STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - RAINBOW - RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW

[maggot]

Good morning Wednesday warriors and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again . Today we remember bassist, Craig Gruber, best known for his work with the rock bands Elf and Rainbow, on this, the 6 year anniversary of his death. He passed away in 2015, age 63, from prostate cancer. Rainbow's debut album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, was released on the Polydor label August 4, 1975. The LP was produced by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Martin Birch, and vocalist Ronnie James Dio. It peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200 and #11 in the UK, where it has been certified Silver. the soon to be classic, "Man On The Silver Mountain" was released as a single (#83 Australia) as well as the tracks, "Temple of the King" and the Yardbirds' cover, "Still I'm Sad, but the latter two failed to chart. Our copy came came the Woodpecker Records here in Lakeland, which is sadly no longer in business. 

1. "Man on the Silver Mountain" 4:42

2. "Self Portrait" 3:17

3. "Black Sheep of the Family" (Quatermass cover) Steve Hammond 3:22

4. "Catch the Rainbow" 6:27

Side two

5. "Snake Charmer" 4:33

6. "Temple of the King" 4:45

7. "If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll" 2:38

8. "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" 3:31

9. "Still I'm Sad" (The Yardbirds cover) Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty 3:51

Rainbow :

Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitars
Micky Lee Soule – piano, mellotron, clavinet, organ
Craig Gruber – bass
Gary Driscoll – drums

with

Shoshana – backing vocals on "Catch the Rainbow" and "Still I'm Sad"

Produced by Ritchie Blackmore, Martin Birch, Ronnie James Dio
Mixed by Martin Birch
Recorded at Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany, 20 February – 14 March 1975