Rainbow US Tour 1975 Ritchie Blackmore: After selling 14 million LPs, he takes on a new challenge Preview: Forum Concert Bowl, Montreal QC, Canada - November 10, 1975 Ritchie Blackmore finally found rock 'n' roll monotonous, and the need to stand on his own two feet became irresistible. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow represents a real challenge for him: 20th-century musicians resurrecting medieval ballads. Not only is the band's name "Rainbow," but there will actually be a two-story rainbow on the Forum stage on November 10th. The lighting and construction of this rainbow were designed specifically for "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow," and this will be the first time it will be seen in Canada. This show will be presented at the Forum by CHOM-FM; Donald K. Donald will be the director. Blackmore has always had a great reputation as a showman, and since leaving the band Deep Purple, of which he was one of the founders in 1968, he has decided to take full responsibility for the direction of his new band, Rainbow, both musically and in terms of stage design. This undoubtedly explains his departure from Deep Purple, where, it seems, he could not fully realize his potential. "It had become monotonous in rock 'n' roll." After seven years in the same atmosphere, for a man of Blackmore's talent, the need to stand on his own two feet had become irresistible. A difficult step to take when you consider that "Deep Purple" enjoys an international reputation and sold fourteen million LPs in a single year. How could it be better? The answer to this challenge, for Blackmore, is "Rainbow." He is convinced that his new band will go further than "Deep Purple." It will place more emphasis on melody, and the entire show will not rely on an electric sound, unlike "Deep Purple." The single "Man on the Silver Mountain," composed by Blackmore and Ronnie Dio — the band's lead singer — gives us a glimpse of this new style, inspired by medieval music. It is very far removed from the style of "Deep Purple," even if Blackmore's guitar can be recognized in "Rainbow." In addition to Blackmore and Dio, the new band features Cozy Powell on drums and Tony Carey on keyboards. Who is Ritchie Blackmore? He started playing guitar at 11. At a very young age, he decided he would be a musician; at 17, he became one for good. He played guitar for a British rock fanatic, Screaming Lord Sutch. "It was a terrifying experience," says Blackmore. "At first, this madman dressed like Jack the Evil One. But every show was an adventure; in fact, it was he who taught me the importance of showmanship: 'Hold nothing back, give yourself completely to the audience.'" After spending a few years with Screaming Lord Sutch, Ritchie Blackmore wanted to escape the English music world, and so he moved to Hamburg, Germany, where he was hired at the famous Star Club. In 1968, the Beatles were at the height of their popularity in England, and Jimmy Hendrix had a foothold in the business. Blackmore decided to return to London when Chris Curtis, of The Searchers, told him that two musicians were forming a new band there. He still doesn't know why he reacted so quickly. These two musicians were Jon Lord and Ian Paice, and the band was none other than Deep Purple. The future for Ritchie Blackmore was Rainbow. On November 10th at the Forum, you'll be able to see these 20th-century musicians in the flesh, reviving medieval ballads. © Photo Journal Canada - November 8, 1975 Music for the superhuman Forum Concert Bowl, Montreal QC, Canada - November 10, 1975 The Forum is a very strange place, a necessary evil. Every time I set foot there, the same thoughts come to my mind: a cultural phenomenon has become a financial enterprise, making initial contact with the music changed over the years, almost brainwashed. The mechanisms put in place to consistently raise a crowd to make people wait at intermission with music that gradually brings the desire very strongly of the presence of the group. Everything is thoroughly assayed for a desired result and invariably found. It's a great machine, which in extreme cases, men have lost control. On the other hand remains very strong desire to get carried away by the current, be enraptured by this new Pied Piper of Hamelin: rock music. The Forum on Monday night, I was quite prepared to let myself be overwhelmed by the two groups: Argent and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. As a need to enter a different world, away from earlier concerns. Fortunately. Rod Argent was playing in the first part. The first step inside the walls of the Forum and I was immediately snapped up by music that was floating on clouds, away from the outside world: a huge bubble that enveloped her, without shaking, and yet had many weight (I am not resistant to this point in "hard rock"). My seat, a look at the crowd: the Forum is half full. So people do not trust blindly to these two groups. In fact an hour of music and respectful of our eardrums, which alone was worth the trip. A group which said it had been a good singer, Rod Argent, he should learn to know better, because of that voice full of weight. An hour and ten minutes to wait ... to adjust the lighting and repair some electrical problems. An hour and ten unnecessary waiting since the rainbow is designed for the show Rainbow has been delivered in good condition. All those long minutes of patience interspersed unwelcome intervention of the police. 15 police officers inside the Forum for an unhappy thirty people. A little diversion from the crowd appreciated. And boom! Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow. Another one of those weeks where I will be deaf for two or three days. Ritchie Blackmore, who was part of Deep Purple (we already knew their music, high voltage), formed his own band Rainbow. The reason? The inability to make music he loved, to record "Black Sheep of the Family" with a band like Deep Purple. Hence the birth of "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow." A concert above my strength, and although Blackmore said that with this new group, he may finally step himself in classical and medieval music, the concert still leaves virtually no echo. At most, the "hard rock" panting little suited to my peaceful nature. And then, a guitarist who masters his instrument so admirable, singer Ronnie James Dio, whose voice blends perfectly with the guitar playing, as stated by Blackmore himself ... what prevents them in any way to make music for supermen. Disarticulated ground on all sides, jet left the Forum, I confess, before the