Ritchie Blackmore His Greatest Interview in 25 Years With Blackmore's Night you were never afraid to record cover versions of other people's songs, and the new album Dancer And The Moon begins with Randy Newman's It's Going To Rain Today. - We've been playing this song for friends for about 15 years now, and I thought it would be nice to record it on a disc. Some songs suit Candice's voice very well. We are not against recording covers. Of course, there are many songs with great melodies. I've been in bands where the idea of recording other people's songs was frowned upon, which I just couldn't understand. A good song is a good song. I remember when I was in Deep Purple, they turned up their noses just at the possibility that we would record something that wasn't theirs. I think it has more to do with royalty money. When you record a cover of someone's song, you naturally don't receive royalties. They are received by the person who wrote it. For me, money is not the main thing. If a song is great, then it should be played. You don't have to think, "Oh, yeah, we won't make any money from this, so we won't play anything but our own songs." Even if "our own songs" are of poor quality. Another cover from the new album, "Lady in Black" by Uriah Heep, is closer to your roots. - We lived in a castle with a good friend in Germany, and heard it on the radio. It was very restrained and simple, two chords, and had a medieval and renaissance atmosphere. In the 16th century there was a lot of monotonous music. I liked it, but I didn't know who performed it until I sang it to a fan. "Do you know who recorded this song?" "Ah, Uriah Heep." Uriah Heep were my friends, I've known Ken Hensley and Mick Box for ages. When we started Deep Purple, Uriah Heep started around the same time, and we used to rehearse in the same building as Hounslow, so I'm familiar with them. I've always liked some of their songs, like "Gypsy." The song "Somewhere Over The Sea (The Moon is Shining)" continues with "The Moon is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea)". What does this play on words mean? - This is an old Czech folk melody. We recorded it first as a ballad, and then I thought it would be interesting to add computer effects to it and see what happened. The song sounded no worse than the first version, and we didn't know which one we should release, so in the end we decided: "We'll release both." The first is performed in the key of D minor, and the second in B flat minor. "The Moon is Shining" is probably the heaviest song on Blackmore's Night. Is this a hint that you are going to perform heavier material in the future? - It all depends on my mood. There are days when I want to play medieval music on the mandolin. That day I wanted to play a little heavier music. Sometimes I like to perform heavy material. I just don't want to play it all the time and I don't want to get into the same rut again. I'm no longer interested in playing just one type of music. Overall, I was running out of ideas and just repeating myself. About twenty years ago I discovered that I was just repeating the same riffs. I'm very tired of playing the same music. As a result, it became boring. I like freedom of choice. I love variety. There is only one problem: people don't know which category of groups to classify us into. Stores selling our CDs don't know what to do with us. They don't understand whether Blackmore's Night is rock, folk, pop or medieval music. It's not great for selling albums, but there are more important things to do, like making good music. Do album sales mean anything to you now? - It's great when you get noticed, but no, in the end, it doesn't play a particularly important role. Sometimes it's nice when your music is played on the radio, but that's not what I live for. I think it's important to stay honest with yourself. I love the music I play and I really love this album... As Jon Lord would say, "To each his own." And if people like my music, God bless them. You said that you don't want to get into the same rut, but don't you think that after so many years with Blackmore's Night you have long freed yourself from this rut? - Now I'm under pressure from heavy music fans who are angry with me and think I've gone crazy. But shouldn't I play exactly the music that makes me crazy? You mentioned Jon Lord. The album ends with your tribute to him, "Carry On Jon." As I understand it, you recorded this composition spontaneously when you were stuck in the studio during a snowstorm. - I was not at all prepared for his death. A lot of my friends in my age group died. Jon's death was a big shock, we often said to each other: "Yeah, we need to get together and play some songs." But this never happened, and I was not at all happy about it. I thought he was almost cured, and then, quite unexpectedly, we were tragically informed that he was gone. Of the members of Deep Purple, I communicated with Jon most often. He and I founded the group in distant times, in 1968. I've always looked up to Jon as the co-founder of the band. When we first met in 1968, neither of us had almost anything. We were practically starving. I have good memories of the time I spent with him. He always loved to have fun. He was a very positive person, a loyal husband and an incredible dinner companion to relax and talk to. There were no problems with him. Jon was incredible at interpreting my ideas. When I offered the band a riff, as soon as I played it, he, with his incredible ear, immediately understood what I wanted. When we started playing the same song half an hour later, he would usually say, "Are you going to play the first riff, or are you going to use the one you played now?" He was very attentive, and sometimes I didn't even realize that I had changed something in the riff that I started playing. Then he would take me back to the first riff, which sometimes suited the song better. When I play a piece of music for a long time, I invariably change something about it, and if I don't write down