Rainbow - On Stage (1977) + Bonus Track

(U.S / U.K 1975-1984, 1993-1977, 2015-Present)

The story of Rainbow's 'On Stage' actually begins with recordings of the band's third studio album "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll".

The recording of this album was accompanied by many difficulties. It was recorded at a castle in the Paris area, and the band members did not have finished materials to work with.  The writing process for most of the album's songs was performed at the castle itself, however the recordings did not progress satisfactorily, mainly due to the band members not concentrating on writing and enjoying the beautiful place and weather. In addition, the recordings were surrounded by strange faults in the recording equipment and unexplained phenomena until the band members and the recording team decided to perform a séance to find out the reason for it. And if that's not enough, because of Ritchie Blackmore's caprices, the band members were replaced several times during the recordings.

All of the above problems and significant delays in the recordings caused the record company to put pressure on the band to release something and that brought this great gift called "On Stage".

Rainbow 'On-Stage'

This live album has a lot in common with the mother band ("Deep Purple") "Made In Japan" album. This is also a double album that was not recorded on one complete show, but rather songs recorded over several performances. In addition, here too, most of the songs were recorded in Japan and like its older brother here too the show includes a lot of improvisations. And if you still do not understand how much the similarities between the two albums exist, then also in this album songs with "thin" versions in the studio albums have won bombastic versions that are substantially different from the original.

However, 'On-Stage' does not really reflect what happened in the band's performances. It included massive editing and studio intervention that undermined the authenticity of the live performances. What's more, the songs were shortened, solo pieces were compressed and improvisations were cut, all to allow for the release of this album as a double vinyl. But this is not enough, masterpiece songs that were part of the setlist on those shows, were not included in the album at all and the order of the songs was changed to adapt the album to the logistical and technical requirements. For example, works such as "Do You Close Your Eyes" and "Stargazer", which were played in performances at the time, did not find their way to the final edit.

Dio, Powell and Blackmore

Luckily, years later several performances from the same time were released, both on video and audio, so this magic can be recreated in a way closer to the original. An excellent example is the performance "Live In Koln 1976" in which you can also find the songs that were cut as part of the final editing of this album.

The choice of songs for the album was also strange. Four of the six songs on the show are from the band's first album, with the excellent album "Rising", being represented by only one song, "Starstruck", also not one of the greats of that album, which is part of a medley along with the blues section and the song "Man on the Silver Mountain". Among the six songs is also the song "Mistreated" from the MKIII of "Deep Purple", and another new song that will only be included on the band's next album, so what we have left to do is just wonder what went through Blackmore's mind when compiling the song list for this album.

Rainbow L-R: Carey, Dio, Blackmore, Powell & Bain

Despite all that said and perhaps against all odds, this is still an excellent album by a band that is at its peak with its classic lineup that includes Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell, Tony Carey, and Jimmy Bain.

The album opens with the famous segment from the film "The Wizard of Oz", which has also become the regular opening intro of the band's performances, for generations. Dorothy talks to her dog, Toto, and says:

"Toto, I'm a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore, We Must Be Over the RAINBOW…"

"We Must be Over The Rainbow":

And then ... the legendary Cozy Powell lands a powerful blow on the snare drum, and we all embark on an adventure that not even the writer L. Frank Baum dreamed of when he first wrote his book on the controversial magician. "Kill The King" which is to be included on the band's next album is coming in full force, and we are getting a bombastic opening for this live album. Although the version of the show sounds a little less tight than the studio version, it is still a strong opening that requires a lot of courage of opening a live album with a new and unfamiliar song.

From there we move on to the string of the "Man On The Silver Mountain" which includes a bluesy improvisation with a keyboard guitar duet in the best tradition of "Deep Purple", as well as "Starstruck" from the album "Rising" which is shortened here.

The other side of the first album includes the song "Catch the Rainbow" which received an upgrade here and became an epic work. This is without a doubt the album's powerful performance, which although stretched over more than 15 minutes is not boring even for a moment. The improvisations of the band members are reinforced with vocal improvisations from Ronnie James Dio mostly in the last part of the piece that becomes a fifth instrument of the band.

The second album features the song "Mistreated" by "Deep Purple" which is spread out on the entire first side of the album. Dio manages to take a song that is so identified with David Coverdale's voice and perform it amazingly. Here, too, the improvisations stretch over a large part of the song (mostly by Blackmore) only this time it's a little less flowing than the previous song.

