Ritchie Blackmore

Richard Hugh Blackmore, (born April 14, 1945) is a noted British guitarist. Born in Weston-super-Mare, He is famous for being the guitarist in the revolutionary band Deep Purple and the highly successful band Rainbow

The First Deep Purple Years, 1968-1975

He co-founded the hard rock group Deep Purple in 1968 with Rod Evans (vocals), Nick Simper (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards), and Ian Paice (drums). The band quickly scored a hit single with its remake of the Joe South song "Hush"; nonetheless, after only a few albums, Evans and Simper were replaced by Ian Gillan (vocals) and Roger Glover (bass). The band's next studio album, "In Rock," revolutionized the band's sound, turning it in an uncompromisingly hard rock direction. Blackmore's dramatic guitar riffs, Jon Lord's classically inspired, high-powered Hammond organ, and Ian Paice's dynamic, jazz-influenced drums were enhanced by the powerhouse vocals of Ian Gillan, whom Blackmore has described as being "a screamer with depth and a blues feel." Songs on "In Rock" included "Speed King" and "Child In Time."

Related Topics:
Hard rock - Deep Purple - 1968 - Rod Evans - Nick Simper - Jon Lord - Ian Paice - Joe South - Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Organ - Drums - Powerhouse

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Two albums later Deep Purple recorded its landmark album Machine Head. The album was recorded by a mobile recording unit (Rolling Stones Mobile) in Montreaux, Switzerland. The band originally intended to record the album at a casino in Montreaux, but the night before recording was to begin the casino hosted a Frank Zappa concert (with members of Deep Purple in attendance) at which an audience member fired a flare gun into the facility's bamboo roof. A tremendous fire ensued and the casino was burned down to the ground. The entire tragedy is documented in the lyrics of what was to become Deep Purple's historic anthem "Smoke On The Water". The song opens with what many consider the most distinctly recognizable hard rock riff ever recorded.

Related Topics:
Machine Head - Rolling Stones - Montreaux - Switzerland - Frank Zappa - Flare gun - Smoke On The Water

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The Machine Head album also produced such notable Deep Purple classics as "Space Truckin'," "Highway Star," and "Lazy." The live album of the Machine Head tour - recorded in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan and entitled Made In Japan - cemented Deep Purple's reputation as a dynamic and intense live rock and roll act.

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In 1973 Ian Gillan left Deep Purple, and bassist Roger Glover resigned when it became clear he would be fired. They were replaced by former Trapeze bassist Glenn Hughes and an unknown young singer named David Coverdale (who would later achieve star status as the lead singer for Whitesnake and Coverdale Page with Jimmy Page). The band recorded BURN, an album on which the instrumental virtuosity and dynamism of the triumvirate of Blackmore-Lord-Paice achieved new heights. Deep Purple continued to perform concerts worldwide, including a notorious appearance at the 1974 California Jam, a televised concert festival that featured The Eagles, Black Sabbath and many other rock luminaries. At the very moment Deep Purple was due to appear, Blackmore, evincing the "bad boy" theatrics for which he would become infamous, locked himself in his dressing room and refused to go onstage. Previous performers had finished early and it was still not sundown, the time at which the band had originally been scheduled to appear. Blackmore felt this would dull the effect of the band's light show. After ABC brought in a Sheriff to arrest him, Blackmore acquiesced, but during the performance he destroyed an ABC TV camera in retaliation after the cameraman repeatedly edged too close to him. Shortly thereafter, in the concert's most dramatic moment, the stage erupted in flames after Blackmore's amplifier stacks exploded and blew him to the front of the stage. ABC was furious, but the band escaped its wrath by immediately departing via helicopter.

Related Topics:
Trapeze - Glenn Hughes - David Coverdale - Whitesnake - Coverdale Page - Jimmy Page - The Eagles - Black Sabbath

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Deep Purple's next album, Stormbringer, not only disappointed critics and fans, but was publically denounced by Blackmore himself, who disliked the funky soul influences that Hughes and Coverdale injected into the band. After that he departed Deep Purple to front his own rock group, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.

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