Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Rainbow Rising (1976)

(U.S / U.K 1975-1984, 1993-1977, 2015-Present)

The LP 'Rainbow Rising' was hailed as an instant classic upon its release in 1976. Ritchie Blackmore and his band reflect on that album and their rise and fall in the following article from Classic Rock Issue #158...

Munich, Germany, February 1976

Three months after Jimmy Bain joined Rainbow, the band flew to Munich’s Musicland studios to begin work on their 2nd LP, that would become "Rainbow Rising". The new line-up had already been broken-in with US dates the previous November, on which they unveiled three new songs: 'Do You Close Your Eyes', 'Stargazer' and 'A Light In The Black'.

“We had written 'Stargazer' at rehearsals, and 'Tarot Woman', I believe,” Blackmore recalls today. “The other songs we made up in the studio, as far as I remember. We chose the studios because I worked there before. I like to be in Germany when I’m recording.”

Rainbow 1976 (L-R): Carey, Powell, Bain, Blackmore & Dio

Founded by disco producer Giorgio Moroder, Musicland had already hosted Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, as well as Deep Purple and a Blackmore solo session. Technically and aesthetically, though, it left a lot to be desired. “We couldn’t get the drums to sound live enough, because it was an archetypal 70's studio with rugs on the wall”, Carey remembers. “So we got a wrecking crew together, hacked up the stairwell and turned it into a concrete tomb. That’s how Cozy got his sound.”

Overseeing the sessions was Deep Purple producer Martin Birch. Having worked with Blackmore’s former band during their most turbulent periods, the Zen-like Birch was a calming influence. He was also a black belt in karate, which gave him an assurance that came in useful when dealing with strong personalities.

Ronnie James, Martin Birch with Ritchie Blackmore (Getty Images)

Also on hand was Musicland’s resident engineer, Reinhold Mack. Apparently the German-born Mack would alleviate tensions by arriving in the studio dressed in a storm trooper’s uniform and barking out orders to the band. “I did this only once,” says Mack. “Ritchie always asked me about WWII stuff – as if I would know. So me and my assistant rented the gear and stormed into the control room cussing and shouting, almost scaring Ritchie to death. Fairly good acting on my part.”

Despite the underlying tensions, Rising is the sound of a band on fire. Recorded in the days before digital edits, the album has the intensity of a band getting it right in just a couple of takes, driven by Blackmore’s intense desire to prove a point to his former Purple bandmates. And then there’s the voice. “Ronnie was not only a talented singer, he was an amazing songwriter,” says Carey. “Even on the throwaway songs, which would be 'Run With The Wolf' and 'Do You Close Your Eyes', he was ferocious. All five-foot-two of him.”

The album kicks off with the keyboard crescendo of 'Tarot Woman'. “I especially like the Minimoog solo Tony does on Tarot Woman,” says Blackmore. “It was the first solo he did for the song. He said he could do much better, and went back and played for about an hour, but it never compared to the first solo.”

The album’s centerpiece is 'Stargazer', a nine- minute epic that combines Blackmore’s love of classical music with Dio’s vivid, fantastical lyrics. The track is built around a cello-inspired main riff, but the highlight is Blackmore’s uninhibited lead playing and searing slide work (a recent addition to his repertoire). The sweeping, Eastern scales add to the grandiosity.

“It’s amazing how many guitarists use the same old lines,” says Blackmore. “They never dare touch Arabic or Turkish scales.” For added grandeur, Blackmore brought in the Munich Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Rainer Pietsch. But not everything went to plan.

Blackmore Left - Powell Top - Carey Bottom- Dio Right

“The orchestra was too flowery, and there was too much detracting from the simple melody,” Blackmore says in retrospect. ”We kept taking out parts, and I felt sorry for Rainer because he was so proud of this grandiose piece he had written. We got down to the bare bones, and mixed in some Mellotron to even out the orchestra not sounding cohesive or in tune.”

Rising was released on May 17, 1976. Although it has a running time of just 33 minutes and 28 seconds, Blackmore obviously felt it was complete, as he held back songs, notably 'Kill The King' and 'Long Live Rock’N’Roll', for Rainbow’s next album. Looking back at Rising, opinions differ. Bain (see right) remains positive. “You could tell how much fun we were having,” he says. “It’s got that attitude.”

