Former DEEP PURPLE/RAINBOW Guitarist RITCHIE BLACKMORE: 'I'm Thinking About Playing Rock Again'

That music, although it isn't my cup of meat, is anything but silly. I don't know this, but my speculation would be that in western Europe it is quite popular.
I know that Renaissance fairs in the states draw huge crowds and the music at them is quite popular.

 

I have no problem with him using Joe Lynn Turner. It's one of his only options, reunion-wise. We'll see.

All Blackmore's Night albums have charted in Germany. They play there more than any other country. They are, also, quite popular in Russia, Scandinavia, and Japan.

 

While I was never much of a fan of Rainbow I have deep affection for Deep Purple, especially the MkII version.

Lots of crabbing about "can he still do it at his age?"
Having seen Jeff Beck every tour for the last 40 plus years I can tell you that "Yes!" some of these guys can.
Beck hasn't lost any of his fastball and amazingly just gets better.
I'd go see Blackmore in a heartbeat ...

 

I think that's true. However, Jeff Beck seems to be an exception. I don't think he's dropped off much at all, he may even be getting better. I for one would like to see what Ritchie can do. I bet he's still very impressive.

 

This might be the first time anyone has indicted that playing Renaissance Fairs, something on a lower level than state fairs, is proof of popularity.
As for Blackmore's Night, not a single album of theirs (out of 13) has charted in the US. Not a single song from any of those albums has charted higher than #92. Not a single album or single has reached silver, gold or platinum status for sales. Speculate all you wish, but for me, a man with the talent of Blackmore, playing the hurdy-gurdy while in a jesters costume is SILLY. Take every single cent of profit this silly "band" has made in it's entire lifespan, and I'll speculate that one single show with a Deep Purple reunion would surpass it. This type of music is beneath him, and I'd say it to his face, rather than be one of those people who insist that he is doing something valid. So they aren't selling albums, they aren't playing venues large enough to bring in big bucks (with the exception of "renaissance fairs" as speculated, lol) so where is the money coming from? Oh, yeah, DP/Rainbow residuals, as always.

 

I like Dave Grohl but that's funny.

 

I doubt it. SOTW gets insane fees from commercials, movies, even spins. I'll bet that song alone brings Ritchie several million a year.

 

I'll take that bet.

• Low-end TV usage (e.g. -- music is playing from a jukebox in a scene, but no one in the scene is paying any attention to the music) -- free (for exposure) to $2,000 for a 5-year license. In a film, the fee would be $10,000 in perpetuity.
• A more popular song is worth more, perhaps $3,000 for TV and $25,000 for film.
• A song used as the theme song for a film might get $50,000 to $75,000.
• Commercials fetch even more money: "a song can command anywhere from $25,000 to $500,000 plus per year. The typical range for a well-known song is $75,000 to $200,000 for a one year national usage in the United States, on television and radio."

 

There seems to be a lot of misconceptions in this thread about what Ritchie has done with Blackmore's Night.

First of all, he has continued to play guitar at a high level. It is possible that it is at a higher level than when he was with Deep Purple or Rainbow because he plays acoustic guitar more than electric, yet still plays with the same intricacy and intensity. He may not fire off a fast solo like he used to with "Burn" or "Spotlight Kid", but he still pulls out the strat at every show to have some fun here and there.

Saying that playing Renaissance music is beneath him is like saying that him playing Beethoven's Ninth (i.e. "Difficult To Cure") was beneath him. This is music with a long and rich history. It is no more silly than Brian Setzer playing swing music rather than reforming the Stray Cats. Blackmore playing a style of music that he loves but you don't like is very much of a "you" problem.

Now, I don't doubt for a moment that Mr. Blackmore lives off of his old Deep Purple and Rainbow royalties, but isn't that the point of success? Now the can do whatever he wants regardless of what anybody thinks. Does that mean he isn't making what Mssrs. Gillan, Glover, Paice, Morse, and Airey make at the gate? You bet it does. Poor thing has to stay home with Candice.