end of the show. One type of gig we could anticipate their first full-length game, but it's more reality than fiction. Their long game is in some way, more enjoyable, more diverse with songs like "Catch the Rainbow" or "Black Sheep in the Family", played softly. These same songs, Rainbow had forgotten until the calm atmosphere during the concert. Blackmore, in an interview, said he did not like "cool" music because it does not take the public's attention. His music has forced me, however, to win at times. Matter of survival. © Christine L'Heureux, Le Devoir - November 12, 1975  [Translated from French language] [Thanks to: Tonny Steenhagen for the scan] Ritchie Blackmore serves Deep Purple leftovers Forum Concert Bowl, Montreal QC, Canada - November 10, 1975 Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow gave its world premiere concert at the Forum last night. Blackmore, known primarily for his work in Deep Purple, has gained considerable acclaim as a highly-skilled guitarist in the last few years. But he is also known to have a moody personality and his live appearances have been either exceptional or weak depending on the way he feels the night of the performance. Last night he opted for the latter. Backed by his new band, Blackmore displayed a totally unoriginal, uninspiring set filled with his heavy metal, bottom of the barrel, Deep Purple leftovers. His music was repetious, largely due to the weak material he chose to play. Not unlike his previous efforts with Deep Purple. Blackmore's songs for the most part lacked structure and melody. The typical Blackmore composition was based on a guitar riff continuously repeated, with a solo somewhere in the middle for good measure. Man on the Silver Mountain, roughly a re-work of Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water, was one example. Played before the 5,000 Blackmore fans, it went down quite well, as did most of the other numbers, with the crowd on its feet screaming for more. Although Blackmore's solos were abundant and actually innovative in parts, they were excessively drawn out and got tedious after the third or fourth song. To make things worse, the sound was poorly mixed, making the instru ments unbearable to listen to. Catch the Rainbow could easily have been the best momentoment of the concert had not the sound jammed up into a mass of musical confusion. Blackmore's band Rainbow, with drummer Cozy Powell, formerly with Jeff Beck and Bedlam, and ex-Elf vocalist Ronnie Dio were nevertheless quite tight. Dio's crude vocals often over-shadowed Blackmore's limp attempts for the spotlight, while Powell could have easily put on a show by himself had this been the time and place. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow had a unique stage setting. Hyped by Polydor Records to be the "seventh wonder of the world", the structure, depicted a medieval castle with a Fender Stratocaster guitar built into it. On top and to the sides of the building was a multi-colored rainbow. The British rock group Argent opened the show, and although it was also handicapped by the sound system, the group overcame all difficulties to produce a strong, vibrant sound, superior, for the most part, to the headlining act. © John F. Kearney, The Montreal Star - November 11, 1975 If you don't like rock 'n' roll it's too late now Forum Concert Bowl, Montreal QC, Canada - November 10, 1975 Under a huge rainbow that almost spanned the two ends of the Forum stage, Ritchie Blackmore and his backing band Rainbow proved beyond doubt that they were the best heavy rock band in the world right now. Not only was Montreal the world premiere of Ritchie Blackmore's solo show, but according to his singer Ronnie James Dio, who was overexcited by the crowd, he shouted: "... and this evening will remain the best show of our entire tour!" ARGENT: CONTRADICTORY BAND First, let's get the description of what happened in the opening act out of the way. I'm sure there are some readers who weren't able to attend the show on Monday night, and who would have liked to have done so to see, among other things, the performance of the band Argent. On that note, you didn't miss a thing. The band didn't produce music as interesting as "Hold Your Head Up," the hit single that was the basis of their reputation. I was expecting a sort of miniature Yes. But seeing the performance they gave at the Forum, the image changes completely. There was no sense of progression, just a certain search for rhythm. It was nothing more than an overload of notes and solos without any stage presentation, other than the chance to perform under Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Ted Argent used a synthesizer. But why? I don't think a device as refined as this serves to make even more noise. The cold band hasn't yet mastered its means of live expression, and with synthesizers, it quickly descends into a button-mashing routine that results in nothing more than noise. The solo display, the smoke-and-mirrors technique, literally crushes the poor poetry whose virtues work so effectively on the audience. On the other hand, and this is what was contradictory that evening, Argent returned for an undeserved encore with the main course. Normally, this main course should have been part of the show's finale, and we would have enjoyed a dessert as an encore. Regardless of whether the show was nothing more than a long and tedious appetizer, the main course (shortened, of course, as it only took up the space of an encore) was a remarkable success. Why wait for an encore to demonstrate their true talent? With "Hold Your Head Up," Argent exhibits all the qualities of a true show band: first, "Hold Your Head Up" becomes the leitmotif of a crowd enthralled by the song's rhythm. Then, the band skillfully directs the crowd's emotions through a musical progression that is the primary quality of "Hold Your Head Up." In the middle of the performance, Ted Argent plays us an excerpt from our Canadian folklore with "Alouette, gentil alouette" and an unexpected excerpt from the well-known military march "Marche-of-Suza." Argent ends on a high note... at least managing to save the day. BETTER THAN DEEP PURPLE Until now, I hadn't missed a single Deep Purple show in Montreal. Even though my musical tastes now lean more toward the world of Gentle Giant and Co., I couldn't help but go see the legendary Ritchie Blackmore, if not for the fact that, at one time or another, we were all Deep Purple fans. For too long, I was 15-16 years old, in 1970, marked by those summers when, in a friend's old digs, we listened to that powerful "Deep