In a new interview with Levi Buckley of Sticks For Stones, legendary rock singer Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the next studio album from his group, the GRAHAM BONNET BAND. He said: “(English rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer) 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. 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.”

Asked about the song on GRAHAM BONNET BAND‘s upcoming album which will feature a guest appearance by IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, Graham said: “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.”

Asked if he thinks he will be able to make a music video for the song with Bruce making an appearance in it, Graham said: “Yeah, I do. We’ll do that. 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.”

Regarding how the collaboration with Bruce came about, Graham said: “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.”