Brief encounters *18.06.12*

RItchie Blackmore and Rainbow are touched upon in a couple of recent intervews - with ex Lord Sutch and Procol Harum keyboard player Matthew Fischer, and Russ Ballard, writer of "Since You Been Gone" and "I Surrender". (Oh, and "Just Another Day (In The Life Of A Fool").

Matthew Fischer was interviewed by Dmitry M Epstein at DMME.net, while Russ Ballard was interviewed by Sakis Nikas at rockpages.gr.

MR#900256

(with thanks to Dmitry M. Epstein and Sakis Nikas)

A Knight In York *updated 14.05.12*

A new release from Blackmore's Night is being listed as "A Knight In York".  The release date is given as June 29th, and it appears to be yet another live release, in Blu-Ray, HD, LP and CD format, filmed and recorded in York during the band's 2011 UK tour. 

For more details see the Darker Than Blue blog.

SH#9002551

Searching for Major Tom *updated 4.10.11*

I must confess I thought we’d been the victims of some silly April Fool-day joke when we first heard the news, but I’ve since been in touch with the producers who have confirmed that both Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore are lined up for starring roles on a new album by former Star-Trek Captain turned actor William Shatner. The album is due for release later this year.

Ritchie Blackmore plays on a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity", with keyboards handled by Alan Parsons. Ian Paice plays on "Space Truckin'", which also features Johnny WInter on guitar. Other musicians on the album include Steve Howe and Patrick Moraz (Yes), Steve Hillage, Peter Frampton, John Wetton, Carmine Appice and Michael Schenker.

For news and review of Searching for Major Tom, check out the Darker Than Blue blog.

Now available to order at the DPAS / Darker Than Blue Online store.

SR/NY#9002542

Reflections on the 2011 UK tour *updated 4.10.11*

Blackmore's Night tour dates are now set, and the tour is being advertised as much as promotion for Candice Night's new solo CD Reflections, due out early October. No mention yet whether husband is on the CD or not!

The CD can be pre-ordered at DTBOnline store.

0/09:   YORK - Grand Opera House
01/10:   BUXTON - Buxton Opera House
05/10:   BIRMINGHAM - Town Hall, Victoria Square
08/10:   SALISBURY - City Hall, Malthouse Lane
11/10:   SWINDON - Wyvern Theatre, Theatre Square

"I love Blackmore, I love all the Blackmores nights albums, and every previous concert I've been to has been excellent. The show last night however left me feeling nothing except bewildered. The band played fine, Candice sang fine, but the whole sound was missing something.....the guitar, it was turned way down and even if it had been turned up all Blackmore was doing was doodling around the frets and not playing anything to enhance any of the songs. He may as well have not turned up.

Having said that the in between song banter was excellent and really entertaining, Blackmore in full mischievous mode. However when they started to play a song I found I lost interest. The only exceptions were Diamonds and Rust, which Candice sings really well, and Toast to Tomorrow which had the energy and sound of Blackmore that the rest of the performance lacked. All in all an OK, relaxed performance which needed more Blackmore - or dare I say it a rhythm guitarist to allow Blackmore to just doodle on the guitar without losing the feel of the songs." review: Scott Price

See our Blackmore's Night 2011 UK tour noticeboard, for more thoughts on BN in Buxton!

MK#9002562

2011 interview *16.05.11*

Greg Prato (the same chap who wrote the excellent Tommy Bolin "Touched By Magic" biography), recently conducted an interview with Ritchie Blackmore, in which he refers to his William Shatner "Searching For Major Tom" session as "serious, but not hopeless." So there you have it. The interview is available to read online at www.ugo.com/music/blackmores-night-interview.

See also our "Touched By Magic" book review.

DB#900255

Waters on the cover *20.04.11*

The new edition of Classic Rock magazine (Roger Waters cover) has a 5 (and a half) page feature celebrating the Rainbow Rising deluxe release (by 'Peter' Makowski - gone all serious in your old age Pete?).

Most quotes from Jimmy Bain, but a current one from Blackmore - "I haven't heard it in 25 years" (so much for his approving the release!) - and a vintage one from Ritchie from the time of the album's release in '76 - "Everybody who's heard it thinks it's my best playing in a long time, which I suppose is a compliment...Then again, what do they know?".

TS#900255

Universal Long Live Rock'n Roll *6.03.11*

Rainbow's Long Live Rock' Roll album is due to get the 2CD Remaster treatment from Universal this Autumn. The first two albums in this series have been well received, so it'll be good if they can keep up the musical standard. More details anon.