Purple in Rock." There are always those songs that mark your adolescent unconsciousness and settle in for a long time, not in our memories. Let's be honest: Deep Purple disgusts you one night, but you always end up coming back to them because they ultimately corresponded to your idea of rock at the time, to what you wanted it to be and to become, all these flaws being muted because they are a bit too much your own. Today, to still love Deep Purple, this band would have had to correct certain anomalies, such as the overly effervescent solo exhibitions, polarized by the classical demands of Jon Lord and the extreme speed of Ritchie Blackmore. But none of this seemed to be going away, and before the ship sank, Blackmore had to save his skin. This guitarist, now 30 years old, had always seemed to be the true face of Purple. His career began with Jerry Lee Lewis, whom he accompanied. Influenced by Hendrix and Back (especially), his first band was Screamin' Lord Sutch in '61, and pursuing a parallel career with Jimi Page (who worked with Neil Christian and the Crusaders), Ritchie was a session man for Kim Fowley in '65 and formed the embryo of Deep Purple with Jon Lord in '67. During Deep Purple's epic, Ritchie was the main composer of the band's hits, as Jon Lord was preoccupied with his solo compositions with a symphony orchestra, which, more often than not, resulted in miscarriages. Then, during the final tour, Blackmore was in contact with his support band ELF. It was there that he met the former trumpeter. and current singer Ronnie James Dio. This singer brought to life the guitarist's plan to form his own band, with clear and precise objectives. Rainbow was formed, featuring Ronnie James Dio (vocals; a performance that reduces Paul Rodgers to a mere choirboy), Craig Gruber (bass), Gary Driscol (drums), and an organist who is a perfect balance between Keith Emerson and Jon Lord. And I believe Blackmore has put together the best heavy rock band of the year, eleven times better than Deep Purple. RIGHT ON THE BULLET A novel could be written about this Ritchie show. Blackmore, each piece was a different and interesting chapter. The only downside: the delay in preparing the lighting system. It seems that some technical flaws in the setup of the immense rainbow forced the technicians to completely revise the numerous stage setups. There's a wait. Prolonged. Very immersive. Then, just as we get used to it and forget the late hour, still distracted by the flights of the frisbee with which the crowd is playing to pass the time, the lights finally go out, and the musicians take the stage. There's no flaw in the sound, except that it has a brutal, violent impact. The army of very well-placed amplifiers spit out overwhelmingly powerful rock. A backdrop behind the stage displays a Walt Disney-esque castle. And the mast of this castle is simply a guitar neck, a symbol of a myth that Blackmore probably wants to convey. Visually, the effect is symphonic. This is the world in which Blackmore feels perfectly at ease. Everything is planned in advance: the sequence between songs, the lighting, the smoke, the vocalist's words, which have only one goal: to excite the crowd and bring them to emotions that will mesh perfectly with the intensity and impact of the music. Blackmore's music is fantastic. It is identical to that of Purple, for which he was the main composer, but orchestrated in his own way, that is to say, well-balanced, without length, without unnecessary solos, where each sound of his guitar blends perfectly with the arrangements. His technical displays are fascinating. His skillful hands run the length and breadth of the neck, finding each note where one least expects it. Silent, Blackmore lets his guitar speak in scales borrowed from Arabic sounds, those of Beck and Hendrix. Blackmore even amplifies his arrangements to give the impression that we are in the world of Pink Floyd. This is the case with the piece "16th Century Greensleeves." He has no repetitive clichés, which was unfortunately the case with Deep Purple. There's no need to emphasize the impact of "Man on the Silver Mountain," which is the equivalent of "Smoke on the Water." For a first live performance, it's a total success. It seems obvious they practiced for 3-4 months before launching. Blackmore often returns with notes where he plays alone. He brings out his "finger style" to plunge us into the heart of the Renaissance. Then he cuts off abruptly and launches into a super-heavy guitar strumming, a spectacular intro for another bulldozer-like track. The crowd immediately jumps into it. That's what's magical about Blackmore. Without knowing the piece at all, the crowd seems to immediately understand it. Its full value is so effective and biting, Blackmore's rhythm. At the end of the show, I left the Forum half-deaf, the encore having been a resounding success. One of the most catchy songs of the show was "If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll," where the singer asked the crowd to participate as a backing singer. Another testament to the well-preparedness of this show. It must be said that Ritchie Blackmore brings with him a rather enriching stage experience. He innovates in spontaneity. In short, it was beautiful, clean, brutal, symphonic, artistic, blue, but deafening. If heavy rock is still fashionable, I saw the best show since Led Zeppelin. © Jacques Landry, Pop Rock vol 4 nr 23 - December 13, 1975 © Photos: Dominique Blanchard Loud, Loud Rainbow Makes Rock Debut Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 When Ritchie Blackmore was a member of Deep Purple, the British group made the "Guinness Book of World Records" in the category of loudest rock band. It is a tradition that Mr. Blackmore is intent on maintaining, to judge from the debut of his new group, Rainbow, at the Beacon Theater on Wednesday. The amplification that towers behind him and his quartet is overgenerous even by the bloated sonic standards of the heavy-metal drone rockers. The opening of his tour was delayed while a new drummer, Cozy Powell, was flown in. Mr. Powell's brand of pound and fury matched Mr. Blackmore's extravagant guitar work in jacking up the decibels. Suffering (but apparently happily so) through all this was Rainbow's singer, Ronnie James Dio, who merely shouted his way with a fine frenzy. This is no band for great subtlety - the intention is to build layers of electronic sound, allied to technical wizardry. Ian Dove, New York Times - December 14, 1975 [Thanks to: Tonny Steenhagen for the scan] Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 The