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Mr. Richard Hugh Blackmore was a romantic gentleman
A branch of the family tree rarely explored — an interview with Shoshana Feinstein, a former Blackmore’s girlfriend, who sang background vocals on the first Rainbow album.
Christopher: How and in what circumstance did you meet Ritchie Blackmore? Would you tell me when and where the story with him begins?
Shoshana Feinstein: I met Richie in the summer of 1972 at an outdoor concert in the Bronx New York.My drummer from Uncas loved Ian Paice and the two of us were die-hard Purple fans so we drove down to NYC to see this outdoor concert. I was standing outside waiting for the band to play. I had black hair down to my waist, a scarf tied around my breasts and a long flowing skirt on. I looked like a very exotic Gypsy. Ritchie came up to me immediately as he was perusing the audience and invited me backstage. That is when it began … our romance. We communicated through the mail and phone calls. When we met, we had an immediate connection, that I was rather surprised about because I considered Ritchie to be a rather dark brooding type of guy (he was) but I must have brought something out in him that was vulnerable and more gentle.
Read more in the Suwałki Blues Festival blog.
Thanks to Andres for the heads-up
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Candice ain’t gonna like this, nuff said
Have you checked this with Candice and her mother?
February 28th, 2023 at 02:56Should be a winner at the box office though, all rights reserved etc. Nothing like a good soap drama to get the claws out. Cheers.
February 28th, 2023 at 06:58Wow! She has an amazing memory, would like to hear The Man In Black’s version? that ain’t gonna happen : )
February 28th, 2023 at 12:29Ritchie Blackmore is not only a better guitarist than Jimmy Page, he plays better football than Jimmy, and he had nicer female friends as support than Jimmy. 🙂 Good job Shoshanom Feinstein for background vocals “Still I’m Sad”
February 28th, 2023 at 12:54Now we know where the song ” Gypsy” came from.
February 28th, 2023 at 13:13Harmless fun, sadly I missed the 70s sex, drugs and R&R as my toy was still developing.
February 28th, 2023 at 13:38Peace ✌️
“Ritchie Blackmore is not only a better guitarist than Jimmy Page, he plays better football than Jimmy, and he had nicer female friends as support than Jimmy.”
They also tended to be somewhat older.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpDSq9Jh89WJZ6D1W66JFJBwfHhV-OAZP48Q&usqp=CAU
I once witnessed how Ronnie Dio (when still with Rainbow) escorted a few girls who couldn’t have been older than say 14 (I was 15 at the time and they looked younger than me though they had done their valiant best to look more mature, but they really looked like Bay City Rollers fans dressed for a hard rock occasion) from Rainbow’s backstage area in a very genial way pre-concert. Ronnie being Ronnie, I believe they just got their autographs.
And Roger vocally regrets ever having written the lyrics to All Night Long, “you’re so young, but you’re overage” wouldn’t go down all that well today.
February 28th, 2023 at 14:23Great article…. some of my good friends live in Oxnard about 30 minutes from our house. Small world. Shoshana’s backing vocals on the first Rainbow record are superb. I bought the Ritchie Blackmore Rock Profile Vol. 2 years ago and that remastering/mix of “Still I’m Sad” really gave that track some new punch and I think that is one of Blackmore’s greatest instrumentals, well instrumentals with backing vocals, ha ha. Great read.
My 2 Cents,
Frank
February 28th, 2023 at 15:48Her backing vocals on Catch The Little Wing were great too, I always thought that was Ronnie himself, double-tracking with his falsetto voice.
Didn’t Ritchie’s mother or grandmother have Gypsy/Irish Travellers blood? I believe to remember having read something along those lines. He sure does have the look. It’s something that supposedly runs in my family too, my mother told me that my great-grandmother was always referred to as “fallen off the covered wagon” (“vom Planwagen gefallen”), a term insinuating gypsy origins.
As for Candice “culturally appropriating” (as he current term would be) Gypsy elements in her stage look, I always wonder whether Angela Allen of Carmen (the Flamenco-inspired US-Brit band Ritchie admired in the 70ies) was her role model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmV6osZr9d8
There are some striking similarities.
http://rocknpics.com/rockpix/carmen/CA3203.jpg
http://rocknpics.com/rockpix/carmen/mjb_2214.jpg
https://madelinex.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/carmen-91.jpg
February 28th, 2023 at 17:26What did she sing on the debut?
