Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975) is the first album released by Rainbow. Despite the modest chart success this album achieved, many musicians consider this album to be one of hard rock's finest moments. In the Rainbow catalogue, it is Ronnie James Dio's favorite album.^[1]

"Black Sheep of the Family" was a cover of an old Quatermass song, and "Still I'm Sad" a cover of a Yardbirds track.

The original vinyl release had a gatefold sleeve, although later reissues on the budget arms of Polydor reduced this to a single sleeve. This line-up never performed live and the live-shots used in the album art are of Blackmore in his Deep Purple days and of Elf playing live.

Several of the songs on the album are featured, generally in extended form, on the 1977 live album On Stage. When performed live Dio sang the lyric to "Still I'm Sad", rather than having to sit out the song. The studio version was done as an instrumental.

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow was re-issued on CD, in remastered form, in the US in April 1999. The European release would follow later in the year.

"Man on the Silver Mountain" is a favorite on AOR and classic rock stations.

Track listing

All songs written by Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore, except where indicated.

Side one

"Man on the Silver Mountain" – 4:42
"Self Portrait" – 3:17
"Black Sheep of the Family" (Steve Hammond) – 3:22
"Catch the Rainbow" – 6:27

Side two

"Snake Charmer" – 4:33
"The Temple of the King" – 4:45
"If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll" – 2:38
"Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" – 3:31
"Still I'm Sad" (Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty) – 3:51

Note: On the cassette version of the album, Side One features the last five tracks, while Side Two plays the first four. Also, on the case insert and on the cassette itself, "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" is written as "Sixteen Century Greensleeves".

Personnel

References

^ Popoff, Martin. The Very Beast of Dio (liner notes). pp. pg. 11. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[1] Popoff, Martin. The Very Beast of Dio (liner notes). pp. pg. 11. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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