The fourth and final side of this double album concludes with two songs: "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" featuring a long improvised overture, and the cover version "Still I'm Sad" which became a song with the original lyrics from "the Yardbirds" as appose to the instrumental album version.

In conclusion, despite the rather puzzling selection of songs, despite the over-intervention during the mixes and production, this is still an excellent album that perpetuates the band's highlights in the classic lineup. The long improvisations and "facelift" of the songs do not detract in any way from the pleasure of listening to the album. On the contrary, all we have left is to miss those days, when bands were improvising, jamming, and giving the songs a different interpretation as part of their performances. There are no artists today who appear like this anymore, no one is as spontaneous, innovative, and brave as they were in those days, and all that is left is to just cut and save this wonder so that future generations will understand how they used to make music, with a big heart and soul. [Thanks to FaceOff Rockshow for this album account]

Album Review

Forty years ago, the classic hard rock powerhouse that is Rainbow released the spectacular "On Stage" live album, which included various cuts from their 1976 European and Japanese tours. With the inhumanly talented and much-missed Ronnie James Dio at the vocal helm and a supremely talented line-up consisting of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, legendary drummer Cozy Powell, ex-DIO-bassist Jimmy Bain, and keyboardist Tony Carey, "On Stage" benefits from not only brilliant live renditions of classic tracks, but also superb musicianship. It feels somewhat pointless to point out just how stellar the musicianship is. I mean, have a look at that line-up. It speaks for itself

I mentioned that the songs were culled from the band’s European and Japanese tours, but instead of European, I probably should have said German as they are pulled from different recordings of shows in Munich, Cologne, and Nuremberg that took place in September of 1976. As to Japan, certain cuts from the shows in Osaka and Tokyo in December that same year were used for the "On Stage" opus. The Tokyo gig marked the end of the "Rainbow Rising" tour. In his autobiography entitled "A Hart Life", former Rainbow tour manager Colin Hart seems to indicate that the taping of the Japanese shows were recorded as an insurance of sorts, but to me that sounds slightly cryptic; were they recorded in case the Rainbow line-up suddenly imploded or in case the recordings of the European shows were not up to par? Here is how he puts it:

The Japanese dates went off flawlessly with dear old Martin Birch yet again recording the live show for posterity at Bruce’s (Ed. Note: Bruce Payne, the Rainbow manager) behest, more I think as insurance in case it all went tits up for some reason. Bruce is nothing if not cautious, but maybe he knew something I didn’t? The ‘Rainbow Rising’ tour came to a final halt at the renowned Budokan in Tokyo on December 16th after an arduous six months non-stop touring. We all went our separate ways.

Is that Martin Birch's Tape Desk sitting behind Blackmore?

Boasting a crisp and powerful sound, the band plows through such monumental songs as "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", "Still I’m Sad", and the bluesy "Mistreated" that was originally composed and recorded by Deep Purple whilst Blackmore was still a member of that outfit. It is a shame that the epic "Stargazer" does not appear on the disc, as that is undoubtedly one of the greatest hard rock tunes of all time, way up there with the very best of them. Still, it is impossible not to be swept away by the mournful and haunting "Catch the Rainbow" or the power and majesty of "Kill the King".

Given the era in which these live renditions were taped, it should come as no surprise that each song is extended and expanded upon. "Catch the Rainbow" and "Mistreated" clock in at an amazing 15 and 13 minutes respectively. Back then that was perfectly natural, but it also serves a very important purpose; it made the shows dangerous, unpredictable, and edgy. The spontaneous and intuitive feel of "On Stage" is a blessing and you can never tell what is waiting right around the corner. Blackmore’s playing covers just about every conceivable mood in that it ranges from the bombastic and wild to the mellow, gentle, and even subtle.

