Not too many of us (i.e. Bhangra loving Indians) may have heard of Ritchie Blackmore. But Im pretty darn sure that there are not too many people who have not heard Ritchie Blackmore not heard his guitar playing that is. The fact is that, most people, even the most unmusical of us must have heard the famous guitar riff intro of Deep Purples Smoke on the Water, at some point in our lives, even if we have not heard of the classic rock anthem called Smoke on the Water. Trust me on the popularity of this one. I even recall watching one really forgettable Akshay Kumar movie where this riff was introduced somewhere in the midst of a dance song! Every kid who aspires to be a guitarist takes his baby steps into the world of rock music by learning this riff. Steve Morse jokingly referred to this riff as the tune no guitar shop will allow you to play on a Saturday morning.
This riff alone would have guaranteed Blackmore a place in the rock n roll hall of fame. However, if you are familiar with Blackmore and Deep Purple then you probably know that he is not a one-riff wonder; churning out many memorable riffs like those in Highway Star, Burn, Black Night, etc. After leaving Deep Purple he went on to found the band Rainbow, discovering in the process, a vocalist known as R.J. Dio. Blackmore later went on to found a band with his lady love Candice Night and called it BLACKMORES NIGHT.
Anyone familiar with Blackmores music in Deep Purple and Rainbow will know him primarily as a great rock guitarist. However in Blackmores Night he shows us another entirely different side to his music. This new band plays, not hard hitting rock, but a music that could be classified as folk rock and renaissance rock. Now, it might be difficult to imagine Blackmore playing any other type of music than rock, but his genius may actually lie in this type of music.
I recently managed to get hold of a number of albums of Blackmores Night. On first getting hold of it I was a bit skeptical. I expected the same kind of music that Deep Purple and Rainbow had led me to expect. Which made me think of how a female vocalist would fit into the whole scheme of things. Anyway I had a listen and. what can I say, it is one of the best music I have heard in a long while!
The music was very different from what I had imagined it to be. Not traditional hard hitting rock but a kind of music which transports the listener to an entirely different world of knights and castles and sorcery (in short, the type of atmosphere evoked by the novels of Walter Scott.)
One thing to note is that they have apparently decided not to go mainstream. So you are not likely to see a video of a Blackmores Night song on VH1 or MTV. But, if anything, I am glad that they have decided not to go mainstream as this enables them to play the music they want (on the effects of going mainstream, think Metallica). So powerful is their music that the first album I listened to, called Shadow of the Moon literally transported me back to the Middle Ages. Their music breathes the very air of the period it evokes. The thing about their music is that it is not the type that you would ideally select for a spell on the treadmill or while working out. I guess it would sound best after a hard days work when you want to sit back and relax (and possibly do it by moonlight)! Here is one of their songs from Shadow of the Moon.
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT:-'PLAY MINSTREL PLAY' - YouTube
Blackmores guitaring is complemented by the vocals of Candice Night. And what a combination it is! Here is one of the most under-rated female vocalists of our age. For its like we have to go back to Emmylou Harris and Linda Rhondstadt (maybe a bit of Celine Dion too, and throw in Enya into the mix). Its the kind of soothing voice that takes you on a trip down memory lane. The album Beyond the Sunset contains a cover of a Joan Baez song Diamonds and Rust and even though purists are going to scoff, Ill say it anyway. It sounds better than Baezs original.
Blackmore`s Night Diamonds and rust - YouTube
Fans of Simon and Garfunkel will love Rainbow Nights instrumental rendering of Scarborough Fair.
Blackmore's Night - Scarbourgh Fair - YouTube
Their version of Elvis Presleys Cant Help Falling in Love may not be too great, though some may appreciate the more beat-y tune (I dont). But it is a lapse I am willing to overlook in the context of the other excellent renderings, like Rednexs Wish You Were Here.
Blackmore's Night Wish you were here - YouTube
Here is the song Renaissance Faire. It's not just the music; it's the lyrics too.
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT:-'RENAISSANCE FAIR' - YouTube
A trip down medieval lane, anyone???
This riff alone would have guaranteed Blackmore a place in the rock n roll hall of fame. However, if you are familiar with Blackmore and Deep Purple then you probably know that he is not a one-riff wonder; churning out many memorable riffs like those in Highway Star, Burn, Black Night, etc. After leaving Deep Purple he went on to found the band Rainbow, discovering in the process, a vocalist known as R.J. Dio. Blackmore later went on to found a band with his lady love Candice Night and called it BLACKMORES NIGHT.
Anyone familiar with Blackmores music in Deep Purple and Rainbow will know him primarily as a great rock guitarist. However in Blackmores Night he shows us another entirely different side to his music. This new band plays, not hard hitting rock, but a music that could be classified as folk rock and renaissance rock. Now, it might be difficult to imagine Blackmore playing any other type of music than rock, but his genius may actually lie in this type of music.
I recently managed to get hold of a number of albums of Blackmores Night. On first getting hold of it I was a bit skeptical. I expected the same kind of music that Deep Purple and Rainbow had led me to expect. Which made me think of how a female vocalist would fit into the whole scheme of things. Anyway I had a listen and. what can I say, it is one of the best music I have heard in a long while!
The music was very different from what I had imagined it to be. Not traditional hard hitting rock but a kind of music which transports the listener to an entirely different world of knights and castles and sorcery (in short, the type of atmosphere evoked by the novels of Walter Scott.)
One thing to note is that they have apparently decided not to go mainstream. So you are not likely to see a video of a Blackmores Night song on VH1 or MTV. But, if anything, I am glad that they have decided not to go mainstream as this enables them to play the music they want (on the effects of going mainstream, think Metallica). So powerful is their music that the first album I listened to, called Shadow of the Moon literally transported me back to the Middle Ages. Their music breathes the very air of the period it evokes. The thing about their music is that it is not the type that you would ideally select for a spell on the treadmill or while working out. I guess it would sound best after a hard days work when you want to sit back and relax (and possibly do it by moonlight)! Here is one of their songs from Shadow of the Moon.
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT:-'PLAY MINSTREL PLAY' - YouTube
Blackmores guitaring is complemented by the vocals of Candice Night. And what a combination it is! Here is one of the most under-rated female vocalists of our age. For its like we have to go back to Emmylou Harris and Linda Rhondstadt (maybe a bit of Celine Dion too, and throw in Enya into the mix). Its the kind of soothing voice that takes you on a trip down memory lane. The album Beyond the Sunset contains a cover of a Joan Baez song Diamonds and Rust and even though purists are going to scoff, Ill say it anyway. It sounds better than Baezs original.
Blackmore`s Night Diamonds and rust - YouTube
Fans of Simon and Garfunkel will love Rainbow Nights instrumental rendering of Scarborough Fair.
Blackmore's Night - Scarbourgh Fair - YouTube
Their version of Elvis Presleys Cant Help Falling in Love may not be too great, though some may appreciate the more beat-y tune (I dont). But it is a lapse I am willing to overlook in the context of the other excellent renderings, like Rednexs Wish You Were Here.
Blackmore's Night Wish you were here - YouTube
Here is the song Renaissance Faire. It's not just the music; it's the lyrics too.
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT:-'RENAISSANCE FAIR' - YouTube
A trip down medieval lane, anyone???
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