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Blackmore's Rainbow: Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s

Artist: Blackmore's Rainbow
Title: Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Released: 1975.08.01
Label: Polydor Records
Time: 36:54
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Appears with: Deep Purple
Category: Pop / Rock
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Purchase date:  2001.04.23
Price in €: 6,40
Web address: www.ritchieblackmore.com

 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Man on the Silver Mountain (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 4:37
[2] Self Portrait (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 3:12
[3] Black Sheep of the Family (S.Hammond) - 3:19
[4] Catch the Rainbow (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 6:36
[5] Snake Charmer (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 4:30
[6] The Temple of the King (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 4:42
[7] If You Don'T Like Rock & Roll (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 2:36
[8] Sixteenth Century Greensleeves (R.Blackmore/R.J.Dio) - 3:29
[9] Still I'm Sad (J.McCarty/P.Samwell-Smith) - 3:53  

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


RITCHIE BLACKMORE - Bass, Guitar, Producer
RONNIE JAMES DIO - Vocals, Producer
MICKY LEE SOULE - Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Clavinet, Mellotron
GARY DRISCOLL - Drums
CRAIG GRUBER - Bass
MICKEY LEE SOULE - Piano, Mellotron, Clavinet, Organ

SHOSHANA - Vocals

MARTIN BIRCH - Producer, Mixing
DENNIS M. DRAKE - Mastering
FIN COSTELLO - Cover Design
DAVID WILLARDSON - Cover Design

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1975 CD Polydor 825089
1975 Polydor PD-6049
1975 LP Oyster 2001
1990 CD Polygram 825089
1990 CS Polygram 825089
1999 CD Polygram 547360

LP: Oyster Records / Polydor Records 2929 096 foc with lyrics, released without foc in U.K. (1983), Canada, Germany (1981), Argentinia (1978)
CD: Polydor Records 825 089-2 lyrics to "Sixteen Century Greensleeves"

Recorded 20th February - 14th March 1975 at Musicland studios, Munich

Booklet credits J.S.Bach for inspiration



Perhaps the first example of "dragon-rock" — a style perfected by bands like Iron Maiden and Dio in the early-to-mid-'80s — was this rather pretentious 1975 collection from guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's first post-Deep Purple project. Fittingly enough, a young Ronnie James Dio provides the goblin-like frontman presence required by the increasingly baroque Blackmore. The young Dio is at his best when he fully gives in to his own and Blackmore's medieval fantasy leanings, in hard-rocking tracks like "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" and "Man on the Silver Mountain." The dark, trudging doom-rock of "Self-Portrait" most clearly showcases what they were capable of. The album's ponderous lyrics are occasionally punctuated by poetic phrases such as "crossbows in the firelight." Rainbow becomes a true embarrassment when they try to lighten up and boogie down. "If You Don't Like Rock and Roll" is really an abomination, a pale imitation of second-rate radio-rockers like BTO. Although Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow provides a few listenable tracks, its primary value is historical. Look to Rainbow's next album, Rising (1976), to grasp the heavy metal potential that is only hinted at here.

David Kent-Abbott, All-Music Guide



Als Ritchie Blackmore Anfang 1975 sein erstes Soloalbum in den Münchner Musicland Studios aufnahm, konnte noch niemand erahnen, dass dies der erste gewichtige Schritt zu Blackmores insgeheim schon lange geplantem Rückzug von Deep Purple darstellte. Nachdem die letzten drei Konzerte Anfang April 1975 vorsorglich mitgeschnitten wurden (zu hören auf Deep Purple: Made in Europe), verkündete Blackmore seinen Ausstieg. Seine neue Band Rainbow (vorerst Ritchie Blackmore`s Rainbow) bestand aus der US-Band ELF, die schon auf etlichen Tourneen von Deep Purple als Vorband fungierten und die vom früheren Purple Bassisten Roger Glover protegiert wurde. Ausnahmegitarrist Blackmore übernahm sozusagen eine fertige Band, nur der Gitarrist wurde durch ihn ersetzt. Blackmores Solodebüt beinhaltete schon alles, was auf späteren Rainbow-Alben folgen sollte: harte, prägnante Riffs, filigrane Soli, dunkle, mystische Texte und die einzigartige Stimme von Ronnie James Dio. Songs wie "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Catch The Rainbow", "Still I´m Sad" und "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" waren über Jahre hinweg fester Bestandteil der Rainbow-Liveshows und gehören zu den absoluten Klassikern der Band. Zu den weiteren Highlights des Albums zählen das dramatische "Self Portrait" und das akustisch intonierte "Temple Of The King". Ein wegweisendes Album, das jeder Blackmore-Fan sein Eigen nennen muss.

