"Gates Of Babylon" is a tune taken from the third studio album "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" by the British hard rock band RAINBOW, released in 1978 and the last to feature original lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
"Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" was recorded in April 1977 at a studio in Château d'Hérouville, France, featuring Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio and Cozy Powell. Keyboards were initially played on a session basis by former RAINBOW member Tony Carey, while bass parts were started by Mark Clarke. Clarke was soon dismissed, however, and the bass parts were recorded by Blackmore himself. By July 1977 seven tracks that ended on the album were in demo form. Recording was suspended while the band recruited Bob Daisley and David Stone and thereafter commenced extensive touring of Europe in the summer and fall of 1977. A return to the Château d'Hérouville studio in December saw the band finish the album and also yielded a final track, "Gates Of Babylon".
Although Daisley and Stone are listed on the album credits for their contributions, they joined the band partway through the recording sessions and only appear on three and four songs, respectively. Stone wrote parts of "Gates Of Babylon" but was never credited.
From 2004 to his death in 2010, Dio's solo shows featured a live version of "Kill The King", "Gates Of Babylon", and the title track.
Today's tune "Gates Of Babylon" is made by the American progressive metal band SONS OF APOLLO, they covered "Gates Of Babylon" on their 2019 CD/DVD box "Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony".
"Live in Munich 1977" is a live album and DVD released by the British hard rock band RAINBOW in 2006.
The concert was recorded in Munich on October 20, 1977, originally filmed to air on the German Rockpalast TV show. Repeated airings have led to numerous bootleg video and audio tapes of the show being available through the 80's and 90's. The set is not from the same tour that produced the previously released live album "On Stage" (which was mostly culled from their 1976 Japanese tour), but from their 1977 European tour, a few months prior to the release of "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", with a different bass player and keyboardist.
The DVD release also features the three promotional videos for RAINBOWs "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" album, and interviews with Bob Daisley and former tour manager Colin Hart.
On April 26, 2010 a double 180 gram limited edition gatefold vinyl reissue of the album was released through Just For Kicks Music (Germany).
On May 6, 2013, the CD and DVD were reissued by Eagle Rock and Eagle Vision respectively. The only difference being the addition of "RAINBOW Over Texas '76", a short 13-minute feature, to the DVD, and revised track timings to the CD tracks. Many of the titles on the original 2006 issue CD were edited, cutting almost 15 minutes from the total length of the concert; the 2013 issue restores these edits, making the total running time closer to that of the concert film.
On "Live In Munich 1977" you get the classic tunes that were 3-5 minutes long in the studio, but live it's something totally different, the tunes are stretched out exponentially with solos, jams and the occasional foray into another song, exactly what I want as a listener, I want to feel it, Live with it and sense it. "Live In Munich 1977" is pure "Live" rock, a complete live concert without any real production. It's simply the band playing their asses off in October 1977. The line up during this evening consist of man with the big voice Ronnie James Dio along with the string bender Ritchie Blackmore, the drummer and percussionist Cozy Powell, bass and backing vocals by Bob Daisley and David Stone on keyboards.
"Live In Munich 1977" reminds of the RAINBOW live recording "On Stage" but there are some differences, first the order of the tracks.
Like today's tune "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" that is almost a minute longer here and it's shreds the "On Stage" version, as does the thrashing opener "Kill the King". "Man on the Silver Mountain" is a beast on this live recording, 3 and half minute longer that the "On Stage" version, is it better, well yes!. "Catch the Rainbow" is a real beauty on this recording, Ronnie James Dio sings with a such a feeling that is this might be his prime time on stage. Then we also have the 25 minute "Still I'm Sad" and the closing killer "Do You Close Your Eyes" where we hear Blackmore's skill at his highest peak when he plays the hell of the whole band.
This a really mindblowing recording, the sound is really good and it's freaking tight and raw, a record that you need in your collection if you are a RAINBOW, DIO fan!
Today's tune "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves"
When performing this song with RAINBOW, lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore would lead into it with the original "Greensleeves". Running to 3 minutes 21 seconds, it was co-written with lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio who said "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" is Blackmore's idea of a castle where the black knight lives. The black knight of course being Ritchie and the black knight periodically comes out of his castle and captures a young peasant maiden from the village.
Blackmore appears to have lived out this fantasy in his personal life; after lengthy spells with DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE again, he formed Blackmore's Night and began writing, playing and recording traditional Olde Englishe music. The other half of the duo, the former Candice Isralow, met Blackmore when she was still a teenager. In October 2008, after working together for more than a decade, the two married. On stage, the stunningly attractive American blonde - Blackmore's fourth wife - has the appearance of a true Mediaeval damsel, and in spite of their age difference, this appears to be a marriage made in heaven.
