Whatever we may think of the current Rainbow vinyl, a tour is different. Ten to one all is forgiven the second Blackmore steps onto the stage, and this tour was no exception. The band reached here by way of Europe and America - dates there being preceded by a few warm up gigs in small clubs. Quite a few members took advantage of the Mead Gould trip to Brussels to get a preview of the tour here, and reported a well organised outing, made even better when the band found out about the British contingent, and invited many of them backstage afterwards. Another of our members, who happens to be called Ritchie Blackmore, was also invited backstage in Germany to meet his namesake, and swop autographs!

Def Leppard supported the band on many of the European dates - one Sheffield export I'd rather not talk about. 'Maybe Next Time' was slipped in occasionally; sometimes just a taped playback, but once or twice for real - and other times, just to confuse us, a mixture of the two! The band finally hit Britain in early July - and as there has been no end of change to the dates, it's worth jotting them down here for the record!

The sets in the UK followed the pattern set in Europe: Spotlight Kid / Love's No Friend / I Surrender / Man On The Silver Mountain / Catch The Rainbow / Can't Happen Here / Lost In Hollywood / Difficult To Cure / Long Live Rock'n Roll. Encores: All Night Long / Rule Britannia / Smoke On The Water / Since You Been Gone / Fire, etc etc!

As we've had loads of reviews, we'll take snippets from these, to get as many views in as possible. Up in Scotland, fans had to contend with a less than perfect venue: "The main fault was the PA; I fear the engineers were jacking the sound up to much, and much of the playing and vocals were lost," writes Robert Strutthers,"Ritchie didn't seem too happy either - fiddling with his amps, holding his guitar up to his ear, and giving someone stage right the look. Things were better in the quiet bits though. The drum solo was quite interesting, ripping off John Bonham a lot (a comment echoed by a lot of people) but powerful bass drumming." David Kelly also saw the band there:"I thought they (or he) were quite good, bearing in mind the restrictions that the generally poor material places on them. Ritchie entertained himself with feedback, fancy vibrato etc during the vocals, working all around the riff but still holding the songs together. I loathed the LP, yet I found some songs were enjoyable, even when Ritchie wasn't soloing, and despite a trite vocalist. My faith in Rainbow is restored - esp. during 'Catch The Rainbow', though as usual I got stuck beside some fucker who wanted to talk about who he'd met in the bogs before the gig. 'Smoke..' got the loudest cheer, but he played it rather mechanically. Don Airey was underused I felt, only a short section prior to 'Difficult To Cure' where he played along with Blackmore showed what things could be like." The unknown song one or two of you asked about was 'Fire', a Hendrix song.

My own first sight of the new line-up came at Leeds. Though it wasn't a sparkling gig, and the failure of drum monitors caused a break midway, I still enjoyed the show, because Blackmore was well on form ,turning out some particularly spine-tingling work in 'Catch The Rainbow'.

Leicester was something else; two class shows, the second being up there with the greats. Leicester always seems to get goodies - the 76 show there was superb, likewise in 77, when Ritchie hurled his strat right over the arc of the rainbow. Leicester 81 saw Ritchie pull out most of the stops - down on the knees, thumping the old bass pedals, up and down the PA, and so on, but somehow always managing to keep the show moving, rather than letting his antics split it up. Likewise his solos, which he extended at will, seemed to fit into the overall scheme of things whereas on the 1980 tour they had been often the only enjoyable part of the show. As if to set things right at once, some of his best work came in the opener, with the 'cossack' bit, where Ritchie turned his fingers across the frets like he was leafing through a book. 'Love's No Friend' produced equally good solos, particularly at the end, where he just launched into his own little world, leaving the band to fend for themselves. In common with the other shows 'Lost In Hollywood' signalled party time, and the sets degenerated into a medley of greatest bits. Good fun, with lots of riffs to try and recognise, but the keyboard solo dragged for me.