February 28th, 2023 at 20:25I have said it before that Blackmore wouldn’t last 2 seconds with a genuine songwriting & composing creative ‘European’ musical lass. He didn’t like competition it seems, ‘just do as I say. There are plenty like that unfortunately. He was like that from what we have read over the years with males, so a female stood very little chance at all. He needed to manipulate or ‘create’ a muse. Cheers.
February 28th, 2023 at 21:35Ritchie seems to have a thing for Jewish ladies with the family roots in the Eastern Europe. It’s also curious that his music is especially popular here. Must be some kind of a mystic connection.
February 28th, 2023 at 21:47Blackmore’s music has always had a Central to Eastern European tinge, even in the 70ies. Pictures of Home was inspired by the jingle of an Eastern European short wave radio station (Bulgarian?). He’s not very Celtic Music-influenced at all (and has said in interviews that he finds Celtic Folk repetitive). And it was a US rock mag – Creem? – that wrote about Burn and the then new Mk III line-up “even with the new line-up they still sound as Yuropean (sic!) as a vampire movie”.
Jon Lord’s Sarabande had a distinct Central/Eastern Classical music influence too, just listen to the glorious Bouree:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvnUmyaBxlE
I always thought that made DP’s music stand out, they sounded a lot more European than, say, Led Zeppelin.
***********
Henrik, Shoshana sang backing vocals on just two tracks of the debut: Catch The Rainbow and Still I’m Sad.
March 1st, 2023 at 14:25Georgivs: But only after being married twice to Krauts! Interestingly, he’s never in his adult life had a British significant other. It was all Krauts or Yanks (the majority of which were indeed of Jewish descent, only Tammi/Tammy wasn’t).
https://live.staticflickr.com/5444/30066395770_880f9c7b08_b.jpg
March 1st, 2023 at 15:51Uwe Hornung@13
March 1st, 2023 at 16:37What a pure Gem you brought up from our beloved Jon Lord.
I love that piece so much because I am from a middle Eastern background and it touches that side as well.
My love for Jon is as strong as ever and I still get tearful listening to his music.
RIP Jon Lord, you will never be forgotten.
Peace✌️
@14
He only had had krauts because he was young and immature back then. And then he grew up… )
Just kidding.
March 1st, 2023 at 18:09@ 13 – good comedy Uwe, ‘ I always thought that made DP’s music stand out, they sounded a lot more European than, say, Led Zeppelin’. Sadly predictable though & you must be joking surely. Except the blues of Led Zeppelin & a few ‘rock ‘n roll’ numbers they mixed it up much more than Deep Purple ever did. Jon Lord brought more into Purple’s classical influence than Blackmore, so that was good on the
March 1st, 2023 at 20:40Concerto & April etc. Richard did delve into a few European things in DP, more in Rainbow though. Cheers.
The Downunderling: Zep had some Arabic and Ethno influences too (especially in their later work), no doubt, but the core of their music was American Blues, Celtic Folk + Page’s electrified Yardbirds pop influence. That is what the first four Zep albums pretty much consist of.
“Except the Blues” – if you take the Blues out of the Zeppelin equation, there isn’t much left!
Blackmore began incorporating Eastern scales into his solos already in the late 60ies, their impact on him grew over time. By the early 7Oies he became dismissive in interviews of other contemporary guitarists that – in his opinion – just soloed in pentatonic Blues scales such as Eric Clapton and Alvin Lee.
March 1st, 2023 at 22:43Georgivs: Becoming a father (to Jürgen) at a very young age (19) might have had something to do with the marriage to Margit in 1964,
https://images.bild.de/62c6907bf261a306986ad4d5/e8bed24688a8e0a2c0f89c8678ced375,b4e29611?w=992
but marrying Bärbel in 1969
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1427956876/de/foto/british-songwriter-and-guitarist-ritchie-blackmore-after-marrying-german-dancer-barbel-hardie.jpg?s=612×612&w=0&k=20&c=Pa5MhU80o8LAh2Z8pSsRlacJYCAgW0l89zVMD-gpI0I=
(they divorced around the time of the recording of Stormbringer) could indeed have been a case of old habits dying hard!
I wonder if his German has held up, Wikipedia claims he’s fluent. The garbled title of “Vielleicht das nächster Zeit” indicates some room for grammar improvement, mind you. “Durch den Wald zum Bach Haus” (“Bach” referring to the composer, not a creek) is commendably correct though.
