Ritchie Blackmore Bach against New Wave He denies interviews to all American magazines. But here in Los Angeles, right in the middle of a two-month tour of the United States, the usually gloomy and unfriendly Ritchie Blackmore suddenly felt the need to speak out to the German press. Germany lives in his heart, especially Hamburg, where he lived for four years. He even admitted that he was considering buying a house there and selling his current residence on Long Island. So, if American journalists manage to communicate only with Roger Glover, Ritchie invited representatives of Music Express for an interview at dinner. Read what he told us during the break between the main course and the dessert below. ME: Let's get to the point: in rock music you are one of the few who are still trying to use elements of classical music in rock. You just don't want to turn off the beaten track, or are you still inspired by classical music? Ritchie: I still love classical music the most, it inspires me, I am amazed how much energy and discipline musicians is put into this music. I envy and respect classical musicians for their dedication to music. That is why I still play excerpts from classical works on stage, although I don't want to tire the audience too much. If I play too much of the classics, it will be easier for them to go to a concert of classical music, where the musicians are likely to play much more technically than we do. But classical music still has a lot of potential if you play it with the energy of modern music... Many young listeners do not understand classical music, they are used to simpler and more accessible forms. Classics must now be played with the freedom and enthusiasm of modern rock music. ME: Your concerts start with the music of Edward Elgar. Is this done for contrast, or do you want to adjust your viewers this way? Ritchie: Both this and that. People need to understand that we play not only rock and roll, but that there are also classical elements in our music. Many teenagers 17-18 years old do not know about such music at all. But if you turn it on at the right time with the right volume, then at every concert hundreds of people will say: "Wow, how cool is that?" And then they are surprised that they tried to impose this music at home and at school, and because of this they always despised it. ME: That's the point. I was definitely not the only one who was forced to play the piano and teach Mozart without understanding his music. When I hear the classics, I immediately remember those unpleasant moments. Ritchie: I understand what you mean. For Germans, this should be especially difficult, because you have a very strict education. The same thing with operas, they always remind me of a school and my teacher, who said: "Now we listen to the wonderful passage ...". I just hate Wagner, and especially Strauss's waltzes. Mozart is too funny for me too, but I just adore J.S. Bach. I bow to Bach. Each of his works has something special. In his music there is no posturing, no empty decorations, no meaningless virtuosic passages. ME: A few questions about the new band. Graham Bonnet surprised me, he does not look like Ronnie Dio. Ritchie: Right. But for several months we listened to an infinite number of singers, and he was the best. He has an incredible voice, bigger, a wider range than three octaves. But sometimes he has problems when he tries to take notes that are too high. But maybe his real problem is that he is inspired by too different styles. ME: Question about Roger Glover. Now you have a producer and co-writer, has this changed the balance of power in the group? Ritchie: I used to write songs with Ronnie Dio, today everything is exactly the same, only Roger now writes lyrics to my tunes. He holds the group together like a catalyst, he understands from the first word what I want to say. When I can't explain myself properly, he says: "Try to play like this, that's what Ritchie means." He is irreplaceable for me, he is an optimist, moreover, he is a good person. I am very emotional and unstable, and he always thinks everything through to the end. In the studio, I often lack patience, I want to give up everything and do something else, but he says: "No, this is unreasonable, this is a good idea, let's work on." When I go to bed, he is still sitting in the studio and working on the same song. I write music in five minutes, and then I want to play something else, and he humps over one song all day and night. I need such a person. Because Cozy Powell is just as unrestrained as I, a great drummer, but he has absolutely no assiduity. He does not like to work, he likes to drum the whole program on stage in two seconds and go home. That is why we needed such a calm and patient person. Rainbow is a group on fire, the participants quickly lose their temper, I do not tolerate criticism. We are all very stubborn. ME: How is the group doing with democracy? Is there room for ideas from other participants? Ritchie: On the last album, we showed Graham how roughly he should sing. Don Airey - let's just say that, he just had to be given a hint. He has such a good technique that he can immediately pick up and develop any idea. But he is more a techie than an ideological mastermind - unlike, say, Paul McCartney, who has incredible ideas, but not the best technique. It is desirable to have both types of musicians in a group; you should not rely on only one side. Most often there are groups in which only composers play, who cannot play each other's ideas normally, or groups like Don's past collective, Colosseum II, in which there is nothing but technology, and the music of which does not cause the listener any emotion. I must admit that in my solos I also often start to flirt and show off. There is something missing in the studio recordings. I play a short solo and then return to the riff. In the studio I have no spontaneity and inspiration to play long solos. This often frustrates me, because I'm sure I can play much better than on albums. By the time I manage to convey the idea to the group, adjust the sound and all the details, my interest is lost. And it infuriates me to understand that I will not play to the fullest. It's unpleasant to realize that you play much better than what people hear on your albums. ME: And you try to make up for it by playing endless solos at concerts? Ritchie: Yes, I think so. On stage, everything happens spontaneously. I take a note and begin to improvise. In the studio it's impossible. Either the sound is not tuned, then the equipment breaks. As long as you tune everything, all spontaneity disappears. ME: One more question about the new line-up. Do you think it will last for a long time? And the second question: why did so many musicians leave Rainbow? Ritchie: Generally speaking, we don't like to discuss it, because it is inconvenient for all parties. In the end, musicians are not very profitable when you say about them that they were fired. I can only say: so far no one has left Rainbow of their own free will. Maybe sometimes I'm too demanding, and certainly not too constructive. But when a goal appears in my head, I want to achieve it. ME: So the reasons are always in the music, and not in personal conflicts? Ritchie: Oh yes! Only in music. But when I do not like someone as a musician, I begin to treat him like a bastard, especially if he is well settled in my group. Some of those who made this mistake have already regretted it. ME: Has it ever happened that musicians started demanding more money from you? Ritchie: This happens. But if I like the musician, I will pay him as much as I can. In the group of my dreams there should be two excellent composers and three equally excellent technicians. The Beatles had more musical ideas than they could play. Or take ELP! Emerson and Palmer are incredible musicians, but Greg Lake seems to be the only source of ideas. ME: Last question. You have been living on Long Island for several years. It is only a matter of taxes, or are personal, maybe musical, motives also playing a role here? Ritchie: At first it was about taxes, but now other things keep me here. America resembles England, as it was many years ago. There are a lot of ideas. But I'm afraid that in five years America will become as dirty as today's England. Maybe then I will move to Germany. © Musik Express, Germany - February 1980