what I played at the beginning, I end up losing the original idea and playing something that's not as interesting. In this sense he was good, or better yet, great. I like to be a leader, and he was great... not a companion, but he was great at improving what I was trying to do. That's why it was so good for us to work together. Jon was not a leader, but he could develop anything that others proposed, any idea. His contribution to the music made the songs more complete. When there are two leaders in a group, they will simply fight bloodily against each other. When there are two satellites in the group, nothing will come of this either. Jon and I had a yin-yang relationship. When was the last time you met Jon? - It was a long time ago. The last time I communicated with him was by email, and he wanted to fly to New York to visit us. I thought that he would come to us this year... We talked all the time, but mostly we corresponded, and did not meet very often. He and I were in different places all the time. But there was always a good atmosphere between us. Many colleagues from your generation have died. Do you want to achieve anything else while you're alive? - Certainly. I don't mean that I want to achieve anything, but I think like this: "If I can live one more day in good health, playing music that I like, in an atmosphere that I like, then I will be happy." I don't believe there should be a purpose in life, and I'm not one to leave a legacy behind. It seems to me that this is all selfishness. I just want to mind my own business, be myself, and try to pay my taxes like most other people. When you look back on the last two decades since your departure from the world of hard rock with Blackmore's Night, what are you most proud of? - I am proud that I found the strength to leave one musical genre for another. Everyone seems to be connected by the music for which they are known, but I only want to play what I love and what I feel. In this business, big bands like Deep Purple make a lot of people big money: agents, managers and promoters. Of course, these people are never happy to hear: "I'm going to play medieval and folk music, I'm just going to sit on a chair and play an acoustic guitar." They suddenly begin to feel like they are losing money. They're never really excited about it, so you have to be very brave and confident to go for it. I wanted to quit heavy music for a long time because I started repeating myself and didn't feel inspired. During my last period with Deep Purple, I didn't even think about or listen to what I recorded in the studio! As a musician, I wasn't very happy with what I was putting out. It was just the same old stuff. But I was sitting under the big umbrella of Deep Purple, I was told that I had a responsibility, a lot of people were making money from it. I had to get through it all and be strong. I know quite a lot of musicians in damn big bands who would love to move on and do something else, but as soon as they mention it, the other band members and promoters go, "You can't do that. You're already working on a new album, and then you need to go on tour. We all need to eat, and this way we can make more money." Our current situation is wonderful, we like to play for two thousand, and for five thousand, and for five hundred people, and the music always fits well with the situation. I'm very happy about this. I'm happy with the music I made on Blackmore's Night, and I get a lot of compliments from people who say, "You're playing better now than ever, and the music you play on Blackmore's Night is much more interesting than your other music." groups." At first everyone kept saying, "What the hell are you doing?!" Why are you giving up fame and honor? I answered: "I want to do something else. I'm not going to be associated with one group all my life, I don't want to play the same music for the rest of my days." I love performing "Smoke on the Water" but I just can't keep playing it every night in a row anymore. You are in a great position where you can play exactly what you want. - True, and it is possible for everyone if people open their minds and are brave enough. But who wants to quit their job? They chain themselves to work for a pension, even if it is a very small position in a bank - and do not take risks. Life offers chances, but many people refuse them. There's also a lot of nostalgia in today's music. I like the early Beatles, "All My Loving" and all that. Great songs. But a lot of this music, like Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers, is listened to today not only because they are good songs, but also because of nostalgia. People want to feel like they're 16 again when they're actually 60. The question is, was the music really that good or do people just have good memories of that time? Nostalgia seems to be a big deal in today's music. Do you think this is bad? - No, I don't think it's bad, it's just an expression of emotions, people want to relive a certain moment. Each of us remembers something with nostalgia, for example, I'm sure you are nostalgic about ABBA. Yes, this was the first group that I started listening to. I was not even three years old then, in 1973. - It was one of the best bands, and not only in Sweden. Incredible composers. I will always remember the time we spent in a castle in France recording Long Live Rock N Roll for Rainbow. Cozy Powell and Ronnie Dio and I were having a drink by the fireplace in the middle of winter, talking about everything, and Cozy said, "There's a band I like, but I shouldn't say I like it. This is ABBA." He was sure that we would all say: "Oh, how can you like such pop music?!" But I remember instead saying, "Exactly. This is also one of my favorite groups." And then Ronnie Dio added: "Yes, and this group is one of my favorites." It was really funny to see how reluctant we all were to admit that ABBA was one of our favorite bands. In the USA I introduced many people to their work. "Who is this?". The Americans said that this was a Swedish