Song:Stone Cold
Album:The Very Best Of Rainbow
Rainbow started out in the mid-70s as a hard rock band. But by the early 80s and the 1982 single Stone Cold, they had softened their sound. They were more popular in England than in the US. Rainbow was led by Deep Purple founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. In 1974, Blackmore was unhappy with new Deep Purple lead singer David Coverdale. He left in 1975 and formed Rainbow when he hired singer Ronnie James Dio and his band Elf. After the release of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in 1975, Dio stayed and the other members left. Former Jeff Beck Group drummer Cozy Powell was hired. Other musicians were hired and fired on a regular basis. Then after a couple of albums, Blackmore wanted to take Rainbow in a more commercial direction. Dio didn't like that and left to join Black Sabbath. Graham Bonnet was hired as the new lead singer. Powell told Blackmore that bassist Roger Glover had left Deep Purple and Powell also recommended keyboard player Don Airey who he knew from a previous band. Rainbow had success with the 1980 single Since You Been Gone. But Powell left for Michael Schenker Group and Bonnet was fired for drunkenness. They were replaced by singer Joe Lynn Turner and drummer Bobby Rondinelli. Then Airey was replaced by David Rosenthal. This is the lineup that recorded the 1982 album Straight Between The Eyes. Stone Cold was their biggest chart hit in the US. But the softening of the band's sound alienated fans of the earlier version of Rainbow. When the original members of Deep Purple reformed in 1984, Rainbow was dissolved. You can get all of Rainbow's hits on this budget comp. Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1993 and reformed Rainbow with new members for a 1995 album and tour. Blackmore is still around but attempts to reform Rainbow have been unsuccessful. Joe Lynn Turner had a successful solo career in the 90s and leads the band Over The Rainbow featuring Blackmore's son Jurgen Blackmore on guitar.. Here's the video for Stone Cold by Rainbow.
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