Blackmore, though, is more circumspect: “Although I thought the overall sound of the record was very punchy, it lacked warmth and bass. It was very ‘toppy’.”

Europe, Australia and Japan, June-December 1976

That summer, Rainbow embarked on a world tour that took them to four continents in six months. Surprisingly, their set didn’t include "Tarot Woman" and 'A Light In The Black', while 'Stargazer' was rarely included. “For some reason the tempo for 'Tarot Woman' didn’t translate for the stage,” Blackmore explains. “Same with Stargazer. Which was a pity.”

The tour was far from perfect. On the technical side, the vast, 40-foot wide Rainbow backdrop, powered by 3,000 light-bulbs, played havoc with the guitars and amplification. It was eventually chucked into the Atlantic at the end of the tour, to the delight of the beleaguered lighting crew.

Rainbow's Infamous Stage Prop

These technical problems with their stage setup was further noted in Jeff Apter's biography on The Life of AC/DC's Angus Young, when writing about their 1976 European Tour:

AC/DC's 'gang' mentality was at work when they toured Europe with Ritchie Blackmore's new band, Rainbow, and the man's onstage rainbow proved about as reliable as Spinal Tap's Stonehenge prop. Night after night it repeatedly failed to do its many-coloured thing. Angus, Malcolm and the others would stand side-stage, waiting for the latest equipment malfunction. When it inevitably happened, they'd burst into laughter...... [High Voltage: The Life Of Angus Young - AC/DC's Last Man Standing, by Jeff Apter, 2017. p99]

Is that Angus, Malcolm & Co watching from side-stage?

By the time I joined the band to cover them for Sounds magazine, cracks were beginning to show. On the flight from Australia to Japan, Blackmore’s personal assistant, Ian Broad, got into a fight with Cozy Powell’s wife; Bain was ‘refreshed’ thanks to a prescription of Mandrax; Blackmore threw buns at disgruntled First Class passengers’ heads, and convinced confused staff that he was oblivious to events, while furtively fingering an innocent member of the group.

Rainbow's Australian Tour Advert

Bad news greeted the band when they landed: Tommy Bolin had died. Despite the fact that he had replaced Blackmore in Deep Purple, Blackmore was a fan of Bolin; Bain was a personal friend.

Against this chaotic backdrop, Rainbow had split into separate camps. Bain and Carey’s up-all- night lifestyle earned them the nickname the Glimmer Twins. Blackmore kept himself sane by indulging in his usual pranks, and swigs of his beloved Johnny Walker Black Label whisky prior to shows. The more sedate Dio, meanwhile, spent a lot of time in his room. Powell kept his head down and socialised with everyone. Despite the growing divisions, the band played some of their best shows of the tour, as captured on their 1977 live album 'On Stage'.

March 2011

Asked when he last listened to Rising, Ritchie Blackmore replies: “I haven’t heard it in 25 years.” He continued to fly the Rainbow flag until 1984, albeit in increasingly radio-friendly forms.

“He was perturbed that he wasn’t being played on the radio,” reckons Bain, “and he decided to go a different route. He didn’t think we were going to get successful, because Rising was too heavy.”

After Deep Purple’s reunion in the 80s and a brief resurrection of the Rainbow name in the mid-90s, Blackmore has largely turned his back on rock in favour of his Renaissance-era project Blackmore’s Night with his wife, vocalist Candice Night. They have released 14 albums in as many years.

RIP Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio left Rainbow after their 1978 LP "Long Live Rock’N’Roll", while Cozy Powell stayed until 1980. Sadly, neither are around to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Rising in May: Powell died in a car crash on April 5, 1998; Dio succumbed to stomach cancer on May 16, 2010.

“Rainbow was such a great influence on younger musicians,” Dio said. “I’d see these bands who would say, ‘Rainbow were the reason I started to play.’ It was a ground-breaking time.”

Tony Carey (see left) has had a successful career as a performer, arranger and producer since leaving Rainbow. Two years ago he teamed up with Blackmore’s son, Jurgen, to form Over The Rainbow, performing classic Rainbow covers. Soon after, he was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 10 per cent of survival. Remarkably, he beat the disease and is now fit and about to take Over The Rainbow out on the road again. “I’ve lost many of my organs but managed to save my Hammond,” he jokes.

