s time with the band] was a fricking pop song. What can you say? I mean, it was a pop song.”
Among the material in progress is a special track featuring IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson — a collaboration fans have been eagerly anticipating. According to Bonnet, Dickinson didn’t just agree to appear; he’s already finished recording. “Yeah, Bruce has done his bit. What happened was we wanted him to do the last verse and the last chorus kind of thing, and then take it out with ad libs or whatever he wants to do. So he’s got the last part of the song. And I haven’t done my bit yet, which is the first verses, whatever, and chorus and pre-chorus. So it’ll be half and half, both of us.”
Bonnet also teased the possibility of a music video featuring both singers. “We’ll do that,” he said. “I’m thinking about it now. I think probably at the end, or even at the beginning, Bruce could sing with me on the first verse. I don’t know. But he’s done all his [parts], and it sounds great. And so I think I’ll leave it as it is.”
The collaboration itself came together through longstanding mutual respect. While the two singers aren’t close day-to-day, their history goes back decades. Bonnet explained: “I’ve known him for — God — a long time, but I haven’t seen him every day. He’s not my best friend or anything…. He said to somebody — in his [solo] band, I believe — ‘I never do this for anybody,’ do a [guest] appearance on [somebody’s] album. ‘But I’ll do it for Graham.’ That’s how much of a friend he is. And I thanked him very much for being so generous and going out of his way to do this with us, ’cause he does like the band and everything. He’s with us all the way, and we’ve been to see a lot of his shows recently.”
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