Rainbow that came to New York was in a very real sense a brand new band. Ritchie Blackmore, who walked away from Deep Purple and the security that comes with selling untold millions of records, had assembled a completely new group around himself and singer lyricist Ronnie Dio since recording their successful debut album. When the new Rainbow stepped on stage at the Beacon Wednesday night it was their first-ever gig and the atmosphere was electric with tension and anticipation. Ronnie Dio fits perfectly into his roll of foil to Blackmore's serious demeanor. Strutting across the stage shaking his mane, pulling those old Stewarty microphone moves, flipping like a flag on a pole, Ronnie rocked the house down while Blackmore stood stage left whipping up storms of electric frenzy. Tony Carey's lush keyboards came to the forefront on the balladic 'Catch The Rainbow', the lyrics almost lost in deep echo as streams of colour poured through the huge Tony Mazzucchi-designed rainbow overlooking the stage. Blackmore's brief solo was his best of the evening. 'Man On The Silver Mountain' was stretched to nearly double its recorded length. Dio's voice recalled Robert Plant in full cry as Cozy Powell's perfectly timed drum smashes pushed him on. Blackmore has always been a staunch admirer of Jeff Beck and Rainbow's show-stopping rock out of the Yardbirds 'Still I'm Sad' made the instrumental album version sound like a warm up for the real thing; Dio making up lyrics on the spot, Blackmore soaring, Powell, climaxing in an orchestrated explosion. As bits of the '1812 Overture' roared through the PA, the former Jeff Beck drummer let loose with cannon shots and explosions. Any litany of the great vocalist/guitarist combinations of the rock age includes Jagger and Richards, Stewart and Beck, Plant and Page, Daltrey and Townshend. Add to that list the two newest stars in that exalted heaven - Dio and Blackmore. Dan Nooger, Village Voice - November 1975 Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 Avoiding a comparison between Deep Purple and Rainbow, Blackmore's latest flight of fancy would be to ignore the obvious; without a score-card, it would have been almost impossible to tell the two bands apart. Rainbow came out in a blaze of light and feedback, electrifying the crowd into a standing ovation. But all the stage gimmicks in the world could not disguise the fact that its music was mostly tedious heavy metal that failed to sustain interest. Like Purple, this quintet, especially drummer Cozy Powell and singer Ronnie Dio, assume that energy and noise are one and the same thing. The din this band created was mostly pointless. Also like Purple, excessive volume was used to drive this band's high points home. The only exception, curiously enough, was Blackmore himself, who brought the only touch of variety and humor to the music. His emotive blues intro at the start and his precisely picked intro into "Greensleeves" were the most musical moments of the evening. The sludge created by the rest of Rainbow effectively blurred many of Blackmore's other exceptional moments. Rainbow's set was genius compared to Argent's. The voices were inaudible, the playing was imprecise (except for a few brilliant solos by guitarist John Grimaldi), the music rarely went beyond the riff-verse-riff-chorus-solo-end school of composition, the lighting was out of sync, and no one exhibited any stage presence worth mentioning. "Hold Your Head Up" and "Liar" raised an inkling of attention only because of their familiarity. Considering the quality of their past performances and albums, this was a surprisingly fourth rate show. Joe Bivona, Billboard Magazine - November 29, 1975 Blackmore's Rainbow: Aggressive & Uncompromising Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (Polydor) made its first appearance in this country (12) at the Beacon Theatre with a set as musically aggressive and uncompromising as its precursors, Deep Purple. Appearing on a stage arched by a rainbow of flashing lights with an imposing backdrop of massive amplifiers, the group took their bows and tore into "Black Sheep Of The Family," a song originally recorded by Quatermass, which has been adopted by Blackmore as his theme. Much like the early hey-days of Deep Purple, Blackmore's Rainbow launch an aural assault which is raw and unrelenting. They create an urgency to their music with the liberal use of volume and rifling which generated ripples of excitement through the audience even if the music is mostly new and unfamiliar. Hand-Picked Musicians The effect is compounded by lead singer Ronnie Dio's manic vocals, Cozy Powell's machine gun drumming and the reckless abandon of Blackmore's guitar playing. Blackmore is an accomplished musician with a schizophrenic tendency to either lurch into a song with a devilish glare, playing his Fender like a crossbow on "Man On The Silver Mountain," or develop a theme like his "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" with a deft display of style and invention. As such, his playing creates a tension which is complemented by his quartet of hand-picked musicians. Argent Argent, who are currently labellers in this country, have recently released their eighth album, "Counterpoint," in Europe on RCA. The group opened the show with a short set that unfortunately never allowed them to flower into the full extent of their capabilities. The group's newest members, singer John Verity and guitarist John Grimaldi, have apparently found their niche in the band and fit neatly into the group's new, jazzier concept. Rod Argent danced across his keyboards with delicacy and dynamics while carefully sidestepping the heavy-handed brashness that afflicts the playing of many of his contemporaries. His organ and synthesizer work, which can at times be among the most expressive in rock, managed to hold the whole group together through a patchy mix that rendered the overall sound sketchy and disjointed. "Music Of The Spheres" and "Dance Of Ages" pointed to the staggering range of Argent's keyboard capabilities, while the group's older numbers fared best with the partisan Blackmore audience, particularly "Liar" and the encore, "Hold Your Head Up." With the departure of Russ Ballard last year, the group has sacrificed some of its vocal strengths, but this has been more than made up for with the added depth of their improvisational abilities. Barry Taylor, Record World - November 29, 1975 Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 I remember it being a very rainy night in the city. Argent opened - they were OK although there was no audience reaction