After Rainbow, Jimmy Bain joined Dio in the singer’s solo band. Today he’s threatening to release a solo album, and has started writing an autobiography, called "I Fell Into Metal". Despite past tensions he has kept in touch with Blackmore, and says he has no bad feelings towards his former boss: “I was kind of pissed off that I didn’t get to stay longer, but I can never say anything bad about Rainbow. I was only in it for two years, but it’s done me a lot of favours.”

Rising has been widely praised as one of the defining albums of the 1970s and the group who recorded it have been hailed as one of the most under-appreciated rock bands ever. Even as far back as 1976, Ritchie Blackmore certainly agreed: “Everybody who’s heard it thinks it’s my best playing in a long time, which I suppose is a compliment,” he said. “Then again, what do they know?”    [By Peter Makowski (Classic Rock #158) published 14 April 2014]

LP Gatefold

As promised, here is Rainbow's 2nd LP (and their best) in glorious FLAC format, along with full artwork for CD and vinyl media.  All posted photos and label scans are also included.  "Stargazer" and "Tarot Woman" blew my mind when I first heard them back in '76 and would have loved to have seen them when they toured Australia, but alas I was doing my Year 12 at school and there was no way my parents would let me go at that crucial time in my life. Bugger !

Track Listing:

01 Tarot Woman  5:57

02 Run With The Wolf   3:39

03 (Lady) Starstruck   4:04

04 Do You Close Your Eyes   2:57

05 Stargazer   8:25

06 A Light In The Black   8:12

Rainbow were:

Ronnie James Dio - Vocals

Ritchie Blackmoore - Guitar

Jimmy Bain - Bass

Tony Carey - Keyboards

Cozy Powell - Drums

 

Rainbow Rising Link (219Mb)

Al Di Meola - Land Of The Midnight Sun (1976)

(U.S 1974 - Present)

Land of the Midnight Sun is the first album by Al Di Meola, released in 1976. The complex pieces (which include the three-part "Suite-Golden Dawn," an acoustic duet with Chick Corea on "Short Tales of the Black Forest" and a brief Bach violin sonata) show Di Meola's range even at this early stage.

One of the guitar heroes of fusion, Al Di Meola was just 22-years-old at the time of his debut as a leader but already a veteran of Chick Corea's band - Return to Forever. The complex pieces (which include the three-part "Suite-Golden Dawn," an acoustic duet with Corea on "Short Tales of the Black Forest," and a brief Bach violin sonata show Di Meola's range even at this early stage. With assistance from such top players as bassists Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, keyboardist Barry Miles and Chick Corea, and drummers Lenny White and Steve Gadd, this was a very impressive beginning to Di Meola's solo career.

Al Di Meola in Return To Forever

Album Review

“The Wizard” gives the album a very Latin start. Di Meola’s guitar, synth and percussion combine together to create insane harmonies, as the song makes a journey through multiple tempo shifts. The tune is nothing short of mind-blowing, and makes a long-lasting impact on the listener’s mind straightaway. The sheer range of Di Meola’s musical abilities is quite evident even in these mere six and a half minutes.

The title song keeps a similar style going, but in the process it provides yet more delightful musical passages that vary from each other but are brilliantly arranged together to somehow make the tune sound like a cohesive unit. The bass sound is also quite a lot more prominent in this one as compared to the opening track. The song is over 9 minutes long, but I have come across countless number of songs that are of equal or longer duration, and don’t even come close to being as musically rich as this one.

A short acoustic guitar piece titled “Sarabande From Violin Sonata In B Minor” comes next. There is nothing quite as mentally liberating as the pristine sound of an acoustic guitar, and when it’s being played by someone like Di Meola, it’s even better. So needless to say, I’m glad that the album includes an acoustic guitar piece by itself. This is followed by another soft little piece of music titled “Love Theme From Pictures Of The Sea”. Besides the sounds of the acoustic guitar, electric guitar and traces of percussion and synth, for the first and only time on the album you’ll hear vocals.

Side B has just two tracks, the first being a three-part opus titled “Suite Golden Dawn”. I would say the titles of the three parts, “Morning Fire”, “Calmer Of The Tempests” and “From Ocean To The Clouds” are completely justified as the music creates images that go perfectly with their respective titles. The tune moves beautifully from part to part as they blend very smoothly into each other. Di Meola and his posse of musicians offer a whole plethora of music, creating 10 minutes that can truly be savored.