Interestingly, the vicious "Kill the King" that opens the album following the customary "Wizard of Oz" introduction did not appear on a studio album until 1978’s "Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll", thus "On Stage" was the first time ever that this particular track was captured on tape, at least officially. The only single that was released to promote the album, namely the "Live" single that was released in September 1977, contained "Kill the King" on the A-side along with "Man on the Silver Mountain". The B-side consisted of "Mistreated".
In an interview with Jeff Cramer, keyboardist David Stone (who replaced Tony Carey in Rainbow) once claimed that he also figured on the "On Stage" album:

[…] The album before that, Rainbow on Stage, was a live album by Rainbow. What they had done, I don’t know if I got credit for it or not. I think in some prints, I don’t. That was when Tony Carey had left the band and the album was two-thirds done […] What they had done was take more recordings with me in the band and used those as well […] In Japan, January of 1978, I got a gold album for being on Rainbow on Stage […] I’m there. Tony’s there. That’s a half-and-half album […] I can’t tell you what tracks I am on. I haven’t listened to the album in 25 years.

Whether this is true or not I cannot say. He is not listed anywhere in the album credits and I have never come across any other rumors or sources that indicate that Mr. Stone was involved in the live album offering. However, it would not surprise me if he did appear on the album despite not being credited anywhere. Things like that have happened before, sometimes to retain the illusion of a certain line-up sticking together or to keep things coherent and cohesive on the surface of things. Who knows what the truth of the matter is?

It is amazing to think that forty years after "On Stage" was recorded, Blackmore decided to resurrect Rainbow and once again wield his magic on stage together with a handful of highly talented musicians for three European dates, more specifically two in Germany (check out the "Memories in Rock – Live in Germany" album) and one in Birmingham (check out the "Live in Birmingham 2016" album). What is even more cool is that yesterday, June 17th, Rainbow played a brilliant show in front of an ecstatic crowd at the O2 Arena in London as part of the Stone Free Festival. After all these years, the legendary guitarist still has it and remains one of the most enigmatic and intriguing characters in rock ‘n’ roll.

What these 2016 and 2017 gigs also prove is that those forty-something year old songs still mean an awful lot to fans of classic rock and that they have lost none of their potency and meaning. Whether you put the "On Stage" album on and immerse yourself in that with your eyes closed or opt for the relatively recent "Memories in Rock – Live in Germany" record from last year, the indefinable spark, energy, and otherworldly magic of a Rainbow live performance cannot be denied. Having said that, I think it is fair to say that to many of us, nothing will ever top the classic Bain/Blackmore/Carey/Dio/Powell line-up and the monumental "Rising" album and tours of 1976.  [Review by By J. Nepper at eternal-terror.com]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my Oyster vinyl which I have proudly owned since 1977 and includes full album artwork for both vinyl and CD media.  I remember being disappointed when I discovered that the live track listing didn't contain their epic power anthem "Stargazer" and instead contained yet another recording of Deep Purple's "Mistreated".  To remedy this, I have decided to include a live recording of "Stargazer" here, taken from another live release entitled "Rainbow Live In Germany, 1976", and also provide alternative artwork for CD.

So, as promised, I have now provided all three of Rainbow's earliest (and best) releases but if sufficient interest is shown via the Comments, I might be enticed to post their "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" studio album in the near future.

Track Listing

01 Intro / Kill The King   (5:31)

1.1 Over The Rainbow (Introducing)

1.2 Kill The King

02 Medley (11:15)

2.1 Man On The Silver Mountain

2.2 Blues

2.3 Starstruck

03 Catch The Rainbow  (15:36)

04 Mistreated   (13:07)

05 Sixteenth Century Greensleeves  (7:37)

06 Still I'm Sad  (10:23)

07 Stargazer [Bonus Track - Germany, 1976] (16:51)

Rainbow were:

Vocals – Ronnie James Dio

Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore

Bass – Jimmy Bain

Drums – Cozy Powell

Keyboards – Tony Carey

Producer – Martin Birch

Rainbow On-Stage Link (442Mb)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Rainbow Rising (1976)

(U.S / U.K 1975-1984, 1993-1977, 2015-Present)

The LP 'Rainbow Rising' was hailed as an instant classic upon its release in 1976. Ritchie Blackmore and his band reflect on that album and their rise and fall in the following article from Classic Rock Issue #158...

Munich, Germany, February 1976

Three months after Jimmy Bain joined Rainbow, the band flew to Munich’s Musicland studios to begin work on their 2nd LP, that would become "Rainbow Rising". The new line-up had already been broken-in with US dates the previous November, on which they unveiled three new songs: 'Do You Close Your Eyes', 'Stargazer' and 'A Light In The Black'.

“We had written 'Stargazer' at rehearsals, and 'Tarot Woman', I believe,” Blackmore recalls today. “The other songs we made up in the studio, as far as I remember. We chose the studios because I worked there before. I like to be in Germany when I’m recording.”