at all until "Hold Your Head Up" at the end of their set. Then there was a long wait while the crew tried to fix the buzzing being generated by the rainbow. It was the first time I had seen Blackmore live so it was a big deal for me. Unfortunately the delay caused me to miss the end of the show as I had to rush to catch the last train back to New Jersey [I wasn't old enough to drive yet] so I wound up missing the Stargazer/Light In The Black/Still I'm Sad portion of the show. John Bella Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 I just learned from a close friend that Ronnie James Dio died yesterday. How sad. He was a favorite rock and roll front man of mine. Excellent rock voice. Good song writer. Back in the 70's I was a huge Deep Purple fan, so when Ritchie Blackmore left the group to form Rainbow, my friends and I were all over their debut album. Then, as luck would have it, we scored great seats to see their United States debut performance at the Beacon Theater in New York City. We had first row seats in the balcony. I brought my Dad's trusty Pentax and two lenses, and a couple of rolls of film. At this show I was still an amateur with regards to shooting concerts. The light meter in the camera was never right because it would always be averaging all that blackness surrounding the subject. It took several shows of mistakes before I built up the proper knowledge, and confidence, to set the exposure correctly for a given film speed. So, at this show, I had a ton of shots that were exposed brilliantly, but were very blurry. I could have easily rested the long lens right on the balcony rail, but I don't think I did that given the results. The opening act was Argent. A completely forgettable performance - even the extended performance of their one great hit, "Hold Your Head Up," was a yawner. The crowd just wanted to see Rainbow. I loved Rainbow's staging. From the iconic rainbow arc of lights framing the stage, the backdrop of the painting from their debut album, and Blackmore's dual stacks of Marshall amplifiers, it was just what you would want a rock and roll show to look like. I always wondered what the tape recorder was used for behind Blackmore. I was astonished to find that an audio recording of this performance is available on the web. It was indeed quite a kick to listen to it after all these years. I had remembered that the show had a great, long rocking song which was new at the time. I later summized it to be "Stargazer" from their second album, but I really didn't know until I saw the set list for concert which confirmed it. How cool! I also remembered and was impressed by Cozy Powell playing to the "1812 Overture" during his drum solo. I thought that was a clever innovation for the time. Blackmore did not throw his Strat in the air at the end of the show or smash it, but it was a great performance. A few years later I saw Rainbow again at the Capital Theater in New Jersey. There Blackmore did toss his guitar very high in the air - and I got photos of it. I'll post those photos in a future blog post. Elliot Gould - The Render Edge Blogspot, May 17, 2010 Beacon Theater, New York City NY - November 12, 1975 I saw the 2nd show on that 1st tour at the Beacon Theater in New York. If you don't like R & R was done as a encore. I took some pictures but they did not turn out that great. Cameras were not the same as they are today. 4th row in front of Ritchie. Awesome night! George Martin - Darker Than Blue 2014 Tower, Philadelphia PA - November 15, 1975 By the time he turned 17, he was playing lead guitar for the British rock madman, Screaming Lord Sutch. "Working with him was terrifying! He taught me showmanship. He taught me to get out and give it to the people." Then, for a ew years, Blackmore performed as a house musician at the Star Club in Hamburg. In 1968 he received a telegram from Chris Curtis of The Searchers, urging that he return to London and meet two young men who were keen on forming a band. The young men were Jon Lord and Ian Paice and the band, of course, was Deep Purple. For years the Purples reigned as one of Great Britain's outstanding experts. In 1973, the year of "Smoke on the Water," they sold fourteen million record albums worldwide. It had been no great secret that Blackmore didn't associate with, and wasn't very friendly with other Deep Purple members. Finally, after a monumental battle of egos, Blackmore announced that he was leaving to form his own new group - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. With vocalist Ronnie Dio and a rhythm section, he flew to Munich last Spring. Six weeks later they emerged from Musikland Studios with 'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow', their debut on Polydor. Blackmore will appear with his new group on Saturday, November 15. Opening Act will be Argent, a show in itself. The Villanovan - November 1975 Rainbow Turns Pale At Tower Tower Theater, Upper Darby PA - November 15, 1975 It had the makings of a great evening. You knew when Ritchie Blackmore stepped on stage you would be besieged by smoke, fire, bombs and volume. When the show was moved back a week to permit proper stage preparations, you figured dark glasses might be in order. When the show was moved back an additional hour though, you feared there may be trouble. There was. Settled down in your seat, feeling just great, the lights went out and the electricity began. A loud droan accompanied by the toll of a bell introduced the opener, Argent. You hadn't heard many of the songs, but were entertained by a classy blend of funk plus rock'n'roll. Rod Argent played a steady keyboard which, accompanied by impressive guitar work, comprised a genuinely satisfying opening set. Now Blackmore was coming up. It had to be tremendous. There was a huge rainbow arched triumphantly over the stage and four marshall amps over where Blackmore usually stands. A fight breaks out behind you and as you turn to see the action you're greeted by hosts of neo eyes. Yes, everything was perfect for the occasion. Finally, after a very long wait, the show begins. The curtain ascends and the crowd gasps at a backdrop of castles under stars and a quarter moon, colors flashed magnificently across the rainbow and amidst streams yellow light, Ritchie Blackmore achieves the stage. Leering at the crowd, he turns up that stratocaster but something is wrong. Above the ordinarily clear, crisp Blackmore sound is a mysterious cosmos pervading buzz. It seems to be coming from one of the marshalls and is bothering the hell out of Blackmore. After two songs he leaves the stage for repairs. An agonizing