Thomas Eckert, Amazon.de


After British maestro guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left DeepPurple in 1974, he recruited Purple Records signees Elf as his backing band. And although Rainbow's 1975 debut was onlya hint of future greatness, the album more than holds its own. Elf was led by dramatic metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who seemed to connect with Blackmore in quite a chemicalfashion. "Man on the Silver Mountain" is prime material, asis the six-minute blues-metal classic "Catch the Rainbow". Dio's shining vocals, shown to great effect here, have been emulated by hard rock vocalists throughout the years. "The Temple of the King" is another highlight, showcasing Blackmore's emotional guitar licks. "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves"is the group's ode to mediaeval times. "Still I'm Sad" is an instrumental jam that closes the album. Blackmore's fretwork, while speedy, comes from the heart. Although Rainbow's incarnations would change through the years, the drive and energy of the original lineup holds a special place in hard rock history. A worthy purchase for the connoisseurs of the genre.

Amazon.co.uk

 L y r i c s


MAN ON THE SILVER MOUNTAIN

I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel
I can roll, I can feel
And you can't stop me turning

Cause I'm the sun, I'm the sun
I can move, I can run
But you'll never stop me burning

Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again

I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain

I'm the day, I'm the day
I can show you the way
And look, I'm right beside you

I'm the night, I'm the night
I'm the dark and the light
With eyes that see inside you

Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again

I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain

Come down with fire
And lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again

Well, I can help you, you know I can

I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain

Just look at me and listen
I'm the man, the man, give you my hand
I'm the man on the silver mountain

Come down with fire
And lift your spirit higher
I'm the man on the mountain
The man on the silver mountain
I'm the night, the light
The black and the white
The man on the silver mountain


SELF PORTRAIT

Paint me your picture and hang it on the wall
Color it darkly, the lines must start to crawl

Down, down, down
Spin me around and around
Draw me away to the night from the day
Leave not a trace to be found
Down, down

Nothing is real but the way that I feel
And I feel like going down, down, down, down
Down, down, down, down, down

Paint me a picture of eyes that never see
With flashes of lightning that burn for only me

Hey hey hey
There's only the devil to pay
I'm ready to go
Pull me down from below
Give me a place I can lay

Hey hey
Nothing is real but the way that I feel
I feel like going down, down, down, down
Down, down, down, down

Hey hey
Nothing is real but the way that I feel
And I feel like going down
Down, down

Nothing is real but the way that I feel
And I feel like going down, down, down, down
Down, down, down, down
Down, down, down, down
Down


BLACK SHEEP OF THE FAMILY

I've got nothing in my head
Got a floor for a bed
The future's at the bottom of a tea cup

I got a half a pair of shoes
And no time to lose
I'm wondering when I'm going to wise up

So, fortune shine your light on me and my clothes
Cause we need some security
You get a little bad luck
And it grows and it grows
I'm the black sheep of the family

I've got half a pound of rice
A beard full of lice
A mission called retrogression

I've got pocket full of dust
And eating is a must
You want to make a good impression

So, fortune shine your light on me and my dog
Cause we need some security
While all the folks are living high up the hill
I'm the black sheep of the family

Don't talk to me about society
You got to pay the rules
Or pay the penalty

Because there's nothing to choose
Between a handful of blues
Double indemnity

The hour was wrong
And my shadow's getting long
My real life's a song, don't need much
But I've got an ache in my head
I wanna go to bed
Tomorrow I don't have to wake up, no

So wisdom shine your light on me and my knees
Cause it's true what they say about familiarity
There's nothing good this way
And it's true they say
I'm the black sheep of the family

Oh, my wisdom shine your light on me and my knees
It's true what they say about familiarity
There's nothing good this way
And it's true they say
I'm the black sheep of the family
Yeah, yeah

I'm the black sheep of the family
Just me and my dog, yeah, yeah
I'm the black sheep of the family
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm the black sheep of the family
You've got me on my knees
I'm the black sheep of the family
Yeah, yeah, yeah