March 1st, 2023 at 23:00Without turning this into another Zep v Purple thing, if possible which we already have, again, not to worry. I really like the way Zep’s music, especially the Eastern, Folk & Symphonic compositions took a different journey. Houses Of The Holy, No Quarter & the magnificent The Rain Song. Then Kashmir, In The Light, Ten Years Gone, even the coutry-ish Down By The Seaside an ode to the CSN&Y era of American folk rock bands I do believe. I do like a few of their mid to later blues epics also, but not their earlier albums so much, except a song here & there. Personally I don’t think they hit their high point until HOTH, around 1973. The folkier Zep 3 album & a couple on Zep Four also of course. They delved deeper into the cauldron than Purple did for me. However I do still rate the Purps & some Rainbow up their as well, it depends on the desire at the time. I have been playing a lot of classic era Purple recently but not Zeppelin for a long time. I guess it is Percy that I tried to avoid on many of their songs for reasons we have discussed here before. Squeezing those lemons just doesn’t do it for me, well not hearing someone else going on about it anyway. Cheers.
March 2nd, 2023 at 00:17Who would have thought that Uwe would inspire someone to listen to Led Zeppelin? Well that is what has happened & kudos to Uwe for that inspiration. Just thought I would listen to a few lengthy tracks from my favourite album Physical Graffiti. Wonderful as always. Cheers.
March 2nd, 2023 at 04:39I‘m sorry, Herr MacGregor, I had no intention leading you to the dark side again!
But you‘ve got to read my posts correctly, I wrote that DP sounds more European than Zep due to the Eastern European and Central European influence, I didn’t say that Zep is devoid of any other outside influences. But they are from somewhere else, North Africa for example.
And would you believe that my two favorite Zep albums are Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti? And not for Kashmir, but for stuff like In My Time of Dying and Boogie with Stu.
March 2nd, 2023 at 13:32I remember you said you liked Physical Graffiti somewhere a while ago. I don’t listen to Kashmir these days, not because I don’t like it, it has been heard too many times, a bit like Bohemian Rhapsody, Hotel California, Smoke on the Water, etc, etc, all wonderful iconic songs but played to death everywhere over time. The Houses of the Holy album is half great & half forgettable for me, but the good half keeps the album viable. Zeppelin don’t have a really strong album through & through to my ears. Graffiti would be the strongest & that is a double with many songs from previous album sessions in various forms. I did read something you may enjoy regarding the HOTH album cover. Storm Thorgerson was initially going to do one & presented them with a tennis racket cover of sorts. Allegedly the band was livid & took it that Thorgerson was visually implying that Zeppelin sounded like a bit of a racket so they went with Aubrey Powell’s cover instead. Cheers.
March 2nd, 2023 at 20:39@ 21 & 22 Ha,ha !!! This is a funny thread to read through imo…
1. Mr.Blackmore has acquired the hard-earned “trade-name”, that almost guarantees success in any recording / touring venture. That’s why “he’s the boss” & you do as your told when in his employ.
2. There’s a Canadian band known as “The Tea Party” that have truly captured the LZ vibe & turned-it-into-their-own, & brought it into the 21st century, whilst bouncing off contemporary sounds. Check them out if you haven’t yet, well worth the effort imo…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FJ0eBP0qL0
Let the fun continue !
Peace !
March 3rd, 2023 at 03:51@ 24- yes indeed there are a few ‘bosses’ out there in the music scene. Neil Young, David Bowie, Ian Anderson, Jeff Beck, Richard Blackmore & no doubt a few others.
March 3rd, 2023 at 07:05I have to applaud Shoshana for insisting on calling Blackmore ‘Richard’. Classic. ‘Now you do as you are told Richard”. Can you imagine? Cheers.
@25 said qt ” Now you do as you are told Richard “. Can you imagine ? Cheers.
LOL ! It does gave an unusual sound to it…It’s quite possible that when the “lady-of-the-house” is upset, he may still yet hear those words spoken that way, especially if it’s beer-‘o’-clock, & there’s other things to get done…
Peace !
March 3rd, 2023 at 11:01Ritchie actually did some of his best work when he was forced out of his comfort zone. But he’s a musical conservative at heart. And he’s never understood that he has more to gain by opening up to other people’s ideas than by relegating them to comply with his wishes only.