Hailing from Stockholm, gloomy metal outfit Avatarium was founded in late 2012. Following the success of their eponymous debut, out on November 01st, 2013 and the first ever single "Moonhorse", released September 20th of the same year, Avatarium have just announced the release of their new EP ‘All I Want’. The vinyl/digital only EP will be out November 14th, 2014 via Nuclear Blast.
Mid 2013, just eight months within the bands’ history, the word was spreading rapidly about their special blend of heavy adventurous music: Influenced by the likes of Jethro Tull, Blue Öyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, adding the peaks of pop and 60’s vibes, Avatarium deliver some delicate moments of beauty and frailness rarely to be found in a band these days.
Avatarium have launched a lyric video for the title track from their upcoming EP "All I Want". I
The band are led by Candlemass bassist Leif Edling, and also feature frontwoman Jennie-Ann Smith, guitarist Marcus Jidell (Royal Hunt, Evergrey), drummer Lars Sköld (Tiamat) and keyboardist Carl Westholm.
The old spirit comes even more alive, with psychedelic percussionist Michael Blair, who has worked with Tom Waits and Lou Reed, among others, guesting on "All I Want".
Commented Marcus Jidell: "[Michael] showed up at the studio with a big 'bag of tricks' with metals, crashers, shakers and a lot of strange things which he made sound like if you throw in a punkrocker at Woodstock and feed him with psychedelic pills!" About the new songs, he adds: "We tried to keep things simple and spontaneous during the recordings, something I hope people will be able to hear. Also, I think that Jennie-Ann Smith has reached new levels with the way she sings on both of the new songs!"
The three live songs were recorded at the 2014 edition of renowned Roadburn festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands, which was the second ever Avatarium show and the first one outside of Sweden.
Due to his health condition, Edling was unable to perform with Avatarium at some of the band's most recent gigs. Filling in for him once again was Anders Iwers from Tiamat.
Percussionist Michael Blair guests on the EP and Jidell previously said his contribution helped them break new musical ground. He said: "Michael showed up at the studio with a big bag of tricks, with metals, crashers, shakers and a lot of strange things. He made sound like if you throw in a punk rocker at Woodstock and feed him with psychedelic pills!
Sunday, time for a classic. Today we will pick a tune from "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow", the first album by British rock guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's solo band Rainbow, released in 1975. The tune I have in mind is called "Temple Of The King", the song is a really beautiful piece that touches your heart and soul deeply and most likely give you some hard goose bumps. A perfect tune to play to your love one, so I dedicate this one to Thetania.
The album was created during a studio sessions in Tampa Bay, Florida on 12 December 1974, Blackmore originally planned to record the solo single "Black Sheep of the Family"- a cover of a track by the band Quatermass from 1970. The newly composed "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" was to be the B-side. Other musicians involved included singer/lyricist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Gary Driscoll of blues rock band Elf, and cellist Hugh McDowell of ELO. Satisfied with the two tracks, Blackmore decided to extend the sessions to a full album.
For the album the other members of Elf, keyboardist Micky Lee Soule and bassist Craig Gruber were utilised. The album was recorded in Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany during February–March 1975. Though it was originally thought to be a solo album, the record was billed as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, and later progressed to a new band project. Blackmore and Dio did promotional work for the album. Shortly after the album was released, all Elf members,excluding Dio, were sacked, and Blackmore recruited new musicians for subsequent Rainbow albums. This first line-up never performed live, and the live photos used in the album art are of Blackmore while with Deep Purple and of Elf playing live.
The last track of the album "Still I'm Sad" is an instrumental cover of a song by The Yardbirds from their 1965 album Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds. "Catch the Rainbow" uses a similar chord progression and vocal melody to Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" from the 1967 album Axis: Bold as Love.
The original vinyl release had a gate fold sleeve, although later budget reissues on Polydor reduced to a single sleeve. The album's songs have been performed by subsequent Rainbow line-ups.
The album was widely praised for its fantasy/heroic-like lyrical content and the innovative rock style.
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow was re-issued on CD in remastered form in the US in April 1999. The European release followed later in the year.
Vocalist Ronnie James Dio considered this release his favourite Rainbow album.
Despite the title implying the record being a Ritchie Blackmore solo release, in later years Blackmore has jokingly stated that Dio's contributions warranted a re-titling of "Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio's Rainbow".
Lyric Video with Ronnie James Dio on Vocals, taken from the album "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow"
Dio-The Temple Of The King/Heaven And Hell Live In Loud Park 10.14.2006
Rainbow - Temple Of The King (Live at Philipshalle, Düsseldorf 1995) with Doogie White on vocals
Time flies, it's only to realize that we were soon sitting in the pimped electric wheelchair and talk music with other seniors. Today, four years ago, a real musical hero left the earth life, we will of course pay attention to this and play a song in his name.
