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David Coverdale on Deep Purple Rock Hall Induction 
David Coverdale: It was fantastic. Glenn Hughes and I are like the young Righteous Brothers. We just had the greatest time. I can't speak for the rest of the Deep Purple guys, but Ritchie Blackmore should have been there. I was mortified that he was threatened not to come and it broke my heart. Because none of us could have been standing on that stage without Ritchie Blackmore's contribution.Ultimate Guitar May 2, 2018  Is there any chance that Deep Purple could reunite with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore for a one-off concert, or possibly even just one song, before the band calls it quits? 
Ian Gillan: Everyone knows the history Purple was on the downslope when Ritchie left, and with Steve [Morse, Blackmore's replacement], we got back on the upslope again. So it would be, in the greatest scheme of things, impossible to do that. And I think it's gonna be increasingly difficult as the years go by, because no one has much interest in that sort of thing. We have no great passion or dislike for Ritchie — we're actually exchanging communications and ideas through our offices, so there's no nasty feelings left, I don't think, in that respect. But I think it's too late. We're thinking about the end now. And the other thing is it would just open the damn gates and all this whole damn thing would start all over again just when we put it to bed. As far as I know, everybody in the band would think that was a bad idea. And let's just let it rest. Let's just wish Ritchie well, and do what he does, and we'll do what we do.Radio Rock 106.6 FM, Italy June 21, 2018 Satriani was asked for his reaction to Blackmore's comments (in Shadow Of The Moon Press Kit 1997)... 
Joe Satriani: Well, it's unfortunate when somebody that you look up to has something negative to say about you. So that part will always hurt. I wouldn't hide my feelings about that. I get criticized on both sides of the fence for the opposite offenses," he continued. "And I don't quite understand it other than most of the time, when someone has criticism, it's because they're challenged and they feel that they have to strike out. So I get it — I understand why he would have to say something negative. I can kind of laugh at it, because I'm not like that myself. I tend to just look at the positive of another musician and focus on that.Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon May 21, 2018 How would you compare this Rainbow line-up with the others? 
Ritchie Blackmore: I will say something now, that is probably gonna upset a lot of Cozy Powell and Dio fans, but that's really how I think: This line up is the best line up Rainbow ever had. On the other side I'm always in the now on stage and off stage, which means that I had always loved the current line up of any band I was in the most.Eclipsed Rock Magazine February 21, 2018 Tell me the story of the tattoo on your forearm, is it the song's lyrics "We believed we'd catch the rainbow Ride the wind to the sun"? 
Ronnie Romero: Yes, it's the Rainbow song "Catch the Rainbow", and it's a very funny story. I didn't have any tattoo before the Rainbow shows began and one of the things that Candice and Ritchie told me while picking me for the job was that I really looked like a "regular guy", so normal and clean, without any tattoo; then the day before the Birmingham show, two years ago, me and the drummer and the backing singer went to a tattoo shop to get this tattoo in order to commemorate the amazing experience being absolutely sure there was not gonna be more in the future, like it had been a once in a lifetime experience.On the day of the Birmingham show we went to do the soundcheck and Ritchie noticed my tattoo and was not very happy but after that I went back to Madrid and made many more cause I just love them! So this year after the shows in UK we went back to the tattoo shop and I made some more and while having dinner before the show with Ritchie he told me very seriously: "you got new tattoo... you're not looking good with them". And I was like oops! SpaziRock Italy December 13, 2017 Ronnie, any chance that Rainbow will be touring America next year?
Ronnie Romero: I don't know, as I'm always saying, I'm just the singer. The person you have to ask is another one (laughs). But the truth is that the information they gave me about next year is very limited and so far I can just confirm that we're going to tour Europe in April with five concerts. But yes, it looks like we're going to do more shows in the second half of 2018.Rock Axis, November 2017 Glenn Hughes about his former Deep Purple bandmate Ritchie Blackmore, who recently played a series of European shows to mark his return to the rock stage 
Glenn Hughes: All I have to say about Ritchie is that he's seventy-two now. If I'm lucky, I'll get to be seventy-two. Ritchie is an oddball, in all the respect. I only wanna wish him a happy life.He talks about not being happy, he wants to be angry or whatever he wants to do... Whatever he does in his life, he's a strange dude, but I just wanna wish him only the very, very best. I had a great time working with him, and I hope he continues forever. Metal Talk - September 2017 Doogie White on his first Rainbow gig 
Doogie White: Chic and my brother Ian and Rhona who managed La Paz came to the first Rainbow show in Helsinki. At the hotel Ritchie brought down his guitar and we sang ALL the songs we loved with all the people we love. My brother sang Soldier of Fortune and when Ritchie heard him sing he turned to me and said " If I had heard him first...you would not be here".Glasband 80 - August 2009 How does Steve Morse feel about Blackmore's recent comment that he would be interested in playing one last show with Deep Purple? 
Steve Morse: Fans would love it. It would be nice, I think, to see closure with everybody involved, and the bad feelings put aside. I think they'd all get a kick out of it if they could get past the psychological barriers. I am a fan of music, I'm a musician. I am not a politician. Now, a lot of people would feel intimidated, to have somebody come who's likely to play over them, standing in front of them and stealing the spotlight or whatever. But I thought, a lot of people would love to see this. And at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I thought Ritchie Blackmore was going to show up. He could've played three songs, but I ended up doing them, because he didn't. That was up in the air.There have been a lot of bad things said and done amongst the guys, and anyhow, it is like the ice has to be broken. I think that once that's done, they'd all have a great time. But I don't know how to go about doing that. Anyway, as far as I am concerned, all members, past and present and future [laughs] of Deep Purple, are welcome. Billboard, USA - August 2017 Ritchie Blackmore on the future plans of Rainbow
Ritchie Blackmore: I'm happy with the concerts we played so far. It was good fun to play all those old songs again. So of course we'll be back with Rainbow and play the songs that everyone wants to hear.The rumor that we are going to Japan is true. Actually, I'm working on it a little bit now. The biggest problem for me are airplanes. I have a limit of six hours. If we go to Japan, it would be good to do it around March. BURRN Magazine, Japan - September 2017 issue  |