I don’t know what it is with him, maybe having played sessions with Joe Meek for too long, never having any security what part of his take would show up on the final release of the recording and how it would sound – no artistic control. Or some deep – albeit unwarranted if you ask me – inferiority complex/grudge inside of him that he might not be visible enough unless he calls all the shots? It’s talent wasted actually. Couldn’t Candice have been a jazz pianist instead? ; – )
Bowie was different. Like a vampire, he’d feast on the individuality of his players and use it for his own inspiration, until eventually, of course, discarding them when he found something new. ‘Hunger’, his 1983 vampire movie with Catherine Deneuve, indeed.
March 3rd, 2023 at 15:39With Blackmore it would be personality I would think so the second point you raised is more possibly along the lines of his mind set at times. Two really strong ‘vampire’s’ within popular music I didn’t mention are Frank Zappa & apparently Miles Davis was like that also from what I was told last night, wandering around under the the star lit night chatting to my violin playing friend. The only problem was this younger violin player is a Led Zeppelin geek & kept banging on about the Earl’s Court 1975 concert in it’s entirety. The Moon was making it’s auspicious presence felt also & Uwe summoning Zeppelin a few days ago has me now facing the dilemma of listening to 3 hours of the 1975 concert, apparently on youtube. I very much doubt I will do that, possibly a couple of songs, The Song Remans the Same segueing into The Rain Song will do so I have something to contribute to the conversation next time. What is it with these Zep aficionado’s. Possessed me thinks. Cheers.
March 3rd, 2023 at 21:29@27 & 28…ROTFLMAO !
When it comes to work, & getting paid big-bux with a top-tier artist, who would expect anything less than having to donate blood from time-to-time ?…
The Earls Court show from 1975 is an excellent affair imo. I grabbed a bootleg DVD of the apparently quite rare 2nd-night, & I enjoy every minute of it. It takes a few tunes for Robert Plant’s voice to sparkle & shine, but everyone does quite well, & it’s thoroughly enjoyable.
I was at first a little daunted at sitting through a 3-hour performance, but it’s quite easy to get through, & you can always hit the “pause” button to go to the bathroom or make drinks yadda yadda.
The one thing the film displayed however, is that the whole band was a top-quality act, with great songs, superb audience interaction, & confidence that didn’t overwhelm anyone, only invited people to participate with the band.
Watch it ! Good things need to be remembered & respected every-once-in-a-while, & LZ were without question one-of-the-best, & at the top-of-their game by 1975. And everyone in the band gets the spotlight for a solo segment, & this reveals just how awesome John Paul Jones is, & how disgracefully under-stated he is in today’s musical discussions.
Peace !
March 4th, 2023 at 01:26@ 25
I was surprised to read that Richard called Shoshana Judith.
I also remembered for decades saying that she was the love of his life and then to read he dumped her…..
Did not understand why, I loved Amy but Shoshana really seems the big one for me.
Saw pic of RBs children, is it me or do I see Carols DNA shining tru?
March 4th, 2023 at 16:30@ 29- the Earls Court concert on the tube I tried to watch was the 25 May 1975 gig. Plant is suffering big time but vocalists are up against a lot while touring etc so I can cut him some slack, as I will with any singer due to the stress they can be put through. However Page is mr sloppy on that, at least what I witnessed. He has always had that to his live playing at times & probably more as time went on due to other reasons. Our resident LZ aficionado Uwe has commented plenty of times regarding Mr Page being the ‘weak link’ far too much. Well words to that affect, I have to be careful, he he he! I can’t keep watching LZ like that & I think I have tried sometime before from my memory. I have yet to see or hear Jones & Bonham playing all over the place with Zeppelin, they always deliver. I agree regarding JP Jones, he is under rated & without him it does make me wonder how LZ would have musically survived for the 10 years that they did. One reason I enjoy the ITTOD album is that he is prominent with Plant there in regards to the songwriting influence. It is a different album & JPJ shines on that. Agree re the DP Machine Head lasting another 50 years & beyond. And yes todays ‘music’ will it be remembered as affectionately? I doubt it although ‘bubblegum’ does tend to stick around for longer than one would like. Sorry another sad attempt at humour. I should be a music journalist at CR or even Rolling Stone perhaps. Cheers.
March 4th, 2023 at 22:32The Led Zeppelin May 24 Earls Court concert is much much better than the 25 May.
