QUOTES


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Is Ritchie still difficult to deal with?

Ian Gillan: Oh yes. Most definitly. He's not only cancelled almost everything to do with the launch of this record, he's not even heard the songs yet. But those kind of eccentricities are all part of the game. It would be very boring otherwise. The bottom line is that the man can play. I used to find it extraordinarily irritating and it drove me crazy. Now it just tickles me, and I wonder what prank he's up to next. What huge obstacle is he going to put in out path next? If we can't get around it, that will be the end of the band again. But if we can climb over it, or smash our way through it, then we will proceed."

Rock World 1993





After you recorded the Aerosmith-tribute with Ronnie James Dio (the song "Dream On"), there were plenty of rumors that you were going to get serious with more projects together. Is that going to happen now?

Yngwie Malmsteen: Well, we've been discussing it back and forth every time we kick back with a few beers, and both I and Dio want to do it. One thing is, though, that both of us are really stubborn, so we'll see how far we can take it.

Hard Radio, December 2000







What was going through your head when Blackmore left the band five years ago? Ever thought of just calling it quits?

Ian Gillan: Well, the feeling up to that point was despair. Nobody wanted this to happen, but you know, when he left it was like...wow! Honestly, we were in a nosedive with Ritchie, there was no real future for this band. When he left, he made it very easy for us to pick it up again. When we were looking for a replacement, Steve was number one on everybody's list.

Shockwaves, Hard Radio 1998






What happened when you left Purple in 1990-91? When Joe Lynn Turner stepped in?

Ian Gillan: I got fired in 1989! I was about to leave, I didn't like the way things were going. It was like in 1973 - we were going down the wrong road, and I said so. So I was fired. We were in a nosedive approaching terminal velocity. We were playing poorly, Ritchie was throwing tantrums all over the place, which is funny once or twice, but we hardly ever finished a show. It just gets weary, you know? People get pissed off. Purple ended up working like a backup group for Ritchie.

Shockwaves, Hard Radio 1998





You were invited to do an audition for Rainbow?

Eric Martin (Mr Big): Well that was another opportunity. Years ago, Ritchie Blackmore of Rainbow asked Sandy [Einstein – Eric's manager] to have me come to New York to audition. I never tell anybody that because, again, I didn't do it, because I was so freaked out that Joe Lynn Turner, that guy from Alcatrazz..., Graham Bonnet, everybody kept telling me that Ritchie was really tough on his singers. Dio, you know. I grew up singing "Man On a Silver Mountain" with bands so...

Melodic Rock, June 2002





It has been rumored that Ritchie Blackmore was approached to play on the HTP CD. Unfortunately, for one reason or another this did not happen. Did you have a specific track in mind for him to play on or would you have let him choose one?

Joe Lynn Turner: It's not a rumor. We did approach Ritchie's management. We honestly believe he never got our message. As for your question about which track he would have been allowed to play on he would have been given carte blanche. He could have played on any track he wanted to play on. I would have liked to have heard him on "Fade Away" or some other moody type song as that is what he seems to enjoy the most.

JLT News, 12 July 2002





Yngwie Malmsteen about 'Gates Of Babylon'.

Yngwie Malmsteen: When I first bought the album 'Long Live Rock N Roll' by Rainbow I wasn't very impressed. The first songs were so commercial I thought, when the last song of the first side came on I was completely floored. 'Gates Of Babylon' was so magical and mystical, until this day it is one of my favourite songs ever written. Thank You Ritchie.

Inspiration Album, Pony Canyon/Music For Nations 1996





On stage Ritchie usually communicates with his band using some particular hand signs. Can you reveal us some most important?

Chris Devine: Usually, the most important one is, palm down - "play quieter!" That, and the drawing of the line across the neck - which can mean, " End the song", or , "You're fired!"

DPRU, June 2002








Is Blackmore an easy person to improvise with in a live situation?

Chris Devine: "Blackmore" and "easy person" in the same sentence? Hahaha! Seriously, though, Ritchie is great to be with onstage, as a soloist - he is always trying new things and likes it when I do too. I can tend to "play it safe" and stick with some of the same patterns that have worked in the past - and sometimes, that is the best thing for a particular song - but it's good to know that the leader of the band encourages experimentation. That's one of the things I love about BN - there will always be something new in every concert. And when Ritchie and I trade solos, well, that's the highlight of the tour for me!

DPRU, June 2002




Did you ever listen earlier Ritchie's works and what do you think of them? Any favorite if you have some?

Chris Devine: Of course, like the rest of the world, I knew "Smoke on the Water" and "Highway Star" - what 16-year old garage band guitar player didn't? But as for most of the rest, I didn't know it at all. Now here's a funny story - in 1977, I was in a band called.....Rainbow! We actually didn't know about the "real" Rainbow - and we just thought it was a good name. So - we do an outdoor concert here which was advertised in some of the papers, and all of these RB fans show up! They were not happy of course. But we gave them free beer and by the end of the day they liked us!

DPRU, June 2002