Blackmore climaxed the show by holding his cheapo ($200) imported strat up, and gave the crowd his amazing 'shall I?' look. Receiving an affirmative, he took it to the top of the PA, and sitting astride the cabinets, smashed it to smithereens. He took the pieces back along the top of the PA and attacked the lights before tossing the bits to the mob below. An ace show. My only complaint was the ridiculous volume towards the end, my ears suffered for three days after! The band were booked to stay at the Grand hotel. Why? Because it's haunted! Airey and Glover didn't like it and went elsewhere.

On to Bingley, with the addition of several hundred fans from Manchester, who were bussed down after the Belle Vue gig was changed. Promised a special cordoned off area at the front, they found it didn't exist, and had to join the crush. The canvas PA covers used at Donnington in 1980 reappeared too, where from I don't know - I thought Sounds had given them away as a prize. The presence of a video crew may have had something to do with it.

"Ritchie was in good shape, producing an amazing demolition. Standing by Glover, he hurled the strat like an arrow into the PA. He took the broken halves, held together by one string, and slung them over his shoulder to finish the encore! Cozy was at the second gig, and I think Bobby (well, it's easier than spelling his second name) knew it. My main criticism is that the set was geared to the boppers, with the hit singles etc. Also, we knocked Whitesnake for only doing three new songs, so we ought to do the same for Rainbow. A new song could have replaced '..Silver Mountain' I feel. End of sermon!" Richard Whitehead.

Manchester was a poor show. It pissed it down, so we huddled in a door way most of the afternoon, chatting with other members who had travelled over early to exchange tickets. No one seems to know why the venue was changed so late, as there had been talk of cancelling Belle Vue weeks before. Purple managed a good sound there back in 1974, so the official reason of poor acoustics seems a bit false. Fearful of having my camera trashed by the Apollo gorillas (who last year beat up the kids with the strat to sell it themselves outside), I lurk at the back. The crowd are noisy, and impatient, and Rainbow fail to really respond, though Blackmore's guitar cut through the din to lift things up from time to time. The set is short, with only a perfunc- tory encore when we're all blinded by white light for 'Long Live Rock'n Roll'. Ritchie's manager does a short detour before doubling back to whisk Ritchie away from the Hyde Road exit, but not before Neil Cutler's mate does a Sweeney like chase to catch them at the hotel. Given a songbook to sign, Ritchie ponders it for a while, before crossing notes out and putting correct ones in! (The' Difficult To Cure' song-book came out in July, and has four hazy black and white live photos in. There was also sheet music for the single 'Can't Happen Here' with another live pic on).

The London dates were hastily rearranged, after Ritchie had teased London fans by saying they wouldn't play there! Keith Dyce: "Saw them both nights, the second was better, though they were both pretty lousy. The sound was awful on the first night. I was quite impressed by Rondinelli, but Turner is a bit of a poseur even if his voice is better than Bonnet's - not hard! I wish they'd left 'Smoke..' out too, his guitar solo was non-existant. 'Love's No Friend..' was brilliant on the second night, and Ritchie took an extended solo at the end - couple of knocks of the tremelo arm and he was off; amazing. The solo in 'Catch The Rainbow' was great too."

Overall the tour was probably better than many people had expected, due, probably, to Ritchie's enthusiasm with his new cohorts, which inspired him to play a much more consistent tour. Turner is a lot more suitable than old Bonnet ever was, as for the drummer - well, I was never a great fan of Cozy, finding him a little too heavy much of the time, but I did curiously miss his power at times. Roger Glover looked happy, but only came out of the mix occasionally, though when he did it was good to hear. I wish he would ditch those horrible satin trouser things though! Two girl backing singers on stage at Newcastle? I don't believe it!