March 5th, 2023 at 05:10I rather enjoyed most of the songs I watched, always hoping Percy would minimise his vocal antics, alas he didn’t, not to worry. Always admired John Bonham’s playing & drum sound, what a quality drum kit he had, good old Ludwig. A nice big clear sound on everything. Cheers.
@32…Your post encouraged me to watch the LZ gig I have, & it’s the 25th May show…And it’s not a 3-hour show, but closer to 3-hrs, & 45-minutes…
What a marathon…I did remember from my last viewing that when Bonzo has his drum solo, there’s under an hour left when he’s finished lol !
For myself, that’s all I need however re-LZ on film. I have the full discography, & I’m still one of those folks who loves the lights down, eyes closed, & music cranked ! Though watching a good concert DVD is OK too sometimes. And I really like LZ’s final album “Coda” even though it gets minimal praise from people. “Darlene” is a killer riff, & sits nicely among quite a few uncut gems on that album.
DP were a far more explosive act, with the music being far more in the high energy spectrum of things…LZ may have had a more agreeable light & shade, but the overall intensity isn’t as dramatic as DP imo, at least at that time between 1970-75, & within the live arena. Both are great bands however, & it’s good to have them to listen too or watch & enjoy. The same equal praise & thanks goes to Black Sabbath too for my tastes. (In fact, BS never really stood still, they were always growing & developing through the 1970’s & beyond. Each album musically got arguably better & better, even if the band & fans had issues here & there, with this album & that one…They always moved forward, & possibly held the longest original line-up of the three bands mentioned).
Peace !
March 5th, 2023 at 13:10I’ll say a few nice things about Zep, just to confuse you and pretend I’m being balanced in my judgement.
Page is sloppy as hell, but gifted. That’s why his live performances always were hit & miss, but on a good day his inspired moments outshone the ramshackle delivery. Zep as a band we’re about capturing moments, not consistent performance. If you want consistent performance, go see Status Quo or AC/DC.
John Paul Jones was the most complete musician within the band. As his bass playing goes, it was probably more sophisticated than Simper’s, Glover’s and Hughes’ with Purple ever where, yet his fate was to be in a band where attention was constantly diverted from him by the three other Zep members who took up more space than the fellow musicians of the three DP bassists – though a larger line-up with a constant Hammond – ever did. It’s counterintuitive, I know, Zep should be the band where the bass should have the more prominent position to the chugging Purple, but that’s not how it works sonically, with Zep the bass takes a backseat though it’s well-played.
With the exception of perhaps Angus Young, there is no musician on earth other than John Bonham who has turned the inherent limitations of his playing as much into strengths and personal style. To my eternal chagrin, that’s not even a knock. He’s like a colorblind painter who just with varying shades of grey, white and black creates the illusion of color. He didn’t get that Page’s Kashmir riff was not 4/4, so he just drummed as if it was. That would have gotten him kicked out of a Jethro Tull or a Rush rehearsal pronto, with Zeppelin it’s called high art and musical genius. And he’s left generations of drummers with the impression that dragging behind the beat is something to strive for. No mean feat.
Don’t quote me on any of this.
March 5th, 2023 at 16:16@ 34 – I am not confused, shock would be the more correct word. And if I cannot quote you how am I going to respond. Now that is confusing and it has stumped me big time. Regarding the Ludwig drums I mentioned, I was always disappointed when Ian Paice turned up in the early 80’s with a different & not better sounding drum set up, from where I hear them from at least. Maybe he wanted a change or perhaps the endorsement etc was a better fit for him. I myself owned a Sonor kit, wonderful they were. That German precision again, superb. @ 33- It is interesting you mentioned Sabbath as I was looking at SBS yesterday & how many of those songs didn’t get played live. It was like that for the remaining years of the classic lineup. More complex albums from 1973 on & they had their first 3-4 albums to pull songs from for a live concert. I do enjoy the albums from ’73 onwards much more as they are more diverse & include different musical styles. Even though Iommi copped a lot of flak for diversifying I am sure glad he did. Regarding those Earl Court Zeppelin concerts, they are too long for me. A lot of time wasting for want of a better description. Good value for money though for attendee’s & we can as you said pause the concert at any time. At least Plant gets plenty of time to go the the pub. Hell he could have gone on a holiday & returned in time for the next song. I just think the guitar & drum solo’s are over kill. Cheers.