Rising and Down To Earth 2D remasters can be ordered now at dpas mailorder.

SR#900253

Universal deluxe editions *updated 28.02.11*

The first of the Rainbow reissues has actually surfaced. Down To Earth is now out and shipping. Rainbow Rising will be out at the very end of the month (February 2011). They can be ordered from dpas mailorder.

Universal's deluxe Rainbow reissues were advertised on the back of the 2xCD Anthology (which prompted Classic Rock to claim the Joe Lynn Turner era was better than the Ronnie James Dio one - come on, if you had a one-off trip in a time machine, which would you go back and see?).

Rainbow Rising
Contains two mixes of the original album on disc one. If any of you remember back to the original CDs of this album, the UK and US versions sounded very different, and it may be that these are the two mixes concerned. Disc two has what are being called 'rough mixes' of the album, and two tracks from the early rehearsals..

Down To Earth
Another double, this has the album and single b-sides on CD1, and a load of instrumental versions on CD2, some just with the vocals mixed off. There are also alternate versions of two tracks with different lyrics and titles.

Visit the DPAS blog for more details!

The Rainbow Rising reissue is due to be discussed on tonight's Radcliffe & Maconie Show, BBC Radio 2, starting at 8pm.

DB/SR/NY#9002489

Rainbow T-shirts  *21.02.11*

A new set of Rainbow t-shirts were released in late 2009, based on the cover art for the first album Rainbow, On- Stage and Rising. The shirts are officially licensed, and come in small, medium, large, XL and XXL.

You can order these at DPASMailorder.

Click the pic to see a bigger version of the designs.

Two more Rainbow t-shirt designs are hitting the store this week, a Down To Earth design and a cream shirt with the Long Live Rock n Roll cover art on. Sizes and other details as for previous shirts, which can all be ordered at DPASMailorder.

PJ#9002521

Autumn Sky in the USA *19.12.10*

DB#900250

Autumn Sky *updated 13.09.10*

Blackmores Night's second new release this year (the pair are now plus one, daughter Autumn Esmerelda has been announced to the world) is a studio CD "Autumn Sky", released on 14 September 2010.

Autumn Sky is now shipping from dpas mailorder; they have changed the  cover for the UK / German edition, but some DPAS members have found  the CD in the original pre-release sleeve in Switzerland, so goodness  knows what's going on.

For links to audio clips from the album, check out the DPAS blog.

NY/SR#9002493

European Tour 2010 *updated 9.09.10*

Blackmore's Night are due to perform their first concert of 2010 in Kloster Buch, Leisnig, Germany on 5th September. Tickets are available through www.event-special.de 

Blackmore's Night have kicked off their latest European tour - mostly Germany. (Blackmore's Night 2010 tour dates). The set list for the opener was:

1. Locked Within the Crystal Ball / 2. Queen for a Day / 3. Under a Violet Moon / 4. Soldier Of Fortune / 5. Durch den Wald zum Bach Haus / 6. World of Stone / 7. All the Fun of the Fayre / 8. Believe in Me / 9. Solos/Carmina Burana / 10. Highland / 11. Journeyman / 12. Loreley / 13. Bad Romance snippet / 14. Boogie Woogie(sp) Snippet / 15. Home Again / 16. Renaissance Faire / 17. Fires at Midnight / 18. Ghost of a Rose / 19. Wind in the Willows / 20. Toast to Tomorrow / 21. I Still Remember / 22. Lili Marlene / 23. First of May / 24. The Clock Ticks On / Encore: / 25. Difficult to cure / 26. St. Teresa / 27. All for One / 28. Times are a Changing / 29. Midwinters night / 30. Dandelion Wine.

DB#9002491 (with thanks to Kev Dixon)

Coloured final vinyl *updated 14.07.10*

Rainbow's entire 'classic' catalogue is being reissued in July on vinyl (I say entire, Bent Out Of Shape is missing for some reason), along with the double collection Final Vinyl.

They are in facsimile sleeves and good quality pressings. All can be ordered at dpas mailorder.

Turns out the first 1,000 copies are pressed on coloured vinyl! These are shipping now, and we have stocks in, but don't dilly dally if you want them. They also have smart new labels.

There's a scan of one on the DPAS blog.

SR#9002501

I Survived *25.01.10*

The Adam Faith Warner Brothers album I Survive is due out on CD again shortly. For our younger readers, Ritchie Blackmore delivered a blistering 90 second car-wreck of a guitar-solo to open the album, but sadly appears nowhere else on it. But if you hate guitar solos, they're also including the single version without the solo as a bonus! First issued way back in 1974.