hour passes before the crowd is told the lights interfered with the speakers. Thus the elaborate light show, that demanded weeks of preparation was now just ordinary. The Rainbow played pretty well though. Despite all else, Blackmore did a good job. He's one of those guys who just seems to look good with a guitar. He got down hard, but it was useless. No one could salvage the evening at this point. The crowd was dischanted and the band felt it, resulting in a very short set and no encore. Too bad. It really could have been a great show but turned out to be a disaster. You can't blame Blackmore though. The crowd was simply beyond responsiveness. So we can only sit back and await a hopefully triumphant return of the Rainbow. As it was though, they were the first band to be outplayed by a buzzing amplifier. Jack McDaniel, The Villanovan - November 19, 1975 Rainbow Over Tower Tower Theater, Upper Darby PA - November 15, 1975 On Saturday, Nov. 15, Blackmore's Rainbow played the Tower Theatre to a more than sold out crowd, as Midnight Sun wraps up its stay at the Tower. The music world has been waiting anxiously for this band, ever since Blackmore left Deep Purple early last spring. The original band which featured the entire band of Elf, was picked up by Blackmore to record what was actually meant to be a solo album. After some time with them, Ritchie Blackmore announced he was leaving Deep Purple to form his own band with the members of Elf. As you recall, Blackmore was lead guitarist with Purple ever since 1968, when they hit big with Hush. Purple became one of the premier heavy metal bands second only (depends who you ask) to Led Zeppelin. One of the driving forces of the band being Blackmore's stinging guitar. Purple's career was always a turbulent one, the reasons being Blackmore's temper. On two different occassions Purple's personnel was changed due to Blackmore. Once again not satisfied in the direction Purple was going, Blackmore handed in his notice. With the addition of Elf, an album was recorded and released early this summer simply entitled Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. The album is one of the best rock albums released this year. Everything was moving smoothly, the band was preparing a tour of the states, and it seemed Blackmore found what he wanted. In early September, Blackmore fired the entire band with the exception of vocalist Ronnie James Dio. (See Nov. 6 of Vanguard). The critics instantly marked him for rocks next band to bite the dust. With the addition of some English musicians, Rainbow set out on a tour of medium sized halls here in America. When Rainbow finally hit the Tower last Saturday, the speculation was there. The critics were waiting to see Blackmore pull some kind of stunt, like not showing up, or walking off stage in mid-song. After a fine set by Argent, (by rights they should have headlined their own show) technical failures caused the first major delay of the evening. Oh the curse of the Marshalls! It seemed that one of Ritchie's mamouth amps gave up the ghost. Rainbow finally hit the stage, to a wave of applause, smoke and coloured lights. Starting off with Do You Close Your Eyes, Rainbow set the pace for the evening. Ronnie Dio is a strong vocalist, in the tradition of Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale. You need a strong, husky voice to be heard over Blackmore. Dio was a much a star that evening, as was Blackmore. Blackmore stayed out of the way until it was time to do some fancy guitar picking. Self Portrait, which followed, showed that the band as a whole was a tight one. 16th Century Greensleeves, had Blackmore in the limelight, as the song brought to mind castles, knights, and crossbows. The guitar solo was phenomenal. The best Blackmore has done in a long while. Suddenly, Dio announced the band was leaving the stage for a few minutes, while the road crew took care of some problems with the light show. It seemed the huge rainbow which spanned across the stage off set the amps every time the lights passed through it. Whatever the case, it took them almost 45 minutes to correct it. This did nothing but put a damper on the crowd. Rainbow did return, and launched right into Catch the Rainbow. Beautifully done with some echoes of Hendrix in the chordings similar to Angel. The band slammed right into Man on a Silver Mountain with Blackmore putting in those power chords and riffs. The kind he is famous for. Rainbow has some fine musicians in it besides Blackmore and Dio. Jimmy Bain is on bass and vocals, and Cozy Powell is on drums. Powell is well known for holding down the beat with Jeff Beck and later with Bedlam. Tony Kerry was on keyboards, and did a fine solo-introduction for a new song, Star Gazer. The song moved well till the end when it seemed to lose all direction. Blackmore pulled it back together with their rendition of the old Yardbirds hit, Still I'm sad. He got off some fine guitar run in that one. Cozy Powell got a chance to show he is a heavy drummer with a fine solo played along with a tape of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture played in synchromesh with the drum solo. Powell handled all of the percussion parts including the cannons. Slipping back to the song, the band finished up with a blast. Blackmore let lose with one final fantastic solo. Unfortunately, no encore was presented. They had enough problems that evening without further adding to it. What ever you may think of Ritchie Blackmore, he is a fine guitarist. No one can take that away from him. Rainbow is a fine band made up of excellent musicians who know their trade. Only time will tell if Blackmore has found his pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow. Art Connor, Vanguard - December 9, 1975 Tower Theater, Upper Darby PA - November 15, 1975 I saw them at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby Pa.