A couple of American radio broadcasts have gone out recently and deserve a mention. Firstly Rainbow's concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston in May was recorded, along with Pat Travers, and aired on the King Biscuit Flower Hour in June. This show is put out across America regularly, using live concert material. The bands had half the show each, and Rainbow's numbers were 'Spotlight Kid', 'Long' Live Rock'n Roll', 'I Surrender' and 'Smoke On The Water'. It's a well mixed recording, but as the band knew it was being taped, we don't get much from Ritchie. Turner is caught on an off-night and sounds very poor. The drumming sounds more powerful than it did here, and you get to hear Glover a bit too. Curious to hear Ritchie do the 'Lazy' riff, with no reaction at all from the crowd. Nothing to go mad over at all really. My thanks to Steve Wunrow for his info on this.

Then in July a countrywide Blackmore special was aired, on a show called 'Off The Record'. I'm fairly sure this is issued on one of those radio-only records, so it may turn up in collectors lists soon. Anyway, there are chunks of interview - fairly sensible interview actually, though little worth printing, interspersed with numerous Rainbow songs. Interesting to hear Blackmore say he writes lyrics, but has 'no wish to use them in a band, they're just personal things.' One or two naughty words get bleeped out, and the show is sponsored by Budweiser and The American Navy! Thanks to Steve Bradelman for details, and if anyone does find it on vinyl, we'd like details.

Diane Cowley in Bolton has managed to discover just what those nasty looking things on the 'Difficult..' sleeve are! A Higgins Syringe, Spencer Wells Forceps (p2), Balfour Retractor Mouth Gag, Phenol Syringe (p4). Kidney Dish and a Bone Nibbler. So now you know - they are not for any specific operation, just chosen for their visual appeal. Page no's are from tour prog.

A quick blitz on the other Rainbow news: Glover will probably finish his new solo album when the tour ends in August, but he is being very secretive about it so far. Joe Lynn Turner told members that he would like to try some older numbers, and that they did run through 'Stargazer'. Ritchie gave it up though, as he feels it is spoilt without an orchestra! Ritchie debated hiring one, and having them play 'Stargazer' all night. He's right though, one of the best bits on the album is when the orchestra breaks in - ace.

Gear wise nothing new was visible to us on the tour. Ritchie stuck with his cream / off white strat throughout. Many of the European concerts were taped officially and the next album may be live - though I would put money on a new studio LP first. Polydor have the Rainbow LPs on special offer at present, but plan to re- place them with single sleeve copies soon, so be warned. Most of the 1981 tour prog pics came from America, while going back to the 1980 prog. Marc Brans tells us most of the pics in that came from Brussels on Feb 1st, as he is actually in one! Ritchie's wife is called Amy Rothman, they were married on May 16th this year. Amy slipped in a nice letter to Creem about him, we'll try and print it somewhere.

Coming from a roadie, the next story might have been improved - they'll do anything for a pint, but it's good fun. During the 1980 tour in Germany Ritchie ordered a quantity of guitars to be sent to his hotel room. 16 were duly delivered. There followed 30 minutes of kerrannging! This works out at just under 2 mins per guitar - obviously a world record! Whilst with his gear, lan Vevers says that about 11 or 12 years ago, Ritchie paid a visit or two to the Orange amplifier factory in Huddersfield. He was after a "crisper" sound, and spent some time evaluating the orange gear. lan says Ritchie even road tested some for a couple of gigs, though I've never seen him using any in photos. Whether he preferred them to his Marshalls or not we don't know, but as Jim Marshall gave him free gear he stuck with them!

Just clearing up a point raised some time ago about Cozy Powell, that is him drumming on the old Top Of The Pops tune each week. David Harrison scored the album, called CCS and issued in 1972, IRAK SRAK 503) - it even has a pic of Cozy on the back. We were only joking last time when we suggested Rainbow rubber gloves as tour souvenirs, but Lori Galloway tells us that Roger Glover did in fact hand some out to lucky radio stations in America!

I'm sure there must be a case under the Trades Description Act for suing them, as nearly all the adverts used say "limited edition" pic sleeve. However, they're here now, so it's worth studying them closely in comparison with the original releases, which will undoubtedly be more sought after still - if you can spot the difference!

