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Dancer and the Moon

Blackmore's Night - Dancer and the Moon cover art; image courtesy of Anne Leighton Media

Blackmore’s Night will release in North America their new album Dancer and the Moon on June 11 via Frontiers Records. The album will be released in two editions: a regular CD, and a digipak deluxe edition with bonus DVD. The DVD includes music videos of Dancer And The Moon and of The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea), plus an extensive interview with Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night. A digital single of The Moon Is Shining will be released on May 6.

Take your pick from the songwriting team of Candice and Ritchie: the acoustic ‘Somewhere Over the Sea (The Moon Is Shining)’, the rocking track ‘The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea)’, along with the title track ‘Dancer And The Moon’, the nature-inspired ‘The Last Leaf’ and the Russian-influenced ‘Troika’.

Blackmore’s Night own their versions of classic rock chestnuts: RANDY NEWMAN’s ‘I Think It’s Going to Rain Today’, URIAH HEEP’s ‘Lady In Black’, and ‘The Temple of the King’ that Ritchie and the late RONNIE JAMES DIO collaborated on originally for their band, RAINBOW.

Dancer And The Moon is made complete with its inspiring instrumentals, including the waltzy ‘Galliard’ and the DEEP PURPLE-esque ‘Carry On… Jon’, that Ritchie wrote as a heartfelt tribute to his former band mate, the late Jon Lord.

Tracklist:

  1. I Think It’s Going To Rain Today
  2. Troika
  3. The Last Leaf
  4. Lady In Black
  5. Minstrels In The Hall
  6. The Temple Of The King
  7. Dancer And The Moon
  8. Galliard
  9. The Ashgrove
  10. Somewhere Over The Sea (The Moon Is Shining)
  11. The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea)
  12. The Spinner’s Tale
  13. Carry On… Jon

Thanks to BraveWords and Ann Leighton Media for the info.



28 Comments to “Dancer and the Moon”:

  1. 1
    Roberto says:

    I started to loose interest after their third albums (which are their best ones)…too many albums and most of all too ripetitive…and even the song covers are always worst than the original…so the only interest will be ‘Carry On… Jon’ because it’s dedicated to Jon…

  2. 2
    Brian says:

    I know this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ll be looking forward to hearing this. Not that any shops will sell it in Australia, but it would be good to hear. Particularly the tribute to Jon.
    Good to see new music being produced.

  3. 3
    Tracy(Zero the Hero)Heyder says:

    ?urfect timing Ritchie. Following the new ?urp!e release and also throwing in a JON LORD tribute tune. Looks like he is riding on the ?ur?!e coat tail. Now that’s proper promotion. From reading this, it is apparent TMIB is beginning to wiggle a little regarding something more ‘Rock oriented’. Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all….

    CheerZ?!

  4. 4
    The Greek Tie Coon says:

    Nice cover- better than the previous one with Sherlock Holmes in it.
    Lady in Black ? Do we have an Uriah Heep connection ?

  5. 5
    Dee? ?ur?!e Fan says:

    Richie, hang it up.

  6. 6
    MacGregor says:

    I cannot believe how many albums they have released in such a short time, too many, too quick in my book! I have commented on this sort of thing before, it is nothing new! Oh well, glad I listen to Loreena McKennitt, the proper way to play a mixture of traditional with a twist to a more recent! Stunning music & performance on that ‘Nights From The Alhambra’ dvd! What a performance that is, puts Blackmore’s Night in it’s place in my opinion!

  7. 7
    purplepriest1965 says:

    4

    Well, David Coverdale almost joined them but concluded that they were not made for each other(…)

    Ian Paice drums on stuff by Ken Hensley, forgot what at the moment.

    Don Airey(ahem)played with ex UH drummer Lee Kerslake in Ozzy Osbourne’s band early 80’s.

    UH, then still called SPICE I think, did rehearse in hanwell Community Centre at the time when IN ROCK was recorded. And supposedly got inspired by The Purps direction/sound.

    David Byron could scream very well. Listen to Bird Of Prey and the Ian Gillan association is clearly there IMO.

    John Lawton, who followed in Byron’s steps as a singer in UH sang Little Chalk Blue on Roger’s Butterfly Ball.
    Well, actually it was not on it first but as a single.

    UH’s Salisbury is another classic on which Ken Hensley tries to implement classical music into heavy rock.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM0f54TmSPk

    Look At Yourself is my favourite and their IN ROCK IMO.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccjddip-80k

    The titletrack reminded me of Chasing Shadows because of the great percussionwork.

