Over The Rainbow en zo 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 DTE 82

Original releasedate: 24 October 1980

This is a rough'n'ready translation of the magazine which was original in the Dutch language.
Besides this is only a summary as only the most interesting parts are translated.

PART 2 (Double issue Over The Rainbow en zo 5 & 6)

IN CONVERSATION WITH MR BONNET

The morning after the party in Holiday Inn I bought at the underground-station the English musicpapers: Melody Maker, NME, Sounds and Record Mirror. Except for NME there are large reports on the Donington-festival, still mainly not too positive. After I had something to eat I'm going to the Holiday Inn-hotel for my appointment with Ritchie. In the bar I meet, Ian Broad, the tour-manager. Ian is already drinking a beer this early. We read the reviews and Ian enjoys himself. "Well, it's like a good comedy, don't take this serious. The British press is even worse than the Greek." He's reading all the reviews, sometimes roaring with laughter.

Then the Touch bassplayer turns up, he's also interested in the press reviews. Slowly more people wake up after the late night-party. Graham Bonnet walks in and tells he can't remember a thing what's happened after 3 o'clock last night. He tells Ritchie feels under the weather and won't come down. Graham tho is willing to have a chat, but he first needs breakfast (it's now 2 AM!). Twenty minutes later Graham returns.

Well, Graham, how are you?

GB: "Not too bad, really, I can't remember too much about what went on last night. When I woke up just now, there were a lot of beer standing there but I can't remember I ordered them. But it was a good night for fucking, really.

have you read the press reviews?
GB: "No, not yet, but to tell you the truth I'm not that interested. But if you got them I will have a look at them.

I hand over the music papers and Graham have a look.

GB: "It's too crazy what this idiot in Melody Maker writes down. He don't write anything about the music. This review is one big joke. He just slashes the whole thing. Just like all the others. They write pages full of crap without saying anything about the music. About Mr. Bonnet they only can tell that he looks like John Travolta from a distance and tries to breakthrough the typical hardrock singer image. Yes, I've got short hair and I think it's very practical. It's easy to handle. A bit of grease, use my comb and I'm ready. Everyone is writing about my looks while they forget to evaluate my singing qualities. Now and then someone tells they think I'm better or worse than Ronnie, but those are exceptions.

Do you think the press is important?

GB: "Sometimes they are, sometimes not. I mean, it's not important what they're writing, just as long as they write. Rainbow never had to complain about the press writing about them. There always have been journalists around when we're touring. And all our albums get a review in the papers. And I don't think our fans gives a shit or Steve Gett like our records or not. They just know there's a new album in the shops. The influence of the press has become a lot less thru the years.

The Rainbow-public has become a lot younger. I can remember when Rainbow did their first show in Holland in 1976 the audience was a lot older than now four years later.

GB: Well, I wasn't part of the band then, but I think the hits attract more young people. And I think in the early days mainly old Purple-fans showed up. I won't be surprised if there are still some Purple die-hards in the audience but I think their number will decrease. Deep Purple in Rock is now ten years ago. Those fans are far in their twenties."

Around that time you were world famous with the Marbles.

GB: Yeah, around '67 we got picked up by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, he was lookin' for people who could record his compositions, the ones that weren't usable for the Bee Gees. We did a few demos and it was quite a surprise that it became a success. We were invited to go to England and the States. The success was concisely. When the Bee Gees got a big breakdown it was also over for the Marbles.

Between 1970 and your come-back with your album in 1977 we didn't hear anything from you. What happened?

GB: Nothing, to be precise. It was a terrible time. Although the Marbles were very famous, I didn't earn a thing. The Gibbs wrote, produced and arranged everything. The Marbles were like puppets in their hands. I was down in the dumps. I wanted to set up new things, but everything failed. I'm not a songwriter, these days it's the same story, if I've to write a few lines it drives me crazy. I lived in a small room on the attic and hardly did anything. I sing on a record Cat Stevens brother did, but for the rest it was a awful time.

Then after seven years you got the idea to do a new record?

GB: "I was going to celebrate my 30th birthday with some friends in London. It was a great party and on a certain moment Pip Williams said: "How about doing a record all together?" Everybody was enthusiastic, even tho some people dropped out later. Pip arranged some things and we selected some nice old songs like "It's all over now" by Bob Dylan and "Will you love me tomorrow" and also "It ain't easy". One of my favorites "Tired of being alone" we also choose. So with people like Graham Preskett and Micky Moody my first solo album was happening. It was very uncomplicated and nice to do. We didn't expected it to be a success at all, but we were stunned when we heard the record was doing that good in Australia and I even had to do some t.v. performances.

