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Committee meetings about nothing
Guitar Player has an interview with Ritchie Blackmore on the occasion of the latest Rainbow 75/76 box set.
After delving deep into the history, one of the questions was concerning the present day state of affairs:
What plans do you have for music ahead, if any, with Blackmore’s Night, Rainbow or anything else?
Despite having heart and back problems, I have never had such a horrible experience as that vertigo attack on our tour. I don’t wish that on my worst enemy. It started off with a virus which apparently went to my ears and upset the balance of the small crystals in the ear canals.
After this I have come to the conclusion I hate traveling. I’ve hated it ever since I was a child and I used to travel with my mother when we went to Bristol and Bath, where my relatives were. Every time we would leave in the coach I would throw up over the passenger in front of us. For some strange reason they didn’t like that. I have hated traveling ever since. I now seem to have a phobia about being confined in a car or a van or anything that travels.
Since we live on Long Island, I’m hoping we can put some shows together in small theaters where people can come and see us. That way, I wouldn’t have to travel more than an hour.
Read more in the Guitar Player.
Thanks to Georgius Novicianus for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
So that is why Cozy was in the band. sheesh! For crap so called chocolate, not any of the classy European chocolate that rules the world. Good to see John Bonham liking Cozy. Why do I get the feeling that a certain aficionado of those two drummers will be saying something. Enter the one and only, Mr Uwe Hornung. Take it away Uwe and try to keep it in a nutshell, please.. Cheers.
March 23rd, 2026 at 05:13I don’t believe half of what’s said in this interview
March 23rd, 2026 at 08:18Interesting interview, re his travel fright, there must be some underlying psychological roots that should have been perhaps looked into a tad earlier.
No comments about drummers, Herr MacGregor! I believe that Cozy was possibly the closest to a kindred spirit and true friend Ritchie ever had in a band, Candice excepted.
March 23rd, 2026 at 11:56Hello.
Once again (if the interview is correctly edited at all…You never know) Ritchie just being his one and only himself. Enjoyable reading as always and (English is my 2nd) his choice of words is splendid every now and then.
Chocolate? That´s been German beer (bier für Uwe) for years for him, but now of course the things have changed for him, too.
Speaking of one, I mean TWO of my favourite drummers ever, here´s this little gem for all of us to see. Nothing new for us old f…s, but for all the possible youngsters out there, too. What a treasure!
https://www.reddit.com/r/ClassicRock/comments/1jfbwno/john_bonham_and_cozy_powell_at_knebworth_in_1979/
And yes, indeed. Last time Blackmore´s Night was performing here in Finland, they did have some Finnish chocolate as present, among other things.
Kippis.
March 23rd, 2026 at 16:43Ritchie’s tales do change over the decades, at least most of them. Same thing with Ian Gillan. Just take them at what he believes to remember at that given moment (unless he’s taking the piss with the interviewer).
Re Ritchie’s comment “I’ve never fired anyone from Rainbow who was doing a really good job. Let’s keep it at that.“, I’ve compiled a list of Rainbow departees and the (semi-)official reasons given over the years why they were fired/left of their own accord:
Gary Driscoll – slowed down and speeded up;
Craig Gruber – overplayed, not the right bassist for Cozy;
Mickey Lee Soule – not a real organ player, but a boogie woogie pianist, no classical music foundation, but left before he was fired (after all his Elf-bandmates had been dismissed already);
Jimmy Bain – played too simplistic (after having been hired for playing simpler than Gruber, go figure!), “too much partying”;
Tony Carey – too cocky, dared to rebel;
Mark Clarke – played with fingers where Ritchie wanted to hear a pick;
Bob Daisley – no reason was ever given other than that Ritchie mused that “Bob was more of a songwriter than a bassist” which seems to collide with Daisley’s undisputed status as a reliable go-to-bassist;
David Stone – too much an introvert, was bemused by Rainbow’s music which he found largely unchallenging, he came from music like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewgUbh4YeOk ;
Ronnie James Dio – not willing to veer to AOR as a stylistic change, no Lou Gramm voice;
Graham Bonnet – too extroverted, health issues, reliability;
Cozy Powell – unhappy with the stylistic change (and likely tired of Ritchie’s antics);
Don Airey – missed Graham Bonnet and Cozy, better offer loomed from Ozzy;
Bobby Rondinelli – speeded up and slowed down live.