Kill The King EP - Polydor/Oyster 2066 845: Aug 1977 (old) Polydor POSP 274:July 1981 (new)
Old version is easy to spot - rounded edge to the sleeve. Oyster logo on the back, and the old cat. no. on too. The reissue has replaced the original pics with the same ones, but copied off an 'On-Stage' inner gatefold - so Cozy now acquires two folds thru his kit! Square edge, Polydor logo, and new cat. no. all make the reissue identifiable.

Long Live Rock'n Roll - Polydor 2066 913: March 1978 (old) Polydor POSP 276:July 1981 (new)
These two are completely different! The original sleeve was just the Rainbow logo in white, titles in red, on a black background. The new one instead copies the German sleeve, with the LP drawing in black on brown! The back has the same design as the old back, but in the new colours.

L.A. Connection - Polydor 2066 968: Sept 1978 (old) Polydor POSP 275: July 1981 (new)
The reissue implies that it was released before the 'Long Live..' single, which it wasn't, so we're Including it in the original sequence here. The old sleeve was printed on a thin paper, with a pattern embossed into it - like vinyl wallpaper! The new one is on glossy card, and has the new cat. no. on the back. Also, a limited number were originally issued in red vinyl.

Since You've Been Gone - Polydor POSP 70: Aug 1979 (old) Polydor POSP 70: Jul 1981 (new)
Gets a bit harder here as! they've retained the old cat. numbers, but the old sleeve was on matt card, with the new one on gloss;.

All Night Long - Polydor POSP 104: Feb 1980 /July 1981
Reissue has a very much greener front, and the browns of the original are completely lost. The POSP system came in during 1979, but the old 7 figure system is still seen on the labels usually, and also on nearly all foreign singles and albums by Polydor.

Rainbow: Can't Happen Here / Jealous Lover. Polydor POSP 251 :July 1981 :UK pic sleeve
Well, trying to ignore any irony between the title, and the events which were going on as the record made slow progress into the lower reaches of the charts, I still think they could've made more of this song. The hook-line is so catchy that if it'd been mixed up, they'd have had a much bigger hit. The b-side was an unreleased item. Playing it through, it seemed to have a different feel to it than the album, and I've been playing it more often - might have made a better a-side p'raps? I was interested to learn that the band in fact taped it during a day off their American tour in April 1981. They hired a mobile studio, and set up their gear in a church hall in Minneapolis! As such, it's probably the first track that really comes from the new band as a whole, being co-written by Ritchie & Turner. Ace guitar riff behind it all, which is the main attraction for me, and very upfront vocals which highlight Turner's strengths and weaknesses. It's not a brill track, by any means, but is at least some hope for the future.

Rainbow: Difficult To Cure.
    Since our review last issue, it now appears that the UK copy of this album has a somewhat different front cover photograph to those used everywhere else! The figures are all in a slightly different position (eg the figure third from the left is half hidden on the UK photo, but completely visible on all other covers), the titles are down the sides - rather than across the top as elsewhere, and the surgical instrument in the bottom right is a different one to that on other sleeves. There is no doubt that the UK cover is much better as regards the quality of the artwork, but quite why we should be singled put like this I don't know. From now on we shall have to refer to UK and Non UK cover photos when listing covers in the discog. Thanks to Andrew Sheard for putting me onto this.

Rainbow: Can't Happen Here/Jealous Lover Polydor 2141 373: Holland: May 1981 (pic sleeve)
    This 12" single was widely imported here during July, hitting some shops even before the UK single was out! Very well pressed, and I wasn't the only one who thought the tracks sounded lots better for the extra clarity and volume. I thought the production on the LP was fairly poor - maybe the pressure on Roger was too great, but as usual it probably sounded much better under studio conditions (I wonder if they bother to listen to it under home hi-fi conditions?). The sleeve uses the Non UK front photo, adding titles in red on yellow, together with an advert for the Rotterdam concert.

