![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/glover3.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/paice.jpg)
Variety of rhythms and syncopations
Bass Player magazine has an online feature on the Elf/RBR bassist Craig Gruber. There are no quotes from the man himself (he passed in 2015), but some input from the last Rainbow bass player Bob Curiano (a.k.a. Bob Nouveau and Sir Robert of Normandie). And it turns pretty technical pretty quickly.
[Snake Charmer] begins with a unison intro figure, after which Gruber sets up an interesting gallop part off the open E (with a cool little A-B-G turnaround first heard at 00:14); this continues into the first verse. His use of 16th-note pickups and subdivisions alludes to his aforementioned ear for funk.
Read more in Bass Player.
Thanks to Uwe for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Not too shabby for some session guy who – according to some accounts – was never a real member of Rainbow and had to hastily make way for Jimmy Bain whose prominent bass playing on Rising has been hailed in countless bass magazine articles and album reviews.
Or not. Back to reality. I feel validated. Yeah, Gruber was that good. Maybe he wasnāt the guy to project heavy metal credibility. Or his nuances wouldnāt have been heard while Cozyās dual bass drums were going a hundred miles an hour. But you show me another Rainbow bassist who has been appreciated like that.
May 26th, 2026 at 03:16Interesting and only one little pedantic query, splitting hairs again. I thought Uwe didn’t like the ‘galloping’ along thing in rock music. His distaste for Iron Maiden doing so springs to mind. Mind you, the Irons probably over do it, so I will give Uwe a little bit of room to move there, he he he. Thanks for the article and while I think Snake Charmer is a pretty ordinary song, I still enjoyed listening to it while reading Sir ‘Bob’ of Normandy’s take on it all. Cheers.
May 26th, 2026 at 04:39Act One Craig Gruber
The guitar tone in “Snake Charmer” is really good. Strat tone. Blackmore and Dio are brilliant. If you pay a little more attention to the bass lines, you will realize that they are excellent. And Martin Birch simply knew how to produce an album.
Act Two Craig Gruber
a song similar to the bass groove appeared on the Black Sabbath album Haven and Hell song “Wishing Well”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdUpNQpBv_E
A song that is more Rainbow than classic Black Sabbath guitar riff song , melodic in which the three instrumentalists are excellent. It is not known exactly who plays the bass parts. Geezer Butler was going through a divorce and his future in the band was uncertain at the time. Craig Gruber, rehearsed with band, although the extent of his involvement is unclear. He says that he co-wrote most of the songs on “Heaven and Hell” and that he, not Butler, played bass on the album.
Third time Craig Gruber
Little Ian joined Gary Moore together with Neil Murray in 1982 for the album Corridors of Power..a year later Neil Murray returned to WS (Slide it in Tour) Ian stayed (until the DP reunited) and Neil was replaced by Craig
For a long time I thought that the short concert bass solo on Empty Rooms between Gary’s (I’m always on the verge of tears when I listen to that song) part was Bob Daisley (DVD Live in Stockholm 1987) but Craig played it first
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KwszhRrevQ
Excellent video of the formation
Gary Moore -Craig Gruber-Ian Paice -Neil Carter
and …Ian Paice when needed, can also play in the style of John Bonham, Cozy Powell or Carmine Appice. Fantastic drum sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-7O3HTokFw
Craig ,Gary …Their soul enjoyed your paradise.
May 26th, 2026 at 10:55Hello.
This is interesting indeed. IĀ“m not someone to speculate of those low frequencies at all. I can listen to them, though : ) Sir Bob, now heĀ“s a character, too. Met him once (after BN gig) in Germany. How about that, Uwe ? ; )
ItĀ“s a shame that Craig Gruber didnĀ“t get his autobiography finished before it was his time to go. I saw him once on stage with Gary Moore. A very humble working man, I should say. RIP.
…and how was it again in 1979/80 when Tony Iommi and company were working on something that was going to be Heaven & Hell..? WasnĀ“t it just Craig who actually created the idea of the song or the riff “Heaven and Hell”? I mean, it wasnĀ“t Geezer Butler…
And just one more thing (wakey wakey there, Bass Player Mag). The Black Sheep of the Family was originally recorded by excellent and very entertaining band Fat Mattress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcJBAzhLMIs&list=RDwcJBAzhLMIs&start_radio=1
It was founded by no one else than Mr. Noel Redding, who – at the time – played guitar and was a vocalist in the band, too. Quatermass made the cover of the song later on, and the song was of course covered by our very own Rainbow Mk.I a bit later.
Kippis.
May 26th, 2026 at 13:05Indeed, the āgallopā has become a cliche with Iron Maiden, but I still find it more interesting than hammering pure 16ths through along with two bass drums – yawn.
It has always had a place in rock music:
https://youtu.be/RlNhD0oS5pk
https://youtu.be/4wuCC-R82-E
https://youtu.be/PeMvMNpvB5M
https://youtu.be/XvaTBcQPTVQ
https://youtu.be/uWAhd4KkVUU
Now this is where it gets interesting: The slow foreboding bass gallop of Heaven & Hell is generally identified with Geezer Butler, but according to an interview with Craig Gruber a long time ago it wasnāt Geezerās idea at all. Craig recounted that during the initial sessions for Heaven & Hell (the album), Geezer had gone AWOL (he did have that habit) and Ronnie called on his old Elf-friend Craig to help out. Craig played on the early demos of Heaven & Hell (the song) and laid down the trademark bass rhythm. When Geezer eventually returned (as he always did) he liked what he heard and kept the idea. This is at least what Craig said, maybe one of the many lurking Sabbathoneers here – Where is wayward Tilly when you need the kid? – can corroborate? Certainly, Geezer had to my memory never employed the āslow gallopā prior to Heaven & Hell, I donāt remember a single Ozzy-70s-era Sabbath song featuring it.
That Bob Curiano would love Craig Gruberās style among all Rainbow bassists is no surprise, his own is similar coming from the Willy DeVille Band.
https://youtu.be/1G752UYfBBs?is=KDFnS4eaVVoCDRQn
But Bob C doesnāt have the underlying rock feel other also funky players in the Purple Universe like Glenn Hughes, John Gustafson, Paul Martinez and Craig Gruber have and had, that is not a knock, he simply never played harder music before his tenure with Reunionbow. I really like him as a person and he is a fine and even inventive bassist, has a great sense of humor
https://youtu.be/KgKAb2UI6KQ ,
but heavy rock is alien to him. I just have to look at how he positions his plucking hand on the bass and I know where he is coming from. He is Jaco Pastorius-school.
May 26th, 2026 at 15:18Ivica, both Craig and Bob only recreated live what UK session crack bassist Mo Foster had laid down for the original studio version of the track on Victims of the Future at 03:14 ā¦
https://youtu.be/_MTzNySHIg4
But while Mo Foster played it and did an admirable job with his fretless sound, I have a hunch that the melody is something Gary himself came up with. It sounds like him and of course he also plays pretty much the same melody on guitar.
You can see Craig with Gary here too, but in a video version of Empty Rooms where the bass solo is cut.
https://youtu.be/1uGQjnc9Jsk
Nice song in any case.
May 26th, 2026 at 16:57Stunningly illuminating interview with Craig Gruber covering all bas(s)es:
https://stonecoldcrazyjeff.com/2009/11/14/a-very-candid-conversation-with-craig-gruber/
I had forgotten that Mark Nauseef and him were in a band together pre-Elf. Roots and branches, I tell you …
May 26th, 2026 at 18:16Yes indeed Craig Gruber is all over the Heaven and Hell album, initially speaking. Geezer had the post 70’s issues to deal with I think. A bit like Bill Ward did too, although Bill of course stayed around thankfully to get the songs down and begin the tour. Very disappointed in Uwe not mentioning me as a Black Sabbath ‘stalwart’. I am now dragging myself off into a dark cave somewhere, to moan and then weep and holler. Woe is me! Cheers.
May 26th, 2026 at 19:06Re: āļø Sabbath āļø
Craig Gruber wrote/co-wrote/helped write [choose your pick] “Die Young”.
Geoff Nicholls wrote the H&H bass line, Geezer himself later admitting he would have never created one as simple! (as he prefers to play busier lines)
BTW, for anyone interested in Sabbath lore, the late Garry Sharpe-Young’s book “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: The Battle for Black Sabbath” is essential reading (and my source for this comment)
All the best, J.-
May 27th, 2026 at 00:55I’m really happy they’re still doing their thing and looking forward to see them live in Argentina once again but, although Steve’s playing got a little worse over the years, with Simon DP became predictable and kind of boring . He is a great guitar player (i remember being impressed after IG’s Moscow album) but no “uniqueness” like Ritchie, SM or Tommy Bolim
May 27th, 2026 at 01:20#5 Uwe:
Chronologically the first galloping song in the history of hard rock could be Hard Lovin’ Man which Purple began writing in 1969 and then recorded in 1970.
May 27th, 2026 at 06:46a faster gallop than the standard mid-tempo of Stargazer, Heaven and Hell and also of Holy Diver
I Can’t contribute more than what’s already been said. I knew about Gruber being part of the H&H sessions in some form, but thats about it. A gallop bassline of Geezers before H&H?… Maybe Children of the Grave. If you take that and the tempo of Hand of Doom you might end up with H&H. Or you might just play what Craig Gruber had written… WHO knows.
May 27th, 2026 at 11:17True, Hard Lovinā Man was shamefully not mentioned by me. What was I thinking! š
Ok, ok, of course youāre one of the Children of the Grave too, Herr MacGregor – great name for a Sabbath fan club!
May 27th, 2026 at 12:39#6
Years have passed,..yes you are right. The ballad “Empty Rooms” appears on 2 Gary Moore albums. First on the album “Victims Of The Future” in 1984 Mo Forster played that bass solo line between Gary’s two solos, a year later Moore re-recorded it for the album “Run for Cover”, without the bass solo between the acoustic and electric guitar solos, I listened to that version of the song, and later a fantastic version of the song from the DVD “Live In Stockholm” in 1987 where Bob plays it in Forster’s way as well as Craig Gruber on 1984 tour.
May 27th, 2026 at 14:25Gary in his (solo career, without Thin Lizzy) hard rock/heavy metal intensive phase (1978-1989) changed the entire Deep Purple and Rainbow bass line (everyone on his albums or tours with him except Nick Simper and Roger Glover…so Glenn Hughes, Craig Gruber, Jimmy Bain, Bob Daisley) and part of Whitesnake (Neil Murray) + Phil Lynott, Mo Foster.
@3 omg. I clicked on the Gary Moore link and š±. He may be a great guitarist (not to my taste however) but whoever told him he could sing was wrong.
May 27th, 2026 at 14:55FINALLY someone says it, David, thank you, thank you, thank you! Garyās āyelpā was atrocious – especially if he was battling his range as he indeed mostly did live when singing the 80s rock stuff.
Ironically, Neil Carter had the much nicer and fuller voice though he was no Robert Plant either.
And that guitar sound of Gary ā¦ šš It sounds how all distorted guitars must sound to you if you CANāT STAND distorted guitars. Supercalifragilisticexpiali-atrocious. š¤£
May 27th, 2026 at 15:45Interesting, as Craig Gruber wrote this song and he was with Rainbow in 1975, just prior to ‘Kill the King’ was composed and recorded……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeGthcQscJk&list=RDyeGthcQscJk&start_radio=1
May 27th, 2026 at 16:12@17
I was already somehow connecting these dots.
I think I saw this topic discussed but it has gotten a bit blurry above.
Frans van Arkel of the Dutch Rainbow Fanclan, the orange paper, connected Blinder with both Kill the king and LITHB after Nijmeegen I recall.
Its been so long ago but I was impressed by Neil Carter s singing in END OF THE WORLD and man, what a great hairdo, where did it go, or was it a wig?
Frans wasnt impressed by Craigs stage charisma and concluded that RB made the right choice cause of that.
Years ago I saw an interview with Craig with a bit shorter coupe, looked fine to me.
Craig was asked to play like Glover , so RB pretty fast had found out his phuck up.
I havent seen old RAINBOW EYES for years.
Always got annoyed dealing with the design of the website.
May 27th, 2026 at 20:01@ 15 – Gary Moore was a decent singer, just not in a live setting against all that hard rock noise. He has a melodic voice in the studio. As for Uwe and his childish put downs of Moore, almost as irrelevant as his Rainbow slagging off. Tiresome at its best for all of us here. Gary’s live vocal, that has been mentioned here before by yours truly for one and also a few others, if my memory serves me well. It ain’t a revelation as Mr Hornung is attempting to sensationalise, just so he can slag someone off, again and again and again ………….. Cheers.
May 27th, 2026 at 23:00@ 17- no doubt that may have influenced Ritchie and Cozy to ‘borrow’ it, he he he. Thanks for posting another one of Uwe Hornung’s favourite musical adventures. Cheers.
May 28th, 2026 at 01:36I thought Gary Moore wasnāt a decent singer on Corridors of Power or on Victims of the Future and he wasnāt a decent singer when I saw him with Little Ian, Craig and Neil in 1983 either nor years later with Bob Daisley on the Run for Cover tour. He is simply not a good singer of his own (rock) material if you apply professional standards, I noticed that early on in his career. I donāt have issues with someone singing like Rory Gallagher or Johnny Winter, they did what they did well. Gary didnāt. His voice isnāt natural, it is strained and contrived. (On his later mock-Blues stuff it wasnāt quite as bad.) My God, even Ted Nugentās sneering histrionics are better when he is singing lead.
My impression is that because Gary has been deified for his guitar playing, his vocals must somehow be tolerable too even if they are not. Ritchie at least always had the wisdom not to sing himself. A good man knows his limits.
I also remember how Gary was absolutely scathing in his criticism of other musicians, very unpleasantly so.
May 28th, 2026 at 09:58@14 and @16
Neil Carter sings “Empty Rooms” on the excellent “Moore Blues for Gary” tribute album, a high quality release featuring many familiar faces (Joe Lynn, Glenn, Steve, Don, Daisley, Sykes, Aldrich, etc.).
Bob (who organized the tribute) plays the bass solo on this version.
Cheers, J.-
May 28th, 2026 at 13:47Faraway J, that is indeed a very nice tribute, Daisley did a good job compiling it. It also shows what better singers can do with material penned by Gary, that Oirish Caruso.
May 28th, 2026 at 22:53@21
Uwe, Iām so happy you bring up this topic:
May 29th, 2026 at 05:43āRitchie at least always had the wisdom not to sing himself. A good man knows his limits.ā
– because I have tried (in between when I have practiced my twirling abilities) to find the singing voice of Ritchie. Mostly because his speaking voice is so neat, so there must be a decent singer in him somewhere. And I have seen videos where he forms the words with his mouth, but sadly nowhere near the mike.
So can you, Uwe Hornung, the master of all search machines, find a tiny example of Ritchie singing? š
#21+23 Sorry Uwe, but you are completely wrongāand not just on this topic. As a singer, Gary always sounded authentic, full of passion, and very melodic. His distinctive voice and vocal delivery only grew better and stronger over the years. While Neil was certainly able to provide solid vocal support, on his own he sounded far too tameāsomething that his tribute to Gary clearly demonstrates. I had the pleasure of seeing Gary perform live on multiple occasions (spanning his various eras), and I was never disappointedāquite the opposite of a certain singer whom RB once claimed had “lost his voice” back in 1973. For that very reason, the subject of seeing Deep Purple live has long since become a closed chapter for me, as Iāve been disappointed far too often. I haven’t been able to stomach IGās spoken-word delivery and his strained, high-register-free vocals for quite some time nowāeven if he does get constantly hyped up here in this forum. I liked Gary because he played and sang like Gary; I liked Cozy because he played like Cozy and didn’t try to sound like IP; and I liked Jimmy Bain because he played like Jimmy and didn’t try to copy his predecessor’s bass lines. Tony Carey is, in fact, a very good Hammond playerājust listen to his Hammond solo spot in “Still I’m Sad” on *On Stage*, for instance, or the intro to “Stargazer” (Live in Cologne, 1976). Just take a listen to the 1976 live recordings and compare them with the recordings featuring David Stone; even you will notice the massive difference.
May 29th, 2026 at 07:25I think it was Lemmy who said Gary Moore had āa face like a welders benchā he supported Purple years ago (I canāt remember the year without looking it up) and I retreated to the bar because of the vocals.
May 29th, 2026 at 10:05Karin, Iām not aware of any record of Ritchie singing, whether he really has a bad voice (unlikely) or was just too inhibited to sing, I dunno. He does come up with vocal melodies though and always has. He was always more comfortable speaking through his guitar.
Croco, letās agree to disagree on Garyās voice, I found it unimpressive at best and unpleasant at worst. I know there are a lot of people who adored Gary for his lack of restraint both when singing and playing guitar, but I was never one of them, too overt for me. I prefer a bit more light and shade in my music. When I heard Moore solo, I heard someone hellbent on impressing with each and every note he played, either via intensity, volume or speed. I found that undynamic, unplayful (Ritchie is the exact opposite in that regard) and to me quickly tiring (but I am by no means discounting Mooreās technical ability, just his Ć¼ber-intensive stance in everything).
Re Tony Carey, I think he was a great synth soloist (and writes wonderful songs on piano, Iāve been to his solo gigs), but not a strong Hammond player and even he doesnāt describe himself as one. Tony looked and moved cool on stage whereas David Stone was a real stiffer, but when it comes to rhythm organ playing (which to me is more important than playing a few Bach lines as a showcase effect on a Hammond), I found him superior to Tony – and Iāve seen them both, I actually was at the 1977 Munich gig with him. As he has said himself, he found Rainbowās music thoroughly unchallenging for his own abilities, Iām afraid that sometimes showed on stage, David was a Prog musician and considered Rainbowās penchant for endlessly riding it out on three or four chords while Ritchie was soloing a bit naff (heās said so in later interviews). I also find the keyboards on LLRnR overall more inventive than on Rising (with the exception of Tonyās really ādirtyā, gung-ho and vibrant synth solos). That said, there is no question that Tony had more charisma as a musician than the bookish David Stone which probably explains why in the hearts of many Tony is THE Rainbow keyboard player.
May 29th, 2026 at 13:56@ Saints ‘n’ Singers
Ahh, the proverbial “everyone is right” scenario…
Vivian Campbell expressed as much, in a very respectful way: “I’ve worked with great singers like David Coverdale and Lou Gramm, and I can say that even though Gary was an AMAZING guitar player, he was not a great singer”.
I understand Uwe because when the awesome Jimi Hendrix tribute “Stone Free” came out in ’93 I thought “finally those songs rendered by good singers!”
But in truth, Jimi was probably the best singer of “Jimi” material, as Gary was the best and most passionate singer of “Gary” material, so I do agree with THAT point of view too.
Plus if you ever, EVER, had the tiniest experience in dealing with singers in a band (even at the smallest amateur scale), you know what it’s like and that at one point you just kinda say “f__k it! I might as well do it myself!!”.
I would rather not see DP either, even though I really liked the new song. as I prefer to keep the memories of better times, but, more power to ’em! I assume Paice is the de-facto CFO and he knows damn well he cannot sell the band without either Blackers or Ian in it, so it is what it is, path of least resistance type thing.
Those are, of course, just my personal opinions.
@23
I loved Danny Bowes take of “Still Got the Blues” particularly (Danny being the singer of Thunder, one of the bands featured on Karin’s server-breaking, all-encompassing, rockier-than-rocking video link list).
Regards, J.-
May 29th, 2026 at 14:14@ 27 – Bob said in his book that David lived up to his name, humorously speaking. That photo as they are heading out to go on stage, Bob with an alcoholic drink more than likely, David with a spliff. Maybe David found it easier to deal with all the rubbish being ‘Stoned’. I was thinking that hooch does have a habit of making people go into their shell at times. He might not have been able to deal with all the shenanigans either in a ‘straight’ drinking ego band world. Each to their own. Cheers
May 29th, 2026 at 23:32Hendix was no great singer, but his voice had intimacy and he did not force his voice to do things it wasn’t made for. Gary thought he could compete with helium style singers like Lou Gramm, Glenn Hughes or Steve Perry – he simply couldn’t. He could have learned a thing or two off Phil Lynott as regards using your natural range to best effect, but then restraint wasn’t his core character trait.
May 29th, 2026 at 23:53@ 26- David, since when does anything to do with an individuals physical appearance have anything to do with the music. Not forgetting the dire circumstances of Garys’ facial injuries. I will not go there unless I have to, it isn’t unknown at all. Cheers.
May 30th, 2026 at 02:02I don’t enjoy Moore’s singing either. While Hendrix, Gallagher or Alvin Lee aren’t great singers they do.alright for my liking though I would have prefered a proper singer sith them. Gary Moore I can’t stand. But as I yon’t like his stuff anyway his singing cannot ruin the experience for.me….
May 30th, 2026 at 03:42@27
āHe was always more comfortable speaking through his guitar.ā
– and WOAH did he speak fluent RockānāRoll š
Iām not missing his singing voice at all, not when Ian has been doing such a tremendous job!
May 30th, 2026 at 05:13Just wondering if there, behind the neat speaking voice was a ākillerā singer just waiting to be released š
@ 28
āAhh, the proverbial āeveryone is rightā scenarioā¦ā
– oh but everyone is right J, in his or her own opinion šš
I always try to remember that other peopleās opinions, even when they are dead wrong (compared to mine opinions š) have a right to be heard and taken seriously š (and I do mean that !)
āThunder, one of the bands featured on Karinās server-breaking, all-encompassing, rockier-than-rocking video link list).ā
– š¤£ yeahā¦. I went a bit overboard with that list.
But there are so much wonderful music out there, and someone in here (not thinking of you MacGregor š) had the notion that Iām one-dimensional, boring, need to get out there etc, and they might be right, so I thought I better link to some 50 songs š
And I promise you, there are many more š
And youāre right: Danny from Thunder has a wonderful voice.
And so has this guy, Dan Byrne, he is not 30 yo yet! What a voice:
https://youtu.be/JYa7OMJrn-4?is=QR8aNl5ublxh1g9R
But no one, on this beautiful planet, can sing like this dear man does:
https://youtu.be/eAFDLtDguPA?is=q6jF9nXEt1hawWbS
Ohh and this:
https://youtu.be/9wv1ij7KxWc?is=VwE0IQt4x_k11xB9
His energy, his personality reach far beyond the stage š
May 30th, 2026 at 05:59@24 Karin – Ritchie “sings” the word “Nagoya” at about 5:00, then joins Doogie for the last line of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egt7mJsIaJQ
May 30th, 2026 at 08:11@ 34- “and someone in here (not thinking of you MacGregor š) had the notion that Iām one-dimensional, boring, need to get out there etc,” and it worked brilliantly Karin. Anton has posted few comments on line ‘Well, I don’t know who that MacGregor dude is, but I am sure glad he gave my master a stern talking to. Now I am out walking up to ten kilometres and seeing things I never knew existed” Every cloud has a silver lining. Cheers.
May 30th, 2026 at 09:18To come back to the Heaven & Hell topic once more: I just re-listened to the Tony Iommi-produced song “Mainline Riders” done by Geoff Nicholls with Quartz in 1977. Some similarities there, if you ask me…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTdVbcFLdn4
May 30th, 2026 at 12:22@34
Indeed, I meant that everyone had a valid point, Karin š
—
“If you drop a rose in the Hudson River at its mysterious source in the Adirondacks, think of all the places it journeys by as it goes out to sea foreverāthink of that wonderful Hudson Valley.” (famous Kerouac quote)
Even if one were to be as simple as a rose, the mere journey through life would enrich oneself (terrible non famous J quote)
—
Dan Byrne: Wowww!!! Dude has a voice, doesn’t he?
The official video clip has the usual sterile “computer plug-in production” style everyone uses now, BUT, I searched and a clip named “Dan Byrne – She’s The Devil – Corporation – Sheffield – 01/04/26” (I can’t post links) came up, totally raw and MAN, he has a great voice!!
I did not know about him
Thanks Karin!
In return, if you want, search for “Paul Gilbert & Freddie Nelson – Paris Hilton Lookalike”, great singer! (Freddie Nelson) Guitar player not bad either š
@ Ian
Never liked IGB or Gillan (the band) much EXCEPT the Gillan 1978 “Japanese Album” which I think is tremendous! Particularly “Fighting Man” on which Ian goes even HIGHER that “Child in Time” … how do you rate that song, I wonder?
Have a great weekend
May 30th, 2026 at 15:09Julio.-
@32: Trust good ole Max to be my own personal Generalfeldmarschall von BlĆ¼cher when I am all Duke of Wellington surrounded by these awful Gary Moore-Napoleons!
“I wish it were night or Max would come!”
https://youtu.be/xsKpazeA5L8
āļøš„ø
May 30th, 2026 at 15:59@37: Yup, Tilly, I can just envisage āthe holy frogs hopping down the stairs to the temple of doomā as I hear this.
May 30th, 2026 at 19:58@37 Now here’s an interesting little piece of history! Never heard that one in our halls or elsewhere. Sounds like a hybrid of 16th Century Greensleeves and H&H to me….
May 30th, 2026 at 20:01@35
Thank you Skippy š
May 30th, 2026 at 20:24And isnāt he humming a bit afterwards too š
@36
What an advanced dog I have MacGregor š
Writes his own posts in here š
But you know, Iāve always walked that far with himā¦.
May 30th, 2026 at 20:30āNever liked IGB ā¦ā
Iām out of drum sticks, sorry!
May 30th, 2026 at 20:35#33 Karin:
Dear Karin, this evening I felt a bit like Ian Gillan in my little universe:
On a stage with old musician friends I sang Bon Jovi’s song “It’s My Life” just to have fun together…
May 30th, 2026 at 22:48I tried it this afternoon without any problems, but this evening, halfway through the song, I felt I couldn’t hit certain higher notes, and as old Ian taught me, I disguised those passages with descending notes, getting to the end of the song in a decent way… sometimes a draw is better than a win.
BigIan’s wisdom was on my mind!
@ 37- interesting song, I hear what you mean Tillythemax. I have never heard that before and yes indeed, I hear some similarities there. Cheers.
May 31st, 2026 at 02:19@38
Here he is Julio š
https://youtu.be/UlyIgQVWqRU?is=iDQJo-xXaCF1ZD6N
And yes, Iām impressed too. Which isnāt easy I have to say, thinking of who I normally dwell on š
If you havenāt heard this one, I link to this:
https://youtu.be/xmVVsfOK_Uc?is=mrlOxXQyFbObGtXo
Now this site is not meant to appreciate DB, but: there is something in the overall feel about this guy that reminds me so much about the early Purple recordings – and well also the two latest: an untamed energy, positive provocation, a devil-may-care attitude, a singer (and band) who actually are interested in the fans.
Hey, there are some Thunder in there too, isnāt there?
Thank you for mentioning Paul Gilbert, he has always been close to my guitar-loving heart š
I will indeed look it up!
Why canāt you link in here?
Aww, and right after āWide awakeā ended this beautiful gem appeared at yt:
https://youtu.be/M3CSMMsXWqo?is=josUQfCYr5u2mBkS
Which reminds me: no one can ever take their place in my very monogamous music-heart šš
I had great problems re IGB too, but a certain lawyer in here (Uwe you know āŗļø) dangled an Ian Paice-drumstick in front of my nose, and promised me that if I honestly could like 5 tunes, so I listened and listenedā¦. And no I still cannot digest IGBās attempt to kill and bury āChild in Timeā (šØš±ššš) but woah they have made some real good rockier tunes! (And Iām now the very proud owner of a drumstick š„°)
BTW: your name makes me think of these guys:
https://youtu.be/Q_RKCP9XvzQ?is=X76swAWV6NbYZjFS
š so joyful and positive vibes
I know Art always have been mentioned as āthe oneā re having a beautiful voice, and he has indeed, but Paul is pretty amazing too:
https://youtu.be/w-6ie2UiKfw?is=6i3g1_NRS8RtuNIP
Yes, Jimmy Fallon is there too, but man Paul Simon – sighā¦..š
May 31st, 2026 at 04:58@45
Fla76, youāve just proved my point: Ian Gillan is a brilliant genius with a wonderful voice š
Psst: between you and me: that song with Bon Jovi, Itās my life, is one of the 3 songs I like with themā¦
The others are:
https://youtu.be/lDK9QqIzhwk?is=pG3ZgwMcbfK_YFhd
Know itās frowned upon in here, but this too:
https://youtu.be/KrZHPOeOxQQ?is=jbuZWj4wGyP90m4G
Thank you for the sweet memory š
May 31st, 2026 at 08:45@46 Herr MacGregor, now isnāt Tilly a most thoughtful young man, splendidly raised by his equally intellectually luminous father?!
May 31st, 2026 at 14:45@44
No need, Uwe!
I think I can only amount to two songs: “Scarabus” (rockin’ tune) and “Down the road”, the beautiful duet between Ian and Gus on the first LP, which to me is the more elegant of their releases.
@47
It’s actually Julio CĆ©sar, as in a very shy and retiring Roman Empire figure of yore (the dude that had a fling with Cleopatra).
Dan: I agree, kid has what it takes, I hope he does well!
Gilbert: Paul is awesome, I briefly studied audio on the MI, same place Paul famously studied and then taught guitar in (no, I did not bump into him, as this was long after his time). That whole album with Freddie Nelson (called “United States”) is a true gem hardly anyone knows about. Kinda like Freddie Mercury joining Mr. Big!
Links: My posts don’t pass through if I include them.
Cheers š
May 31st, 2026 at 15:06@46 Herr MacGregor, now isnāt Tilly a most thoughtful young man, splendidly raised by his equally intellectually luminous father?!
āI had great problems re IGB too, but a certain lawyer in here (Uwe you know āŗļø) dangled an Ian Paice-drumstick in front of my nose, and promised me that if I honestly could like 5 tunes, so I listened and listenedā¦. And no I still cannot digest IGBās attempt to kill and bury āChild in Timeā (šØš±ššš) but woah they have made some real good rockier tunes! (And Iām now the very proud owner of a drumstick š„°)ā
Alas!, ātis my untamed inner urge to cƶrrƶde and cƶrrĆ¼pt!
May 31st, 2026 at 15:08@46 He’s surpassed his father long ago and thus is pretty good at hiding it from the old man most of the time.
May 31st, 2026 at 16:11But it was fun while it lasted, Uwe.
All similarities between the chorus of Bon Jovi’s ‘You Give
TheftLove A Bad Name’ and this here are merely coincidental:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzXkgN__LPA
And in this case the coincidence’s name was … Desmond Child!
From Wikipedia:
After he had completed his work on (Bonnie Tyler’s album) Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire and the single had peaked, Child went to work with Bon Jovi a few months later. He co-wrote “You Give Love a Bad Name” with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora using the same chorus composition and made the song a hit. “I was sore at the record company for not pushing that song [“If You Were A Woman (And I Was a Man)”], and I said, “I’m going to prove that that song’s a hit!” So we wrote it again.”
I bet Karin had a perm like Jon Bon Jovi too. š SurkĆ„l hair enjoyed a certain popularity in the Scandinavia of the 80s!!!
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQt_BhmSDzgderRpacE2TaF3X_S0jTIMbe-Og&s
May 31st, 2026 at 21:30ā¦ and thus is pretty good at hiding it from the old man most of the time.
But it was fun while it lasted, Uwe.
Lieber Max, I feel for you, months go by where I donāt hear a thing from my son in California who has been living and working there for the better part of a decade now. āLebst du noch?ā is one of my standard WhatsApp messages to him. š Then, out of the blue, my account gets flooded with 40 textless pictures of someone who awfully looks like him (give a changed hair style or two ā¦) doing things you commonly do in California and neighboring States, often before scenic landscapes or in settings from your standard US road movie or an Eagles album cover. And every four months or so we have – also out of the blue – a two hour telephone conversation. š¤ But last I heard he is set to visit us in July ā¦
June 1st, 2026 at 13:53@51
“Alas!, ātis my untamed inner urge to cƶrrƶde and cƶrrĆ¼pt!”
I once tried to corrupt a blonde Scandinavian lady in L.A., but alas, fell short on the stick department (it happens).
When I invited her to see Yes at the Hollywood Bowl and she didn’t know what a “Yes” was, should have been a warning sign… š
(Drum roll)
Good week everyone!
June 1st, 2026 at 15:26J.-
What a short straw you are , Faraway J! š¤
I once took a girl (Manuela from Stuttgart) from the peep show to a Rainbow gig on their Straight Between The Eyes Tour and she was hilariously unimpressed. āWhy is he breaking his guitar? š
She knew exactly one song: SOTW.
I think Manuela would have preferred to see Kool & the Gang live and you know what: She was probably right!
https://youtu.be/hes6ZsB_CUA
Immaculate performance.
June 1st, 2026 at 21:40Very nice Uwe but I guess I didn’t get across what I wanted to say: he long outdid me in the intellectual department. (You brought up the word) But he’s nice enough to hide it from me most of the time.
I’m lucky to have him around quite often.
But I do certainly feel for you: months of silence….give me his number and I will have a word with the young man! That ain’t no way to treat a father. Even when he’s a lawyer.
June 2nd, 2026 at 06:02@ 55- Yes indeed J ! Thanks for the laugh. Cheers.
June 2nd, 2026 at 07:38@56
“I once took a girl (Manuela from Stuttgart) from the peep show ”
Ha ha this has to be the best lyric Gillan has never written š
Yes Uwe, it’s a miracle that at least the girl knew one song at all!
Cheers.-
June 2nd, 2026 at 12:43