Ritchie Blackmore says Deep Purple Reunion Would be Fun

[a1aara]

Mick Burgess of Metal Express Radio recently conducted an interview with Ritchie Blackmore (ex-RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE) and Candice Night of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Metal Express Radio: I think when the BLACKMORE'S NIGHT project started, the general consensus was that it was a side project, something for Ritchie to get out of his system before embarking on his next hard rock record. You have obviously shown that this is not some flash in the pan and this is a band that is very close to your heart. Is Ritchie enjoying himself in a way that he had not for many years before forming BLACKMORE'S NIGHT?

Ritchie: "I have a newfound freedom in this band because we have no boundaries. We can play whatever we want to, whenever we want, whether it’s folk, rock, pop or renaissance music. It's a liberating feeling to not be stuck in a box or to have a neat little label stuck on your style of music."

Metal Express Radio: People would say it must be difficult living AND working with your other half. What do you do to get away and maintain your own space? Do you have separate interests or do you still do most things as a couple?

Candice: "We are a really good balance for each other because his strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa, so where one falls short, the other comes through. It's a yin-yang situation. We spend almost all of our time together and have the same interests, but we also know when to give each other space. He'll walk through the woods and I'll go for a movie night with the girls. But we don't take much time away from each other. We enjoy and understand each other completely."

Metal Express Radio: Do you feel that many of your old fans from previous bands have come along and supported you in BLACKMORE'S NIGHT and do you think some have come to shows purely to see Ritchie play on the basis of his history and been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the music?

Ritchie: "I think many have. Then there are those that you can never please. The same ones that when I was in RAINBOW wanted me to go back to PURPLE and when I was in PURPLE wanted me to be in RAINBOW! I don't care about them. At the end of the day, I play what pleases me — no one else."

Candice: I think a lot of Ritchie's fans have followed him since the beginning of his career. They're now older and maybe not as into the hard music anymore. But they know the Blackmore name is synonymous with skill, so whether Ritchie's playing electric, acoustic, or the Hurdy Gurdy — it's going to be great. Now they're married, so their wives like the music because it's softer and more romantic. Their kids like the music, because they're still innocent and like to dress up like Robin Hood or a princess. So we bridge generations and gender in our shows with our music."

Metal Express Radio: Jon Lord recently said that he would like to get all of the surviving past and present members of DEEP PURPLE together for a one-off show. Would you be up for that?

Ritchie: "It would be fun to get the MK 2 line-up together for a one-off, but I wouldn't be able to deal with their management."

Metal Express Radio: Do you keep in touch with any of your old band mates from RAINBOW or DEEP PURPLE?

Ritchie: "I bump into some from time to time. We may be doing something with Joe [Lynn Turner] as a guest vocalist on one of our tracks."

Read the entire interview at MetalExpressRadio.com.

[phjrsaunt]

Hey a1a-maybe you can help me put two things together that have been bugging me for a long time. Does Ritchie Blackmore have any connection to a song called "Stone Cold," from around 1985? I had that song on one of those K-Tel compilations, and loved it, but I'm not sure my memory is quite on target as to the artist. Is your membry better than mine?

[a1aara]

Hey a1a-maybe you can help me put two things together that have been bugging me for a long time. Does Richie Blackmore have any connection to a song called "Stone Cold," from around 1985? I had that song on one of those K-Tel compilations, and loved it, but I'm not sure my memory is quite on target as to the artist. Is your membry better than mine?

That song was by Rainbow. Blackmore was the lead guitarists in Rainbow. Joe Lynn Turner did the vocals on that particular track. I believe the song is from the "Straight Between the Eyes" cd?

[phjrsaunt]

Hey a1a-maybe you can help me put two things together that have been bugging me for a long time. Does Richie Blackmore have any connection to a song called "Stone Cold," from around 1985? I had that song on one of those K-Tel compilations, and loved it, but I'm not sure my memory is quite on target as to the artist. Is your membry better than mine?

That song was by Rainbow. Blackmore was the lead guitarists in Rainbow. Joe Lynn Turner did the vocals on that particular track. I beleive the song is from the "Straight Between the Eyes" cd?

Rainbow! THAT was it! I guess my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was! I'm not sure about that album name; I had the song on one of those K-Tel things w/ a bunch of other groups.

Hey, for "bonus points" one of those other songs featured Sammy Hagar w/ (I THINK) a group called "Krokus." Does that sound right?

[a1aara]

Hey a1a-maybe you can help me put two things together that have been bugging me for a long time. Does Richie Blackmore have any connection to a song called "Stone Cold," from around 1985? I had that song on one of those K-Tel compilations, and loved it, but I'm not sure my memory is quite on target as to the artist. Is your membry better than mine?

That song was by Rainbow. Blackmore was the lead guitarists in Rainbow. Joe Lynn Turner did the vocals on that particular track. I beleive the song is from the "Straight Between the Eyes" cd?

Rainbow! THAT was it! I guess my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was! I'm not sure about that album name; I had the song on one of those K-Tel things w/ a bunch of other groups.

