OVER THE RAINBOW, announced in late 2008, is a band featuring former RAINBOW musicians singer Joe Lynn Turner (1980-1984), keyboard player Tony Carey (1975-1978), drummer Bobby Rondinelli (1980-1983) and bassist Greg Smith (1994-1997) alongside the son of RAINBOW founder/guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Jürgen Blackmore.

The group undertook Russian and Ukrainian dates in February 2009 hitting Minsk, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Ivanovo, Ekaterinburg, Odessa, Kiev, Ukraine, Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk. OVER THE RAINBOW performed Japanese dates in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo during April. US concerts were conducted in July.

OVER THE RAINBOW were joined by keyboard player Paul Morris, another ex-RAINBOW man, for the group's 24th June appearance at the 'Sweden Rock' festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden, as Tony Carey, was unavailable to perform on this date. After returning from OVER THE RAINBOW's Japanese tour, Carey developed a gastrointestinal disorder that required immediate treatment. However, shortly afterwards Carey opted out of the band altogether.

The band conducted further Russian dates in October.