Rainbow 1976 (L-R): Carey, Powell, Bain, Blackmore & Dio

Founded by disco producer Giorgio Moroder, Musicland had already hosted Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, as well as Deep Purple and a Blackmore solo session. Technically and aesthetically, though, it left a lot to be desired. “We couldn’t get the drums to sound live enough, because it was an archetypal 70's studio with rugs on the wall”, Carey remembers. “So we got a wrecking crew together, hacked up the stairwell and turned it into a concrete tomb. That’s how Cozy got his sound.”

Overseeing the sessions was Deep Purple producer Martin Birch. Having worked with Blackmore’s former band during their most turbulent periods, the Zen-like Birch was a calming influence. He was also a black belt in karate, which gave him an assurance that came in useful when dealing with strong personalities.

Ronnie James, Martin Birch with Ritchie Blackmore (Getty Images)

Also on hand was Musicland’s resident engineer, Reinhold Mack. Apparently the German-born Mack would alleviate tensions by arriving in the studio dressed in a storm trooper’s uniform and barking out orders to the band. “I did this only once,” says Mack. “Ritchie always asked me about WWII stuff – as if I would know. So me and my assistant rented the gear and stormed into the control room cussing and shouting, almost scaring Ritchie to death. Fairly good acting on my part.”

Despite the underlying tensions, Rising is the sound of a band on fire. Recorded in the days before digital edits, the album has the intensity of a band getting it right in just a couple of takes, driven by Blackmore’s intense desire to prove a point to his former Purple bandmates. And then there’s the voice. “Ronnie was not only a talented singer, he was an amazing songwriter,” says Carey. “Even on the throwaway songs, which would be 'Run With The Wolf' and 'Do You Close Your Eyes', he was ferocious. All five-foot-two of him.”

The album kicks off with the keyboard crescendo of 'Tarot Woman'. “I especially like the Minimoog solo Tony does on Tarot Woman,” says Blackmore. “It was the first solo he did for the song. He said he could do much better, and went back and played for about an hour, but it never compared to the first solo.”

The album’s centerpiece is 'Stargazer', a nine- minute epic that combines Blackmore’s love of classical music with Dio’s vivid, fantastical lyrics. The track is built around a cello-inspired main riff, but the highlight is Blackmore’s uninhibited lead playing and searing slide work (a recent addition to his repertoire). The sweeping, Eastern scales add to the grandiosity.

“It’s amazing how many guitarists use the same old lines,” says Blackmore. “They never dare touch Arabic or Turkish scales.” For added grandeur, Blackmore brought in the Munich Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Rainer Pietsch. But not everything went to plan.

Blackmore Left - Powell Top - Carey Bottom- Dio Right

“The orchestra was too flowery, and there was too much detracting from the simple melody,” Blackmore says in retrospect. ”We kept taking out parts, and I felt sorry for Rainer because he was so proud of this grandiose piece he had written. We got down to the bare bones, and mixed in some Mellotron to even out the orchestra not sounding cohesive or in tune.”

Rising was released on May 17, 1976. Although it has a running time of just 33 minutes and 28 seconds, Blackmore obviously felt it was complete, as he held back songs, notably 'Kill The King' and 'Long Live Rock’N’Roll', for Rainbow’s next album. Looking back at Rising, opinions differ. Bain (see right) remains positive. “You could tell how much fun we were having,” he says. “It’s got that attitude.”

Blackmore, though, is more circumspect: “Although I thought the overall sound of the record was very punchy, it lacked warmth and bass. It was very ‘toppy’.”

Europe, Australia and Japan, June-December 1976

That summer, Rainbow embarked on a world tour that took them to four continents in six months. Surprisingly, their set didn’t include "Tarot Woman" and 'A Light In The Black', while 'Stargazer' was rarely included. “For some reason the tempo for 'Tarot Woman' didn’t translate for the stage,” Blackmore explains. “Same with Stargazer. Which was a pity.”

The tour was far from perfect. On the technical side, the vast, 40-foot wide Rainbow backdrop, powered by 3,000 light-bulbs, played havoc with the guitars and amplification. It was eventually chucked into the Atlantic at the end of the tour, to the delight of the beleaguered lighting crew.