Joe Lynn Turner, David Rosenthal and Chuck Burgi only left upon the dissolution of 80s Rainbow. I didn’t bother with 90s Rainbow as I never saw them as a line-up made for the ages and in any case only the drum stool rotated with them (Chuck Burgi left to world tour with Enrique Iglesias, an offer with which Ritchie couldn’t compete), otherwise they stayed together until Blackmore’s Night superseded Rainbow.
March 23rd, 2026 at 17:08I predict doing sort of “Residence” shows from now on will become a norm for old rock’n roll acts. Look how long Eagles have been doing their things in that Sphere
It benefits both ways. The band do not have to spend too much energy anymore for the travels, check-ins and outs, carrying the bags, in and out the plane, immigration, etc. And they could just focus more on the music (including changing the set list from show to show even just one or two songs, because they have much time to rehearse). Plus with less health risk, they could do as much shows as they can with better energy compared to long and exhausting tour.
While the audience could plan their trip better according to their schedules beforehand, and facing less risk of the show being cancelled due to health issues, technical issues, etc that could easily happens if your old heroes have to do a lot of travels and accommodation. And they will watch a band who are fit and ready to rock. Also our heroes have nothing to worry, many die-hard fans will look up for the schedule
March 24th, 2026 at 15:11Uwe, Most bands change members because of payments issues. It always about the money.
March 24th, 2026 at 18:32In one case at least Blackmore admitted that Rainbow in 1997 called it a day because the rest of the band refused to enter the plane of the tour if they didn’t get a raise.
Blackmore has said that he was in the cover of a magazine in 1977 without the rest of the band and Dio and Powell came to him: Youuuuuu, you are in the cover!. Blackmore own words:”I never looked at him again in same way, a very bitter man”
Dio and Bonnet thought they valued more. Bonnet said he was not payed in Rainbow
I wouldn’t rule out taking a flight to Long Island to see Ritchie one more time (and certainly preferably in the BN- than the Rainbow-format which doesn’t work for him anymore). My devotion isn’t blind (or deaf!), but it’s boundless. ☝️🧐
March 24th, 2026 at 20:13Money might have certainly played a role too, Manos, and Bob Daisley might have just been hired to tour On Stage and LLRnR (which would explain why he has never claimed to have been fired by Ritchie, perhaps his contract merely ran out in 1978 after the US tour).
Re the “who’s on the cover”-jealousy, the same thing happened with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry – the latter threw a fit and departed Aerosmith in a huff when Rolling Stone Magazine put just Steven on the cover of an issue. Ritchie’s “small man”-comment is perhaps making light of things though, I wonder what our image- and leadership-conscious Ritchie would have said, had only Ronnie Dio been on the cover!
Bonnet likely only received a fixed fee, he muses today that he should have at least a few co-writing credits (= royalties going forward) for creating some vocal melody lines on Down To Earth. But Ritchie ran a tight ship as co-writing credits go.
March 26th, 2026 at 11:29Yea Manos, half the Rainbow stories you hear are always who do you believe,but the Vertigo stuff I believe,I had it a few times myself and its horrible.They reset the crystals in your ears with the Epley maneuver and sometimes decreased hearing comes into play,then you need hearing aids like me,but have`nt had it since.But yea Uwe if he plays in Long island I`d give it one more shot.Atleast he throws on the Strat for half the show,he did a few years ago,maybe we`ll see you there if it happens.
March 26th, 2026 at 16:27