Bring Them On Back Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Was Rainbow a huge band in the 70s/80s? Like Rainbow with Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell and I don't know the guitarists name. But were they a big thing, or did they just come and go quietly? Because I only found out about them by chance when I heard one song (since you've been gone) on Nights With Alice Cooper (radio show). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Was Rainbow a huge band in the 70s/80s? Like Rainbow with Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell and I don't know the guitarists name. But were they a big thing, or did they just come and go quietly? Because I only found out about them by chance when I heard one song (since you've been gone) on Nights With Alice Cooper (radio show). I'm not sure how big they were, but they were on the radio back than (quite a bit, if I recall). I loved the song "Stone Cold." Really moody guitar. Also, "Street of Dreams." I thnk some more knowledgeable people will reply to your post to help you out on this. I have to admit that I still get confused with the whole Rainbow/Purple/Sabbath connection. I don't remember who was in what band when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirigible Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Bring Them On Back, you're correct that the Ronnie James Dio era of Rainbow came and went fairly quietly, at least in the States; I think they were huge in Germany. I saw this lineup of Rainbow twice: Dio (vocals), Blackmore (guitar), Cozy Powell (drums), Jimmy Bain (bass), Tony Carey (keyboards). Both times they were the opening act and both times they weren't very good. I still love Rainbow's first two albums but was sorely disappointed seeing them live. Suz, Stone Cold and Street of Dreams were Joe Lynn Turner instead of Dio in a later version of Rainbow. Turner's a bit easier on the ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwizard03 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I must have seen different shows but I have seen them quite a few times and really enjoyed the shows saw them open for several different acts and see them headline a few smaller venues.Were never as popular as Deep Purple but were really a good band the problem was the lineup changed quite frequently but as long as Ritchie was playing I would go anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I really enjoyed them live. Cozy was phenomenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JethroTull Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 In the USA, I'd call Rainbow a second tier hard rock/metal band at best. They might have even been third tier. They had notable folks in the band at various stages, but never had a radio song that created any sort of interest beyond hard core rock/metal fans. They could probably have headlined a 3,000 to 5,000 seat venue with a solid opening act. They never played large 18,000 plus seat venues. Other countries may have been a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirigible Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I repeat I love their first two or three records to this day, but I wished they'd taken their live shows more seriously the two times I saw them. The second time Blackmore or the bassist (I forget which) had a handmade sign taped to one their speaker cabinets: I don't want to be here. A sign taped to the keyboard read: I don't want to be here either. Cozy threw drumsticks 30 feet in the air and caught them casually without looking, cool. Blackmore whipped his guitar cord across his fretboard to produce sounds instead of playing solos and elicited 15 minutes of moronic feedback to close Rainbow's 45-minute set, not cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAC64 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 The first two albums are far and away the best for great rock n' roll! The later stuff was geared for FM radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Bring Them On Back, you're correct that the Ronnie James Dio era of Rainbow came and went fairly quietly, at least in the States; I think they were huge in Germany. I saw this lineup of Rainbow twice: Dio (vocals), Blackmore (guitar), Cozy Powell (drums), Jimmy Bain (bass), Tony Carey (keyboards). Both times they were the opening act and both times they weren't very good. I still love Rainbow's first two albums but was sorely disappointed seeing them live. Suz, Stone Cold and Street of Dreams were Joe Lynn Turner instead of Dio in a later version of Rainbow. Turner's a bit easier on the ears. Yeah, I can definately tell when it's Dio. Thanks for that, though. I didn't know Joe Lynn Turner by name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargroves Tangie Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Wasn't "Since You've Been Gone" sung by Graham Bonnett? I think he was the least known of the Rainbow vocalists- "All Night Long" was the most-played song of Rainbow's that he sang on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Wasn't "Since You've Been Gone" sung by Graham Bonnett? I think he was the least known of the Rainbow vocalists- "All Night Long" was the most-played song of Rainbow's that he sang on.Totally correct. Graham looked very odd on the rock scene of the time with his slick hair and sunglasses - we took the p quite a lot. BUt he did well. Before JLT came along. Graham went on to have a couple of hits with Neil Murray etc with songs like "Night Games" http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PrCw-IufvV8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleskine braveheart Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 rainbow were a really good rock act...saw them on their first tour...supported by bad company....excellent gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I have a dumb question- they did "Man on the Silver Mountain," right? When Dio was with them? Was Heaven and Hell done by Sabbath with Dio, then? That guitar at the end is just beautiful, but was it Blackmore or Iommi? Sorry guys, I was too fixated on Zeppelin back when I was getting into hard rock, so I