Ritchie Blackmore
July 18 • A four disc Rainbow Anthology is being trailed, covering the band’s career to 1984, to include some unissued bits and bobs.
July 18 • Gird your loins for a special limited edition which brings new meaning to the term; Dance & The Moon Deluxe. This includes (deep breath) the audio album with the bonus DVD, a special tote bag, four button badges and an actual embroidered framed version of the album art, measuring around 10″ square, ready to hang on your wall. It all comes in a special card packaging to keep it safe. Now we are able to sell this, but have yet to get a final price off the distributors. But do pre-order at DTB Online if you’re interested and we’ll get back to you with the bad news. 2,000 only worldwide. We’ve also got our hands on a supply of the double gatefold vinyl edition, which is a 3,000 worldwide pressing.
July 10 • New Live Rainbow release. Blackmore has approved the release of a Rainbow show from Dusseldorf in 1995, Black Masquerade, filmed for Germany’s famous Rockpalast show. It’s one of the few known films of the final Rainbow line-up (Dougie White and friends) known to exist, from their 18 months or so together, and has been pirated an awful lot in the intervening years. I never got to see this period of the band (they could only be bothered to play London), so it’ll be interesting to see how what I felt at the time was a lacklustre album went down like live (I got a royal bollocking for suggesting this, only for Ritchie to later go on record as saying it was ‘boring’ and he was bored making it!). Tracks range across the catalogue: Spotlight Kid / Too Late for Tears / Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll/Black Night / Hunting Humans / Wolf to the Moon/Difficult to Cure Keyboard Solo / Still I’m Sad / Temple of the King / Black Masquerade / Ariel / Since You’ve Been Gone / Perfect Strangers / Sixteenth Century Greensleeves / Hall of the Mountain King / Burn / Smoke On the Water . It’s out on DVD and stand alone 2CD to begin with, worldwide. Available to pre-order at DTBOnline.
UK tour • Attended the show in Newcastle on Friday night. The show was generally ok, quite a long one at over 2 hours, some songs I knew, many I didn’t. Ritchie was on good form laughing and joking with the band and the audience, raising a glass to Jon, Cozy and Ronnie. He seemed to make the set list up as he went along, he clearly had a board with various song listed and he would look at that and decide what to play, although he added Soldier of Fortune at a request from the audience, sadly calls for Carry On… Jon were ignored.
He got the strat out for a couple of numbers and it was quite simply breathtaking, the whole place lifted when this happened, he can still play and then some. Best moment was the solo to Fires at Midnight, done on an acoustic, the rest of the band left the stage and Ritchie sat on a stool and played away for well over 5 minutes, not once opening his eyes, brilliant. Mike Richards.
April 30 • Album Update
The cover art and track details for the new Blackmore’s Night album have been sent out. There are two editions, the standard CD and the fast becoming obligatory CD + bonus DVD of extras. Tracks and pre-ordering is available at DTB Online store. There is also a cover of Temple Of The King on it.
April 15 • BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – NEW CD
There is a new studio album from the band in June. Live dates may also follow. Blackmore is paying a musical tribute to Jon Lord on the album which is called Dancer And The Moon. The album also includes a cover of Uriah Heep’s Lady In Black. Dmitry M. Epstein knows Ken Hensley and asked him what he thought of this: “I have to say that it’s a real honor any time that any artist covers one of my songs, but to have Ritchie include Lady In Black on his new album is very special, because he and I ran on totally parallel rock ‘n’ roll roads for so long, even rehearsing in the same building in West London in the very early days. I am a Deep Purple fan, of course, but I also respect Ritchie’s new direction and his willingness to explore and experiment with new musical adventures. Thanks Ritchie.”
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – UK TOUR 2013
Five British shows have been announced for Blackmore and company this year: June 26th – Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline (we think) Scotland. June 28th – Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre , Newcastle. July 1st – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. July 3rd – Salisbury City Hall. July 5th G Live (The Civic), Guildford. Thanks to Mike Richards.
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – THE BEGINNING
Another day, another new DVD / CD package from Blackmore’s Night. This one is something of a career retrospective and rounds up shows from the Shadow Of The Moon tour in Germany back in 1997 / 1998 on DVD1, the Under A Violet Moon castle tour from 2000 on DVD2. The catch is that to get these you have to buy the box set which includes the band’s first two studio albums, reissued for I think the fourth or fifth time. All in a purple felt box and titled The Beginning. Available to pre-order at DTBOnline store.
NEW STUDIO ALBUM
Meanwhile, Blackmore and Knight say they’re about 10 songs in to the eighth studio album, the follow-up to 2010’s “Autumn Sky,” which they hope to release in June 2013. They are recording at their home studio on Long Island,
BLACKMORE IN FIREWORKS
Fireworks Magazine issue 53 boasts a new interview with Blackmore’s Night to promote the new DVD ‘A Knight In York’, and apparently reveals the true reason for Rainbow splitting up. I’m off to WHSmiths now!
The magazine also has interviews with Ian Gillan, who talks about the ‘Who Cares’ album with Tony Iommi and a chat with Nick Simper about Nasty Habits. You can find an extract from the Blackmore piece in the mag’s site http://www.rocktopia.net/.
Thanks to James Gaden.
RAINBOW BIOGRAPHY REPRINTED
Roy Davies history of Rainbow is back in print for a time. Read the details here.
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT LIVE RELEASE (May 14. 2012)
A Knight In York, filmed and recorded on the last British tour at Blackmore’s Night’s York Opera House show 30 Sep 2011, this title is another multi-format live release which will please all fans of the band. Available as hi def DVD, Blueray, CD and a triple vinyl album set in a strictly limited edition. Release due very end of June / early July 2012. This set can be preordered at DTB Online Store. This mass formatting thing brings back the last mad flourish of the vinyl single in the early 80s when loyal collectors had to get umpteen different editions.