Did you do any live shows?

GB: "No. It all came fast and unexpected. The record went gold and later even platinum in Australia. I had to do a second record. I couldn't refuse this opportunity. We did the second album with the same concept. Some old songs. Again a Dylan-song and some by John Kongos, who's a good friend of mine. We also did the Status-Quo song "Givin' up my worrying". We had to do it this way, I didn't had written anything. Only Pip had a few songs left.

That second album was also successful in Australia?

GB: "Yes. But it didn't do a thing in Europe. I don't know why."

While you were in Australia, Rainbow approached you. How did that went on?

GB: "I was in England. Cozy phoned me and asked me to get to that castle in France. I didn't know Rainbow at all. I had to sing two songs, Mistreated & Eyes of the world. It was a bit weird. They had for all the songs of "Down to earth" different versions. Roger selected in the end the definite versions. The lyrics were already finished when I arrived. By the way my part is not recorded in France but in the States, in L.A., were I live.

I was reading recently an interview with Joe Jackson, who said he hated Rainbow for their lyrics. Things like "I don't care about your brains but you look alright" from "All night long" he thought were humiliating for women. You can't do this in the 1980's any longer is his opinion. What are you thinking of Roger's lyrics?

GB: "To tell you the truth. I don't give a shit of what I'm singing. I'm only interested in how I sing. That's what I want to do as good as possible. I don't care if I have to sing 'doebidoe' or whatever, I don't care. As long as I sing well. If Roger would write political songs I would sing them the same way I do the songs now."

Lately there were reports about a possible Live album. How about that?

GB: "We recorded indeed a couple of concerts in Japan, but we won't use these recordings because the quality was not good enough for Ritchie's standards. We do have the plan to release "WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW" as the next single. We did the track several times after the show in an empty hall, when the audience went home. So it will be a live-single.

It then will be the last recordings with Cozy. Do you know what he's going to do now and why did he left Rainbow. If I understand well he left on his own will.

GB: "That's right and it seems that is something totally new in Rainbow. I mean that someone left on his own authority. According to Roger Ritchie and Cozy didn't get on too well. They respected each other as a musician but they hated each other as a person. As long as I'm in Rainbow we got differences of opinion every day, mostly about small unimportant things. I think it's a shame Cozy has left, he has become a good friend of mine the last year. But already during my first Rainbow-tour last year in the States he announced he was leaving the band. That doesn't mean he wasn't working hard. He's the most hard working headbanger in the world. But I think he wants to do something different after five years of hardrock. You also can hear that on his solo album "Over the top".

He also plays on the solo album of Bernie Marsden.

GB: "yeah, that's right. Bernie and Cozy are good friends. Bernie was last Saturday also in Donington and also during our tour in England earlier this year Bernie came to see us. I won't be surprised if Bernie is going to do something together with Cozy. It seems Bernie is not too happy in Whitesnake on the moment.

What's happening now with Rainbow?

GB: "Well, we already have a replacement for Cozy, quite some time by the way. His name is Bob Rondinelli, a bloke from New York, he's a good friend of Ritchie for some time. I don't know him and I think you don't know him either. Next week we'll leave for Copenhagen to do the new album which should be released before Christmas.

Can you already tell me song titles?

GB: God, I wish I could. No, we haven't done anything concrete. There are some loose ideas, but nothing concrete. I really don't know what's it going to be. It will be as much a surprise for me as it will be for you.

Rainbow now exists for five years. Ritchie is 35, Roger and yourself are also past your thirtieth year while Don is 30. How long will Rainbow continue?

GB: "You can't say: till 31 December 1984. But I think it'll end within two years from now. There are several private problems in the band. Roger is struggling with a divorce. Don has tax problems and I've got this problem with the distances. I live in California while Ritchie lives 5000 km further on in New York.

I believe you're not married, right?

GB: "No, I was tho. But it didn't work out. That was in the early 70's. I didn't earn any money, so she left me. I have now a very nice lady friend and there are plans to get married. Ritchie is, like you probably know, also divorced, but he has also plans. The both of us might get married next year on the same day.

Do you think a gigantic live open air show like last Saturday will take place again?

GB: "I don't think so. The sound is unmanageable and we know that Ritchie is a perfectionist. We weren't too happy with the sound quality on Saturday. We listened to the tapes and we're not impressed. Rainbow won't do any shows for a while. At least till Christmas.