didn't pay enough attention to other bands. I did see Purple live, and it was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHD Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Totally correct. Graham looked very odd on the rock scene of the time with his slick hair and sunglasses - we took the p quite a lot. BUt he did well. Before JLT came along. Graham went on to have a couple of hits with Neil Murray etc with songs like "Night Games" http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PrCw-IufvV8 I think Rainbow where more popular here in the UK than the States. The Graham Bonnet era happened right in the thick of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene giving them their biggest hits. The slick back hair and sunglasses...I remember it well. I just had a peruse at Graham's website as reading these posts I realised I hadn't heard about him for ages. He's still out and about touring, although the hair is no longer black..or slick..and no sunglasses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargroves Tangie Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I have a dumb question- they did "Man on the Silver Mountain," right? When Dio was with them? Was Heaven and Hell done by Sabbath with Dio, then? That guitar at the end is just beautiful, but was it Blackmore or Iommi? Sorry guys, I was too fixated on Zeppelin back when I was getting into hard rock, so I didn't pay enough attention to other bands. I did see Purple live, and it was amazing. "Heaven And Hell" is Dio on vocals as a member of Black Sabbath so Tony Iommi is the guitarist on that song. Excellent album too, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 "Heaven And Hell" is Dio on vocals as a member of Black Sabbath so Tony Iommi is the guitarist on that song. Excellent album too, btw. Thank you much. I should have known that, but I wasn't sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargroves Tangie Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Thank you much. I should have known that, but I wasn't sure. Sometimes it gets confusing, the way some of the musicians go back & forth between bands. I just found out recently that Ian Gillan was Sabbath's vocalist at one time (Born Again). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleskine braveheart Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I have a dumb question- they did "Man on the Silver Mountain," right? When Dio was with them? Was Heaven and Hell done by Sabbath with Dio, then? That guitar at the end is just beautiful, but was it Blackmore or Iommi? Sorry guys, I was too fixated on Zeppelin back when I was getting into hard rock, so I didn't pay enough attention to other bands. I did see Purple live, and it was amazing. yeah...blackmore never played with sabbath...iommi has been their only lead guitarist..altho they've had a few purple connections with gillan,dio and hughes in their line ups thru the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 yeah...blackmore never played with sabbath...iommi has been their only lead guitarist..altho they've had a few purple connections with gillan,dio and hughes in their line ups thru the years. Man, that is confusing. I need to go back and start over with those guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorton Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Man, that is confusing. I need to go back and start over with those guys. In about 1982 or 83 (I forget) Tony Iommi asked David Coverdale to join Sabbath and was turned down....so they brought it Ian Gillan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 I saw Purple with Gillian. I wish I'd seen them more than once. It killed my ears, but was a great concert. Now Ritchie Blackmore is wearing tights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Like most already mentioned, Rainbow was one of the big bands in Europe, while in US they were a little less known. I like all of the line-ups, but I prefer the first one with Dio. Man On The Silver Mountain, Kill The King and Long Live Rock'n'roll is great tunes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot dog Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 I think Rainbow where more popular here in the UK than the States. The Graham Bonnet era happened right in the thick of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene giving them their biggest hits. I guess their popularity in the UK peaked in 1980 on the wake of the hit singles and the Down To Earth album they headlined the first Donnington 'Monsters of Rock' festival. It wasn't to last though - Cozy and Graham soon left and it wasn't the same after that. I remember weekly music paper 'Sounds' running a competition to win the huge paintings covering the speaker stcks either side of the Donnington stage (first two album covers I think). I wonder what happened to them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirigible Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Like most already mentioned, Rainbow was one of the big bands in Europe, while in US they were a little less known. I like all of the line-ups, but I prefer the first one with Dio. Man On The Silver Mountain, Kill The King and Long Live Rock'n'roll is great tunes! Good list, Swede, let me give honorable mention to Black Sheep of the Family and Starstruck too. Great rock songs. The Dio lineup with Cozy was my favorite as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwizard03 Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I think Rainbow where more popular here in the UK than the States. The Graham Bonnet era happened right in the thick of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene giving them their biggest hits. The slick back hair and sunglasses...I remember it well. I just had a peruse at Graham's website as reading these posts I realised I hadn't heard about him for ages. He's still out and about touring, although the hair is no longer black..or slick..and no sunglasses Saw Him with Rainbow in 80 in Baltimore also saw Him in a band called Alcatraz with Yngwie Malmsteen on Guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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