    They are all inter-connected.
    John Sloman, who sang quite shortly for UH sang for Gary Moore who hired(…)some Purple/Rainbow/Whitesnake people : Airey, Paice, Craig Gruber, Bob Daisley, Glenn Hughes

    Unfortunately Glenn did not get to sing on a lot of GM material, I think because of their fall out.
    I reckon demo’s with him must exist?

    There is so much material that is put on shelves, never to be heard again : (

  8. 8
    purplepriest1965 says:

    ad. I forgot Neil Murray. Sorry Neil : )

  9. 9
    purplepriest1965 says:

    ad. Oops…..

    And Cozy Powell of course.

    I read that Lord is to be heard on a song by Vickie Brown, together with Gary Moore.

    There is probably more.

  10. 10
    Ivica says:

    Nice tribute to Jon Lord “Carry on …. Jon”

    probably Ronnie James Dio with “The Temple of the King”
    It will be interesting to listen to Candice

    Ritchie great author and musicians of hard rock music, but the master
    ballads
    Ritchie, and “three hard rock tenors” .. Gillan-Coverdale-Dio

    Three beautiful ballads from the seventies ..in series

    “When a blind man cries” 1972
    “Soldier of Fortune” 1974
    “The Temple of the King” 1975

  11. 11
    cyclone says:

    @3 BN pumped out albums as DP sat on the pot. As for JL tribute, RB has that same right to honor a friend as anyone else in the biz.

  12. 12
    byron says:

    purplepriest1965 you’re right
    I’ve heard the John Lawton almost teamed with Ritchie (they were in touch since the Hamburg days) and was on the shortlist for Purple.Roger Glover suggested his name to Heep.
    Ken Hensley provided some equipment for the first BN album (look at the sleeve notes)
    And Glenn Hughes did some vocals on Hensley’s albums
    I’m curious about the” Lady in black (more)” rendition.

  13. 13
    The Greek Tie Coon says:

    @ 7

    As far as I remeber, Ian Paice played with Ken Hensley on some songs in his solo work “Free Spirit”.

    And we should not forget that Peter Goalby (vocals in three UH LPs) was a former Trapeze singer.

    A lot of connections after all 🙂

  14. 14
    purplepriest1965 says:

    I read today that JOHN LAWTON will be replacing BERNIE SHAW in Bergen Op Zoom(The Netherlands)because the latter has to go a routine surgry.

    I dont know if it is just that show.

    Wonder if they ll play a different set that night, more Lawton era maybe?

  15. 15
    Tracy(Zero the Hero) Heyder says:

    Loved the Lawton debut with Heep on the ‘Firefly’ album. Favorite track.. Hangin’ Tree.

    Ch-BeerZ?!

  16. 16
    purplepriest1965 says:

    Pete Goalby was one of those men that applied for the job when Ritchie auditioned for a singer, just before they found Graham Bonnet.

  17. 17
    LRT says:

    Try some product study, Priest. Ken is a friend of Ritchie’s, you’ll find his name inside The Stranger In Us All. Not that I care, I expect another very clinical three Strat solos at best. The track at the end is really a reach if you ask me, but whatever, gotta do something, since I’m sensing he wasn’t around in any memorial capacity after the passing. Shame, but I doubt it will disgrace…. wait… always anticipating new BN material, but this time I’m a little side tracked, ha ha ha! Can’t think of a bad album in their catalog, so good it will be again, I’m sure. If good works for you. But all the talk of Heep, I need to go shave! 🙂

  18. 18
    T says:

    The hypocrisy of the haters is amazing.

    Here is a man who made Deep Purple what it is more than any single individual and then retired from it to pursue a dream that musically he had been doing his entire life. Alleged Purple fans should be just as happy for Blackmore in his musical endeavors as they were for Jon Lord in his. If they do not like Blackmore’s Night then don’t listen to it.

    However, I am sure that most do not have the albums or are familiar enough with his work to know that much of it could be Rainbow music had Dio sung it–and that throughout Blackmore’s career he had been playing this kind of music, hiding it in the rock genre–but if one cared to look, it is easy to find. This is why songs like “Temple of the King” et. al. are being covered.

    As for the timing: Blackmore is due for an album. He’s been consistent. In addition, had he NOT paid some kind of tribute to his lifelong friend and collaborator, he would have been (and often has been) vilified.