Let's be honest: The last decade that Ritchie played rock music, nobody in North America cared. Sales of new Deep Purple music kept waning. Then, he released a Rainbow album to crickets. Whether or not Ritchie wrote off the American market is debatable, but if he did, the feeling was mutual.

Blackmore's Night is not a circus act. It's not fire-eaters and snake oil. It's a serious band whose recording career has not been any less successful than Morse-era Deep Purple.

 

Well, I have no idea if he needs the money (I doubt it somehow) as I hear the BN albums sell well in Japan and parts of Europe so am sure he still makes a better living than most, but really, the music is not great to my ears. It all sounds so similar after awhile that I just stop listening and have not given any thought to a new Blackmore recording in years. Everything I hear is sort of flat, and Candice offers little as a vocalist, sort of safe and plain sounding to my ears, a generic pop singer. Has it really been 12 albums of BN....wow, I lost count years ago. If RB wants to do something rocky now, I am interested in learning what he has in mind -- could be interesting. Would love him to jam with Beck, Page etc but I cannot imagine this happening easily. My preference is to leave JLT and current DP folks out of it, like him to try something new but hey, it's Ritchie playing rock again....that gets my attention.

 

The only one of these that surprises me is Japan, and even then not so much considering the popularity that early 70s DP had there as a live act.

Another consideration is the way that albums are mixed and post produced now.
I can't imagine his guitar style and his stereotypical rock sound surviving compression poisoning well.
Computer recording does bad things to overdriven guitars. Listen to what it did to the Bachman Turner album.

 

Hughes works well with Iommi - just sadly never toured (bar the 7 odd shows back in 1986) and the Dio tribute in Hyde Park as the Heaven And Hell lineup. Hughes is working with Doug Aldrich now - so maybe not available for a Blackmore reunion (I'm avoiding a band name there - as Ritchie didn't like the funkier direction of that DP line up - but Hughes can rock when he puts his mind to it). However Hughes is known to jump to any bandwagon that has a spare seat on it.

Paul Rodgers could be good as well - but maybe too safe a vocalist - I think this project would need someone that can deliver with more fire and balls (Rodgers is more blues based these days I think would you agree?)

I would suggest if I bumped into Ritchie either John Garcia from Kyuss/Unida/Hermano or Ian Ashbury from The Cult - two men with fine voices that can seriously deliver the rock.

Bob Daisley on bass would be cool and Damon Fox (Bigelf) on keyboards.

I cant think of a drummer for this - maybe Jason Bonham for the big hits or Vinnie Appice - depends how heavy Blackmore wants this. I don't think a rehash of his 1980's rock and roll will work, this will need a slightly detuned big riffing 70's flavour to it.

Or just listen to the last few Spiritual Beggars albums - that's pretty much updated Purple/Rainbow in my ears

 

Huh? What do you mean with such detailed and strong writing skills?

 

Bingo. He sure as hell isn't getting any of my money to pad his retirement fund Go back to sleep, Gramps.

 

If this was due to financial issues, one would think Blackmore would be considering a tour of a much larger scale to generate revenues, not a few shows that he mentions in the interview.

On a side-note, it is hard to imagine BN generates significant revenue streams; the albums seem to sell moderately well in certain regions and the concerts allegedly do decent business (but it is harder and harder to generate profits through touring).

 

There are no misconceptions about anything related to this topic. Blackmore is not playing rock music currently despite having the skills to do so. He is playing a style of music that will never be conducive to mass appeal (not sales, but in putting asses in the seats) and is ridiculed widely. Blackmore has always been influenced by classical music-it what has given him his style of progression and impacted his writing immensely- and the comparison cited is inane- I have paid money to hear Blackmore play his version of classical progression and was awed. I paid money to see him play his new hobby music and laughed my ass off- it was horrible. A incredibly talented brain surgeon who decided to quit one day and become a circus clown is a better comparison. My only issue with Blackmore playing this style of music is this: imagine everything we've missed from him musically over the past 18 years while he stews about ego issues, personality disorders and financial fights. We lost out on Joplin, Jimi, Belushi and so many others due to bad choices. We've lost out on Blackmore because he thinks doing something no one else is doing makes him special.