Pre-order now at dpas mail order!

NY#900251

Fires At Midnight re-lit *updated 20.01.10*

Blackmore's label Minstrel Hall are readying reissues of four of the Blackmores Night albums on CD. They are Shadow Of The Moon (1998), Under A Violet Moon (1999), Ghost Of A Rose (2003), and Fires At Midnight (2001). These replace the older German SPV pressings.

All can be pre-ordered at dpas mail order (who still have a couple of the original imports in stock if you need them). No details of any bonus material, the discs are slated for early February 2010.

DPAS CD previews : Blackmore's Night - Minstrel Hall reissues new

DB#9002501
(with thanks to Kevin Dixon)

Fender Signature Guitar *updated 23.10.09*

The special edition white Blackmore signature Stratocaster is back on the Fender website if you missed it first time around. It's not an easy site to search (and bizarrely this guitar is not mentioned on the Blackmore page on the site), but this link will take you to the correct page.

A few people have tried to order a Blackmore signature Stratocaster, only to be told that it is a USA only item and is not being sold elsewhere. It can be imported but this will put a price tag on it of around £1,600 according to one Fender rep.

John Cooper says this is twaddle (clearly one Fender rep doesn't know his tremelo arm from his elbow!). "The guitar is Mexican made, quite nice and I played one very recently at Sounds Great in Heald Green near Manchester. Sounds Great are an excellent long standing Fender dealer – the price on the guitar was £800 (before haggling). The guitar is a tarted up Mexican 70’s model and not a more exclusive USA made product, although I have to say the neck does feel fabulous. The pickups are OK, a little overloaded and certainly NOT the pickups on Mr. Blackmore’s own guitar. Looks nice, feels quite good, but it's not worth £1400.. £800 is a bit steep too, but I suppose with the value of the pound to the dollar at the moment it’s to be expected. If you want the feel of the Blackmore and a true USA model, just buy the Yngwie Malmsteen model....its much better!"

SR#9002463 (Thanks to Chris Andresen, Keith Livingstone and Haydn Corelli)

Will You Still Love Me  *1.09.09*

Polydor are issuing another Best Of Rainbow in September, covering the years 1975 - 1984. "Anthology" is a budget priced 2CD set. It does seem to have one unissued track from the 1980 show in Donington, albeit Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow. By my reckoning this makes four tracks from the set have now escaped officially.

It's available via the DPAS online store.

SR#900251 (photo: Alan Perry)

A glimpse of sticking top  *1.09.09*

The current issue of Classic Rock has Top 100 Guitarists feature, though not in any sort of poll order. The guy from Def Leppard waxes lyrical about Blackmore (don't they have any other shot of him than the one wearing stockings?) while Steve Howe gets enthusiastic about Steve Morse.

Thanks to Tim Summers.

SR#900250 (photo: Simon Robinson)

Guitar Greats *6.04.09*

The Beeb has been repeating the "Guitar greats" series on BBC6 Music through April. They have most of the series, including the one with Alexis Korner talking to Ritchie Blackmore, on the listen again facility, linked on this page of their web site.

Much of this interview did appear on the Ritchie Blackmore Rock Profile albums way back when, but it may be new to others. There was also a book of transcripts of the interviews published at the time (circa 1983).

MK#900247 (Thanks to photographer Chris James for the news (weddings and landscapes a speciality, DPAS recommended!)

2009 Dates *updated 16.01.09*

Blackmore's Night are kicking off 2009 with some European shows in January / February, and have also pencilled in US shows from April 16 -May 6 subject to confirmation. (look out for further details at blackmoresnight.com.)

The European shows are as follows: Jan 27, Zagreb, Croatia.• Feb 1, Graz, Austria. • Feb 3, Milan, Italy. • Feb 6, Palabrescia, Brescia, Italy. • Feb 7, Levico, Trento • Feb 10, Kongresszusi Központ, Budapest, Hungary. • Feb 12, PKO, Bratslava, Slovakia.

The Buxton Opera House 2009 concert catalogue contains a half-page feature on Blackmore's Night, and advertises a concert on June 8th 2009, however according to the venue's ticket office Ritchie has “decided not to come to Buxton this year”.

DB#9002452 (photo: Daniele Purrone) (Thanks to John Blackburn)

Ye God Of Guitar *7.01.09*

Ritchie Blackmore makes it five years in a row as top of the annual Greatest Guitarist Poll at the web site www.GodofGuitar.com, for his solo in Highway Star.

