Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is Rainbow's starting point, on which Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio tied fantasy to heavy riffs. It is the memorable debut, recorded by Blackmore, who had left Deep Purple, together with Dio and others from Elf. The band's name comes from the "Rainbow Bar & Grill," a spot on the Sunset Strip that Blackmore frequented. The initial performing lineup was made up largely of members of Elf, the band Dio had belonged to. Varied songs like "Man on the Silver Mountain," "Catch the Rainbow" and "The Temple of the King" line up. Dio's mythic lyrics and Blackmore's stylized guitar already build a distinctive worldview. While rooted in hard rock, it strongly carries a medieval, fantastical atmosphere. An excellent starting point, foreshadowing the later success of Rainbow and Dio. "Man on the Silver Mountain" has long been sung as an early signature song emblematic of Dio.