On August 18, 1979, Rainbow have been on a roll, as one of many powerhouse British rock bands of the day entered the UK chart with Down To Earth. It will not solely develop into their third consecutive Prime 10 album, however contained two of their three Prime 10 singles of their dwelling nation, “Since You’ve Been Gone” and “All Night Long.” Three new members could have joined the line-up, however the group’s success continued unbounded.
The fourth studio set for Ritchie Blackmore’s band now featured new lead singer Graham Bonnet, drafted in when Ronnie James Dio left. It could have appeared a frightening position to fill, however Bonnet had just lately launched a solo album and was a veteran of the pop charts from way back to 1968. The group he was in, the Marbles, hit the UK Prime 5 that yr with the Bee Gees-composed “Only One Woman.”
Roger Glover joins the fold
Bassist Bob Daisley and keyboard participant David Stone have been additionally gone from the Lengthy Dwell Rock ’n’ Roll album line-up of the yr earlier than, as was reside their touring keyboardist who additionally appeared on some tracks on that LP, Tony Carey. Becoming a member of the fold with Bonnet have been Blackmore’s former (and future) Deep Purple colleague Roger Glover, each as producer and bass participant, and Don Airey, a member of the present-day Purple incarnation with Glover, on keyboards.
“By the time we finished the album, I’d played bass on [it] and written all the songs with Ritchie,” Glover instructed Guitar Worldwide in 2013. “He said, ‘Why aren’t you in the band?’ I said, ‘No one’s asked me.’ Eventually, the call came, ‘Would you like to join Rainbow?’ and I did.”
Bonnet, for his half, remembered in an interview with Blabbermouth in 2010 that Blackmore “was listening to tapes of lots of bands, and he happened to come across one of my songs. Ritchie auditioned 80 singers and he heard me singing the Marbles’ ‘Only One Woman’ and asked how to get a hold of me. It just happened that Roger Glover was working with a friend of mine, Micky Moody, and he give him my telephone number.”
A trim five-piece
With Cozy Powell nonetheless rock-solid on drums, Rainbow have been now right down to a trim five-piece line-up and emerged from studio classes within the south of France and in New York with a powerful new sound. Because the album hit shops, the UK chart marked a banner week for rock releases.
AC/DC’s Freeway To Hell was a brand new entry at No.8, with Down To Earth shut behind, debuting at No.11. Every week later, AC/DC have been right down to No.11 however Rainbow have been up 4 locations, and per week later, they peaked at No.6. By mid-September, the Russ Ballard music “Since You’ve Been Gone” was beginning a chart run of its personal that noticed it additionally climb to No.6.
By the discharge of 1981’s Troublesome To Remedy, Bonnet himself had been changed by Joe Lynn Turner and Powell by Bobby Rondinelli, however the Rainbow juggernaut roared on regardless, with their greatest UK album and much more hit singles.
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