Hey, for "bonus points" one of those other songs featured Sammy Hagar w/ (I THINK) a group called "Krokus." Does that sound right?

I know Hagar did a song with the lead singer of Loverboy. The song was called "remember The Heros" and it was from Sammys "Three Lock Box" release.

Hagar also did an entire album with Neil Schon in the 80's.

[phjrsaunt]

Hey a1a-maybe you can help me put two things together that have been bugging me for a long time. Does Richie Blackmore have any connection to a song called "Stone Cold," from around 1985? I had that song on one of those K-Tel compilations, and loved it, but I'm not sure my memory is quite on target as to the artist. Is your membry better than mine?

That song was by Rainbow. Blackmore was the lead guitarists in Rainbow. Joe Lynn Turner did the vocals on that particular track. I beleive the song is from the "Straight Between the Eyes" cd?

Rainbow! THAT was it! I guess my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was! I'm not sure about that album name; I had the song on one of those K-Tel things w/ a bunch of other groups.

Hey, for "bonus points" one of those other songs featured Sammy Hagar w/ (I THINK) a group called "Krokus." Does that sound right?

I know Hagar did a song with the lead singer of Loverboy. The song was called "remember The Heros" and it was from Sammys "Three Lock Box" release.

Hagar also did an entire album with Neil Schon in the 80's.

That's not what I'm thinking of, but thanks for the input. I guess one of these days I'll just have to get my butt up in the attic and find my danged vinyl albums!

[Lightning Bolt]

I saw Purple for their last Blackmore tour in '93, and it was more than incredible!
Steve Morse joined up soon thereafter, and I see they have a new CD coming out, but it's hard to imagine the DP sound without
Ritchie Blackmore or Jon Lord on the Hammond organ.

[meisinger]

I saw Purple for their last Blackmore tour in '93, and it was more than incredible!
Steve Morse joined up soon thereafter, and I see they have a new CD coming out, but it's hard to imagine the DP sound without
Ritchie Blackmore or Jon Lord on the Hammond organ.

I have the new CD. It's OK. Morse is ten times the guitarist that Blackmore is, yet he just seems out of place in Deep Purple. I wish he would do another record with the Dregs.

[Jahfin]

I heard one of the new Deep Purple cuts on XM the other day and liked it. I'm not going to rush out and buy the album or anything but at least they're giving it some airtime. Regarding the Dixie Dregs and Morse, that band is sorely missed.

[CadiRita]

Hey a1a-maybe you can help me put two things together that have been bugging me for a long time. Does Richie Blackmore have any connection to a song called "Stone Cold," from around 1985? I had that song on one of those K-Tel compilations, and loved it, but I'm not sure my memory is quite on target as to the artist. Is your membry better than mine?

That song was by Rainbow. Blackmore was the lead guitarists in Rainbow. Joe Lynn Turner did the vocals on that particular track. I beleive the song is from the "Straight Between the Eyes" cd?

Rainbow! THAT was it! I guess my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was! I'm not sure about that album name; I had the song on one of those K-Tel things w/ a bunch of other groups.

Hey, for "bonus points" one of those other songs featured Sammy Hagar w/ (I THINK) a group called "Krokus." Does that sound right?

It's been years since I thought of Krokus. I loved "Eat the Rich".

According to www.krokusonline.com, they are planning, but haven't finalized an American tour.

Oh, and if Hagar did something with them, it was just the one time. I don't recall that Hagar was actually a part of Krokus. Hagar had a band called Montrose. You know, "get on your "Bad Motor Scooter" and ride."

[a1aara]

Wednesday - November 16, 2005
Deep Purple

The well of creativity is Deep and the water is shaded a Purple hue. A scant two years after releasing their highly regarded and positively received "Bananas", Deep Purple is back with another collection of songs at once new and inventive, yet classic in texture and tone. The eleven songs on "Rapture of the Deep" display the bands vision for this millennium while simultaneously paying homage to their storied thirty-seven year history. Solid songwriting and performances from top to bottom on this newest effort highlight the fact that the current line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Steve Morse and Don Airey have fulfilled their potential and rank right at the top of all Purple incarnations. The band's web presence may be seen at Deep-Purple.com.

"Rapture of the Deep" finds the venerable band working with a new label (Eagle Rock) surrounded by those who understand their past and, more importantly, their present. Genuine excitement is difficult to manufacture. Fraud and fakery are transparent upon review, and this is an album that commands respect. Deep Purple deserves fresh energy and integrity to support them and, rightfully so, they're getting it because they deliver the goods yet again. From the opening growl of the first song "Money Talks" through the exquisite beauty of "Clearly Quite Absurd", into the acerbic "MTV", capped off by the politically insightful and theologically provocative "Before Time Began", including all stops in between, this is not only vintage Deep Purple, this is modern day instantly classic Rock. What an album!

For those who say great Rock music has seen its day, listen carefully to these eleven by these five. For those who say great new music can't be heard in today's media, listen to this upcoming ROCKLINE as we present an evening with Deep Purple!