SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs revealed in an interview with Classic Rock Revisited that his band is recording a cover version of RAINBOW’s “Temple Of The King” for inclusion on the upcoming Ronnie James Dio tribute album. The collection, which is being assembled by the singer’s widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio, will also tentatively include contributions from METALLICA, ANTHRAX, JUDAS PRIEST’s Rob Halford, MOTÖRHEAD’s Lemmy Kilmister, DEEP PURPLE’s Ian Gillan, Alice Cooper, Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH), HALESTORM, Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW), Chris Jericho (FOZZY) and Dave Grohl (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS).

“I’m letting them pick what songs they wanna do in the way they wanna do it,” Wendy told Artisan News in 2011.

The Dio tribute album will see Grohl covering BLACK SABBATH’s “The Mob Rules”, Halford contributing a version of RAINBOW’s “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” and HALESTORM delivering a rendition of “Straight Through The Heart”.

“We reached out to Wendy Dio about wanting to be a part of the Dio tribute that’s getting put together,” METALLICA singer James Hetfield told U.K.’s Metal Hammer magazine. “We’re very honored to be a part of that, and to be a part of a celebration of Ronnie’s life and his great contribution, man.”

In an interview with Guitar International, former ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano stated that the band’s cover version of “Neon Knights” “came out pretty smoking.”

Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and his own band DIO, died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/scorpions-recording-cover-of-rainbows-temple-of-the-king-for-ronnie-james-dio-tribute-album/#jfJDx8G3l9OwyL3i.99

Matthias Jabs interview at www.classicrockrevisited.com – http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/show_interview.php?id=1029