Deep Purple legend a hurdy-gurdy man By Don Hammontree Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - Updated 2 weeks ago In 1971, if you’d have told British guitar star Ritchie Blackmore that in 40 years he’d be playing Renaissance fair music on a hurdy-gurdy in castle courtyards throughout Europe he would never have believed you. That was the year Blackmore and his Deep Purple band mates recorded one of the greatest guitar anthems of all time, “Smoke on the Water,” for their now-classic hard rock/heavy metal album “Machine Head.” Churning out molten metal riffs and blistering solos in Deep Purple and Rainbow was Blackmore’s stock in trade until 1997, when he and his wife, Candice Night, released their first album together, “Shadow of the Moon,” under the name Blackmore’s Night. Since then, the guitarist has focused on medieval-flavored folk-rock featuring arrangements for penny whistles, recorders, mandolins and hurdy-gurdy. Blackmore calls Blackmore’s Night — which plays Berklee Performance Center on Thursday — his “labor of love.” The duo’s latest CD, “Autumn Sky” (dedicated to the couple’s infant daughter), topped Billboard’s New Age charts earlier this year. “I didn’t embark on this project intending it to be successful,” Blackmore, 66, said by phone from his home on Long Island. “I just have an incredible passion for this kind of music and wanted to do it. During my final days in Deep Purple and Rainbow, I felt I was getting stale at writing hard-rock riffs, that I was repeating myself, and I just couldn’t stand it. So switching to this was rejuvenating, very refreshing. Influenced by acts as diverse as the late English folk musician David Munrow, the German band Des Geyers, Bob Dylan and even Stevie Nicks (one of Night’s favorites), Blackmore’s Night has its strongest following in Europe, where the band often performs in historic castles and fortresses. “Actually, it’s harder to book shows here in America,” Night said. “But in Europe, the castles aren’t all that difficult. We have a great, hard-working crew that’s always up for a challenge. We even performed a show in an underground salt mine in Poland that took hours and hours to set up, but they pulled it off.” With his quirky new direction and partnership with Night, Blackmore has found an unlikely niche in an industry he has often viewed with disdain. “Bob Dylan has always been one of my heroes because he’s never wanted to deal with the nonsense side of the music business,” he said of the man who, like him-self, has been labeled as “mysterious” and “difficult” to work with. “Having to follow this trend, talk to this person on the radio, be on this show. I find it’s very hard for me to do. I don’t like having to sell myself constantly.” Blackmore’s Night at Berklee Performance Center, Thursday. Tickets: $30-$45; 617-747-2261.

it sure does. It takes a lot of guts to walk away from the cash cow and do what's really in your heart. sounds like someone we all know.....

1) Kashmir 2) In My Time Of Dying 3) In The Light 4) For Your Life (imo their most underrated song) 5) Achilles Last Stand 6) 10 Years Gone 7) The Song Remains The Same 8) Trampled Underfoot 9) No Quarter (tsrts album version) 10)When The Levee Breaks Man that was hard...

Sounds good. I love the band...always have. Who played Bass? I heard on their new cd Gregg Hawkes and the producer split the Bass parts.

I don't think he did. he did play Spaghetti Junction though on the Zooma tour.

he has... 25 years ago... he was ruthless, especially towards Dave ... but i haven't seen him writing tell all books loaded with lurid details .. have you?

I don't know, to me he seems to still be highly respected. He has all but abandoned rock music these last 15 years. If he has fallen off the radar at all, that's probably why. Heard a radio ad the other day while driving to work. Deep Purple is playing soon locally....with an orchestra. The radio ad starts out with the intro to Smoke On The Water calling it the most "famous riff of all time" ... and you know what? It is. Jimmy Page and especially Tony Iommi can write amazing riffs in their sleep... but Blackmore's is "the riff" Like Steve said most teens probably don't know who he is by name. But they know that riff.