March 5th, 2023 at 21:45@34…Your post is good Uwe imo ! Perhaps the word that drummers would use to also describe Bonzo’s style, is that he thought & often played in what’s called 1/2-time. This makes for a more powerful pulse, whilst allowing the music around him sound more complicated & busy, since it has more room to express between each pulse. It also keeps the audience in an easy to get along with groove.
( For those who don’t understand what I mean, Bonzo’s parts if played by anyone else at the time of developing a tune, would have likely be played at double the speed ).
It does make one wonder what Paicey might have contributed to LZ’s music if roles were swapped lol !
Peace !
March 5th, 2023 at 22:02@ 36 – gee I have never thought of that before & for good reason. Regarding how would Ian Paice ‘fit in’ with Zeppelin? For a start he doesn’t have the barbarian at the gates heavy hitting style. Sorry Uwe I just mistakingly quoted you there, although Cozy is the barbarian I think isn’t he? There would be a huge difference, Paice is a much busier drummer, faster, jazzier etc, Bonham a blues groove monster of epic proportions. That isn’ to say that Ian Paice isn’t a groover at all & spare me from the guillotine as Uwe will pursue me big time for mentioning ‘the groove’ with Bonzo. Seriously though there would be huge change in the dynamics of certain songs. It happened when Bill Bruford resigned from Yes & was replaced by Alan White. Also when Vinnie Appice replaced Bill Ward in Sabbath. Those two example are the other way around though. Within Yes & Bruford an intricate jazzy style to a more straight ahead powerful drummer. Alan White of course still had to play all the notes, syncopation etc, just a harder hitting drummer who I like immensely. What about ‘swing’ I just thought I had better mention that. The same shift in dynamics thing happens with different guitarists joining an established known band, singers also. What about Blackmore in Zeppelin? Don’t go there. Cheers.
March 6th, 2023 at 01:41@37…Good post Sir…Everyone mentioned is a top-notch drummer / time-keeper. Regardless of personal issues over the years, Bill Ward has all the qualities of the above mentioned people, plus a healthy dollop of himself in there too !
Possibly the best drumming performance I’ve ever heard to this day, lay with the sadly now deceased Ritchie Hayward. Apart from Little Feat, you wouldn’t believe who he played with during Little Feats sabbatical in the early 1980’s…
Check this out…( Great performance from everyone btw, live in-studio )…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXxv8ZtH2v4
I won’t mention Neil Peart, as I still haven’t made the adjustment to his passing away fully just yet, but Ritchie Hayward filled some big shoes for a while there, including Bonzo’s…
Peace !
March 6th, 2023 at 09:32Gregster what you done? My mind is altered for ever & a day, thanks for that, he he he! But it isn’t something I have ever given any thought to & of course it is hypothetical & to some maybe a wish list of sorts, but not for me. Wait until Uwe signs in & we know which way he will ‘swing’ in regards to the Paice & Bonham comments. Oh dear where is this leading to. Ozzy singing with Queen instead of Freddie, Malmsteen in Floyd instead of Gilmour. I had better stop, the mind boggles too much. plus that hook, line & sinker I couldn’t resist from your comment is starting to hurt. All good humour (I hope). Cheers.
March 6th, 2023 at 09:35Yes, Bonzo did have a groove – quite unlike Cozy. There I said it. It was a groove much rooted in his minimalism, but a groove it was (just not one I particularly liked). There is actually little similarity between the two (Bonzo and Cozy) except that they both played loud and sometimes simplistic, but Bonzo was much more musicianly; Cozy basically concentrated on his drumming and little else. Cozy could ape Bonzo in part, but he didn’t feel music like him.
Little Ian would have been lost in Led Zep, totally. He’s not a drummer that anchors a band like Bonzo did, he swings and leads an animated discussion with the music – Little Ian is more a pulse than an anchor. And I love him for just that – he’s elegant in his playing, a term even Herr MacGregor would not jump to when describing Herr Bonham’s style. My bass playing is similar, I don’t ground, I flow. Anchor bass playing bores me to tears.
Likewise, Blackmore couldn’t have lasted 10 seconds in Led Zep. Bolin’s playing was much closer to Page, especially the sense of rhythm and how he approached solos. Also that slight sloppiness approaching artistry.
March 6th, 2023 at 14:49@39 & 40…Ha, ha…The comparison thoughts were just that, to help people notice the differences between the two, & how with the recorded music that we have, it wouldn’t work at all, & the tunes would have been completely different.
