RONNIE JAMES DIO On BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW Reunion Rumors, Upcoming DIO CD

Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) was the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" on August 16. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On the status of the new DIO album:

"I think because we've had to tour so much in the last three years that… I'm the kind of person who who really focuses and hones in on what has to be done. If there's gonna be an album done, I wanna do nothing but that. So I don't write while I'm on the road — that takes that time away. So we do bits and pieces. We've started a few things, and we've learned how to work with each other, because a few of the people in this band have never worked together before as writers — at least one hasn't, and that's Rudy Sarzo, who's our bass player. He's been our bass player for two years, but we've toured for two years, so we haven't had a chance to do any writing. So we're testing the waters here and there, writing a few things. The touring hasn't stopped yet — it won't stop until after October — so when that happens, then I'll focus and we'll write."

On the possibility of DIO/ELF reissues coming our way:

"There's talk of always doing remastered [DIO] things that haven't been remastered yet, and I know that Rhino — through Warner Bros. — will be doing a box set of some kind, and I think they'll all be remastered, so I think you'll some of those. As far as the ELF things go, it was such a long time ago and such a different part of my life, really, that sometimes I think to myself, 'Well, that has nothing to do with what I'm doing now and what I've done for the last 20 years,' but in reflection, I think it's become so much a part of what I am that I think it needs to be addressed at some point. And so, therefore, I will tell you that, having gotten back together with my cousin, who was our guitar player in that band, Rock Feinstein [David 'Rock' Feinstein], we're planning on re-releasing a couple of those albums, remastered, the ELF albums, and doing two or three new tracks. So, yeah, we're gonna do that."

On the possibility of further collaborations with BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi:

"We've already written one [new] song together. The reason for that is that there's a release coming out, it's called 'Black Sabbath: The Dio Years' — they've already done one, of course, 'Black Sabbath: The Ozzy Years'; that was the beginning and, really, the best part of it all — but they've decided to do one, again, 'Black Sabbath: The Dio Years', and we wanted to make it a little but more special, not just give you things you've not heard from a live perspective. These are two things you'll never hear again — two new songs. We are going to do that. It's been fun already. The one we've done — the one that I've done with Tony has been really wonderful — just great to realize how magnificent a player he was. You forget that after 10 years at a time that you don't work with someone. So we are gonna be doing that. And I hope you'll like it. I think it'll be great."

On the rumors of him possibly rejoining BLACK SABBATH:

"There's always rumors about everything — about a RAINBOW reunion, about a BLACK SABBATH reunion. Our purpose was to do this because we wanted to have this product be a bit more special than anything else — not just, 'Here's a live track you've never heard before.' I mean, that's cool, but I'm sure people have heard that. We wanted to do something a bit more special, so the whole band would write and play these songs, and… They've wanted to hear them long enough, so here they are. But it's not anything that we've talked about leading to anything other than that. No, it's for that project."

On the possibility of a RAINBOW reunion tour:

"I've tried for such a long time… We've all tried, I think — Ritchie [Blackmore] and myself, and Cozy [Powell], when he was alive — to try to do something again that would please the people who have been so loyal to us with RAINBOW after all these years. I think they've deserved that — perhaps we've deserved it for ourselves, I don't know. But we did try. It came to a point where it almost happened. Then, unfortunately, Cozy passed away, and it kind of fell apart. So at this point, I would say, this will never, never happen again. No, there will never be another RAINBOW — not with me in it anymore. I have other things in my life to deal with. Ritchie seems to be very happy with what he's doing. Let's all just remember it for the brilliant, great, groundbreaking band that it was and just be thankful that it was there once."