There's some greats missing...I agree Robin Trower for one. Jimmy as well but I guess he's not considered a Blues purist. But it's not bad. I'm very glad to see the late Rod Price included. (though he deserves to be placed higher than #73) AMAZING SLIDE GUITARIST .... check out his 2 solo albums OPEN and WEST 4.

me too "I was very much under the illusion that we were going to write an album and we were going to put together a new project," Bonham says. "It was winter, like early December of 2008 when it kind of came to a halt, which was a hard thing for me to get over for a while. I had just played the concert of my life." What ILLUSION is he talking about?? Jimmy and JPJ were serious about it... It fell apart... Shit happens. They owe you nothing Jason.. I hope Jimmy and John are ok with BCC doing this "Zepesque" track they helped create. And now he's walking around wearing a derby ala Bonzo 1975..... Sorry ... Maybe I'll regret posting this tomorrow.. But I'm a little tired of Jason and his sense of entitlement at the moment.

They don't make them like that anymore... JFK RFK MLK. I wish Bin Laden could have been bought to trial... charged with 3000+ counts of pre-meditated murder, tried, found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging... just like that other terrorist that was pulled out of a hole in the ground. but a shot in the head and a burial at sea is a close second. and Anyone feeling sorry for this animal, go on youtube and watch the 2nd plane slamming into the World Trade Center.... Never Forget

Funny... all this time i never knew that was why the track time was listed wrong.

There's no doubt that those 3 guys working together would sound very good, I liked what I heard of it too. but, I'd much rather have seen it called Rodgers Taylor May or Taylor May Rodgers or May Rodgers Taylor..... etc The name Queen should be put to rest. Freddie Mercury was by all accounts too major a part of the band.

Page on Beck in the mid 70's "When he's on, he's the best there is"

sorry knebby ... read the post above the one with the picture.. i meant for me to try again because the picture didn't attach..

I believe that's Peter Hammill 3rd from the right...singer for Van Der Graaf Generator. Can also spot Guy Evans from VDGG, + Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Anthony Phillips and Tony Banks from Genesis. very cool photo.

try again ... plus Mick Ronson...

Also next to Joe Elliot, the late Mick Ronson. This must be from the Concert for Life either show or rehearsals.

Fair enough. They called it Queen and Paul Rodgers.

Paul Rodgers would be probably my last choice.. yes he's amazing singer, but I agree that he and Jimmy didn't mesh that well in The Firm. I'll never forget when I saw The Firm (Worcestor Mass 1st tour) Jimmy was going off in a improvised solo...... PR walked right over and nudged him with his mike stand ... like saying "cut the crap".... Killed it for me right there.... And I was a huge Bad Company fan... After that, he always reminded me of a hard rock version of Neil Diamond... must say I became a huge Chris Slade fan though...great Drummer I never liked the idea of PR in Queen either. Maybe JPJ could talk Diamanda Galas into doing it... I really can't think of anyone who could replace Robert.

Well that will certainly get the crabby bitter, old Bassist and Drummer in Cream bitching up a storm...... I can't say I give a rats ass. "F#ck Led Zeppelin... We invented everything" or "I'd give John Bonham a 3 to 4 on a scale of 1-10" ..... (yes Ginger Baker did say that) it's not Led Zeppelin's fault you imploded in 3 years because you're a bunch of ego-maniac idiots....... there ...... I feel better.............. I'd say Zeppelin scored pretty high for Rolling Stone .... if they put Pink Floyd at 51... that tells you where they were going...Elvis, James Brown Little Richard..... all great artists no doubt... They're either 1 or 1A in my book....

Can't say I've been on a Sheryl Crow web site ... I'll take your word for it.. : >) Page actually kind of did this already with Outrider... 3 different singers.. DW2 had 2 singers. I'd love to see him do another film score... but that's for another thread.

i think John would be honored too, but if it doesn't feel right to Robert ... why should he have to do it? If it was about Robert's ego... he'd want to be playing in front of 100.000 people a night making hundreds of millions of dollars... what better way to stroke an ego. So I don't think it's that. He's disbanded some incredible solo bands.... Strange Sensations was so good ... So wasn't the Now and Zen lineup... He wants to keep moving forward and Led Zeppelin without John Bonham is not what he wants to do...

why? Because Robert Plant doesn't want to tour as Led Zeppelin without John Bonham? As much as I'd like to see it, I admire Robert's stance ..... and his loyalty to John Bonham.

i forgot to include the person that I was thinking of when I started this.. Bowie

Steven tyler's on American Idol? i thiought if a singer had a recording contract and was 63 years old they wouldn't be allowed to compete?!!! no shit i hope he does well ......................................