group, and therefore did not listen to it. They tried to boycott ABBA as much as possible. I remember when they appeared in 1974. Almost all over the world they immediately became a famous group, but the press in the USA did everything to throw mud at them. Radio stations refused to play their music because they were a European group. But, of course, when ABBA became really popular, they could no longer boycott the group. Is there a possibility that you will record a new version of "Catch the Rainbow"? - Yes, we can do it on the next album. We don't want to record too many re-do's, but this is exactly the kind of song we can re-record. It's perfect for Candice, who sings it quite well because it's a very melodic song. The songs with Ronnie Dio have always been very melodic, and Candice can easily perform them. The songs with Joe Lynn Turner were also very melodic, and, of course, David Coverdale was very melodic... I won't talk about the others... Is it possible for medieval and folk music to catch up with rock and hard rock in popularity? - I hope not, because then I might stop liking this music. Some German bands, such as In Extremo, achieved great success playing rock-oriented medieval music. Corvus Corax also became very popular. But these groups dress in loincloths, shave their heads and live in this style just to attract attention. I'm not a fan of bands that combine electric guitar with bagpipes. But usually that's exactly what they do. The bagpipe is the leading instrument and cannot be combined with the electric guitar. Some bands do it well, like the Germans Adaro, one of the best instrumental bands of all time! But mostly these bands are known as medieval rock bands, and bad rock bands at that. I prefer acoustic mandolins and bagpipes, and musicians should ideally play in the streets rather than in a huge stadium. But I am sure that if we consistently write about such groups in popular newspapers for a long time, and include them on all TV channels, then any of these groups will be able to fill a stadium. It all depends on how much money you spend on advertising, everyone knows how convincing it can be. Have you ever performed incognito without telling the audience that you are Ritchie Blackmore? Do you play outside? - Yes, I do this all the time. We often go to medieval fairs, and I play with Candice in some corner. We have a little battery-powered amp and I find it really fun to play like that. We also perform in restaurants... Candice: Even on tour, he plays after shows when he feels like it. I remember one of our visits to Russia. We always tell the organizers that we want to keep ticket prices very low so that everyone can see the band. When we arrived in Russia, we found out that we had been lied to and that ticket prices were incredibly high. We were so angry that after the concert we went back to the hotel, took all the instruments we were carrying with us, went to a regular bar and asked someone to tell the fans that they could find us here. Several fans who were unable to attend the concert due to high prices came to this bar. Ritchie always has acoustic instruments in his car, and when the weather permits, we go to a vineyard on eastern Long Island and take the instruments with us. A couple times a week we go to any of the local restaurants and reserve the entire back end. Every restaurant visitor can hear us play. They don't even know it's Ritchie, they're just listening to the music. Ritchie: I love doing this, primarily because I've seen the other side before. I've played for 250,000 people, with a huge sound system and light show, so it's harder for me to play for four or five people in a restaurant. They don't know who I am, so I have to prove what I can do with the instrument without distortion or effects. You have to play the acoustic guitar and impress people. This is a big test for me. When it works out, playing this kind of music can be very pleasant. When it doesn't work out, it's very frustrating. Quite often you describe yourself as an introvert. But I don't think a true introvert could play for an audience of more than 3-4 people. - I need to drink a lot to do this. I don't play for big crowds when I'm sober. That is, the secret lies in the state of mind. - Yes. I try not to cross a certain line, but I think I've only performed on stage sober a few times. I need to try not to pay attention to people, not worry about what they think, and concentrate on the guitar. I can only do this by having a few shots of whiskey or something like that. So alcohol has no effect on your playing? Do you think you're playing better? Or maybe you can't play sober? - I think if I was a drummer or a singer, it would be difficult for me, but when you're a guitarist, you can hide behind the guitar, so it's easier to play when you're drunk. Candice: It's become a routine for you. Ritchie: It's routine. But, for example, I drink very rarely at home. There's a long time between when I drink, but when I have to play guitar at a gig, I'm never sober. It's very important for me to concentrate. When I'm not drunk, I just start worrying too much about what the audience thinks - good, bad, maybe they don't care, or vice versa. I speak as an alcoholic... Many musicians have the same problem. Most of the musicians I know are very introverted people, so they take drugs or alcohol or whatever. When they become famous, they are invited to concerts where they have to talk, introduce someone and be the presenter. It is not simple. When I started playing guitar, I always said that I was glad that I didn't have to talk, but now all I hear is: "Oh, Ritchie, they sent you an invitation, they want you to...". "What about the music?" "No, they don't want any music. They just want to talk to you." How do you play in the studio? Don't you need to drink when you're not playing to a crowd? - Most often I don't drink in the studio, but sometimes I can drink beer. This is not a problem, it doesn't stop me from playing the right notes. If I feel comfortable