Graham, thanks very much for this conversations and I hope to see you back in Holland.

MONSTERS SOUNDTRACK Live

MONSTERS OF ROCK LP Polydor 2488 810

Friday 1O October in England there was the release of an album with recordings of the, now already, legendary "MONSTERS OF ROCK" festival. This just had to happen. We don't find back Judas Priest on this album, they didn't give permission to use the recordings of their set (perhaps they were also disappointed about their poor performance?). Anyway, all the other groups are present. The LP is released in a sloppy cover. They didn't gave it too much attention. On the backside we see some small pics of Rainbow, Scorpions, April Wine and Riot. I think a large overview photo of the stage would look a lot better on the front cover. Anyway it's the music what's it all about.

Alright, let's forget Judas Priest and check the bands in order of performance (I mean during the festival).

TOUCH we now can hear with their live-version of the single "Don't ya know what love is" and again they let us hear they're a good replacement for Foreigner (it seems this band is close to their end anyway).

SAXON give us "Backs to the wall" which is very popular by their own fans, it's a very good rocking song and I won't forget this group easily.

RIOT is present with one of their boring tracks, "Road Racin'". It's a pity, but they're also boring on this retrospect, just like APRIL WINE, who give us some stolen riffs in "I like to rock".

SCORPIONS are present with two songs, both of the "Lovedrive" LP: "Loving you Sunday morning" and "Another piece of meat". Both are excellent tracks. Good choice of songs. Like told before Judas Priest is absent on this record.

Then we get to Rainbow with "STARGAZER" and "ALL NIGHT LONG". I have to admit the sound quality is not optimally, but that makes no difference to the way Graham does "Stargazer". I already wrote in the festival review about Ritchie's excellent slide-solo. Well, it's all on this record. Everyone who saw Rainbow in Rotterdam or Kerkrade or Brussel, will remember "All night long". This version is very much the same.

The game Graham plays with the audience is also here abound. The song is a lot faster than the studio version. We also get the "Blues" theme. These are two unique tracks, the last ones with Cozy.

There's also an audiotape released of this record. This one has two extra tracks: "The Zoo" by the Scorpions and "Freeway Mad" by Saxon. This record is a great remembrance to the festival, it's like a soundtrack. Remains the question: when do we get the film?

Gerrit

Readers Poll '80

Melody Maker, one of the largest English newspapers, recently published their pop-poll results by their readers for the period August 1979 - August 1980. Hard-rock is doing excellent in England as you'll see. The biggest surprise is ofcourse that Ritchie for the first time in his career is voted as best guitarplayer in the world (Jan Akkerman once got also that title, in 1974).

Singers:

  1. Peter Gabriel
  2. Robert Plant
  3. Phil Collins
  4. DAVID COVERDALE
  5. Jon Anderson
  6. IAN GILLAN
  7. David Bowie
  8. RONNIE JAMES DIO
  9. Sting
10. GRAHAM BONNET

Female Singers:

  1. Kate Bush
  2. Joan Armatrading
  3. Chris Hynde

Guitarplayers:

  1. RITCHIE BLACKMORE
  2. Steve Hackett
  3. Jimmy Page

Drummers:

  1. Phil Collins
  2. COZY POWELL
  3. Neil Peart
  4. John Bonham
  5. IAN PAICE

Keyboardplayers:

  1. Tony Banks
  2. JON LORD
  3. Rick Wakeman
  4. DON AIREY
  5. Rick Wright

Bassplayers:

  1. Mike Rutherford
  2. Chris Squire
  3. Geddy Lee
  4. ROGER GLOVER
  5. John Paul Jones

Groups:

  1. Genesis
  2. Pink Floyd
  3. Police
  4. Led Zeppelin
  5. Rush
  6. WHITESNAKE
  7. RAINBOW
  8. Jam
  9. AC/DC
10. Yes

Most promising:

  l. SAXON
  2. GIRLSCHOOL
  3. IRON MAIDEN

Best live-act:

  1. Genesis
  2. Pink Floyd
  3. RAINBOW
  4. Rush
  5. WHITESNAKE

Best single:

  1. Another Brick in the wall - Pink Floyd
  6. Fool for your loving - Whitesnake
  9. Neon Knights - Black Sabbath
10. All night long - Rainbow

Best Album:

  1. The Wall - Pink Floyd
  6. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
  9. Ready an' Willing - Whitesnake

Producers:

  1. David Hentschel/Genesis
  5. MARTIN BIRCH
  6. ROGER GLOVER

RECORDTALK

GILLAN - GLORY ROAD Virgin V2171

In the first issue of "Over The Rainbow en zo" we reviewed the LP "Mr. Universe". We were quite impressed by this Gillan album and it was clear they needed a very strong follow-up to exceed that record. In August "Glory road" was released. The first 10.000 copies in England got a free bonus album called "For Gillan fans only" as well.