Rainbow: Can't Happen Here/Jealous Lover Polydor 7DM 0020: Aug 1981 Japan, pic sleeve. Cover pic taken at same time as UK one, but closer in, and sloping. Titles in top left corner. Lyrics on back for both sides.

The Best of Joe Lynn Turner and Fandango Polydor 28MM 0062: Sept 1981: Japan. Emiko Okano kindly sent us a Jap tour prog, which illustrates the above album. Joe Lynn's old band Fandango had four LPs out over the years; Fandango (1977), Last Kiss (1978), One Night Stand (1979), and Cadillac (1980). The wily Japanese have made a compilation from these to cash in on J.L's. new position. The cover has a pic of him lying down, with Best Of J.L.T. in very big letters, and "and Fandango" so small you can hardly see it! Anyway, shops are bound to be importing it soon, so we thought it best to let you know what it is.

Rainbow: Down To Earth Polydor 2391 410:1980: Asia, or to be more precise, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia! lt differs from most versions in that this is a gatefold sleeve. The front and back are the same as the UK cover, and the inner gatefold carries the same pictures which were on the actual record bag in England. It looks rather good too; I found mine in Manchester, so they must be fairly widespread amongst market stalls around the country.

Rainbow: I Surrender Chupops No 15
   Tee hee! A 2" mini disc, made of bubble gum. Front cover off US sleeve with lyrics to the single on the back. Also includes tear off sheet advertising an album to store all your sleeves in. My thanks to Lazy for loaning it us (if anyone has a spare we might have let me know! Or for that matter any old gum cards, esp Martian Invasion etc!)

Bootleg R77 1: Kill The King / Mistreated / C16 Greensleeves 2: Catch The Rainbow / Long Live Rock'n Roll 3:Man On The Silver Mountain / Still I'm Sad 4: Still I'm Sad contd.

Thanks to Neil in Surrey for sending us a second review (I lost his first!),we can provide some details on this item. Sleeve is navy blue, pic of Saturn top left, title curving across from bottom left to top right, and bottom right a head-up eyes closed pic of Ritchie. Back also has a pic of Saturn, one of an aircraft, and a more or less correct track list, typed, Jap plastic type inner bags.

The recording is from the audience, and comes from the Liverpool Empire Theatre Nov 4th 1977 (which makes it Mk 3 not Mk 2 but still!), the first of two nights there on the '77 UK tour. I was at these, and feeling very down after the first night: the second show was much better, and culminated in the balcony demolition so it's a pity the boot doesn't come from that Still, this is what Neil has to say:
"' Kill The King' is rather muggy, guitar low (out of tune?) and Ronnie sounding rough. Good mono recording though, for an audience job. Better balance on 'Mistreated', and very little hiss in the quiet bits, though spoilt by loud mouthed Liverpudlians shouting "Fuck Off" (one reason I was pissed off! ed). 'C16' is ultra slow, with the original at the start. 'Catch The Rainbow' is well executed, with a bit more effort from Ronnie, but the group seem to be spoiling the audience's conversation. Keyboards also appear. 'Long Live' starts with keyboard/gtr duet, and sing-along-a- Ronnie, 'Long Live Liverpool' etc. 'Man On The Silver..' is cocked up, but includes the usual bits - 'Starstruck' etc., followed by the 'Night People' improvision (at last! now everyone will know I didn't invent it - ed). Ritchie plays a tinny riff throughout 'Still I'm Sad' and it ends with 'Beethoven's 9th' Side four continues this, and includes Cozy's solo. They finish the song and that's it, apart from Judy Garland. My brother adds that on the cover pic Ritchie is playing an anniversary strat, with varnished head and normal frets."

Thanks Neil. Rainbow only had themselves to blame for the rowdiness of the tour - people just took their cue from 'On Stage'. Phil Needham points out that the LP is actually mk4 too, whoops!