with the producer - in the studio I usually only sit with the producer - then it's a completely different situation, I don't have to play in front of a bunch of strangers. When I know the audience, I don't worry so much about my playing. But yes, sometimes I can drink in the studio, even wine, but it's more for socializing and not because I need to drink to play properly. I could never play on stage sober for several thousand people. As I said, many of my musician friends do the same thing, and some of them even take drugs to achieve this effect. Playing in front of a lot of people is very stressful. You need to put on a show, make sure you are accepted. This is exactly the case when you are either accepted or rejected. Naturally, everyone wants to be accepted on stage. Nobody wants to stand on stage when the audience doesn't like you. Do you still have many friends among musicians or do you lead a completely different life? - Most of my friends are either football players or musicians. We often go to a local restaurant and pass each other a guitar and play songs. It's fun because everyone can play, there's no competition. As you know, I always play better than everyone else. This is the main thing... Not very modest... - I said this half-jokingly. Do you still like practical jokes? - Not like before. I think when I start taking my music very seriously, I'm not as interested in pulling pranks. I don't really like it when someone starts telling jokes. When someone says, "Oh man, he said..." When the conversation gets to the level where someone has to remember jokes, I always feel like the conversation has reached its lowest point and that it's time for me to leave. But I love practical jokes. Sometimes we play in open areas where there is no good toilet. Then I think: "I'll do it here," right in the dressing room, relieve myself in a bag, and then put it under the keys, next to the drums or in the dressing rooms of other musicians. Usually, then a terrible smell rises in their room, and they cannot understand what is causing it. Now they already know it's me, so I can't do this often, but it's one of my tricks. You'll never be too old for pranks! - Exactly. I remember one group we made fun of in Germany in 1965. They left their guitars and amps available to us because we were going to be performing together all week. I remember one time I unscrewed the back of one of their amps and put crap in it. After that I screwed it on and put the lid back on. Of course, every time they turned on the amplifier, it began to heat up, and then a disgusting smell would spread throughout the entire stage... They could not figure out where it was coming from, because the source of the smell lay inside the amplifier, near the power supply itself. This seemed very funny to me! Every time this band started playing their hour-long program, the volume started to stink horribly! I don't think they even realized where the smell was coming from. You can also put fish there. After three days, heated fish can also stink terribly... There is an old saying: "guests are like fish - after three days they begin to stink." Do others dare to joke like that with Ritchie Blackmore? - Yes, people like Cozy Powell dared. Every time I pulled a prank on Cozy, he would get back at me by pulling a prank ten times worse. Therefore, I was forced to declare a truce to him. But in this band we are more concerned about playing the music correctly because it is a very difficult task. We used to just go to the venue, plug in the amps and play at full volume. In this group everything is completely different. You have to do a sound check, you have to make sure everyone is playing the right parts, and the harmonic structures are much more fragile and delicate. There isn't much time left for pranks until the concert is over. Do you know what garlic oil is? Yes. - We often took bottles of garlic oil and poured it on TV remotes, door handles and toothbrushes instead of toothpaste, so that the victim could not escape from this garlic oil. Of course, this can only be done once, until the person knows that it was my doing, so next time I have to invent something new. But it makes for a good laugh, the victim just can't get rid of that horrible garlic butter! I also like to use maid carts in hotels, I take the cart from the bar, put it across the doors of other musicians, knock on the door, run away, and when they open it, dirty dishes fall into their hands! As a guitarist, do you feel like you've been playing for almost 50 years? - Unfortunately, with age came problems with my hands. I have poor blood circulation in my hands and have rheumatism. I have arthritis in my back and sometimes in my leg, and now it's creeping up to my arms as well. I have to really work on this circulation, so I do hand exercises, sometimes I use hand cream, wax or paraffin. This is one of the negative aspects of aging. I also noticed that now I need to act out more before a performance, and this is not easy... (after a short pause). It seems it's our nanny and she leaves, leaving Candice with Autumn and Rory. (to the nanny) Bye! What is it like to be a father? - Well, basically everything is done by Candice. I just pat them on the head and pick up their things. This is cool. Our little girl Autumn is two and a half years old, the problem is she refuses to sleep in her room so she sleeps in the middle of our bed between Candice on one side and me on the other. She kicks constantly when I sleep, so having kids isn't always fun. But they live in our regime all the time. We go to bed at two o'clock in the morning and get up around noon. The kids go to bed at twelve or one in the morning and get up at noon. Nobody can believe it. How can you sleep for so long? As people age, they sleep less! - Yes, I don't know, I thought about it. I love to sleep. Especially in hotels, I always carry earplugs with me because even the best hotels are always very noisy. Everyone is noisy - the maids at six in the morning, other guests