The "Glory road" album is less convincing than "Mr. Universe". The songs are not that good as on it's predecessor. There are some fine rockers like "Unchain Your Brain", "No Easy Way", "Running, White Face, City Boy" and "Nervous". But the best songs are "On The Rocks" and the over 7 minutes long "If You Believe Me". Bernie Torme did have a much larger part in the process than on the last album.

The free bonus album "FOR GILLAN FANS ONLY", is a weird collection of all kinda rare tracks, including a variety of styles. It sounds like the band had a lot of fun playing all these weird songs.

WHITESNAKE - READY AN' WILLING UA 062-82904

The latest Whitesnake-LP was released the week our last issues emerged so this review is quite late. The direction of "LOVEHUNTER" is continued. The result is an album full of potential hits. Coverdale and his band (Moody & Marsden (guitars), Lord (keyboards), Murray (bass) and Paice (drums) have no other intention that making good rock songs.

Every song is an invitation to sing along. "Ready an' Willing", "Fool For Your Loving" (that riff really sounds like "All night long") and "Sweet Talker" are great rockin' songs.

"Carry Your Load" sounds like Paul Rodgers & Free. "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" has a very nice acoustic intro. "Love Man" is the inevitable blues and "Black And Blue" is the inevitable boogie-woogie song. "She Is A Woman" is one of the best songs on this album.

We get a new version of "Blindman", it was also (in a better version!) on Coverdale's first solo-album. "Ready An' Willing" is not a high-minded album, but a steady good rock album which could do well in the States as well.

The Left-overs

KERRY LIVGREN - SEED OF CHANGE Kirshner 84453

Guitar/keyboardplayer Kerry Livgren of Kansas did a solo album. This record is close to the normal Kansas records, only the lyrics are very religious. Our attention was caught because Ronnie Dio sings on two tracks and those are the best and most heavy songs on this album.

BLACK SABBATH - LIVE AT LAST NEMS BS 00l

No Dio on this one, this are old rejected Sabbath-live-recordings. The group even started to complain about it against their old record company. It's awful, maybe only interesting for the die hard old Sabbath-freaks.

WILD HORSES - THE FIRST ALBUM EMI EMC 3326

This album was announced in our last issue. Ex-Rainbow-bassplayer Jimmy Bain, who also sings most of the songs, ex-Thin Lizzy-guitarman Brian Robertson plus guitar/keyboardplayer Neil Carter (who left and now plays with UFO) and drummer Clive Edwards have recorded a bunch of good pop-rock-songs, there are a lot of Thin Lizzy-influences.

DEEP PURPLE - DEEPEST PURPLE Harvest 062-63928

The best Purple-compilation so far. One hour of music, with all original studio versions of Black Night, Speed King, Fireball, Strange Kind Of Woman, Child In Time, Woman From Tokyo, Highway Star, Space Truckin', Burn, Stormbringer, Demon's Eye en Smoke On The Water.

The 7 inches

DEEP PURPLE

Along the compilation album "Deepest Purple" also "Black Night" was released again in England on single. More important is the b-side: a LIVE version of "Speed King", which will be released later this year.

It's a live recording from 1970, very nice but almost mono sound only. The live album will be released this autumn. (Harvest HAR 5210)

WHITESNAKE

From the "Ready an' Willing"-LP there are now three singles released.

1. "FOOL FOR YOUR LOVING" with "Mean Business" (from the "Lovehunter" LP) and "Don't Mess With Me (from the "Trouble" LP) - United Artists BP 352

2. "READY AN' WILLING" with "Nighthawk" and "We Wish You Well" from "Trouble" and "Lovehunter" United�Artists BP 363

3. "BLACK AND BLUE" - b-side and catalogue number unknown

BLACK SABBATH

From the "Heaven and Hell" LP is "NEON KNIGHTS" in England on single released. On the b-side we'll find a superb live-version of "CHILDREN OF THE SEA". This is the prove: Ronnie Dio is doing very well with the Sabs live. (Vertigo SAB 3)

COZY POWELL

Cozy released in total three singles of his LP "Over The Top". Last year already "THEME ONE".