The album comes to a perfect ending, with veteran musician Chick Corea joining in with a composition of his own, titled “Short Tales Of The Black Forest”. Not only did he write the complete song, but also played the piano and marimba on it, making it quite a unique track that stands on its own when compared to the rest of the album.

Overall, this album is outstanding. It’s pretty clear that the brilliance of Al Di Meola was there for everyone to see, even at such an early stage of his career, and this album certainly provided the ideal launching pad for the rest of his career, inspiring Di Meola to keep creating music that in turn became a huge inspiration for others who were fortunate enough to be exposed to this piece of music when it was actually first released, as I was.  Consequently, I have purchased most of his vinyl and CD releases over his 50 year career.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from CD (my vinyl has been played to death and sadly showing its age) and includes artwork for both media types.  Label scans and photos are also included.  No need to provide any bonus material, the album speaks for itself. Al Di Meola is the best jazz rock guitarist in my opinion and although there are other great jazz rock axemen such as John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana, Steve Khan and Jan Akkerman, Di Meola's speed and technical prowess on the guitar fret board is simply at the next level in comparison.

Tracklist:

1 - The Wizard - 6:47

2 - Land Of The Midnight Sun - 9:11

3 - Sarabande From Violin Sonata In B Minor - 1:20

4 - Love Theme From "Pictures Of The Sea" - 2:26

5 - Suite Golden Dawn - 9:50

5.1 - Morning Fire -

5.2 - Calmer Of The Tempest -

5.3 - From Ocean To The Clouds -

6 - Short Tales Of The Black Forest - 5:41

Personnel:

    Al Di Meola – guitars, synthesizer, percussion, vocals

    Chick Corea – on 6: piano, marimba

    Barry Miles – on 2,5: keyboards, synthesizer

    Stanley Clarke – on 4: bass guitar, vocals

    Anthony Jackson – on 1,2: bass guitar

    Jaco Pastorius – on 5: bass guitar

    Steve Gadd – on 1: drums

    Alphonse Mouzon – on 5: drums

    Lenny White – on 2: drums

    Mingo Lewis – percussion

    Patty Buyukas – on 4: vocals

Released: October 25, 1976

Recorded: July & August 1975

Studio: Different Fur Trading, San Francisco; Electric Lady, New York City

Al Di Meola Link (204Mb)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Selftitled (1975)

(U.S / U.K 1975-1984, 1993-1977, 2015-Present)

Rainbow was formed in 1975 by Deep Purple's guitarist - Ritchie Blackmore. The band lasted from 1975-1984 and then 1994-1997. The reason there was a sizeable gap between the years is because in 1984 Deep Purple had reunited to record Perfect Strangers and The House of Blue Light. Unfortunately, old tensions never die. Ritchie Blackmore and singer Ian Gillan once again started fighting. This went on until about the early 1990s.

In 1974, Ritchie Blackmore publicly announced his dislike of the funk/soul (or as Blackmore called it, "shoeshine music") elements being introduced to Deep Purple by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, as well as the disappointing Stormbringer album where his favourite musical style wasn't adequately captured. Blackmore originally intended to release a solo single, the Steve Hammond-penned "Black Sheep of the Family", with "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" on the B-side.

He recorded these during a studio session in Tampa Bay, Florida on 12th December 1974 with singer/lyricist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Gary Driscoll from the blues-rock band Elf, former Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher, and cellist Hugh McDowell of ELO. Satisfied with the two tracks, Blackmore decided to make a solo album, replacing the keyboardist and bassist with Elf members Mickey Lee Soule and Craig Gruber, respectively.

 A full album was recorded in Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany in about 3 weeks in February 1975. And, of course, Blackmore got his cover song "Black Sheep of the Family" on this album. Though it was originally thought to be a solo album, the record was billed as Ritchie Blackmore's R-A-I-N-B-O-W. Blackmore finally decided to leave Deep Purple and form his own band 'Rainbow'. The name of the band was inspired by the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood that catered to rock stars, groupies and rock enthusiasts.

Rainbow's debut album also featured the minor hit "Man on the Silver Mountain". This first line-up never performed live. Blackmore and Dio did all the promotional work for the album.

Ritchie Blackmore (Guitar)

Rainbow's music was partly inspired by classical music since Blackmore started playing cello to help him construct interesting chord progressions, and Dio wrote lyrics about medieval themes. Dio possessed a versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads. Although Dio never played a musical instrument on any Rainbow album, he is credited with writing and arranging the music with Blackmore, in addition to writing all the lyrics himself.