leaving the hotel... It is very rare that you get a truly peaceful night's sleep in a hotel. There's always someone knocking on the door to say it's time to check out. Hotels are one of the problems of touring. Even though I wear earplugs, there is still too much noise coming from other rooms. When we play in big cities, I try to stay away from the city center, in the suburbs, where it will be quieter. Overall, the world has become very noisy. People talk too loudly, loud music is played, someone is always drilling something, working on a leaf blower, sirens are blaring somewhere. The noise of traffic... The world has become a very noisy place, and I think this is bad for people's mental state. You need to recharge your batteries, but when you're constantly surrounded by all this noise, it's impossible. For example, in the USA there is a lot of screaming and shouting on TV. In Europe, television is much quieter. I live in the US and locals look at me and ask, "What did he say?" because I prefer to talk quietly. It seems to me that when you are trying to convey a message to someone, speaking quietly is much more effective. Nobody listens when someone screams. Nobody. I am often interested in advertising on television. I am sure that a 20-second advertisement without sound - dead silence - will make viewers turn their attention to the TV, pay attention to the image and think: "What is this? Where did the sound go? Then you will immediately see what is being advertised. I have never seen anyone who dared to do this. Don't you think that your departure from the world of loud music is connected with this? - No, although the Guinness Book of Records says that Deep Purple is the loudest band in the world, they only came to this conclusion after four spectators fainted from the volume, so it's all just nonsense. Of course, we played very loudly, but it doesn't seem to me at all that we had nothing else besides volume. We played very loudly for an hour and a half, and the rest of the time we played very quiet parts. I have always been a quiet person and never understood those who like to yell. All these parties, orgies and screams... I never understood myself either. I really like what I do now, I don't have to yell and scream about it! Here it is considered part of growing up, as it is imposed by television and other media. All this laughter... Why do you live in the USA? It doesn't look like you like it here. - I moved there because of low taxes. I had to leave England, that was my intention. In 1974, the British government introduced a new tax that required citizens to pay 82 percent tax, and I had no desire to give 82 percent of my money to the government. I moved to the USA, where I paid 35 percent. I think this should be enough for the government. The state cannot be allowed to do whatever it wants. And we have problems with the current president, because he only dreams of imposing taxes, taxes, and more taxes on people. The people of the United States are very tired of this. Many left the US due to excessive tax increases. To achieve a good economy, you need to set low taxes, because then people will spend more money, jobs will appear, and the people of the country will become richer. But the current president does not seem to understand this. He just wants to make life worse for everyone who doesn't have much money, and he wants more taxes. If he continues to work like this, there could easily be a revolution in the United States. Do you seriously think that this can lead to a revolution? - Yes, that's why we have the Tea Party Movement. This is a group of people who are fed up with constant tax increases. But he doesn't care, he just keeps tightening the screws. This will soon become a problem. Don't you want to move? - I thought about it, but there aren't many countries to move to. I like many countries, but many of them, in my opinion, have unfair tax systems. For example, in Sweden. What is your ideal place to live? A country with many castles? - Of course, and this should be a rural outback with low taxes. The whole world seems to have gone crazy over money. Some states threaten everyone and spend money aimlessly, and then want to get more money from the poor people who have to pay these taxes. I'm sure you pay taxes too, right? Certainly. - Yes, and I heard that taxes in Sweden are very high. Yes, very high. The advantage is that we don't have to pay money for insurance, medical care, and so on. - Reminds me of the English healthcare system, when you had to wait for years to see a doctor, even if it was an ambulance. They needed to socialize English health care, and then it stopped working. I lived in London for two years, and in 1994 I needed surgery on the cecum. When I went to the hospital, I saw a bloody rag under my bed, and it seemed like the blood was fresh. After the operation, they gave me some minced meat to eat, and meanwhile there was a report on mad cow disease on TV. It was so strange that I even liked it. - My nephew died of mad cow disease. Seriously? - Yes, and after the funeral everyone tried to find out where he picked it up. He often ate hamburgers with cow meat, and doctors were sure that was where he got the disease from. This disease affects the brain. In the USA they are trying to pretend that rabies is not here, but it is here. This disease appeared here many years ago, probably ten years ago. My nephew died about 20 years ago. Just awful. - Exactly. I felt very sorry for my brother; around the same time his wife died, also from a brain disease. She suffered for several years. Of course, the process of dying from a brain disease is not at all pleasant. Patients seem to become different people. Yes. A close childhood friend of mine passed away from a brain tumor on May 16th last year, the same day as Ronnie James Dio two years earlier. I was with him for the last three and a half years of his life, and it was... - It must have been difficult. It was painful to look at him. - Yes, it can be scary. It is very