Agreed Uwe, Mr.Blackmore would not have fitted well at all in LZ, though it’s possible a unique solo may have fitted-in here & there lol !
The most immediate difference between the bands is that LZ were happy to have acoustic arrangements, & much varied instrumentation to texture the music. DP were more direct using electric only, with Jon breaking out on a piano part on occasion.
Good comparison between Tommy & Jimmy. The faster picking phrasing is very similar indeed, though not copied, it’s just the way it came out. And Tommy was also happy to use a variety of guitars like Jimmy.
Long live the Stratocaster for my ears however, always my preferred choice.
Peace !
March 6th, 2023 at 21:49Yes I am hearing you regarding the anchor or not scenario. I remember you said Geezer was one of your favourite bass players, for good reason. I also wonder whether Blackmore wanting a hard & heavy drummer for Rainbow possibly impacted on Cozy’s playing approach & he never left that style afterwards. With Jeff Beck he wasn’t as ‘belligerent’. There is a word we may not have used as yet for Cozy’s playing. I don’t mind both styles, swing with the mood or music at the time. One classic example of a different drumming approach to the same music would be from Mitch Mitchell to Buddy Miles in Hendrix’s band. Talk about a difference, I like Mitchell’s approach to many songs although to me at times he was a bit too free flowing, especially live in concert. The total opposite to the funk sledge hammer in Miles. I do like the Band of Gypsy’s very much though. I had better be careful as I am starting to use brutal words in describing some of my favourite drummers. Belligerent & sledgehammer, oh my what am I saying. Cheers.
March 6th, 2023 at 22:12@ 38 – wow Little Feat, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now I had in my lp collection back during the 1980’s era. I haven’t heard that, The Fan & others since the 1980’s I would say. Yes I have a clue as to who Richie Hayward played with in the early 80’s as I was there at the Sydney Entertainment Centre 1983. A wonderful gig & definitely NO Zeppelin played. There I mentioned them to save you having to. It is all good, just blame Uwe he was the one who summoned them a few weeks ago. Hayward was impressive on the kit. playing songs he had nothing to do with & his drum solo was very impressive. Those first two Plant albums had Phil Collins on most tracks, Cozy on a few & Barriemore Barlow also. A wonderful gig it was & Plant was really good on vocals, no ooh arrs, baby baby & push push push. Oh well probably a little bit of push, push, push & c’mon, c’mon c’mon on a instrumental jam thing that had that middle section of Whole Lotta Love vibe to it. Robbie Blunt on guitar was mesmerising, what a colourful melodic guitarist he is. Thanks for the reminder. Lowell George indeed. Cheers.
March 7th, 2023 at 00:03@43…You’re a lucky man indeed !…That said, I was fortunate enough circa 2001 to see “Little Feat” at the Mercury Lounge, at the Crown Casino, Melbourne-town…I was blown away…The place was full to the brim with maybe 1,000 people that I could see in there, & wow did they deliver the goods. Paul Barrere had the over-drive up all night, & his slide-playing rivaled both Lowell George & Johnny Winter. The whole band was having a good-ol-time, ensuring they that they left their mark on everyone present, which they did…( Shawn Murphy had a look of unsettled-surprise on her face all night from the bands playing, & it was not their regular set-list being played…(Unfortunately however, out of the thousands of shows available on the net, this one wasn’t bootlegged)).
I saw ( & met after the show ) Robben Ford & the Blue Line a few years earlier, & Little Feat had an even better delivery that night than these guys imo.
There was also a who’s-who of Aussie artists at the show too…
Peace !
March 7th, 2023 at 09:11Did anybody mention Robbie Blunt?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MACVaU-2whQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1MW55y99Y
Belligerent is a very good description of Cozy’s playing style, Herr MacGregor! I guess Ritchie wanted some testosterone-kicking competition in Rainbow to drive him on, but this time it was apparently to come from the drummer not the organist.
March 7th, 2023 at 14:09@ 44 – the Robben Ford trio, I went to a gig around the mid to late 90’s I think. He had Eric Johnson’s bass player Roscoe Beck in the band. I didn’t know Ford’s music at all, just who he was etc. All very good players however when I don’t know the music at all it is difficult to really get into the songs, all good though. @ 45 – yes Robbie Blunt had toned it down a little by the early 1980’s. I think he was only with Plant for 3 albums & then Plant did a Blackmore, shedding the lineup for a new one.