    I am looking forward to the next work by Ritchie Blackmore. There is one thing one must admit about this man: He never has ridden anyone’s wave.

    He makes them.

  19. 19
    al says:

    @3 hey Tracy,as long as Candice singing in thee album,and covering others people songs,it is the same old,same old man with TMIB.The only interest I have is the tribute for Jon.

  20. 20
    Tracy(Zero the Hero) Heyder says:

    Hey ‘T’ @ 18,

    I hope you aren’t alluding to me in your rant about ‘TMIB’ haters based on my entry @ 3. I am one whom does own ALL of his BN cds and dvds. I have attended 2 live concerts. My point was the timing and the song choice. Like I stated, he has made many remarks regarding his disassociation to PURPLE. He is paving his and his wench’s way now and has been adamant about ‘forgetting the past’. I expressed that his timing with the new BN album is ‘funky’ to say the least. It’s OK by me in the end. I love BN music. I even stated that the description of this new record ‘shows possible light at the end of the Rock Tunnel’.

    Just a point of clarification for those whom question……

    Ch-BeerZ?!

  21. 21
    purplepriest1965 says:

    17

    What am I, a Blackmore bible?!
    never said so.

  22. 22
    Skow says:

    And…Happy Birthday Ritchie 😀
    Also cheers for many more happy healthy years 8)

  23. 23
    byron says:

    Yes Peter Goalby applied for the job in Rainbow before Bonnet and even recorded Since you’ve been gone.But ,according to Ritchie he did’nt fit well as he was unable to to reach some high notes,so his work was deleted and Peter did’nt get the gig.Sad.
    Rather surprising,cause Goalby was a superb vocalist,he brought a lot of nice ideas on Heep’s Abominog and Head first.I saw him on stage with Heep and he was great,very dedicated and perfectly in tune.He “almost” joined Foreigner too..well tnot a lucky guy!

  24. 24
    Ian Gillans Pants says:

    Mmmm…………didn’t Whitesnake announce the release of their ‘Made in Japan’ before DP announced their whowotwherenext thing?………So, going by logic posted on here, who is riding who’s coattails? I have to say, it’s a bit silly moaning about ol’ Blackers rate of studio album release, 8 in 16yrs, when DP’s is 5 in 13yrs. You wouldn’t complain if it was the other way round, and that’s a fact! It’s all a load of old guff anyway, just be happy they CAN still release something.

  25. 25
    Tracy(Zero the Hero) Heyder says:

    Mmmmmm… “In Gillan’s Pants” @ 24

    How is it in there?? Warm and sweaty???

    Yes TMIB has put out quite a few records with BN. THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME!!!! Yes Purple has only put out 5 records now in the same period. THEY ALL SOUND DIFFERENT!!! Basically we would have a shit load of Purple albums sounding the same had Ritchie stayed on. I love the difference…

    CASE CLOSED.

    Ch-BeerZ?!

  26. 26
    Morten Larsen says:

    One more Heep – Blackmore connection…..Mark Clarke (bass) played with Heep (Demon’s Wizards) and with Rainbow after Jimmy Bain but did not record with Rainbow.

  27. 27
    Barfy Gypsy says:

    What a crappy discussion. TMIB contribution to purple made songs to the set list from every album he was on, and great ones to. Except maybe slaves and masters and they still stays in the set most of them. More than you can say after his departure, So let the man be, and do what he wants. I rather listen to his classical guitar tunes and the electric ones rather than non at all even if they only might be 10% of the material. He comes around when HE wants to or not at all. I as one of us would love to hear him do some rock again but what the fuck I would like to hear him with Jon again and Paicy never gonna happened.
    Maybe to take it even futher down the road of silly whishes replace Joe in BCC and take in DC on vocals, bann Hughes from singin leads more than maybe 2 songs and force him take his natural roll behind DC. AND GIVE SHERNIAN A LOT MOORE SPACE. call it Something else than BCC and give us a good album. Just an album for the love of music classical bluesy rocky progressive stuff.
    But still let the songwriting have first priority. not like the BCC albums that sounds the same song all over.

  28. 28
    Kj says:

    Yes, Goalby was in Rainbow for a brief time, even demoed Since Youve Been Gone. He is finally releasing his lost solo album from the late 80s next mont.
    https://outsiderrock.ca/2021/09/27/peter-goalby-former-uriah-heep-and-trapeze-frontman-returns-with-first-solo-album-after-30-years/

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