Ritchie Blackmore’s R-A-I-N-B-O-W entered the US chart at No.79 on September 6, and went as high as No.30 in a 15-week run. Two weeks after that debut, the album peaked at No.11 in the UK, on its way to silver certification from trade body the BPI. By the autumn, the new band were on the road with Blackmore at the helm, as they grew into one of the big new rock names of 1975.

Ronnie James Dio (Vocals)

Album Review
(by Christian Collins at Metal-Archives.com)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is an instant classic, as they say. The opener "Man on the Silver Mountain"', is a catchy song with a crunching Blackmore riff reminiscent of 'Smoke on the Water.' This song will always be a favorite of mine. Even near the beginning of Dio's career, his voice is so strong, developed, and articulate. You can tell Blackmore is having fun with this album because it's just so enjoyable. The union of Dio's voice and Blackmore's riffs and neoclassical style is just magical. The next track, "Self Portrait", is another great song. The way Dio shouts, 'DOWN!' and leads into the guitar solo is amazing. Next comes the cover, "Black Sheep of the Family" It's a shame Blackmore's idea was rejected by Deep Purple, I can totally picture Coverdale and Hughes harmonizing the lyrics to this song. However, I am ever grateful for the Rainbow project, and the Blackmore-Dio union. This is a great song, and Rainbow does it justice.

Craig Gruber (Bass)

Next comes, "Catch the Rainbow". This track is the softest on the album, but it's one of the best, maybe the best. Nope, it is the best. Especially listening to this song more than a decade since Dio's passing... almost brings a tear to my eye.

And sail away on ships of wonder
But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me, oh, bless me, bless me
Come the dawn...

Mickey Lee Soule

Such a beautiful song. Just pure bliss for me. Slow and melodic guitar parts, and Dio matches it well. Some may think it goes on a little too long towards the end and kind of peters out, but I love that part. It just adds to the song's beauty. Moving on to "Snake Charmer" (which was by the way the B-side to the single "Man On The Silver Maountain".  This song is a great example of Blackmore's eastern playing style. This would fit right in on the "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll" album that would come three years later. Very upbeat song, similar to "Black Sheep of the Family", but I don't like this one as much. Still a great song in my opinion. The next song "The Temple of the King", seems to appeal to a lot of fans. I tend to agree, but a bit overrated I'd say. It's another slow song, and it's acoustic. Very stripped down, and displays the fantasy/medieval lyrics of Dio, which will continue to be ever present in Dio's career. The song builds up very nicely, and is well crafted overall.

Then comes "If You Don't Like Rock N Roll". This is a very short piano rock tune, that seems like they pulled from an Elf album, but they didn't. I'd prefer a lot of Elf's music over this song. This hurts the album slightly as it's the only song that isn't up to scratch. It can still be enjoyable, but it kind of goes against the mood of the album. Next is "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves".  This is definitely one of my favorites in Rainbow's discography. So much emotion on Dio's voice, the guitars riffs are haunting, and the solo is magical and fits the mood of the song so well. This songs builds up so well, however, I wish it didn't fade out. It deserves a proper ending.

No more night
We have seen the light
Let it shine on bright
Hang him HIGHER, HIGHER
Put a man on the fire

Drawbridge down
Cut it to the ground
We're going to dance around the fire
The FIRE, FIRE

Gary Driscoll

The last song, "Still I'm Sad" is an instrumental and is a Yardbirds cover. It's a great tune. Not much to say, but Blackmore does a great job of making it very epic with his unique playing. When Blackmore revived the project in 1995 and released "Stranger in Us All", he rereleased the song, but with lyrics. I recommend that version.

Well that's it, a review of one of my favorite albums of one of my favorite bands. The Blackmore-Dio combo is truly amazing, and the other musicians from Elf did an adequate job of supporting, but they are no Cozy Powell or Jimmy Bain. Just listen to their next album "Rising". Truly a masterpiece. 

The artwork for this album is very cool and fitting for the music, but it's so vintage, it hurts my eyes. The album marks the birth of Dio's career. I don't quite count Elf or his previous bands, though I do enjoy the three albums they released, particularly their first. What an amazing start.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010)

Man On The Silver Mountain '45' Anomaly

It was my intention to include a recording of Rainbow's first single as a 'bonus track', because the 45 label indicates the track length to be 3:54min long, and shorter than the album version which is 4:33min. (see label scan left)

However, after ripping the single I discovered that the length of the single is in fact the same as the album release - so there is no difference. 