Rainbow's Infamous Stage Prop

These technical problems with their stage setup was further noted in Jeff Apter's biography on The Life of AC/DC's Angus Young, when writing about their 1976 European Tour:

AC/DC's 'gang' mentality was at work when they toured Europe with Ritchie Blackmore's new band, Rainbow, and the man's onstage rainbow proved about as reliable as Spinal Tap's Stonehenge prop. Night after night it repeatedly failed to do its many-coloured thing. Angus, Malcolm and the others would stand side-stage, waiting for the latest equipment malfunction. When it inevitably happened, they'd burst into laughter...... [High Voltage: The Life Of Angus Young - AC/DC's Last Man Standing, by Jeff Apter, 2017. p99]

Is that Angus, Malcolm & Co watching from side-stage?

By the time I joined the band to cover them for Sounds magazine, cracks were beginning to show. On the flight from Australia to Japan, Blackmore’s personal assistant, Ian Broad, got into a fight with Cozy Powell’s wife; Bain was ‘refreshed’ thanks to a prescription of Mandrax; Blackmore threw buns at disgruntled First Class passengers’ heads, and convinced confused staff that he was oblivious to events, while furtively fingering an innocent member of the group.

Rainbow's Australian Tour Advert

Bad news greeted the band when they landed: Tommy Bolin had died. Despite the fact that he had replaced Blackmore in Deep Purple, Blackmore was a fan of Bolin; Bain was a personal friend.

Against this chaotic backdrop, Rainbow had split into separate camps. Bain and Carey’s up-all- night lifestyle earned them the nickname the Glimmer Twins. Blackmore kept himself sane by indulging in his usual pranks, and swigs of his beloved Johnny Walker Black Label whisky prior to shows. The more sedate Dio, meanwhile, spent a lot of time in his room. Powell kept his head down and socialised with everyone. Despite the growing divisions, the band played some of their best shows of the tour, as captured on their 1977 live album 'On Stage'.

March 2011

Asked when he last listened to Rising, Ritchie Blackmore replies: “I haven’t heard it in 25 years.” He continued to fly the Rainbow flag until 1984, albeit in increasingly radio-friendly forms.

“He was perturbed that he wasn’t being played on the radio,” reckons Bain, “and he decided to go a different route. He didn’t think we were going to get successful, because Rising was too heavy.”

After Deep Purple’s reunion in the 80s and a brief resurrection of the Rainbow name in the mid-90s, Blackmore has largely turned his back on rock in favour of his Renaissance-era project Blackmore’s Night with his wife, vocalist Candice Night. They have released 14 albums in as many years.

RIP Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio left Rainbow after their 1978 LP "Long Live Rock’N’Roll", while Cozy Powell stayed until 1980. Sadly, neither are around to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Rising in May: Powell died in a car crash on April 5, 1998; Dio succumbed to stomach cancer on May 16, 2010.

“Rainbow was such a great influence on younger musicians,” Dio said. “I’d see these bands who would say, ‘Rainbow were the reason I started to play.’ It was a ground-breaking time.”

Tony Carey (see left) has had a successful career as a performer, arranger and producer since leaving Rainbow. Two years ago he teamed up with Blackmore’s son, Jurgen, to form Over The Rainbow, performing classic Rainbow covers. Soon after, he was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 10 per cent of survival. Remarkably, he beat the disease and is now fit and about to take Over The Rainbow out on the road again. “I’ve lost many of my organs but managed to save my Hammond,” he jokes.

After Rainbow, Jimmy Bain joined Dio in the singer’s solo band. Today he’s threatening to release a solo album, and has started writing an autobiography, called "I Fell Into Metal". Despite past tensions he has kept in touch with Blackmore, and says he has no bad feelings towards his former boss: “I was kind of pissed off that I didn’t get to stay longer, but I can never say anything bad about Rainbow. I was only in it for two years, but it’s done me a lot of favours.”

Rising has been widely praised as one of the defining albums of the 1970s and the group who recorded it have been hailed as one of the most under-appreciated rock bands ever. Even as far back as 1976, Ritchie Blackmore certainly agreed: “Everybody who’s heard it thinks it’s my best playing in a long time, which I suppose is a compliment,” he said. “Then again, what do they know?”    [By Peter Makowski (Classic Rock #158) published 14 April 2014]

LP Gatefold

As promised, here is Rainbow's 2nd LP (and their best) in glorious FLAC format, along with full artwork for CD and vinyl media.  All posted photos and label scans are also included.  "Stargazer" and "Tarot Woman" blew my mind when I first heard them back in '76 and would have loved to have seen them when they toured Australia, but alas I was doing my Year 12 at school and there was no way my parents would let me go at that crucial time in my life. Bugger !