(Philly). Argent opened for them if I remember correctly. Rainbow played their opening song. During the first song,they realized the rainbow that lit up and went over the stage was interfering with their sound system. After about an hour or so the crowd was getting restless! At that time, Ronnie James Dio came out on stage and cussed the crowd like dogs! He didn't hold back! They did finish the show. Without the rainbow! Steve Fetty Community Theater, Berkeley CA - November 28, 1975 One of the greatest concerts that I attended ever, was Rainbow at The Berkeley Community Theater in 1975. It was between Fleetwood Mac in San Francisco or Ritchie's new band, as both shows were on the same night. The entire crew voted for Rainbow. This was a very wise choice by a bunch of acid-fried loonies... Rainbow, was THE show of the mid 70's that could not be topped by any other band in the world. Philip S Wolf Community Theater, Berkeley CA - November 28, 1975 I had the great fortune of seeing Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow at the Berkeley Community Theater. The show had hardly sold out, but the people who were there were definitely Blackmore's fans. Sammy Hagar's band opened the show. Basically, being a Montrose off-shoot, they have a ways to go. The dynamics of the band seems good, but they were too much of a load for their equipment, and came across only as a wall of noise. Better equipment and a bit more playing and they should be a great band. When Rainbow took the stage, you could sense professionalism in action. The stage set-up was very well done, using the LP cover as a back drop, plus an actual Las Vegas Rainbow over the stage which moved and changed color - a very interesting visual effect. The band, with Ronny Dio on vocals, was very powerful and quite similar to Deep Purple. The songs were all from the current Rainbow LP and seemed a lot better than the actual recorded versions. There was a lot of room for Blackmore to do all of the riffs he's famous for. Gone were the show-off antics and splits he usually does. Instead, he played some of the nicest guitar I have over heard him play. The high point was "Catch the Rainbow", a moody, slower song. Unlike the LP, the current band utilized keyboards quite a bit, creating a nice change in the tone of the songs. They also did a song off the forthcoming LP. It was a lot different from the songs on the first LP, having a long keyboard intro, than moving into a heavy rhythm piece. Cosy Powell was along to play drums, having quit his own group to play with Blackmore, and did a drum solo to the "1812 Overture" ending with a flash powder explosion. Another high point of the evening was the fantastic version of "Still I'm Sad", the old Yardbirds' song, done this time with vocals. By all means an enjoyable evening of listening. If you haven't seen Ritchie or heard this LP, give Rainbow a listen... Its a lot better than Deep Purple ever was, with a promise of better things to come. Michael Dillman, MusicRap 1975 Rainbow Arcs Over Sellout Sky Santa Monica Civic Auditorium - November 29, 1975 The prevailing stripe in Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is of a Deep Purple hue, precisely the color anticipated and eagerly devoured by the sellout Santa Monica Civic audience Saturday night. There Blackmore predictably but vigorously fulfilled the fans' expectations with a show damaging enough to eyes, ears, nose and throat to qualify as first-rate heavy metal. Though he essentially remains within the popular formula, Blackmore's move from Purple to his own group has its benefits. The band -unknowns except drummer Cozy Powell- emits spunk and scrappiness, a distinct advantage in a field populated by stale, established elders. And several of Rainbow's songs weave in some threads traceable to the Yardbirds and, by extension, Led Zeppelin, providing the set with a bit of variety, atmosphere and melodic interest. That side was eventually inundated by the basic Blackmore blitz, but that direction holds the most promise for Rainbow at the creative level. Blackmore, the sullen Fender flash, is the poseur's poseur, but for all his blatancy, his withdrawn manner does cultivate an effective aura of tension. Unfortunately his showy devices (the wrinkles this time included sliding one live guitar up and down the neck of another, as well as his standard behind-the-back moves) didn't release the tautness as powerfully as would a genuine personality explosion. Rainbow's penchant for excess did the most damage not to the music itself but to the structure of the show, which roared on redundantly long after it had hit its peak and settled down again. A call for restraint, then, is in order, after which we'll eat some green cheese that fell from the moon. Richard Cromelin, L.A. Times - December 1975 [Thanks to: Tonny Steenhagen for the scans] Santa Monica Civic Auditorium - November 29, 1975 Wether he's meant it or not Ritchie Blackmore's very being has, over the years, personified the unbridled aggression necessary for an effective practifioner of the rock and metal arts. His classic riffs and even classier public displays of mood all fuel the fire. You may not always agree with him but you kind of get the feeling he's probably right. For Ritchie Blackmore Deep Purple was the cocoon. Blackmore's Rainbow at the Santa Monica Civic proved the metamorphosis. Blackmore's Rainbow (a Polydor thunder lizard) is, first and foremost, a band. To be sure the Blackmorian influence is there but, throughout the course of the set, you never lost sight of the fact that there was a band performing. Blackmore's lead riffs were in the truemetal mold but his new musical surroundings have taken their toll. Blues and straight ahead rock runs played a major part in Blackmore's axe disgorging as his solo progressions transcended the seeming predictability of hard as nails devotees. The overall feel of Rainbow's music harkened back to a haunted hinterland where Poe closing a musty book at midnight and things that go bump in the night is the order of the day. This musical eeriness was buoyed by the frantic then pleading vocals of Ronnie James Dio and the strictly primordial bangings of drummer Cozy Powell. An extended "Man On The Silver Mountain" showcased a truly bizarre mixture of hardrock and some deep rooted classical influences as Dio's lyrical distortion and Blackmore's tortured runs played off each other in a manner that carried with it a grand guingoil majesty as opposed to rock for rock's sake. The band's assault on diversified roots continued on an improvisation laden "Still I'm Sad" as Blackmore and company dragged The Yardbird's classic — kicking and screaming into the musical now via some coldly calculating, yet creative, licks.Two and a half hours latter the curtain came down. No encore despite the cries of more from the glutinous horde. Rock's heavy metal bard had ascended on the Santa Monica Civic. And having made his point slipped away. MS, Cash Box - December 13, 1975 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium - November 29, 1975 Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow had its debut at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium recently, and while it was not the shattering and wonderful excursion it should have been, it was one of the stronger rock