That Rainbow album might have been released to the sound of crickets-maybe it was due in part to the fact that Candace Night co-wrote 4 of the songs on it. Yoko much?

Setzer playing swing music was a gimmick, he cashed in on it and it now back playing rock. He knows what butters his bread longterm. Comparing that to Blackmores situation is weak- you think BN will cash in on the big Renaissance craze at some point? I wouldn't hold your breath...as for your assertion that nobody in North America cared, that's untrue- I cared. I bought the albums, I went to the shows, I bought the merch, and was happy with it all. Rainbow was never a huge band, at least not in comparison to DP, and you seem to equate that with fueling Blackmores leaving the rock music field. I think he was just tired of all the nonsense that goes with being in a rock band and walked away from it, which is his right. Others have done the same, and others have come back when the money runs out.

I'm shocked to learn that Blackmores Night has been as successful as Morse-era Deep Purple. I must have missed the tours that hit 48 countries. I must have missed BN headlining the O2 arena as recently as 2011. I must have missed BN selling out a 5000 seat theater here. I must have missed all of that success. Then again, I've never hung out at a Renaissance Fair on the weekend so I could have missed it. BN looks like they have played 7 shows so far in 2015- FANTASTIC!! Maybe they'll do two nights at the Beacon like DP did in 2013, or play at the Ryman like DP will this year!!

It's really simple to figure this out- which would the world rather see- Blackmore back with DP or Rainbow, making rock music, or Blackmore, in a silly jester costume, playing the lute or the hurdy gurdy, singing words his wife wrote. I know where I stand. And financially, I think Blackmore knows where he stands too.

 

I think Blackmore playing this music makes him happy. I doubt he does it to feel special. And just because you don't like this style of music doesn't make it bad like a circus clown to a doctor as you say.

So because you don't like it it must suck then?

 

Of all of the artists in the world, I suspect Blackmore cares the very least about what "the world would rather see." He follows his own muse wherever it leads, and the fact that some dude on a message board thinks his stage outfit is "silly" won't change that.

 

He plays great on those Blackmore's Night albums. He ain't Keith Richards, that's for sure!

 

He did. Actually I think he ran his mouth about Candice's mother, who is Ritchie's manager. Not a smart move!

 

Blackmore doesn't sing on any BN album or any album I have ever heard. And unless your his accountant I doubt you know where he stands. I kind of doulbt he needs to work at all at this point. He has probably been financially set for years. That's why he is now able to do what he wants and not what you want him to do.

 

Amen! Blackmore's Night is some serious music, and Blackmore shows serious chops on every album that I've heard. They're quite successful too, everywhere but the U.S. I'm not a big fan of theirs (I like my early/folk music to have a bit more authenticity) but it's foolish to act like he's not playing "real" music because it's not rock music and because they dress funny. Once upon a time you had to dress funny just to play rock music!

 

If you feel you've lost out on 18 years of Blackmore, it isn't his fault. He's put out a lot of good music. To compare him to Joplin and Belushi and imagine him stewing over ego issues and personality disorders is silly. He's doing what he wants to do, and if he returns to rock in some capacity, that'll be his choice too.

 

And with most of today's compositions.

 

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I specifically wrote "recording career". I did not refer to live performances, which is all you cite here. It is completely irrelevant to my statement. The discography of Blackmore's Night has been as successful, if not more so, than the discography of Morse-era Deep Purple.

Live performances are an entirely separate issue. Of course Deep Purple would be more successful there, mainly due to history, nostalgia, and branding.