You can check the page and read some of the whacky comments from people who voted here. Just don't forget to use your horizontal scroll bar!

SR#900248
(with thanks to John Blackburn)

Mr & Mrs B *updated 7.01.09*

Mr. Blackmore and Ms. Night tied the knot on October 5. 2008, according to Candice's own website. There are now wedding pics on the official Blackmore's Night website and on Candice Night's official website.

You can also see the society page report from the New York Daily News online. Thanks to Ted "The Mechanic" Pirro for spotting this.

MK/Mike Garrett #9002432

Cartouche *5.01.09*

The latest edition of Cartouche - the Ritchie Blackmore online fanzine, is available to download now. According to editor Mike Garrett : "In this issue we have news from the marriage of Ritchie and Candice, reviews of two Blackmore's Night albums, and messages from the fan clubs and street teams all around the world." Mike also has exclusive interview material with Candice Night.

This free online fanzine is available in several formats, from Photobucket, MySpace, and Rapdshare (the latter as a PDF).

DB#900247
(with thanks to Mike Garrett)

Guitar World USA *21.12.08*

"The newest issue (February 2009) of Guitar World magazine has a seven page interview with Ritchie. He's not on the cover (Van Halen is), but it does say 'The Return of the Legendary Ritchie Blackmore' (he never left!) at the bottom." Jeff Breis

MR#900246
(with thanks to Jeff Breis)

US Charity Show *10.11.08*

Blackmore's Night are doing a special low-key charity show in Long Island, USA, on December 3rd 2008. Tickets are $50 and tickets are limited to less than 100.

Details on their website.

DB#900244

Blackmore's Night's new 12 track album has a limited edition (quantity not given by the label) digipak pressing for pre-orders, and will revert to a jewel case once this has sold out. The album includes two new cover versions, the standard 'Can't Help Falling In Love' and the Long Live Rock'n Roll album closer 'Rainbow Eyes'. The digipak edition of ''Secret Voyage' is shipping now.

The vinyl edition has been confirmed but supplies for the UK have been very limited. dpas mail order have managed to secure a third of the initial allocation but please be quick if you want this through us. It is a gatefold double album and can be pre-ordered now, though they still haven't given us a final price. Blackmore's Night vinyl edition is in stock and shipping now at dpas mail order - and very smart it looks too!

DPAS First Impressions: Secret Voyage

SR/MR #9002394

You can read the full SPV press release here, with track comments from Candice Night.

Rare Session *23.05.08*

Two rare 1964 Blackmore sessions appear on a 2xCD retrospective of Houston Wells titled Then and Now: The Wild Side Of Life and Galway Bay. The set is a strange hybrid of old tracks and new recordings, rather than a proper compilation but Ritchie was only ever on a few of the songs anyway.

NY #900240

Free Blackmore Fanzine Available Online *27.04.08*

"Hello Blackmore fans. Our idea is to produce a free Ritchie Blackmore fanzine, which involves putting the resultant JPEG fanzine pages onto certain fan forum boards, so that fans can read them and /or copy the pages to their own computers and thus print out the pages at home. We thus present to you, a trial issue to see if the idea works.

Thank you so much, to the fans that have contributed to this project already and also especially, to Candice Night who gave us some brilliant and comprehensive interview answers! Lots of thanks also, to Carole Stevens for all her help and encouragement! So far, we have put the fanzine pages on two different types of web page: Myspace http://www.myspace.com/cartouche_blackmore_fanz Photobucket   http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll219/CARTOUCHE01/  (2 pages of JPEGs)

• How do you print out the fanzine pages? Right-click on each jpeg (fanzine page), click on SAVE PICTURE AS; then save it to MY PICTURES; then print out the fanzine pages (using BEST PHOTO setting), from those saved files, from your home computer printers.

• Let us know what you think! Mike Garrett  cartouche-fanzine@hotmail.co.uk Kevin Dixon  haydncorelli@hotmail.com

Mike Garrett #900238

It looks as if Blackmore's partner Candice Night is set to star in an American Horror genre film soon, called HOUSE OF ETERNITY. The film is to be produced by Fires At Midnight Films. They will also be doing the music.

The film featuring Blackmore's Night music - House Of Eternity - has launched an official website, as has the production company, so you can read more and see the poster, etc.

Production Website: www.firesatmidnightfilms.com Film Website: www.houseofeternity.com

MM #9002361

Blackmore's Night are setting out to tour Europe in their "The Secret Voyage Tour 2008". Beginning with a free show in Plock, Poland, the band then visit Sweden and Finland for two shows apiece, before taking in central and eastern Europe. (see our family tour dates page) A second batch of dates (still to be announced) will take place from the end of August through to September 15th Europe. As ever "Blackmore's Night appreciates all of our fans that join in the spirit of the performance by dressing in Renaissance / medieval or traditional garb."