This year: "THE LONER"/"EL SID" (Ariola ARO 2O5 - blue vinyl) en "HEIDI GOES TO T0WN"/"OVER THE TOP part 1" (Ariola ARO 222 - clear vinyl).

COZY thank you!

As from 17 August 1980 Cozy Powell is no longer the drummer in Rainbow. Since October 1975 he'd a big part in the success of the group. Cozy was and still is very popular with the fans. For many fans it was a big shock, or surprise. After we talked to Ritchie in Brussels we already expected something like this was going to happen. Read the part of Cozy's holiday snaps again. Cozy is the first member who's leaving on his own will. During the US tour last year he already hand in his resignation to Ritchie. He agreed to do the rest of the tour in Europe and Japan though before he definitely left.

Let's have a look at Cozy's career so far, we're convinced this career is not over for a long time to come. Mr. Powell was born 33 years ago in Wales. While he was still at school he already started playing the drums. He tried to play along with singles by Sandy Nelson, a famous drummer in the early sixties. After he got send away of school because he was causing too much problems, Cozy joined The Sorcerers. The other people in the group were Ken Aston (vocals), Pete Ball (keyboards), Roy Black (no, not the German singer, guitar) and Dennis Ball (bass). This Cirencester based group had a hard time earning some money in German clubs by playing some nights up to eight hours a night. Cozy: "We played the K 52 in Frankfurt and the Storyville clubs. It was a tough job, but good for my condition.

Cozy stayed 3½ years in the group, till April l968. Then after he played 2 months in Casey Jones & The Engineers, he returned to The Sorcerers, who just changed their name in Youngblood. After ex-Move-bassplayer-singer Ace Kefford joined the name was changed into the Ace Kefford Stand: Ace sang, Cozy drummed, Dennis Ball played the bass and new man Dave Ball played the guitar. During this period Cozy was asked for studio sessions on a regular base. "I did everything they asked me for."

It was through this work with producer Mickie Most that Jeff Beck noticed him. "They never released the first album I did with Beck. Most, Beck and I went to Detroit and recorded in the old Motown-studio an instrumental album with old Motown-hits like "Reach out I'll be there". James Jamerson played bass, I can't remember who played the organ and there was a Motown-brass-section present. Some of it was great, some of it was terrible.

In the mean time the Ace Kefford Stand featuring Cozy released a single on Atlantic: "For your love"/ "Gravy Booby Jamm". After Ace left the band, Cozy one night plays the Leeds University with Dave "Clem" Clempson (guitar) and Dave Pegg (bass). It didn't worked out and Clem left to join Colosseum. After Ace's departure from his Stand, Pete French was recruited and the name was changed into Big Bertha.

Two singles were released: "The world's an apple"/"Gravy Booby Jam" (Atlantic) and on the European continent "Munich City". Cozy only did a few live shows with them and then joined Jeff Beck and was replaced in Big Bertha by Mac Poole.

From April 71 till July 72 was Cozy in the Jeff Beck Group with Clive Chapman (bass), Max Middleton (piano), Bobby Stench (vocals) and Beck himself. Two very successful albums were recorded. "Rough and ready" (Epic 6469) was released in October '71 and got to no 46 in the USA-album-charts, while "Jeff Beck Group" (Epic 64899) after it was released in July 72 even went till no 19.

Cozy: "It was difficult to work with Beck. He could decide which music style he wanted. One moment he wanted Motown, then hardrock and then jazzy. It went like that all the time and in the end he fired all of us except for Max. When his new band failed he asked Clive and me to return, but we told him "no way, on your bike" as we just were ready setting up a new group. By the way Jeff was the crowd puller in the group. It didn't matter who else was in the group. Everyone came to watch Beck.

Still before Animal Cozy started his own band, he was two months in Spirit, but that also didn't work out. Then he was invited by a guy called Johnny Winter. "I took the plane to the States for an audition and got the job. But Winter had to find some more musicians to complete the band. I didn't like the idea of doing endless auditions for new musicians.

I should have done when Rick Derringer, who was playing bass when I did my audition, should have stayed in the band. But he was already setting up his own solo career. So it turned out Winter lost both me and Rick."

With his old pals Dave and Dennis Ball and singer Frank Aiello Cozy formed then his own group: BEDLAM. They first named it Beast, but there was already a group around with that name. In august 73 they released the produced by Felix Pappalardi album "BEDLAM" on Chrysalis CHR 1048.

They did a lot of live gigs, but by lack of financial support of the recordcompany the group never came off the ground and was dissolved in April 74. In this period Cozy was hitting the spotlight with his wellknown single "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL".

"I record that track just as a laugh. But the known snowball effect showed up. I think I lost my credibility in the end and didn't feel comfortable about it. So I packed it all in and started to do motorracing full time. I was racing in Hitachi and on every racetrack in England.

"Dance with the devil" got to the 3rd place in November 73 in the English charts. Also both the follow ups didn't do too bad: "Man in black" got to no 18 and "Na na na" made it to no 10.

The group that was playing on those last two singles was the successor of Bedlam: COZY POWELL'S HAMMER. This band featured his old mate Clive Chaman (bass), Frank Aiello (vocals) and, pay attention, Bernie Marsden (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards). This group splitted in April 75.

His old friend Clempson then asked Cozy to start a new group with him. Together with Clem's pal Greg Ridley on bass (he and Clem played for four years in Humble Pie) they formed STRANGE BREW and started looking for a singer. Contractual problems were the reason that two months later in August this band was dissolved, they didn't had a singer then. Another interesting fact is that Clempson asked Cozy for this band after he was rejected to replace Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple.

In September 75 Cozy, who just decided to pick up racing, was approached by Ritchie. "Ritchie was in the audience at my last show I did with Jeff Beck. He must have remembered me from that show all that time. My drumming on the Rough and Ready-album was decisive in the end. Cozy played since October 75 in Rainbow. Late last year he released his solo-album "Over the top" (Ariola ARL 5038) and only old friends of him that were named in this story (except for Jack Bruce and Gary Moore) are presents on it: Max Middleton, Don Airey, Bernie Marsden and Clem Clempson. Cozy recently recorded a second solo-album and it's believed this one will feature Bernie Marsden, Jeff Beck and Jack Bruce. Cozy is no longer in Rainbow, but we'll keep an eye on his career, because he not yet over his top. COZY, THANKS FOR ALL YOU DID!!

BLACKMORE
RAINBOW'S SOLITARY TRAVELLER

The Man In Black sat back and admitted: 'Yes, I am conceited.' That's why he'd left Deep Purple and formed Rainbow. But STEVE GETT finds that Ritchie Blackmore doesn't always get his own way. Not when Cozy Powell's around and there's a problem with the breakfast cereal.

To read the full Melody Maker article published on February 23rd, 1980 click here

RAINBOW LIVE IN GERMANY

14 February was the day I was going to see Rainbow live for the fourth time in 3 weeks. This time it was Münster. For Hans this was the first time he was able to see the band play live (as well for his friends Freek & Johan). It's about 7 PM when we arrive in Münster and it's easy to find the Halle Münsterland. About half past eight EINSTEIN, the group who was here the support act started. This German group was nice to watch, it was kinda symphonic punkrock.(?!) They're at least better then Katchis, that did the support at the other shows. The audience got warmed up, Einstein left the stage and we were waiting for Rainbow.

At ten the lights went out and we heard the wellknown tape with Land of hope and glory. The order of the songs is the same as we got used to at the other concerts: Eyes of the world, Love's no friend, Since you've been gone, that goes over into All night long.

Then Ritchie leaves the stage and Graham start his game with the German audience, which is going really wild. Then Ritchie returns and starts his classical tricks including Greensleeves after which it's Graham who announce Catch the rainbow. This song is the highlight of the evening.

Ritchie handles his guitar unbelievable and Graham sings at the top of his voice, but I still prefer Ronnie Dio. I think he's better than Bonnet. While were 50 minutes going wild Don Airey starts the intro for Lost in Hollywood and Ritchie shows all the tricks he has up his sleeve.

We get fantastic solos and does a great version of Beethoven's Ninth. Don does a nice solo and then it's Cozy's turn.

I hear now for the fourth time his drumsolo and again we get a huge explosion at the end of it. When Lost in Hollywood finally is finished the group leaves the stage, only Graham is left and he say thank you to the audience and then starts Will you love me tomorrow. Ritchie and the others are also joining him again on stage.

The group leaves again, but the Germans wants more. 5000 Germans and four Dutch blokes are shouting 'zugabe zugabe' and three minutes later Ritchie comes back, and goes really wild. After minutes of all kinda tricks he starts Lazy, followed by Man on the silver mountain. Long live rock and roll is next, including an excerpt of A light in the black and Kill the king. For me this was the best of the four gigs I saw but that was at least for 80% the merit of the German audience.

Wim

This review couldn't be printed in the last issue because there was lack of space.

� Rainbow Fanclan 1979-1984