Tony Carey not happy that I blogged about his ancient issues with Rainbow
By Steve Newton
Whoa!
I woke up to an angry Facebook message from rocker Tony Carey this morning.
Turns out the singer, songwriter, and keyboard great was none too impressed with the blog I posted yesterday, which included audio from 1984 of him denouncing his previous band, Rainbow, and in particular guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
“Why in the world would you take a 32-year-old interview and make a new blog out of it?,” he asked, before adding the fun part: “F*** you, ass****.”
Geez, great question, Tony. I don’t know. Maybe because I’m a longtime music writer who’s deeply interested in the history of the awesome rock bands I grew up loving in the ’70s–including the untold stories behind them.
Or maybe it’s because the Rainbow album that first brought you fame, Rising, just celebrated its 40th anniversary, and every classic-rock blogger in the world has been trumpeting that fact since Tuesday.
Or maybe it’s just because I’m bored during my current staycation and felt like digitizing some of the more intriguing quotes I’ve gathered on cassette over the last 30-plus years of interviewing rockers.
Or it could just be that I’ve always been fascinated by how such a supremely gifted guitarist as Ritchie Blackmore, one of my all-time faves, could be viewed by so many fellow musicians and ex-bandmates as such a dick.
Or maybe it’s all of the above.
At any rate, Mr. Carey, the goal of banging out that blog yesterday was not to piss you off. I’m a big fan of your work with Rainbow, and your Some Tough City solo LP made my list of the Top 10 albums of 1984.
I know you’re not my Facebook Friend anymore, but I’d like to part on better terms, so here’s another audio excerpt from that 32-year-old interview that you might appreciate more than the last one.
Hey, sometimes it pays to knock on wood, right Tony?
To hear the full audio of my 1984 interview with Tony Carey–and my 1985 interview with former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio as well–subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 275 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with:
Peter Goalby of Uriah Heep, 1983
Lenny Zakatek of the Alan Parsons Project, 1983
Marc Storace of Krokus, 1983
Chris Whitley, 1991
Buddy Cage of New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2006
Bill Elm of Friends of Dean Martinez, 1995
Simon Townshend, 1983
John Bush of Anthrax, 1993
Aldo Nova, 1983
Steven Adler from Guns N’ Roses, 2011
Mick Ronson, 1989
Tom Morello, 2011
Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers, 1993
Colin Hay of Men at Work, 1983
Mark Kelly of Marillion, 1986
Luther Allison, 1995
Lee Rocker from the Stray Cats, 2007
J. Geils from the J. Geils Band, 2006
Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, 1997
Jason Newsted of Newsted (and Metallica), 2013
Marshall Crenshaw, 2013
Dan Hartman, 1984
Sean Costello, 2006
Roger Hodgson from Supertramp, 1998
Tommy Stinson from the Replacements, 1993
Brian Blush of the Refreshments, 1997
Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, 2003
Craig Northey of Strippers Union, 2021
Melissa Etheridge, 1990
Joe Jackson, 2003
Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity, 2001
David Ellefson of Megadeth, 1992
David Lee Roth, 2003
Grant Walmsley of the Screaming Jets, 1991
John Popper of Blues Traveler, 1991
Dave Murray of Iron Maiden, 2012
Joe Perry of Aerosmith, 1993
Ellen McIlwaine, 2001
Derek Trucks of Tedeschi Trucks, 2012
J.D. Fortune of INXS, 2006
Fernando von Arb of Krokus, 1984
Gary Holt of Exodus, 1985
Dizzy Reed of Guns N’ Roses, 1992
Scott Ian of Anthrax, 2012
Gary Lee Conner of Screaming Trees, 1992
Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, 1985
David “Honeyboy” Edwards, 2003
Rudolf Schenker of Scorpions, 1992
Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, 2001
Jeff Keith of Tesla, 1988
Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton of Arc Angels, 1992
Marc Bonilla, 1992
Mike Smith of Sandbox (and Trailer Park Boys), 1996
Dewey Bunnell of America, 1983
Robert Randolph of the Family Band, 2003
Keith Strickland of the B-52s, 2008
David Johansen of the New York Dolls, 2005
Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon, 2003
Todd Kerns, 2016
Bill Payne of Little Feat, 2002
Robbin Crosby of Ratt, 1989
Tommy Shannon of SRV & Double Trouble, 1998
Alejandro Escovedo, 1997
Billy Duffy of the Cult, 1989
Dave Martone, 2020
Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, 2006
Joss Stone, 2012
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, 2005
Jack Blades of Night Ranger, 1984
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, 1992
Colin James, 1995
Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, 1998
Tom Cochrane of Red Rider, 1983
Ed Roland of Collective Soul, 1995
Taj Mahal, 2001
Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, 1995
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, 2003
David Lindley, 2002
Marty Friedman of Megadeth, 1991
John Hiatt, 2010
Nancy Wilson of Heart, 2006
Jeff Golub, 1989
Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness, 1990
Todd Rundgren, 2006
Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, 2001
Steve Earle, 1987
Gabby Gaborno of the Cadillac Tramps, 1991
Terry Bozzio, 2003
Roger Glover, 1985
Matthew Sweet, 1995
Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds, 2003
Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, 2001
John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, 1995
Steve Hackett from Genesis, 1993
Grace Potter, 2008
Buddy Guy, 1993
Steve Lynch of Autograph, 1985
Don Wilson of the Ventures, 1997
Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, 1998
Trevor Rabin of Yes, 1984
Albert Lee, 1986
Yngwie Malmsteen, 1985
Robert Cray, 1996
Tony Carey, 1984
Ian Hunter, 1988
Kate Bush, 1985
Jeff Healey, 1988
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, 1993
Colin Linden, 1993
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 1995
Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, 1986
Elliot Easton from the Cars, 1996
Wayne Kramer from the MC5, 2004
Bob Rock, 1992
Nick Gilder, 1985
Roy Buchanan, 1988
Klaus Meine of Scorpions, 1988
Jason Bonham, 1989
Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, 1991
Joey Spampinato of NRBQ, 1985
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, 2003
Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, 2003
Steve Kilbey of the Church, 1990
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, 1990
Dan McCafferty of Nazareth, 1984
Davy Knowles of Back Door Slam, 2007
Jimmy Barnes from Cold Chisel, 1986
Steve Stevens of Atomic Playboys, 1989
Billy Idol, 1984
Stuart Adamson of Big Country, 1993
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, 1992
Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, 1998
John Bell of Widespread Panic, 1992
Robben Ford, 1993
Barry Hay of Golden Earring, 1984
Jason Isbell, 2007
Joe Satriani, 1990
Brad Delp of Boston, 1988
John Sykes of Blue Murder, 1989
Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, 1998
Alice Cooper, 1986
Lars Ulrich of Metallica, 1985
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, 1992
Myles Goodwyn of April Wine, 2001
John Mellencamp, 1999
Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1999
Kenny Aronoff, 1999
Jon Bon Jovi, 1986
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, 1992
Little Steven, 1987
Stevie Salas, 1990
J.J. Cale, 2009
Joe Bonamassa, 2011
7 thoughts on “Tony Carey not happy that I blogged about his ancient issues with Rainbow”
Jeez. I’m a fan. But I also understand the value of old, classic interviews! I adore reading them. Obviously I haven’t interviewed as many rockers as you, but I posted all my old interviews online. They are history. They are a resource!
That’s what I was wondering. But it doesn’t seem likely!
Loading...
Perhaps because after 34 years of retrospecting he probably sees the past in a different light, understands better what happened and why and what Ritchie is/was really about, and retaining mostly the good memories of that time and how it propelled forward and upward his dream career, and to whom he owns his success. After all he gladly joined Over The Rainbow tribute project.
But back in a day he was a talented young aspiring musician looking to get his break, which he found with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. He didn’t like heavy rock but decided to go ahead and do that anyway for the sake of his career. Because he wasn’t a fan, he came off a bit standoffish and arrogant – after all he just wanted to use them for his ulterior motives and leave them behind when he was through with them – but both Ritchie and Cozy picked up on that vibe from the getgo and that rubbed them the wrong way, of course. And from this point on they just never clicked, and even though they they saw his talent they didn’t like him as a person.
Although for some reason everyone, who passed through that band, eventually found himself magically converted into a new-born fan of the genre and is looking back at their experience with fond memories, and Tony Carey is no exception. That’s why he was so upset when somebody found an old trash and brought it up under a spotlight after 34 years.
Loading...
well said, man! strange from Tony. we love classic rock, that’s it
i think its great you remember the musicians steve, this un-gratefull snob,his comments about song writing are absurd,now you know why “blackmore” is resented,ya think he’d be happy after selling all that copy,personally,i didnt like “rainbow”,so i’m not surprised
Jeez. I’m a fan. But I also understand the value of old, classic interviews! I adore reading them. Obviously I haven’t interviewed as many rockers as you, but I posted all my old interviews online. They are history. They are a resource!
yeah, I’m not sure why Tony got so pissed. It’s not like he’s trying to get back in Rainbow or anything. I hope.
That’s what I was wondering. But it doesn’t seem likely!
Perhaps because after 34 years of retrospecting he probably sees the past in a different light, understands better what happened and why and what Ritchie is/was really about, and retaining mostly the good memories of that time and how it propelled forward and upward his dream career, and to whom he owns his success. After all he gladly joined Over The Rainbow tribute project.
But back in a day he was a talented young aspiring musician looking to get his break, which he found with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. He didn’t like heavy rock but decided to go ahead and do that anyway for the sake of his career. Because he wasn’t a fan, he came off a bit standoffish and arrogant – after all he just wanted to use them for his ulterior motives and leave them behind when he was through with them – but both Ritchie and Cozy picked up on that vibe from the getgo and that rubbed them the wrong way, of course. And from this point on they just never clicked, and even though they they saw his talent they didn’t like him as a person.
Although for some reason everyone, who passed through that band, eventually found himself magically converted into a new-born fan of the genre and is looking back at their experience with fond memories, and Tony Carey is no exception. That’s why he was so upset when somebody found an old trash and brought it up under a spotlight after 34 years.
well said, man! strange from Tony. we love classic rock, that’s it
i think its great you remember the musicians steve, this un-gratefull snob,his comments about song writing are absurd,now you know why “blackmore” is resented,ya think he’d be happy after selling all that copy,personally,i didnt like “rainbow”,so i’m not surprised
Very interesting, didn’t know any of this about Tony. However, I just reviewed the debut album from his band Planet P. If you would like to look its: https://80smetalman.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/great-rock-albums-of-1983-planet-p-project/