CATCH THE RAINBOW

When evening falls
She'll run to me
Like whispered dreams
Your eyes can't see

Soft and warm
She'll touch my face
A bed of straw
Against the lace

We believed we'd catch the rainbow
Ride the wind to the sun
Sail away on ships of wonder

But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me

Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn

We believed we'd catch the rainbow
Ride the wind to the sun
And sail away on ships of wonder

But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me, oh bless me, bless me

Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn


SNAKE CHARMER

Old hollow eyes
Got no ties
Walking by the light of the moon

Hey shiny boots
With strings and flutes
Rising like a crazy balloon

Close your door
He's on the loose
Umm, here he comes
No hope for you, ooh
Snake charmer, we'll haunt you

So, hey mystery man
What's your plan
I've got to tell the world
To beware you don't care

He'll hypnotize you
And tell you lies
He's hiding at the top of the stairs

Close your door
He's on the move
I see him coming out
There's no hope for you, ooh
Snake charmer
Snake charmer
Get out

Hey fancy face
Got no place
Living from a hole in the ground

Old sparkle eyes
He never cries
One step ahead of the hounds

Close your door
He's on his way
He's coming out of the shadows now, now
No hope for you, ooh
Snake charmer
Snake charmer, now listen to me yeah

Hey hollow eyes
Got no ties
Oh shiny boots
Play your strings and flutes

Mystery man what's your plan
Fancy face, got no place
Snake charmer
He'll harm yer

Oh sparkle eyes
Got no ties
Oh shiny boots
Close your door
He's on the loose
Snake charmer
My mystery man what's your plan
I've got to tell the world to beware
You don't care
Hypnotized


THE TEMPLE OF THE KING

One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell

One day in the year of the fox
When the bell began to ring
Meant the time had cometh
For one to go
To the temple of the king

There in the middle of the circle he stands
Searching, seeking
With just one touch of his trembling hand
The answer will be found

Daylight waits while the old man sings
Heaven help me
And then like the rush of a thousand wings
It shines upon the one
And the day had just begun

One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell

One day in the year of the fox
When the bell began to sing
It meant the time had cometh
For one to go
To the temple of the king

There in the middle of the people
He stands
Seeing, feeling
With just a wave of a strong right hand
He's gone
To the temple of the king

Far from the circle at the edge of the world
He's hoping, wondering
Thinking back from the stories he's heard
Of what he's going to see

There in middle of the circle it lies
Heaven help me
Then all could see by the shine in his eyes
The answer had been found

Back with the people in the circle
He stands
Giving, feeling
With just one touch of a strong right hand
They know
Of the temple and the king


IF YOU DON'T LIKE ROCK 'N' ROLL

You'd never know there was some music playin'
Until you talked your way inside the door

And then a sound like rollin' thunder
Begins to push you right thru the floor

And there's a great white sign
With big black letters
That just about explains it all

If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well, if you don't like rock 'n' roll
If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Then it's too late now
Well it's too late now

Hey hey
Of course there was the usual lady
And she was dressed the way the stories tell

So bein' cool I made a move to grab her
But you could see she read story well

And then she whipped out a card
With big black letters

That just about explained it all
Well if you don't like rock 'n' roll
If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well if you don't like rock 'n' roll
Then you're too late now
Then you're too late now

Well, if you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well, if you don't like rock 'n' roll, yeah
If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well it's too late nown
You're too late now

If you don't like rock 'n' roll
If you don't like my rock 'n' roll
Then you're too late now
Then you're too late now
Then you're too late, too late now


SIXTEENTH CENTURY GREENSLEEVES

It's only been an hour
Since he locked her in the tower
The time has come
He must be undone
By the morning

Many times before
The tyrant's opened up the door
Then someone cries
Still we close our eyes
Not again

Meet me when the sun is in the western skies
The fighting must begin before another someone dies
Cross bows in the fire light
Green sleeves waving
Madmen raving
Through the shattered night
Yeah yeah yeah

Flames are getting higher
Make it leap unto the spire
Draw bridge down
Cut it to the ground
We shall dance around the fire

No more night
We have seen the light
Let it shine on bright
Hang him higher, higher

Draw bridge down
Cut it to the ground
We shall dance all around the fire, around the fire

No more night
we've seen the light
let it shine on bright

Hang him higher, higher
Put the man on the fire

Draw bridge down
Cut it to the ground
We gotta dance around the fire, the fire, the fire


STILL I'M SAD

Instrumental.

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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