Track Listing:

01 Tarot Woman  5:57

02 Run With The Wolf   3:39

03 (Lady) Starstruck   4:04

04 Do You Close Your Eyes   2:57

05 Stargazer   8:25

06 A Light In The Black   8:12

Rainbow were:

Ronnie James Dio - Vocals

Ritchie Blackmoore - Guitar

Jimmy Bain - Bass

Tony Carey - Keyboards

Cozy Powell - Drums

 

Rainbow Rising Link (219Mb)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Selftitled (1975)

(U.S / U.K 1975-1984, 1993-1977, 2015-Present)

Rainbow was formed in 1975 by Deep Purple's guitarist - Ritchie Blackmore. The band lasted from 1975-1984 and then 1994-1997. The reason there was a sizeable gap between the years is because in 1984 Deep Purple had reunited to record Perfect Strangers and The House of Blue Light. Unfortunately, old tensions never die. Ritchie Blackmore and singer Ian Gillan once again started fighting. This went on until about the early 1990s.

In 1974, Ritchie Blackmore publicly announced his dislike of the funk/soul (or as Blackmore called it, "shoeshine music") elements being introduced to Deep Purple by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, as well as the disappointing Stormbringer album where his favourite musical style wasn't adequately captured. Blackmore originally intended to release a solo single, the Steve Hammond-penned "Black Sheep of the Family", with "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" on the B-side.

He recorded these during a studio session in Tampa Bay, Florida on 12th December 1974 with singer/lyricist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Gary Driscoll from the blues-rock band Elf, former Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher, and cellist Hugh McDowell of ELO. Satisfied with the two tracks, Blackmore decided to make a solo album, replacing the keyboardist and bassist with Elf members Mickey Lee Soule and Craig Gruber, respectively.

 A full album was recorded in Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany in about 3 weeks in February 1975. And, of course, Blackmore got his cover song "Black Sheep of the Family" on this album. Though it was originally thought to be a solo album, the record was billed as Ritchie Blackmore's R-A-I-N-B-O-W. Blackmore finally decided to leave Deep Purple and form his own band 'Rainbow'. The name of the band was inspired by the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood that catered to rock stars, groupies and rock enthusiasts.

Rainbow's debut album also featured the minor hit "Man on the Silver Mountain". This first line-up never performed live. Blackmore and Dio did all the promotional work for the album.

Ritchie Blackmore (Guitar)

Rainbow's music was partly inspired by classical music since Blackmore started playing cello to help him construct interesting chord progressions, and Dio wrote lyrics about medieval themes. Dio possessed a versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads. Although Dio never played a musical instrument on any Rainbow album, he is credited with writing and arranging the music with Blackmore, in addition to writing all the lyrics himself.

Ritchie Blackmore’s R-A-I-N-B-O-W entered the US chart at No.79 on September 6, and went as high as No.30 in a 15-week run. Two weeks after that debut, the album peaked at No.11 in the UK, on its way to silver certification from trade body the BPI. By the autumn, the new band were on the road with Blackmore at the helm, as they grew into one of the big new rock names of 1975.

Ronnie James Dio (Vocals)

Album Review
(by Christian Collins at Metal-Archives.com)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is an instant classic, as they say. The opener "Man on the Silver Mountain"', is a catchy song with a crunching Blackmore riff reminiscent of 'Smoke on the Water.' This song will always be a favorite of mine. Even near the beginning of Dio's career, his voice is so strong, developed, and articulate. You can tell Blackmore is having fun with this album because it's just so enjoyable. The union of Dio's voice and Blackmore's riffs and neoclassical style is just magical. The next track, "Self Portrait", is another great song. The way Dio shouts, 'DOWN!' and leads into the guitar solo is amazing. Next comes the cover, "Black Sheep of the Family" It's a shame Blackmore's idea was rejected by Deep Purple, I can totally picture Coverdale and Hughes harmonizing the lyrics to this song. However, I am ever grateful for the Rainbow project, and the Blackmore-Dio union. This is a great song, and Rainbow does it justice.