Perhaps a typo mistake during the pressing process OR maybe it was done on purpose, to trick the radio stations into thinking it was shorter, so they would be more likely to play it. 

I've had this single for nearly 50 years and never noticed this discrepancy !

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my gatefold vinyl (U.S pressing) and includes full album artwork for CD and vinyl and label scans. Sadly my copy was released on the Polydor label and not the 'cooler' Oyster label (shown below).  But I'm still happy to own this album. I have most of the Rainbow collection on vinyl and it is my intention to post these in the future, especially 'Rising' and 'On Stage'.

Tracklisting:

01 Man On The Silver Mountain 4:33

02 Self Portrait 3:16

03 Black Sheep Of The Family   3:20

04 Catch The Rainbow 6:40

05 Snake Charmer 4:30

06 Temple Of The King 4:46

07 If You Don't Like Rock n' Roll 2:36

08 Sixteenth Century Greensleeves 3:35

09 Still I'm Sad    3:53

Band Members:

Ritchie Blackmore - Guitar

Ronnie James Dio - Vocals

Gary Driscoll - Drums

Craig Gruber - Bass

Mickey Lee Soule - Paino, Mellotron, Clavinet & Organ

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Link (205Mb)

Ralph McTell - Not 'Till Tomorrow (1972)

(U.K 1968 - Present)

One of the great storytellers, Ralph McTell, is now celebrating more than 50 years on the road. Known for his virtuoso guitar style, he is primarily a prolific and gifted songwriter. With a style that invites you into a unique world, he weaves a narrative that is both significant and poignant.

Ralph made his debut in 1968 with the album ‘Eight Frames a Second’ and in 1974 the release of ‘Streets of London’ earned him an Ivor Novello Award.

'Not till Tomorrow' (1972) was McTell's fifth album to be released (aside from the remixed compilation Revisited) – and first album to chart – in the UK; and his third album to be released in the U.S. 

Ralph had been phoned and asked if he had decided on a title for the album and, wishing to give himself another day to come up with a title, responded "Not till tomorrow" which was misunderstood to be the name he had given to the album. By the time the mistake was found it was too late.

Reprise Album Release Notes:

Ralph McTell's first album for Reprise is the one his English following critics and civilians, alike-has been waiting for, and the one his soon-to-be American fans will one day realize they had been waiting for.

Producer Tony Visconti has triumphed in reconciling the recorded McTell with the live McTell. Not 'till Tomorrow has the former done credit to the latter.

Visconti (who produces T. Rex in his spare time, yet not without ministering tastefully to Tom Paxton in that same role) has used the minimum of personnel to fullest effect.

Ralph sings, plays acoustic guitar, keyboards and harmonica-just as he would on stage. Danny Thompson (borrowed from Pentangle), plays double bass, and Laurie Allan, percussion Tony Visconti and wife (nee Mary Hopkin) supply backing vocals.

Mary & Tony Visconti

There are a couple of themes that dominate his lyrics-specific personalities (often misfits), rovers and outcasts in general, and, of course, autobiographical things (making it clear why he's attracted to rovers and talented misfits).

Danny Thompson

The album leads off with "Zimmerman Blues," a not too disguised reference to Bob Dylan, sung in the first person by Ralph. His voice ripples hypnotically as he recounts the hazards of success, the nostalgia for bare beginnings.

On the same side he includes a terribly, terribly sad but lovely tribute to American-born poetess Sylvia Plath, who took her own life a number of years ago.

The song "Birdman." though it mentions no names. concerns George Jackson. It is a rebellious and gritty Delta-style blues, with some hairy slide playing, The vocal is subtly echoed, as if to reinforce the sense of a jail cell The integration of a verse from the traditional "John Henry" is an especially good touch.

Singing of more random anti-heroes, Ralph lives out his Wild West fantasy in "When I Was a Cowboy" (of the drug-store or midnight variety?)  It has a jaunty, if somewhat crippled, gait and the lonesomest harmonica this side of the Rio Grande (...er, the Thames?)