presentations in years. Since the release of "Rainbow", Blackmore terminated the services of that entire band (with the exception of singer Ronnie Dio) and the display put on by the new outfit proved the move was worthwhile. With the exception of Jeff Beck, Blackmore is the most mobile, energetic, and innovative character playing guitar and it was precisely for these reasons that the show was not completely up to snuff. He seemed more interested in the moves than he did in the actual playing, which is an aspect of his guitarmanship he always places in the back seat. Rather than getting out there and producing the kind of classical-cum-rock magic he's capable of, he dilly-dallyed around the guitar neck and did not even complete what could have been sensational guitar phrases and runs. New drummer Cozy Powell was monstrous as he wielded drum sticks resembling baseball bats and laid down a solid locomotive beat. His interplay with Blackmore after just eleven shows was remarkable. A drum solo near the end of the show came complete with dry ice smoke, flash bombs, and strobe lights. Material consisted mainly of the "Rainbow" album, and included "Man On The Silver Mountain," "Catch The Rainbow," and "Still I'm Sad" (which was dedicated to racing driver Graham Hill). A new piece titled "Stargazer" showed Ritchie branching out into lengthier and more complex music and managed to whip up some interesting (if not too emotional) guitar. Ritchie Blackmore is a master, a shadowy figure on stage whose fingers have coughed up some remarkable guitar. As a musician his career is really just beginning and one can be sure that on his next trip around the show will be every bit as powerful as he is. Todd Everet, New Musical Express - December 27, 1975 Blackmore warms up fans at Civic Santa Monica Civic Auditorium - November 29, 1975 The name Ritchie Blackmore brings to mind unbelievable guitar progess and stage exuberance. If he just showed up for a concert it would be an above-average event. Instead fans at the sold-out Santa Monica Civic Saturday witnessed a lavish production. An articulate parade of multi-colored lights crisscrossed overhead to form a rainbow as a backdrop of a castle in the heavens painted a picturesque setting. It was all Blackmore needed to blend it with the music in a power-packed production. Backed by the explosive drumming of Cozy Powell and the wide-range vocals of Ronnie Dio it was time for Blackmore to usher in a new era of the Rainbow. As with Deep Purple Blackmore again finds him self surrounded by talent and Dio's unrelenting vocal, still another driving force to Rainbow's music. His fluid interpretations of "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", "Catch the Rainbow", "Self Portrait" and "Man on the Silver Mountain" were stunning. As great as the remainder of the band was it was difficult not to focus on this stage veteran and his superb mastery of his instrument. He held this reviewer spellbound. As he's shown on previous occasions his skills are unmatched. He makes controlling his Stratocaster seem as simple as flicking on the radio. Blackmore brought with him the urge to perform his fingerboard excercises whether in mid-air or on the ground. He plays flawlessly at times with an uncontrolable frenzy or as a cool and calculated maestro. But he always puts on a show of grandeur as if a million critics are putting him to the test. The new addition of Powell more of a straight-ahead power drummer than one of finesse was what the doctor ordered (Still I don't have much respect for percussionists who insist on putting their names on the front of their drums rather than that of the group's). Argent which was to have preceeded Rainbow didn't play that night. Instead a laid-back hillbilly band from Santa Barbara performed. It would have been better if they didn't. Also the concert came close to being postponed to a future date. The cause was said to be an equipment driver sleeping past the time of arrival. The gig however was delayed an extra hour causing many fans to wait outside in the cold until the doors were opened. Joseph Bensoua, News Pilot San Pedro - December 2, 1975 Rock fans left out in cold Swing Auditorium, San Bernadino CA - November 30, 1975 Between 50 and 100 persons showed up at the National Orange Show's Swing Auditorium Sunday night for a concert — but there was no concert. Those who gathered around the entrance way — among them a Sun-Telegram reviewer — carried tickets for a 8 p.m. performance by Ritchie Blackmore, former lead guitarist of the Deep Purple Rock band. Police Sgt Brad Milder said many of them were from the Los Angeles area and were "a little upset" The entertainment seekers told Milder they had not heard of any cancellation of the show. What caused the snafu was not immediately know. The Orange Show officials reached Sunday night said they were not aware that a concert had been scheduled. The Sun-Telegram could not reach persons responsible for the bookings at the Swing Auditorium. The San Bernardino County Sun - December 1, 1975 Confusion explained on canceled concert Swing Auditorium, San Bernadino CA - November 30, 1975 A Sunday concert for Blackmore's Rainbow rock band at Swing Auditorium here had actually been cancelled last Wednesday but the cancellation notices did not -and do not always as a rule- get to those who bought tickets. That was an Orange Showofficial's explanation for a misque which led 50 to 100 persons to the gates of the auditorium Sunday evening thinking the performance was to be held. Many were from the Los Angeles area, according to San Bernardino police. Bob Lewis, Orange Show ticket manager, said the show was cancelled because only 342 tickets had been sold, 191 of which were bought through ticket agencies by persons outside the San Bernardino and Riverside areas. He also said he posted notices outside the Swing Auditorium and generally relies on word-of-mouth for notification. Those buying tickets out of the local area are not given any information about the cancellation through corrected radio advertisements, for example, unless the concert is one that would have attracted a large crowd, Lewis said. "Even if they were to run ads, there are still going to be people show up," Lewis said. "There is really no way to tell all these people." In view of Sunday night's turnout, however, Lewis said the Orange Show would review policies on cancellation notices. He said all ticket money would be refunded to purchasers at agencies where they bought tickets. The San Bernardino County Sun - December 2, 1975 [Thanks to: Tonny Steenhagen for the scans]