For more details keep an eye on the official Blackmore's Night website. MK #900237 (with thanks to Haydn Corelli)

The distributors have sent us details of the last of three shows from RAINBOW's September 1976 tour of Germany (Dusseldorf and Cologne are already available), newly mixed from the multi-tracks, and issued to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's first world tour. It comes with an 8 page colour booklet of notes and pictures. As before the 2xCD set features the regular set-list from that tour:

Kill The King / Mistreated / Sixteenth Century Greensleeves / Catch The Rainbow / Man On The Silver Mountain / Stargazer / Still I'm Sad / Do You Close Your Eyes.

Rainbow Live At Nurnberg is shipping now. It can be ordered from dpas mail order.

SR #9002333  (Thanks to Steve at Soulfood)

Blackmore's Night's upcoming DVD is now titled Paris Moon and due out in Europe and America in early November. It was filmed at the Paris Olympia, September 20. 2006.

The track listing and sleeve (see left) have made it to the UK at last.

DVD - Introduction / Past Times With Good Company / Rainbow Blues / Play Minstrel Play / World Of Stone / Under A Violet Moon / Soldier Of Fortune / Durch Den Wald Zum Bachaus / Diamonds & Rust / Minstrel Hall / Home Again / Streets Of London / Renaissance Faire / Keyboard Solo / Ariel / Loreley / The Clock Ticks On / Fires At Midnight / St. Theresa / The Village Lanterne

CD Live - Past Times With Good Company/Rainbow Blues / Play Minstrel Play / World Of Stone / Under A Violet Moon / Minstrel Hall / Home Again / Ariel / The Clock Ticks On / Fires At Midnight. CD Bonus Tracks - The Village Lanterne (studio version) / All Because of You (radio edit) / The Village Lanterne (enhanced video track)

It can be preordered at dpas mail order. Initial copies will be in a special package with CD and DVD versions combined. DB #9002341

Blackmore's Night and Candice Night appear to have written and performed some exclusive tracks for an online game / theme park called Magiquest. The accompanying 'Music Of Magiquest' CD features previously released tracks such as Queen for the Day (Parts One and Two), as well as The Way To Magiquest, Magic Wand Tree, and Written in the Stars.

The game also features Candice Night as an interactive video screen princess.

You can find out more by visiting http://www.magiquest.com.

JR #900230

Universal are finally getting around to issuing RAINBOW - LIVE BETWEEN THE EYES on DVD. This was filmed at the San Antonio Stadium, Texas, in August 1982 during the Straight Between The Eyes tour. The show was issued on video in 1983 and has been out on laser disc in Japan, but this is the first DVD release in Europe. The video had 10 songs, I assume the DVD will be the same. The DVD also contains as a bonus the video release FINAL CUT (first issued in 1987), which has eight of the later Rainbow promo videos, plus two songs from the Japanese tour of 1984 (sadly the rest of this show has yet to appear officially in Europe). Clearly it's one for fans of latter day Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow, anyone else will be able to fast-forward to the guitar solos. Release is expected in October 2006. This can be pre-ordered via dpas mail order.

As well as this title, some sites are pushing a DVD of the Rainbow / Tokyo 1984 show due any time. Research on the web has failed to produce a site for the label concerned and we fear this may be another pirate release. If we find otherwise we'll let you know.

MM#9002251 (Thanks to John Derry). Photos: Alan Perry

I have to say on first quick viewing that this is a storming release, and it's so good to have it officially available after years languishing in varying quality pirate formats. The image quality is very good, and I feared for the speakers on my TV during Cozy's solo (what a great way to remember him at his peak) such is the volume. Dio is also at his peak, and you can even start to appreciate the work of Daisley and Stone more properly. I was critical of latter day Rainbow and of Blackmore in the reformed Purple at times, but hopefully watching this you can begin to understand why. No dodging the issue here. The man just rules the stage. He's in control, taking the performance where he wants, driving the set. It was on performances like this that his reputation, built up over the six or seven years in Purple, was capped; solid playing, underpining the tracks, then bursting out with loud riffy runs, gentle laid back solos, pushing rock guitar at the edges. Bliss. And to see the glorious stage rainbow in full flight just brings back so many memories of the 76 and 77 tours. Frankly, no Blackmore or Rainbow fan should hesitate for a second. SR

SR#900223