Ralph McTell UK Tour 1972

Taking this theme more seriously is the lengthy last track, "Gypsy," a spirited, if bitter, summary of the gypsies' right to be, calling on their magic. ("We fit in your landscape as the sixth to the five senses. ")

"Barges" and "Nettle Wine" are auto-biographical country reveries, one from childhood, the other from now. The barges and leather-skilled boatmen that absorbed a younger Ralph still ply England's network of inland canals. Older, he gives concise instructions for brewing nettle wine and stalking sunsets. A less inviting scene is conjured by "Standing Down in New York Town," suggesting it's not even a nice place to visit any more

Some James Taylor-type guitar picking leads into an altogether personally McTell tale, "First Song." A love song to a song, and to whoever caused him to write it Judging from "First Song's" companions on Not 'Till Tomorrow, it was the start of something big.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my super clean vinyl and as usual includes full album artwork and label scans. It is interesting to note that my copy has a release date of 1972 on the back cover while the Reprise vinyl labels state 1973.  I wonder whether this discrepancy is somehow related to the delayed date of the album because Ralph couldn't decide on the album title !   

I quite like this album - especially the catchy track "When I Was A Cowboy", however for some reason I don't really like the last track "Gypsy", as the riff really annoys me and it drags on for ever. But I'll let you be the judge..... it's probably just me !

Side One

1. ZIMMERMAN BLUES 3:50

2. FIRST SONG 2 39

3. WHEN I WAS A COWBOY 4:00

4. NETTLE WINE 2:28

5. SYLVIA 3:40

6. BIRDMAN 6 10

Side Two

1. BARGES 4:28

2. STANDING DOWN IN NEW YORK

TOWN ONE DAY 3:58

3. ANOTHER RAIN HAS FALLEN 3:57

4. THIS TIME OF NIGHT 4:27

5. GYPSY 6:14

The Band:

Ralph McTell - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, Organ

Danny Thompson - Double Bass

Laurie Allan - Percussion

Tony Visconti - Sitar, Recorders, Organ, Backing Vocals, Producer

Mary Visconti - Backing Vocals

Ralph McTell Link (247Mb)

Billy Thorpe - Stimulation (1981)

(Australian 1956 - 2007)

In 1981, things began to slow down again for Thorpie. In March, Billy Thorpe turned thirty-five and it seemed to give him pause. He returned to Australia to play shows for the first time in two years, and was more than a little taken aback at the number of ‘old’ people who recognised him in the street. While the always youthful lad, Billy sometimes appeared to live in a ‘Peter Pan’ world, his audience was ageing in real time.

[Billy]  'It’s frightening. Because when you’ve been around so long people tend to think you are much older. I mean, I’m thirty-five but people think I’m fifty-five!

‘I realised America was a challenge, that there were no challenges left for me here, and people were taking me for granted because I’d been around so long. But in America if people didn’t like me it was just that. It wasn’t because of something they’d read or heard about me or something I’d done in the past . . . I’m established in America now. I’ve reached that level where I automatically get airplay. I’m over the first hurdle and off and running.’

However confident Billy sounded to Australian reporters, 'Stimulation', his third US album, hadn’t exactly delivered more hits. On this album, the ‘sci-fi androgyny’ even carried over to several incredibly high-pitched, almost feminine vocals. Billy was of course simply breaking out of his comfort zone and it was no more than any other artist of the period would have done. Disco and country music were the two most popular music forms among the wider listening audience that year, even though in the cooler parts of town, the young people were listening to the so-called New Wave bands, punk and post-punk artists and singer-songwriters who had something to say and a new—or at least interesting—way of saying it. 

[Billy] ‘With the second side [of Stimulation] . . . I tried a slightly different approach. We open up the second side with a track called “Syndrome DOA”, which is an acoustic . . . Well, it’s got an African flavour to it.’

Gil Matthews (drums), Billy Thorpe, Leland Sklar (bass)

Billy had been inspired by a documentary he’d seen about Ethiopia, and the North African motif was one that would surface again later. 

[Billy] ‘We used a couple of African drummers on it. It’s very “chanty”. Lots of voices singing the chorus and there’s a big percussion breakdown in the middle of it.’

[Cotton Bowl, Texas, 1980] With Leland Sklaar and Gil Matthews

As always, it made sense to Billy to keep developing his songwriting and image collectively as an artist, no matter what the consequences. Without the safety net of his faithful Australian audience, he had to keep pushing himself to renew his approach to music each time he made an album. This time, he’d gone as far as to record nearly every instrument on the album himself. He played bass, guitar and keyboards and programmed the ‘drums’ on some of the songs. 