difficult to see how their psyche changes. Terrible. My brother was even attacked by his wife because she no longer recognized him. It's hard to master this. We are having a very unusual interview. - We are discussing brain diseases. And the work of the government. It's not like you don't like interviews. - You know what? When they talk to me politely, I will answer any question. But when I feel bad attitude, I become very irritable. Snooty is an English word meaning to be grouchy. I didn't quite understand the meaning of the second word, but the word "irritable" has the same meaning in Swedish. - Yeah! Okay, great! My guitar tech Jim Manngård is from Stockholm! He is also my drinking buddy; he has lived here since he was 15-16 years old. Great guy, he takes my stage guitars very seriously. They are always perfectly tuned! I remember a long time ago we played in Sweden, I think it was with Rainbow. He was so glad to return to his native Stockholm! I was not so happy, because I constantly had problems with equipment and something else. That's why we didn't do an encore. We refused to return to the stage, and then the audience started throwing things. Jim tried to move my equipment off the stage and they started throwing it. "This is my hometown and they are throwing themselves at me!" And all just because we didn't give an encore! Fortunately, we were still returning to Sweden, and everything went well. But this is all part of my sadistic humor; it was funny for me to see how upset he was that he was abandoned in his hometown. It may seem strange, but when I saw new new photographs of you, it seemed to me that you resemble Jon Lord. - Yes, I can understand that, the thing is that he also often wore the same sunglasses. They say to me: "How can you wear sunglasses while playing in a so-called medieval band?" I answer: "Well, I like to live in a world of anachronisms. I play electric guitar, so I can wear sunglasses." But I can also wear medieval boots. I like both. I really don't like photo shoots. From time to time I have problems with my eyes. The bright flash gives me a headache, so I decided to put on sunglasses. It's not about looking cool, it's just that I have to wear them because of the bright light. This is called increased light sensitivity of the eyes. I prefer darker places. The first thing I do when entering a restaurant is to ask the waiters to turn off the lights. And now, when I go to restaurants where they know me, they immediately turn off the lights! I like to sit by candlelight. Especially here in the US, it's generally too bright. Americans constantly talk about wasting electricity, but at the same time they have lights on everywhere! They turn on full lighting even in broad daylight, it's just idiotic! I often tell them, "Why are you turning on the light? It's daytime, so why do you need lighting?" And they look at me like I have three heads: "This is America." Is it worth going overboard with this lighting and neon? So stupid, and all that electricity costs them a ton of money! On the previous album, you recorded two covers of Swedish performers - "Highland" by One More Time and the Nordman hit "The Wanderer", which you remade into "Journeyman". - When recording the Nordman song, we talked with the band's musicians. We tried to find out the exact text from them in order to translate it into English more correctly. I think Candice did change some lines because we didn't fully understand some of the words. Most bands don't like their music changed, but when they heard our version they approved of it. Candice: I had to change all the lyrics since the original was written in Swedish, but I tried to keep the original spirit. We spoke with Mats Vester, he is a big fan of folk, regional and ethnic music, and he is very proud of old Swedish music. Ritchie: A lot of friends always ask us what band they are when we play their songs at parties. They've never heard this band. It always makes me angry that when you come to Sweden, Swedes always listen to American bands, but in the US, Americans don't listen to Swedish bands. I think this is very wrong, so I try to introduce people to all kinds of ethnic groups. Americans like this kind of music, they just don't have the opportunity to get acquainted with it. It's really nice to introduce people to good music that they would never otherwise hear. This happened a lot with Nordman and One More Time, another Swedish band we like. Candice, you love to dance. Does Ritchie dance at parties? Candice: Yes, he dances better than me! Ritchie: I dance if I've had enough to drink. So you're just an ordinary guy! Candice: He's no ordinary guy! Ritchie: Well, I think I'm more of a weirdo. I'm a shy introvert. But I can behave differently, I can be pompous, depending on the situation. Candice: When the right music inspires him. Ritchie: Yeah, when I hear the right medieval music or a good song, even if it's an ABBA song or something. Have you ever wanted to collect all your stories and write an autobiography? - I thought about it, but it never went further than thinking. I'd have to sit down and talk and talk... I think some of these stories... not too personal, but I don't know if it would be interesting to read. But I have a hell of a lot of stories from touring life. Well, you know, stories about famous people and all that. I thought about it, but I'm just too lazy to do it. You said that you do not seek to leave behind a musical legacy and that you don't care what they will think of you after you pass away... - Hmm, I never thought about what I would like to leave behind. It seems to me that people in general are quickly forgotten. The most important thing for me is that the loved ones I leave behind will be safe and that my children will have a good future. That's what's important to me, not what anyone will think about my work. It's more and more about the ego. But you probably must have a strong ego, otherwise you wouldn't have become such a successful musician! - No, I do not think