Thanks to Stuart Hamilton for the information.
UPDATE : the track listing indicates that every format has the same tracks.
darker than blue 
October 4, 2014 at 5:22 pm |
Its a nice package. Blackmore is such an influential musician. As a fan I find it hard to pick my favourites. In Rock, Machine Head, Rising, Long Live Rock and Roll etc. I just wish that he would tour with Rainbow and play the Dio stuff
September 12, 2014 at 9:29 am |
I’ve spent long hours on the computer watching, listening and reading all things Ritchie Blackmore. The man is himself and that is amazing. We’re so very lucky to have his music.
June 6, 2014 at 2:47 pm |
I’m old school, so to get RB’s Carry On Jon I had to buy the latest CD. Not fussed about the mead-evil stuff but … the guitar playing on The Moon is Shining Through is fabulous! Clear, brilliant, top notch RB – and the backing is pretty good too! Now all I need is a list from the albums of tracks where RB gets the ol’ Strat out!
anybody?
June 6, 2014 at 2:50 pm |
This has been suggested before but who is brave enough to volunteer?
April 15, 2013 at 2:30 am |
Happy Rocking Birthday Ritchie! Stratomaster! Greetings from Aguascalientes, Mexico. Ritchie Rocks!
April 15, 2013 at 3:08 pm |
Well he does occasionally!
February 11, 2013 at 11:28 am |
A Knight In York was edited by the record company who didn’t want a 2 dvd set.
February 11, 2013 at 11:25 am |
I got the boxset for Xmas, sent it back and got two CDs insead; poor sound & picture. Both dvds are just bad copies of vhs to dvd.
January 5, 2013 at 9:32 am |
Sadly I expect nothing more …. the legend ended back in ’93.
January 3, 2013 at 12:22 pm |
I was very disappointed with Blackmore’s Night – The Beginning. Neither DVD features a whole concert, the content is more like a documentary, and songs often start with the band sat around in a hotel room but magically/annoyingly continue on-stage. The sound quality is not good and I think some of this stuff is on the Castles & Dreams set – but I may be wrong abut that. It’s a pity because Candice & Ritchie are very entertaining and play great music – the purple velvet box is nice though.
November 6, 2012 at 11:01 pm |
Since when did 16th century minstrels wear sun glasses?
November 7, 2012 at 9:54 am |
Since Sir Raymond of Bann first took antler horn and fashioned it into a rudimentary pair of shades…
October 18, 2012 at 7:51 am |
Blackmore’s NIght-The Beginning: Seems another daft release from them following on from the heavily edited ‘A Knight In York’. Why contain the first two albums when the majority of Blackmore’s NIght fans have them? Just another grab cash of the fans for a poor product and I bet it will cost a hell of a lot more than a christmas tree!!
October 22, 2012 at 3:25 pm |
It did puzzle me, I would have thought just about all true believers would have the albums, unless they are new to the faith. And actually, going by what we paid for our last Christmas tree (as pagans we have to have a real one) it probably won’t cost as much. Nor will it leave needles all over the back seat of my car for the rest of the year.
October 17, 2012 at 2:39 pm |
I must admit for now I (pirate activity deleted – ed!) the York DVD. Is it really that dark? Were they economising on lights instead of Rainbows?
November 2, 2012 at 1:25 pm |
It didnt seem too dark when I was there but yeah I agree it does look very dark on the trasfer to DVD..maybe they were going for a certain ‘look’. Dont get me wrong the performance is great from the band but the product ( as a live music DVD document ) could have been a lot better and the editing button not pushed so much!
August 21, 2012 at 11:22 pm |
I picked up the vinyl edition of this album for the collection and it contains the CD inside, so you get both!
‘The Village Lanterne’ is now out on vinyl too (2LP, gatefold sleeve and two inners with lyrics).
July 7, 2012 at 11:18 am |
Agree totally Jaro. I really can’t understand the reasoning behind a heavily edited and half hearted product. However, the songs which are included are excellent but this could and should have been a far superior live document. They have slipped up with this release and whether its the management who make the decisions or Ritchie, I don’t know. This dvd just baffles me but sure what do us fans know? We just go to their concerts and buy their products and what do we get in return?
July 4, 2012 at 6:26 am |
Too short, edited concert. Lack of bonus material. I bought it but I feel slightly disappointed. Vinyl and dvd contains the same tracks.
June 15, 2012 at 6:37 pm |
What a disappointment here! I was at the gig but viewing the track listing leaves me wondering why they even bothered releasing it. At least 6 songs have been omitted and the running time of the dvd / cd is a mere 80 mins. Seems like it has been heavily edited and watered down which is surprising because Blackmore’s Night’s previous DVDs Castles and Dreams and Paris Moon were both excellent and the full concerts. A shame as the actual concert at York was brilliant. We Blackmores’ Night fans deserve a bit more and certainly a better product.
June 19, 2012 at 7:54 pm |
Thanks for this Anthony, does seem a strange move. Makes me wonder why they need a triple LP to fit 80 minutes on too.
June 2, 2012 at 8:53 am |
It’s too bad she sung ‘Child In Time’. I will never buy another… but, if Blackmore’s Night played Ontario’s (Canada) Casa Loma, I’d definately go to that show.
May 16, 2012 at 6:58 am |
Ritchie in high def? Day one for me!
May 15, 2012 at 8:05 am |
Didn’t think this was ever gonna come out but it will be well worth the wait as the concert and atmosphere in the Opera House were amazing and Blackers and his minstrels were, as always, top notch. Just hope you can see me and my lovely minstrel on the DVD!