Ritchie Blackmore Interview Young Guitar Magazine Did you write the music for the new album before Joe showed up? Or were the songs written specifically for his voice? We wrote most of the songs two years ago. We were working on them, but when Joe showed up, we changed a lot of them. There are only two songs on the album that sound like we conceived them two years ago. Did you have a lot of ideas? I hate spending a lot of time writing songs. My favorite song on the album is "Truth Hurts," which I wrote in five minutes. Some songs take weeks to write, but after a couple of months they seem unnatural to me. Of course, they are still my creations, but they are unnatural. It is very important to me that the music was natural... Like everything in life, I believe that music should be natural, but when I am forced to write music... I can't do that. Do you need inspiration? Right. I like to play when I feel inspired, when I have something new to say. After ten minutes of working on music, I want to stop and try something else. I don't like playing the same songs every day. But we were talking about how many ideas we have. The band and I have a lot of ideas, many of which we never finish. These abandoned ideas are a bit like pieces of an unassembled puzzle. Sometimes it's good to look at them from a different perspective. It can help find a solution. If you don't do that and do everything according to a template, many songs will remain unused. When you look at an idea from a different perspective, you immediately find many opportunities to use it. Like a completed puzzle? Yeah, exactly (laughs). Is there a theme to this album? Theme? Or a concept... I've never recorded concept albums. Maybe it will come to that… Concepts are inconvenient because they limit you, and you can't go beyond them. And the music should flow without restrictions. Maybe someday I will have my own concept, but so far nothing like that has come to mind. I was just writing songs for the new album. Why did you decide to include Joe in the band? Weren't you afraid that you would be called Deep Rainbow? Of course, everyone says: "Now they have three former Rainbow members in the band" (laughs). But don't forget that there are also four members of Deep Purple in the band. For me, the most important thing is that Joe works great in the studio. And Ian is not a good fit for this band... Maybe it's a big mistake. Many people ask: "Why did you fire him?" I think if they saw how he behaved in the band, they wouldn't ask such a question. But... of course, it's not easy to work with the same line-up and still keep things fresh. Yeah... It's like a marriage. As they say, if you're together all the time, you'll lose the freshness and want a change... (laughs). For many fans, the most important thing is that you're still in the band. But how do you differentiate between Deep Purple and Rainbow? I don't think it's easy… No, it's not a difficult question. I can only say that these are two completely different bands. If you listen carefully to the music, you will notice the difference in the sound of both bands, especially Ian and Joe. The new album sounds very emotional. Joe sings more melodically than Ian, and the music is softer. This is my favorite album after Machine Head. I really enjoy listening to how the whole band sounds, not just my guitar. I've never tried to prove that I'm the best guitarist, I just try to convey the mood of the song. So for you, the main thing is to be part of a team? I think so. But I still want to be in control (laughs). I can't repeat the same phrase twice, because I only play what my heart tells me. Do you manage to convey inspiration on the record? Usually I record everything on the first take… After thirty minutes, having had a few drinks, I try again. But also on the first take. I can return to the solo in a day or two. And then Roger picks a good take, and I finish my part from there. I always work like that. Of course, I don't want to fall into clichés… but I've been working like that for many years. You also come up with riffs, it's a very important part of the Purple sound. Riffs are very important for Deep Purple. I try to write riffs that are not like riffs of other musicians… I guess in terms of riffs, Hendrix has influenced me the most. I really like the riffs he wrote. Very few people have managed to come up with riffs like that… Of course, I pay a lot of attention to the songs themselves, but riffs are very important in rock music. It's impossible to imagine "Smoke On The Water" and "Burn" without them! I want to write a song called "Jack the Ripper" (Ritchie plays on the words "riff" and "ripper"). Do you know Jack? Jack the Ripper? Yes. I want to write a song from the point of view of the man who runs away from him in tears. Do your improvisations also depend on inspiration? I always improvise. I can't repeat what I played before, and I always start playing differently. Sometimes this causes problems... Like when Roger says: "That's a great solo, play it again." And I don't remember. I'm not one of those people who learns their parts. I play very spontaneously, and I don't like to practice the phrases that I'm going to play. I think Jeff Beck has the same attitude. I wonder if he can repeat his own parts. There are guitarists who learn everything and play the same solos all the time. I can't do that. I think you used to improvise a lot more, especially in the early years with Rainbow. But now you improvise less. What's the reason for that? I don't know… I don't know. Music is an eternal mystery to me. I don't understand what