Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (sometimes stylised Ritchie Blackmore's R-A-I-N-B-O-W) is the first studio album by British rock band Rainbow, released in 1975.
During studio sessions in Tampa Bay, Florida on 12 December 1974, Blackmore originally planned to record the solo single "Black Sheep of the Family"- a cover of a track by the band Quatermass from 1970 - and the newly composed "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", which was to be the B-side. Other musicians involved included singer/lyricist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Gary Driscoll of blues rock band Elf, and cellist Hugh McDowell of ELO. Satisfied with the two tracks, Blackmore decided to extend the sessions to a full album.
The other members of Elf, keyboardist Micky Lee Soule and bassist Craig Gruber, were used for the recording of the album in Musicland Studios in Munich, West Germany during February and March, 1975. Though it was originally planned to be a solo album, the record was billed as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, and later progressed as a new band project. Blackmore and Dio did promotional work for the album. Shortly after the album was released, all Elf members (except Dio) were sacked and Blackmore recruited new musicians for subsequent Rainbow albums. This first line-up never performed live, and the live photos used in the album art are of Blackmore while with Deep Purple and of Elf playing live.
The last track of the album, "Still I'm Sad", is an instrumental cover of a song by The Yardbirds from their 1965 album Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds.
The original vinyl release had a gate fold sleeve, although later budget reissues on Polydor reduced to a single sleeve. The album's songs have been performed by subsequent Rainbow line-ups.
The album was widely praised for its fantasy/heroic-like lyrical content and the innovative rock style.
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow was re-issued on CD in remastered form in the US in April 1999. The European release followed later in the year.
Vocalist Ronnie James Dio considered this release his favourite Rainbow album.
Despite the title implying the record being a Ritchie Blackmore solo release, in later years Blackmore has jokingly stated that Dio's contributions warranted a re-titling of "Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio's Rainbow".
Tracklist:
- Man on the Silver Mountain 04:37
- Self Portrait 03:12
- Black Sheep of the Family (Quatermass cover) 03:19
- Catch the Rainbow 06:36
- Snake Charmer 04:30
- The Temple of the King 04:42
- If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll 02:36
- Sixteenth Century Greensleeves 03:29
- Still I'm Sad (The Yardbirds cover) 03:53
Time: 36:54
Issued in a mini-LP cardboard sleeve.
"Still I'm Sad" is an instrumental, but there are a few live versions with vocals (it was also re-recorded with vocals for 1995's "Stranger in Us All").
All tracks except 3 and 9 by Blackmore and Dio.
Recording information:
Recorded between February 20th and March 14th, 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, West Germany.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario