Edsel/Demon Music Group [Release date 27.03.26]

Originally touted as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow were formed by Deep Purple guitarist Blackmore. In late 1974, Blackmore had wanted to record a cover of Quatermass’ Black Sheep Of The Family, and did so as a solo project with members of Ronnie James Dio’s band Elf, who had recently supported Deep Purple.

Purple didn’t want to record the song, thus the solo project was born, and the recording sessions went well enough to turn the project into a band and album. That eponymous debut – Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow – released in the autumn of 1975, is the first disc here, in remastered form.

Alongside Blackmore and vocalist Dio were drummer Gary Driscoll, bassist Craig Gruber and keyboard player Mickey Lee Soule. And the album is a wonderful slice of rock, albeit a move away from the Purple sound.

Opening track ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’, soon to become an extended live staple, has a distinctive riff and whatever the lyrics mean, Dio sings it perfectly. Years later Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford said of the track “It captures the things I personally love in metal tracks”.

‘Self Portrait’ is more reflective (pun intended), and the arrangement of ‘Black Sheep Of The Family’ works wonderfully. Quatermass drummer Mick Underwood (a former bandmate of Blackmore, who famously recommended Gillan for the Purple job) later told me he liked the version although it was different. Then the gentler ‘Catch The Rainbow’, almost whimsical, would also become a live staple.

Side two of the original LP picks up the pace with ‘Snake Charmer’, ‘The Temple Of The King’ and ‘If You Don’t Like Rock’n’Roll’, then the calmer ‘Sixteenth Century Greensleeves’, showing Blackmore’s love of the renaissance period, before the album closes with an instrumental take on the Yardbird’s ‘Still I’m Sad’.

An excellent album, the mastering sounds great, and a fantastic mid 70s album that’s too easily overlooked by what was to come.

That next album, 1976’s Rainbow Rising, is that album. If there was ever a hard rock Mutt’s Knuts Every Home Should Have One, this is it. Period. No Question.

The tour rehearsals for the debut album didn’t go well, so the band (bar Dio) were out. In came bassist Jimmy Bain, pianist Tony Carey, and drummer Cozy Powell.

After the breakup of Strange Brew in 1975, Cozy Powell had quit the music industry and was tempted back by the Rainbow audition. And Cozy once told me: “Yes, I was number 80, or 77 or something like that. I’ve heard some funny stories about Ritchie being difficult with drummers.

Apparently this one guy came along, set the drum kit up, looked the part, got his suitcase out and changed next to the kit with this all black kind of outfit and black gloves. Eventually gets up and says he’s ready and Ritchie says ‘Get rid of him’. This poor guy doesn’t even play a note. I remember that audition. I got a phonecall on the Wednesday night from my tour manager and got the plane to L.A. in the morning.

Off the plane, check into the hotel and straight down to the audition, no time no nothing and a kit I’ve never even seen before. There were about 100 people in this sound stage looking at me like a golden boy they’ve just flown over from England at great expense. The first thing he said to me was ‘Can you play a shuffle?’ How about this and BANG! started playing this shuffle and 20 minutes later ‘You’ve got the job”.

The album kicks off with the keyboard into to ‘Tarot Woman’, the wonderful solid all encompassing sound, produced by Martin Birch, really rocks.

The album is constantly lauded as a classic and rightly so. Many head straight to Side 2, with two 8 minute epics. Every man and his dog will tell you ‘Stargazer’ is THE track. Cozy’s classic drum riff intro, a crazy wizard, orchestra, check it out. But for me the key is ‘A Light In The Black’, with a lengthy instrumental break; the exuberant and blistering guitar and keyboard interplay over Cozy’s solid wall of thunder, simply magical.

If there’s one criticism of the album, the bass could (should) be higher in the mix, something Blackmore would later admit to wanting to revisit. But just for the clarity on the keyboards in A Light The Black, that’s worth the cost of the set right there.

Cozy says of the album: “I think it’s probably one of the best albums I’ve done, in retrospect. There were 2 or 3 tracks on there that were really outstanding which summed up the music at the time, just when heavy rock was really coming into its own.

It featured the drums fairly heavily. I had to work out all these little things that have been copied to death since and I’m very proud of it. We did it every quickly, in Munich. Most of those tracks were done in 2 or 3 takes.

‘A Light In The Black’ was done in one take, you could not simply play that track again. It was done in the days before you started editing. We worked out how to do it and went into rehearsals and I said to Ritchie I’m going for this, so don’t worry about the guitar we can put that on afterwards but let’s get the track right”.

Both these album sound wonderful, but are presented with no bonuses on these discs.

Over the next six discs we get three double live albums recorded in 1976, previously issued (separately and as a box) as Live In Cologne, Live In Dusseldorf and Live In Nurnberg. And while I can hear the critics citing previous release already, they have long been out of print. To get them here paired with Rainbow Rising, excellent sound quality, worth its weight in gold.

On to the live discs; Cologne opens with ‘Kill The King’ (why this live arrangement never made it to the studio I’ll never know), and the audience are immediately blown away. The keyboard/guitar work (unlike the later studio version) just sublime. Want to gobsmack someone who’s never heard Rainbow before? This track.

A 14 minute take on Purple’s ‘Mistreated’ goes down a storm and keeps those hankering for Purple happy. Then three extended workings of ’16th Century Greensleeves’, ‘Catch The Rainbow’ and’ Man On The Silver Mountain’. A blend of solid hard rock and some whimsical Blackmore musings, ‘Catch The Rainbow’ is a beautiful song that displays feeling and control blended with bursts of raw power from the whole band, while ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ is seriously bolstered (there’s a rocket up an arse or two here) from the studio original.

Disc two and ‘Stargazer’, 16 minutes, including an opening keyboard solo from Carey. Then the opening drum roll and a cracking performance; a nuclear power station couldn’t touch the band in this form. Then you have the one man power station in Cozy Powell during his drum solo within ‘Still I’m Sad’ (with added vocal arrangement). And ‘Do You Close Your Eyes’ closes, again in extended workout form.

What’s not to love?

The other two live albums follow similar setlists but the arrangements do vary, well worth checking out.

Disc 2 of Nurnberg adds 4 tour rehearsals; sadly the recording quality is bootleg (ie ropey), not something you could listen to, but worth a listen. ‘Getaway’ (working title for ‘Kill The King’) is good to hear but almost inaudible through the noise. ‘Mistreated’, ’16th Century Greensleeves’ and ‘Catch The Rainbow’ too, not quite so bad but still seriously distorted.

The final disc is rarities; and while some has been previously released (on the 2CD reissue of Rising for example – again long out of print), there are some tracks new to CD, mono and stereo edits that would have originally been issued as radio promos. But even if you do have the Rising rough mixes already, they’re still a wonderful listen.

The package: top marks, a solid 7” box with two fold out card cases that house the CDs and a very comprehensive booklet, and at this scale the artwork is reproduced much better than in a 5” CD.

Whatever is or isn’t duplicated, this package sounds as good as it looks; essential. *****

Review by Joe Geesin

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

Upcoming sessions:

March 8
April 12

Josh Taerk - Sunday Session - 8 March 2026

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast 15 February 2026.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). First broadcast on 17 February 2026

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 2 March 2026

DODGY – It’s Not The End (Flip Flop Records)
THE SKBs – Hour Glass (indie)
LAKE – Boy On A Mission (indie)
KING FALCON Holding Out (indie)
HOKKA Heart Said No (Nuclear Blast Records)
STARBENDERS The Beast Goes On (Sumerian Records)
EDDIE AND THE WOLVES See Me Fall (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 2 March 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.