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona, July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was an American rock and heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He fronted numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band, Dio. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture. Dio sold over 47 million albums throughout his career.
Todays tune "Stargazer" is the fifth track from Rainbow's 1976 album Rising. An epic song narrating the story of a wizard whose attempt to fly led to the enslavement of vast numbers of people, it is notable for its musical qualities as well, with the guitar and drum solos cited as important examples of the qualities of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and drummer Cozy Powell.
The long, epic track with symphonic influences starts with a short drum solo by Cozy Powell, a "great drumming moment" frequently cited as an example of his skills. It features the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, a mellotron, and what Ritchie Blackmore called "a string thing all playing this half-Turkish Scale". Blackmore's solo, after the second verse, is in B Phrygian dominant scale, and is cited as "one of his best".
The song has been called a "morality tale", and its lyrics are written from the standpoint of a "slave in Egyptian times", according to lyricist Ronnie James Dio. They relate the story of the Wizard, an astronomer become "obsessed with the idea of flying", who enslaves a vast army of people to build him a tower from which he can take off and fly. The people hope for the day when their misery comes to an end, building the tower in harsh conditions ("In the heat and rain, with whips and chains; / to see him fly, so many died"). In the end, the wizard climbs to the top of the tower but, instead of flying, falls down and dies: "no sound as he falls instead of rising. / Time standing still, then there's blood on the sand". The next song, "A Light in the Black", continues the story of the people who have lost all purpose after the Wizard's death "until they see the Light in the Dark", according to Dio.
Hooks: a musical idea or short riff, passage, or phrase that catches the ear of the listener. Some bands have ‘em, most don’t. Austin-based five-piece Scorpion Child have ‘em in spades. Whether it’s an extended blues jam or a short slice of bombastic heavy rock “The Child” lay a hook so tasty everyone bites.
The Child, a band that plays hardrock and have all the classic ingredients to create a brilliant tune, where you, music listeners will dig into, maybe even become a new fan, my heart did they steal already at the first riff! It's a classic, messy and really catchy, heavy progressive sounds of Uriah Heep and the epic delivery of early Rainbow.
Attributes in music are known to be cyclical. Every few years, a band comes along which borrows just enough from the revered past to bring a new infusion of vitality to the musical present. The Child‘s sound invokes a time when guitar-driven rock ruled radio’s airwaves, when being hypnotized by a frontman and his bandmates in a concert arena was one of life’s ultimate main events.
Scorpion Child has spent the last few years perfecting both its songwriting and stage show. Guitarists Chris Cowart and David Finner deliver their finessed twin guitar attack with experience older than their years; bassist Shaun Avants and drummer Shawn Alvear are steadfast sentinels of their driving rhythm section; and lead singer Aryn Jonathan Black fronts the psychedelic rock cavalry with a passion and voice reminiscent of the early eras of Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio.
Todays tune "Polygon Of Eyes" is the first single of their forthcoming self-titled album, it will be released on June 21. Produced and arranged by Chris “Frenchie” Smith (The Answer, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Toadies), the CD was recorded using analog recording technology. It will be released as a limited CD digipack, vinyl, digital download versions of “Scorpion Child”.
More info @
Official Scorpion ChildWeb
Official Scorpion ChildFacebook
Listen to ”Scorpion Child - Polygon Of Eyes" on Spotify here!
New week, which means a new album that may be titled "Record Of The Week". Yesterday when I was looking for the sunday classic and played some Thin Lizzy and after all search for the right classic, so for some reason will always Rainbow's "Rising" comes up, it shows up like a jack in the box. Wondering if it's the cover that makes you always pull it out, or it may be a magnetic field that surrounds the record, what do I know, there it came anyway, and there it lay completely untouched until Thin Lizzy was fully completed and it was time to put on a new album, which got to be "Rising", heck and holy moses what a record this is, the memories you get, hell of swing the band creates, do not know how many times I clicked the volume button during the play, but it was quite high at the end, all i can say it was a wonderful time all the 33 minutes or so.
Rising (also known as Rainbow Rising is the second hard rock/heavy metal album by Rainbow, released in 1976. This is the only album of the band that has reached Platinum status in the USA.
With Ritchie Blackmore retaining only Ronnie James Dio from the previous album, he recruited drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Jimmy Bain and keyboard player Tony Carey to complete the new line-up. Recorded in Munich in less than a month, the album was overseen by rock producer and engineer Martin Birch. The record was originally billed as Blackmore's Rainbow in the US.
Few of the album tracks made it into the band's live set: "Stargazer" and "Do You Close Your Eyes", written prior to the inaugural US tour in late 1975, featured in all the 1975 and 1976 shows, while "A Light in the Black" was dropped early in the 1976 tour, although it was reintroduced into the set during the Japanese dates. "Starstruck" was played in shortened form usually as part of "Man on the Silver Mountain".
