DOOGIE WHITE-Fronted Version Of ALCATRAZZ Releases First Single, 'Turn Of The Wheel'

ALCATRAZZ, the iconic Los Angeles-based heavy metal band, has released a new single, "Turn Of The Wheel", via Silver Lining Music. The song is available now on all digital platforms. The video for the track can be viewed below.

"Turn Of The Wheel" is taken from ALCATRAZZ's upcoming studio album, due in the fall. The LP will feature original members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea, along with new vocalist Doogie White (RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST),drummer Mark Benquechea and guitarist Joe Stump. Pre-order will begin on July 23.

"'Turn Of The Wheel' was the first song we wrote together," states White. "When I heard the riff and the groove, I thought, 'Here we go.' From that moment, it was all hands on deck to do the best album we could. 'Turn Of The Wheel' as a complete rawk tune works brilliantly."

Doogie continues: "We spend so much time wondering about how the mistakes we made yesterday could be made better tomorrow that we forget about today. Today is what we have. Yesterday is gone, and we may not have tomorrow."

"Turn Of The Wheel" comes six months after Waldo, Stump, Shea and Benquechea issued a statement saying that would be joined by White for all their 2021 touring. Just a month earlier, original ALCATRAZZ singer Graham Bonnet said that he was "no longer affiliated" with ALCATRAZZ's manager Giles Lavery." At the time, the other ALCATRAZZ members shot back, saying that they were "still represented" by Lavery and blasting Bonnet for "dictat[ing] to us who our collective or individual manager may or may not be."

Not long after, Bonnet released a statement via his social media in which he said that he "will still be recording and performing with ALCATRAZZ. I am the founder and main songwriter and have been since the band's inception in '83." He added that he will "be announcing the incredible new ALCATRAZZ lineup in the spring" and promised to take the new band on the road.

Bonnet's comments naturally created confusion within ALCATRAZZ's fan base, prompting him to issue a follow-up statement explaining his position.

Graham wrote: "When my manager resigned in June, I asked the band collectively if they would be interested in touring to support the new album. They informed me that they were only interested in touring if my former manager was included. No one was 'fired,' we just parted ways. As that signaled the end of this version of ALCATRAZZ, I immediately began to seek new players for yet another new ALCATRAZZ line-up.

"I have performed with other versions of ALCATRAZZ since the demise of the original band, this was just the first time I played with any original members and the first time I recorded using the name ALCATRAZZ. The day my manager resigned, he also removed me as admin of the 'Graham Bonnet and ALCATRAZZ' band FB page so I was unable to let fans know what was happening until recently when FB returned my page.

"The first misunderstanding happened when I posted on the band page that 'Graham Bonnet and ALCATRAZZ' were no longer associated with Giles Lavery management. When I said that, I wasn't referring to the recent line-up. They had already informed me months earlier that they would only tour with my former manager and to me, that meant that they had quit. My reference was to my new version of ALCATRAZZ. I have no plans to relinquish the name ALCATRAZZ and I expect that they don't either. This is an old story, bands break up and there becomes two versions. I'm not bothered by it. I've toured with Doogie the past few years with [MICHAEL] SCHENKER FEST and he is a good friend and a damn fine performer. In my opinion, there is no such thing as too much music. People can listen to one or the other or both versions and choose whatever they like. I'm not interested in squabbling over a name, I'd rather just make music."

When Waldo, Stump, Shea and Benquechea announced that they were working with White, they vowed to put on "an explosive live show featuring all of the ALCATRAZZ classics that you know, plus added selections from Doogie's work with RAINBOW and MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST/TEMPLE OF ROCK."

Waldo, Stump, Shea and Benquechea's version of ALCATRAZZ has launched a Facebook page where they will be posting all their news going forward.