I'm doing… I'm generally dissatisfied with my life's work. I play the same music. Some people say that they know what they're doing, that they have a goal… I don't believe it. Nobody knows what awaits them. We just live. So I can't explain my music. I can only say that I love what I do. Music cannot be seen or touched. It can only be felt. You just follow your inner voice… True. I always listen to this voice. I am convinced that my heart shows me the right path. Everyone knows that you are a fan of classical music. What is your attitude towards jazz? Yes… I was into jazz. But this passion lasted only a year. I adored Django Reinhardt, a gypsy guitarist. He was missing three fingers, but he was a great guitarist. But jazz is not as emotional as classical music. The more complex the music, the less emotion it has. In complex music, you pay more attention to technique than to the meaning of the music itself. In modern jazz, musicians play superbly in terms of technique, but it does not touch me at all. And in rock in the eighties, guitarists paid too much attention to technique. I don't know what they were trying to say. I'm probably the only one who doesn't understand this (laughs). I think the whole problem is that there are too many guitarists. If you listen closely, almost all of them play very boringly. Even those guitarists who are now considered great, in my opinion, write music as if they were only ten years old. Of course, they play very fast, but I hope that one day they will return to sensual music again… And forget about speed. Blues is coming back into fashion now. That's right, blues is becoming popular. Blues has come into fashion now. I don't want blues to become fashionable. For example, if Clapton's records sell well now, then labels will immediately get down to business. Before that, Guns 'n' Roses were in fashion... Is blues an important part of your music? I have my own approach. I don't play blues that often. With all due respect to blues, it is not so easy to express feelings with the same notes! That's why I like classical music, it has no such limitations. But I like blues too. In short, I love blues combined with classical. For example, the bottleneck solo in "Love Conquers All" - you can feel this combination there! I call the bottleneck a slide, I really like to play like that. It's one of my ways to convey emotions. What advice would you give to guitarists who have gotten too carried away with playing fast? Silence... I would advise them not to pick up a guitar for six months. Isn't it interesting what would happen if you didn't talk for six months? Then in six months you would have something to say. Can you be silent for six months? I don't talk much anyway... I guess I can (laughs). For example, after greeting everyone starts talking about the weather... Well, you know, the usual way of having a conversation... It really bothers me. When people tell me about a restaurant they went to, it doesn't interest me at all. I like silence, where I can concentrate and think. Silence is very important to me. The Japanese have the same attitude towards life. That's why they are often misunderstood. True... I'm sitting in a good chair, there's a table in front of me, two mugs of beer... I don't need anything else. When I say something, I'm trying to convey something important. Something sensual, to convey emotion to another person. Does silence give you energy? Music needs feelings, not energy, although it helps you run around the stage. Feeling is a synonym for music. You could say that silence gives me feelings, it would be more accurate than energy. But what helps you to stay at the top of the rock scene? For some, the top of the mountain is a flat plain. It depends on how you look at it. I don't think I'm at the top… But I have a lot of motivation. Sometimes I'm inspired by certain people, but in general, I'm not a very sociable person. I mean... it's hard for me to meet people. It's so difficult to communicate with many people. That's why sometimes I just lock myself in my room or go to the field, admire the trees. I enjoy it more than communicating with people. How do you define a good person? By the aura. Do you see this aura? I see it. It's a very delicate topic. Sometimes I feel something and I say: "Sorry, but we can't communicate" (laughs). By the way, have you heard Jeff Beck's "Guitar Shop"? I haven't heard it yet. I have to listen to it. I love his playing, he's a great guitarist. He just plays... He has the right attitude. When people ask him about the new album, he never says that it's his best work. He just plays for himself... That's all. When people ask him what he does, he simply says: "I live" (laughs). Would you like to record a solo album? I have such an idea. But I haven't decided yet. I don't want to record a solo album until I have a clear idea. Now I want to understand what I'm doing... It's hard to understand me. We're all waiting for Ritchie Blackmore's solo album! Most guitarists dream of recording a solo album, but I don't have such an ego. I like to mess around, play with cats (laughs). By the way, their names are Bamboozler and Moonbeam. Are you planning to come to Japan? If we do, it will be in September or October next year. When does the tour start? In January in Turkey. In Turkey? Why? No one will understand anything in Turkey, even if we play terribly (laughs)! Can you say something to your fans in Japan. First of all, buy your own record. And in general, I want to thank you for your patience. All the best! Thank you! © Young Guitar Magazine, Japan January 1991 issue