so. I'm very insecure about what I'm playing and what I'm doing, and that's not a sign of selfishness, but I'm very careful about everything. I am never complacent. But some people... I don't talk to people that much because I'm shy, but I'm not going to put up with any bullshit. When someone is talking to me and I feel like there is a problem, I tell that person straight to their face that I will not communicate with them. I'm not a good guy in front of people I don't like. I think that's where my reputation comes from. I believe in being honest with yourself and with your interlocutors. Most of my friends are simple, uninteresting people. They didn't have much joy in their lives, so I feel like I should share my happiness with them. That's why I take them on tour a lot, they're not that good - except for the Swedish guitar tech - but I want them to have fun. You see, I feel a little sorry for them and I'm taking them on tour so they can have a little fun and be with us and have a good time. My manager sometimes says: "Yes, they are your good friends, but they have nothing in their lives." I believe in sharing your wealth and taking them on tour with you. It's great to be able to take them out on tour, they've never been abroad and haven't seen any joy in life. How do you meet these "useless people"? - I understand them. I find it harder to understand a lot of people in the music industry or business people. Although I am not a poor person myself, I do not understand people who talk only about money. And even though I think taxes should be low, I don't think you should count your money every day. In this sense, money is just a resource for me. Of course, I meet a lot of people with whom I empathize. These are nice people, but they don't have money, cars or houses of their own. A couple of my friends have it all, but they're like me and don't care. Money does not play a decisive role in their life. I meet these "unnecessary" people everywhere. I still like to kick a ball and we meet every Sunday. Many of them don't even have a job, but they play great football! I met a lot of people through this game. I don't know, I'm attracted to simpler people who don't have any wealth in their lives. I'm not impressed by the greats of the industry. I'm not interested in actors, actresses, and the like. They mean almost nothing to me. I'm more impressed by great musicians who get almost no recognition. I've never been one of those people who wants to meet movie stars and famous bands, hang out with them, be in the right place with the right musicians. Some of these great bands, many of them very famous, I always thought they weren't very good. They were just very lucky, they showed up in front of people, their song managed to become a hit, or whatever. So I came to a very strange conclusion: all the best musicians I know are unknown, and the worst musicians usually become famous. It's the same with drinks. Budweiser is the largest beer brand in the United States. But this is the worst beer I've ever tried! Do you believe in global warming? - No. The universe, or Earth, warms and cools every five hundred years. It's naturally. I don't believe this has anything to do with industrial waste. Sometimes you go out into the countryside and see all these long buildings with smoke coming out of them, which immediately forms into clouds. Candice: I think it's polluting the air. Ritchie: Yes, of course it pollutes, but it won't lead to global warming. This is a proven fact. It seems to me that this is just ordinary waste. This has no effect on the ozone layer. The Earth can take care of itself and has been doing so for billions of years. Whatever it is, it's fashionable. Among some people, it is fashionable to talk about global warming. At the end of the 20th century, everyone said that the world was coming to an end, but nothing happened. There will always be someone who will claim that Nostradamus predicted the end of the world in 2012. And when this date passed, they found another interpretation: "Oh, Nostradamus actually made a mistake in the calculations. The end will come in 2015." It helps sell books and scare people. We cannot believe everything the government tells us. Why did you achieve success? - Because at that time people were not interested in dance music. Someone once said to me, "If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?" You know what? I would really like to find a cure for people who listen to hip-hop! People are always shocked when I say this because it is not fashionable to say that. In the US it's always cool to do hip-hop shit. But I think Deep Purple were successful because we were a great band and good musicians. Before 1975, everything was based on music, beautiful melodies and excellent arrangements. After 1975, there were all sorts of Donna Summers - who is good in her own way - who always had a dance beat. It gets very monotonous at times. Bands like Cream and Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull or, for example, Procul Harum did not have a dance beat in their music. If they came out today, I don't think they would sell well. They wouldn't be on the radio because they wouldn't have a dance beat. People are obsessed with dancing. It's strange to see how music has changed, isn't it? Today everyone is jumping up and down—I call it "wiggling." They don't know how to dance, so they start squirming from side to side. Nobody remembers the times when listeners sat cross-legged on the floor and listened to music. Do you pass on your musical experience to your children? Do you teach them good music? - No, I try not to get in their way. I like to think that we are only instructing them, in the abstract sense. If I wanted to teach someone to play something on the guitar, I would say, "Look, I would play it this way, but you can try it another way." There are too many teachers in academic institutions who force students to play exactly like them, especially in this country. Also, local schools and universities are