March 7th, 2023 at 21:27I only ever purchased those first 2 albums of Plant’s, the drummers playing on them influenced me of course, plus the curiosity as to what he was doing post LZ. There is another musician wielding the axe & changing band members regularly. Cheers.
Incidentally, as regards the artistic integrity of Ropert Plant’s post-Led Zep career, I’m prepared to give him an A+ with honors. He’s totally eschewed the easy and obvious. He’s pretty much a role model in the way he has conducted himself (and at the same time cleverly preserved the LZ mystique by never having it road-tested by reality again after Bonzo’s untimely death).
In comparison, Page’s post-LZ career is overall a shambles and JPJ has only released niche albums.
March 8th, 2023 at 16:26Hi all. Stumbled on this site, and glad I did, because it’s good to hear facts/views from people who understand drumming. (I don’t play drums, though I do play piano, a tuned-percussion instrument.) Paicey, Bonzo and Cozy – I’d say the name which should be up there with them is Brian Downey. To my inexpert ears, he sounds closer to Ian Paice than anyone. He’s fast, stylish, plays for the song but knows how to stand out, and swings. And that description, “elegant”, I love. It suits Paicey and Downey. Any thoughts? Cheers. PS The Funky Junction LP (now CD!) has Brian Downey playing Fireball and Hush to great effect.
March 8th, 2023 at 20:58Agree re Plant reinventing himself & evolving etc. It would have been so easy for him to become a caricature of himself treading the same previous path. When I went to see him & his band in 1983 I knew he wouldn’t be playing any LZ. So many people there were calling for it. I am glad he didn’t relent. I can understand the other guys too. Page tried a few different things in the 80’s which I liked & following the 90’s ‘revival’ of sorts he just doesn’t seem to be that bothered anymore & why not. It is easy for people to expect something but I don’t care if he has retired. I would prefer that than to tread a very worn path, repeating himself & or becoming a nostalgic act. JPJ also has kept a low profile but I think that is in his nature as an individual. Cheers.
March 8th, 2023 at 22:18@48…Yes, it’s easy to forget how-much-of-a-stamp a great drummer actually places on a band & its sound, until they’re gone of course…eg, Keith Moon…
Thin Lizzy are a great band, & credit where credit is due. Brian Downey no doubt made important contributions to the band & its sound. For myself, I must admit to needing to listen to more of his work, as it’s been a long while since I even heard Live & Dangerous, yet alone other Thin Lizzy material.Here in Oz, the Phil Lynott era is what’s generally remembered & appreciated.
There’s a lot of good music available for us all to enjoy, & places like this are great reminders of that fact, & encourage revisits, along with appreciating what’s current too !
Peace !
March 9th, 2023 at 06:30about Shoshana, i can’t understand, there’s no vocals in Still i’m sad studio version, i heard maybe more a Mellotron melody made by Mickey lee Soule….
May 8th, 2023 at 06:50That’s Shoshana coming in at 02:24 with her operatic voice, doubling Ritchie’s guitar melody. You could be forgiven thinking it’s a synth, but if you listen closely you hear a human vibrato.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhV_LbEkyL8
Frankly, I always thought that number was dumb, whether it’s the Yardbirds’ original version, Ritchie’s studio version or the live version where Ronnie sang the words.
May 8th, 2023 at 13:46She sounds like a Theremin!
May 8th, 2023 at 13:58Two songs that I always wondered why Rainbow played them live. Obviously Blackmore wanted to & I would doubt that anyone else in the band would have been chuffed with having to crawl through both those songs. Still I’m Sad & Mistreated. Low points in that live era of Rainbow. The second version of Still I’m Sad from the Stranger In Us All album is a stunning version, very well executed. A cracking cover that is. Cheers.
May 8th, 2023 at 23:05I was looking for the word, Svante, yup that antenna thing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5qf9O6c20o
Those were/are cool. The Manic Street Preachers (another band I adore) used one in a lovely alternative version of one of their biggest hits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w13XCU5hfXk
And its not that long ago that DP emulated the sound of a theremin on one of their songs for the spooky tritonal melody for Vincent Price (it sounds like Steve did it with his guitar, but who knows perhaps it was Don with his synths).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEWYRRaxFhU
May 9th, 2023 at 03:28