According to the All Music Guide, Rising captured Blackmore and Dio at the peak of their creative powers...(it) chronicled both the guitarist's neo-classical metal compositions at their most ambitious, and the singer's growing fixation with fantasy lyrical themes — a blueprint he would adopt for his entire career thereafter.
The album showpiece, the 8 minute and 26 second piece "Stargazer", which features the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, originally had a keyboard intro found on the 2011 Deluxe Edition's "Rough Mix" version.
The first CD issue had a slightly different mix to that of the original LP, including, for example, a longer delay before the band entered after Carey's opening solo in "Tarot Woman", a longer play-out on "Run with the Wolf" and the track "Stargazer" had the vocals mixed without the delay, the extra synthesizer deleted and some of the phased sounds deleted. When remastered in 1999 the original vinyl mix was restored.
After several reschedulings, the album was finally released in Japan on April 5, 2011 as a 2 SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) Deluxe Remastered Edition. This limited edition reissue will only be released in a cardboard gatefold sleeve (mini LP-style paper jacket) featuring the "high-fidelity" SHM-CD manufacturing process (compatible with standard CD players) and is part of a two-album Rainbow cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring Rainbow Rising and Down to Earth. Both feature the unique-to-Japan obi strip and an additional insert.
Todays tune "A Light In The Black" is as you guessed taken from the album "Rising"
Here is a full show from 20/10 1977 in Munich, when Rainbow is performing. The electric rainbow that spanned the stage used so much power, it frequently interfered with the guitars and amplifiers.
In issue 1 of Kerrang! magazine, Rising was voted as the number 1 album of all time.
German thrash metal band Paradox (German band) covered the song "A Light in the Black" on the "Tales of the Weird" album (as bonus track).
Another hero has left the planet, It is with deep sadness we write these lines. Yesterday it got announced that the legendary keyboard player Jon Lord has left this earth. Jon who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism yesterday, Monday 16th July at the London Clinic, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord D.M. (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012) was an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, besides Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods and Flower Pot Men.
Best known for his Orchestral work Concerto for Group & Orchestra first performed at Royal Albert Hall with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969 and conducted by the renowned Malcolm Arnold, a feat repeated in 1999 when it was again performed at the Royal Albert Hall by the London Symphony Orchestra and Deep Purple.
In 1968, Lord founded Deep Purple, where he was virtually the leader of the band until 1970. In addition, Lord wrote the organ riff on "Child in Time". He and drummer Ian Paice were the only constant band members during the band's existence from 1968 to 1976 and from when they reformed in 1984 until Lord's retirement from Deep Purple in 2002. On 11 November 2010, Lord was made an Honorary Fellow of Stevenson College, Edinburgh. On 15 July 2011, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Music degree by his home town's University of Leicester. Jon Lord was married to Vickie Lord, the twin sister of Ian Paice's wife, Jackie. The twin girls were the daughters of Frank Gibbs, owner of the Oakley House Country Club, Brewood, Staffs. They both live in the United Kingdom. He had two daughters, Amy, with Vickie, and Sara, with his first wife Judith Feldman, to whom he was married from 1969 to 1981. Up until July 2012, Lord had been working on material with recently formed rock supergroup WhoCares, also featuring singer Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, guitarist Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, second guitarist Mikko Lindström from HIM, bassist Jason Newsted formerly from Metallica and drummer Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden.
Todays tune "Green Onions", is a tune that was written by Booker T. & the M.G.'s 1962. Jon Lord & The Hoochie Coochie Men record the classic "Green onions" at Hyatt Regency Coolum in February 2003. The tune is picked from "The Hoochie Coochie Men" released 2001 & Live at the Basement 2003
The Hoochie Coochie Men is a renowned Australian blues group composed of former Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne bass player Bob Daisley, guitarist and singer Tim Gaze and drummer Rob Grosser. The recurring member of the band is former Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord who first performed with The Hoochie Coochie Men in February 2003 after due to injury he hadn't been able to perform his usual concert setlist on piano. The band is also usually joined on stage by various harmonica players. Hoochoe Coochie Men's second studio album, Danger. White Men Dancing features guest performances from vocalists Ian Gillan, Jimmy Barnes and Jeff Duff.
The Hoochie Coochie Men was also the name of the All-Stars in 1964 when Cyril Davies died and Long John Baldry took the band over and renamed it. In 1965 the band morphed into The Steampacket.
Jon Lord 9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012. Jon passes from Darkness to Light and left more than "Smoke on the water" when you left this world.
More info @
Official The Hoochie Coochie Men Web
Official Jon Lord Web
Listen to ”The Hoochie Coochie Men - Green Onions (Live at the Basement)" on Spotify here!
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