full of ultra-liberal teachers. They are seriously rewriting history and trying to present it in their own way. But this is a completely different topic that I will not discuss. Do you live in a castle? - No, we live in a house that can be called modern, right by the sea, but we have remodeled it in a modern way. We have castle-like doors, lots of tapestries and large antique chandeliers. We have a modern house with all the amenities, but it is furnished like a castle. Many people think that you would like to live in the Middle Ages. Is this true, or do you prefer our time? - I would like to live in the Middle Ages or in the Renaissance, in the 16th century, but you shouldn't expect that heating and medicine there will be of the same quality as today. I want to have all the little comforts that our time gives us. I just like to surround myself with medieval music, I love the clothes they wore back then and the architecture. I read a lot about the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and it was certainly a difficult time, so I have no illusions about it being a supposedly pleasant era. The poor - again - paid huge taxes and ate crumbs. Life was very difficult then, but the music was incredible! However, you won't be satisfied with music alone. Are you a US citizen? - I have a residence permit. I am a legal immigrant and pay taxes. But I did not pledge allegiance to the flag and did not become a citizen, which would have been very simple for me. I've lived here since 1977 or 1976, so I should have gotten citizenship, but I've always liked my English passport and citizenship. I know it's possible to get dual citizenship, but I'm just too lazy to go to the city administration and sign some documents. Do you feel British or American? - I like to think of myself as somewhere in the middle. In fact, I've lived here two years longer than I lived in England! There are many things I don't like about England. It has changed a lot over the past 15-20 years, and now life there is much more difficult than before. 30 Years ago you could walk into any bar. Today you need to be very careful with the choice of bar, otherwise you may stumble upon a skinhead establishment or something else. They are very aggressive. At the beginning of April, the British newspaper Guardian published statistics from the Manchester police, according to which the majority of hate crimes are committed against rockers, punks, goths and emo. - Is it true? I wonder if there must be a lot of aggression in England. We were known to be polite people, always calm and quiet. But now everything is completely different. I remember old England - I liked it. I don't feel safe in New England. I've always had problems with customs because they stop me because I have long hair. You, of course, are a famous musician, but do similar situations happen to you? - Oh yes, the police always pick on me purely on principle! In the 70s we were always searched at customs. Every time I fly to England, the same story happens to me. The customs officers tell me: "You arrived and went through the red corridor. What do you want to declare? "Nothing". "So why did you go through the red corridor?" "Because even if I went through the green, you would still stop me." Then they always say: "Come on in." Over the last 20 years, I've noticed that they've started stopping more and more people wearing costumes that look like big guys. These are the real criminals, not the guys with long hair who look like hippies. They suddenly realized that the smugglers wore business suits and looked respectable. What do you consider the most erroneous misconception about you? - I don't know, it's hard to be objective. I don't think about it too much, I just continue to do what I love. That's what's important to me. It doesn't matter to me whether others like what I do or not. I know how fickle show business is. I take it seriously even though it's not worth it. When I read glossy magazines, I see that they mostly write about bad guys. There must be something somewhat negative about the reputation. Of course, you always need scandals, otherwise no one will be interested in you. I think I did a good job on this. And I'm a fan of Margaret Thatcher. As she once said: "When you stand on the front line, you take all the fire." It is very brave of you to mention Margaret Thatcher, especially considering what is happening in England after her death. - She saved England, which was on its way to hell because of the trade unions, which held everything with an iron grip. She fought them, and I think she did a great job. I wish we had our own Margaret Thatcher in the USA. She could reduce the influence of trade unions. Being a member of a trade union is one thing, and initially they only brought benefits. But now they have become lobbyists and pay money for the president, so he has to reward them after winning the election. You should still not be lazy and write down all your thoughts, because you really have something to say! - Yes, I am interested in political movements. I see so many crimes on the political field! About 10-15 years ago I didn't pay any attention to politics, but over the last five years I began to very carefully observe what was happening in the state. I have very strong political beliefs. VERY strong! American politics is my hobby because it is a complete chaos. I remember the times when everything was done according to principles. Today there are no principles, everyone just wants to benefit. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but over the last five years I've started to notice a trend: people are starting to lie more. They lie about the weather and all sorts of stupid things. Deceit doesn't bother anyone anymore. While raising children, mom and dad told them: "Don't lie, be honest." Today, it appears that advice has been thrown into the trash. People like to lie, and then they call it pluralism of opinions in order to somehow hide their lies. Tricky! Sweden Rock Magazine #105 - July 2013