Craig Gruber (Bass)

Next comes, "Catch the Rainbow". This track is the softest on the album, but it's one of the best, maybe the best. Nope, it is the best. Especially listening to this song more than a decade since Dio's passing... almost brings a tear to my eye.

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...

Mickey Lee Soule

Such a beautiful song. Just pure bliss for me. Slow and melodic guitar parts, and Dio matches it well. Some may think it goes on a little too long towards the end and kind of peters out, but I love that part. It just adds to the song's beauty. Moving on to "Snake Charmer" (which was by the way the B-side to the single "Man On The Silver Maountain".  This song is a great example of Blackmore's eastern playing style. This would fit right in on the "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll" album that would come three years later. Very upbeat song, similar to "Black Sheep of the Family", but I don't like this one as much. Still a great song in my opinion. The next song "The Temple of the King", seems to appeal to a lot of fans. I tend to agree, but a bit overrated I'd say. It's another slow song, and it's acoustic. Very stripped down, and displays the fantasy/medieval lyrics of Dio, which will continue to be ever present in Dio's career. The song builds up very nicely, and is well crafted overall.

Then comes "If You Don't Like Rock N Roll". This is a very short piano rock tune, that seems like they pulled from an Elf album, but they didn't. I'd prefer a lot of Elf's music over this song. This hurts the album slightly as it's the only song that isn't up to scratch. It can still be enjoyable, but it kind of goes against the mood of the album. Next is "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves".  This is definitely one of my favorites in Rainbow's discography. So much emotion on Dio's voice, the guitars riffs are haunting, and the solo is magical and fits the mood of the song so well. This songs builds up so well, however, I wish it didn't fade out. It deserves a proper ending.

No more night
We have seen the light
Let it shine on bright
Hang him HIGHER, HIGHER
Put a man on the fire

Drawbridge down
Cut it to the ground
We're going to dance around the fire
The FIRE, FIRE

Gary Driscoll

The last song, "Still I'm Sad" is an instrumental and is a Yardbirds cover. It's a great tune. Not much to say, but Blackmore does a great job of making it very epic with his unique playing. When Blackmore revived the project in 1995 and released "Stranger in Us All", he rereleased the song, but with lyrics. I recommend that version.

Well that's it, a review of one of my favorite albums of one of my favorite bands. The Blackmore-Dio combo is truly amazing, and the other musicians from Elf did an adequate job of supporting, but they are no Cozy Powell or Jimmy Bain. Just listen to their next album "Rising". Truly a masterpiece. 

The artwork for this album is very cool and fitting for the music, but it's so vintage, it hurts my eyes. The album marks the birth of Dio's career. I don't quite count Elf or his previous bands, though I do enjoy the three albums they released, particularly their first. What an amazing start.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010)

Man On The Silver Mountain '45' Anomaly

It was my intention to include a recording of Rainbow's first single as a 'bonus track', because the 45 label indicates the track length to be 3:54min long, and shorter than the album version which is 4:33min. (see label scan left)

However, after ripping the single I discovered that the length of the single is in fact the same as the album release - so there is no difference. 

Perhaps a typo mistake during the pressing process OR maybe it was done on purpose, to trick the radio stations into thinking it was shorter, so they would be more likely to play it. 

I've had this single for nearly 50 years and never noticed this discrepancy !

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my gatefold vinyl (U.S pressing) and includes full album artwork for CD and vinyl and label scans. Sadly my copy was released on the Polydor label and not the 'cooler' Oyster label (shown below).  But I'm still happy to own this album. I have most of the Rainbow collection on vinyl and it is my intention to post these in the future, especially 'Rising' and 'On Stage'.

Tracklisting:

01 Man On The Silver Mountain 4:33

02 Self Portrait 3:16

03 Black Sheep Of The Family   3:20

04 Catch The Rainbow 6:40

05 Snake Charmer 4:30

06 Temple Of The King 4:46

07 If You Don't Like Rock n' Roll 2:36

08 Sixteenth Century Greensleeves 3:35

09 Still I'm Sad    3:53

Band Members:

Ritchie Blackmore - Guitar

Ronnie James Dio - Vocals

Gary Driscoll - Drums

Craig Gruber - Bass

Mickey Lee Soule - Paino, Mellotron, Clavinet & Organ

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Link (205Mb)