[Billy] ‘On a couple of tracks on the second side, we used a drum machine and a drummer together. And it’s very effective.’ 

L to R-Billy Thorpe, Lauren Brown, Spencer Proffer

Making records that allowed him to experiment kept him interested, and he took the crowds with him. That desire to innovate is what allowed him to succeed as he did in America.

As the eighties progressed, Australian bands had really started competing for radio play in the US market. Little River Band was so big in the late seventies in the US that audiences were often surprised that Glenn Shorrock didn’t have an American accent.

Billy with wife Lynn

Olivia Newton John, with whom Billy and Lynn were close, was likewise huge there not only as a singer but as an actress; her innate charm and success in Grease had made her immensely bankable in Hollywood. AC/DC was also becoming enormous in America’s South, where their unreconstructed Rock’n’Roll was becoming as much a part of teenage culture as it was in the Australian suburbs.

There can be absolutely no doubt that Billy wanted that same success, and he tore after it with his usual flair. He had had years of insecurity in Australia, followed by years when the money rolled in and out in disproportionate amounts. Mushroom took a punt on Billy’s US songs in 1981, releasing the single "In My Room"/"She’s Alive" in February and another, "Just the Way I Like It"/ "Rock Until You Drop", in October. Neither single even registered on the Australian charts, but Thorpe went back to Australia to promote them in October, culminating that tour with an appearance at Tanelorn Festival which is still talked about today. 

The Australian reviews for 'Stimulation' weren’t quite as dire as has been hinted at since; rather, the reception was simply subdued, and no one could figure out why Billy was working so hard to break America when he could have been pushing the Rock’n’Roll barrow here, making a living and keeping the audiences happy. 

The Telegraph in Sydney cited the ‘heavily instrumented . . . breath-grabbing number’ ‘Rock Until You Drop’ as being the sort of approach Billy should continue to take, saying that the title track, with its echoing vocals and slightly reggae-ish instrumentation, was ‘an area that perhaps he should leave alone’.

While touring Australia in 1981, Billy was interviewed by Donnie Sutherland for the T.V music show 'Sounds' and talks about his then current album, Stimulation and his time in the states, in the YouTube clip below. Sadly, the clip does not feature a track from his Stimulation album, but rather his earlier single from 1976 "Almost Summer".

Rolling Stone’s Toby Creswell was less kind to Billy’s new album, describing side one as ‘watered down heavy metal and boogie’ and accusing Billy of writing lyrics that ‘rarely rise above trite’, although he praised the more contemporary sounds of side two. 

Bruce Elder reviewed the album for the short-lived magazine 'Record', and suggested awkwardly that now Johnny O’Keefe was dead, Billy was the heir apparent, even though he then dismissed the album as ‘half-masticated . . . boring . . . heavy metal schlock’. He rather unkindly used the title of the song ‘Syndrome DOA’ as being something of a prophetic metaphor for Billy’s music and career.

I think Billy had the last laugh - don't you?  [extract from 'Billy Thorpe's Time On Earth' by Jason Walker, 2009. p212-216]

Billy and his family - RIP Thorpie

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my newly acquired vinyl, which I recently purchased while visiting New Zealand.  The album is in mint condition and was sold a old 'new' stock - not bad for a mere $8 (NZ).  Full album artwork and label scans are also included.

I'm sure the wait has been worth it (if you saw my previous WOCK on vinyl 'Teaser' post) - so don't waste anymore time and grab this gem now!

Track Listing:

01  Just The Way I Like It  3:48

02  No Rules On The Road  4:50

03  Rock Until You Drop  4:49

04  You Touched Me  3:45

05  Let Me Outta Here  3:57

06  Syndrome D.O.A.  5:48

07  T.K.O.  3:40

08  Face In The Mirror  3:28

09  Stimulation  5:15

Musicians:

Drums - Gil Matthews / Alvin Taylor

Guitar - Billy Thorpe

Keyboards - Randy Kerber

Synthesizer - Billy Thorpe

Percussion - Geoffrey Hales

Background Vocals - Devin Payne

Background Vocals - Randy Bishop

Vocals - Billy Thorpe

Stimulation Link (243Mb)