Ritchie Blackmore Interview With a mix of respect and admiration, the other members of the group agree that you were always the driving force of the band. How do you manage today to be "just another member" and hold back your leadership instincts? The thing is, I already had almost seven years of that with Rainbow... It's very nice to be the leader, but there are also certain responsibilities that wore me out a bit. That's why what's happening now is very refreshing; it's about playing and simply being the lead guitar, instead of having to deal with the heat if the others want more money, more interviews, or any of those small complaints that always exist within a band. If you have your own band, it's not as beautiful as it seems. It is actually very refreshing to be the fifth member of a band like Purple. Even so, I still do things I like—for example, musically—but when it's your own band, it demands more from you; it demands total control in every sense. I prefer to be just a hint of a leader musically; that suits me very well. What were the main pressures you faced when you were the absolute leader? Money, fame, the search for the perfect backing musician, or what? I think the hardest part was always the search for musicians. I knew there were excellent musicians who weren't well known, but I really never found the perfect band member because such a perfect member doesn't exist. I had to make decisions that no one else was going to make, even if it meant judging someone. And I never wanted to judge anyone. There was always great chemistry between you and Jon Lord, from the beginning to the last record. Is that something you struggled to feel again this time? No. There is a certain magic, a "rapport" between the two of us: I realized this during rehearsals for the last LP. Maybe because musically we both admire classical music, and I know that if I play some classical lick, his brain immediately registers where it comes from and he can follow me perfectly. He has fun and thinks, "Ah, I know where that vibe is coming from." And vice-versa. Ten years ago, it was hard for me to emulate Jon, and that is why I always led the improvisations and he followed me. Now, I feel I have acquired a musical perception that allows me to know what he is going to play. It's a nice balance. Jon is such an experienced musician that there are shows where we do truly wonderful things that seem rehearsed and highly organized, when in reality it's not like that at all. He has so much information at his disposal that no matter where I go, he follows me. How many guitars have you smashed on stage during your career? Ufff... let's see... one, two, three... (laughs). But you believe in the show; you do it when everyone is watching you. Sure, that's the whole point: to give people something as good as what they paid for. It sounds cheap, but sometimes I get angry when the lights or the sound aren't optimal, and then I sink into my proverbial slumps, and people say: "Oh, Ritchie is in a bad mood today, he left without saying a word." But if I do that, I want to clarify it's out of frustration because we weren't able to fully project everything to the audience. Sometimes I see the faces of the people in the front rows and I realize the mix isn't reaching them well, and that bothers me a lot. I can't just get up on stage, play, and leave. We would make money anyway and it would be just "another gig," but to me, every show is special. The truth is, there are so many things that can go wrong that putting on a good show is like winning the lottery. What is the visual experience like for the audience at a Deep Purple show? I'd like to think it's a mix of Kiss with something very simple and Spartan. Of course, the musical side is the most important thing. Right now, before going on tour, we rehearse the musical aspect for three weeks and then we take about two weeks to test the lights and the whole production. I think the kids in the audience want a bit of grandeur, but without losing sight of the musicians. Would you dare to make a comparison between Rainbow and Deep Purple? Well... I feel that, even though Rainbow did some great things, it doesn't have the identity that Purple possesses. After recording an album with Purple, I listen to the material and usually think that this or that could have been improved, or that something else could have been changed, but it doesn't matter what I think—the result is always massive and successful. Purple is a popular band. In Rainbow's case, I managed to record everything exactly how I really wanted to do it, but the result wasn't as popular. Obviously, there is a chemistry that none of us truly understands, but it creates magic on every record and during every Deep Purple performance. Some people think that with Deep Purple's return, good taste will likely return to heavy metal... It sounds like a member of the band said that! Besides, who knows what good taste is? It's just an opinion. And what is going to happen this time if Ian, Jon, or anyone else has a nervous or emotional breakdown and decides to walk out on the band? I don't think anything like that will happen, no, no... We are all having a lot of fun and are absolutely delighted with each other's talent. I watch the band closely when I step off the stage and I see them having fun, truly enjoying themselves. The way Ian Gillan sings... he has such a "big" voice... it shakes the audience. Sometimes he loses his voice by the time the show ends. He comes off stage unable to utter a single word, but by the next night, he is recovered and singing better than ever. Which guitar solo from the latest album are you most satisfied with? Hmmm... I can't think of which one. I'm quite happy with the one on "Under the Gun." Yeah, that one didn't turn out bad... You must know that many people criticized the music videos from the latest LP... Ah, the music video thing... The truth is, we are very lazy when it comes to making videos; we don't like dressing up like an actor or any other similar nonsense. We don't like making videos! So what? The video they made for "Perfect Strangers" is a snippet from a documentary they filmed about us. I haven't seen it yet, nor do I want to see it. I haven't seen a single one of the videos we've made in our entire history. They told me there is a part in "Perfect Strangers" where you can actually see me smiling. Smiling! (He repeats it and laughs) I'm going to confiscate and censor that part! © Super Canta Rock no 5 - 1985