Thanks for helping me celebrate my favourite Blackmore riffs! If you'd like to support what i do, what better way than to purchase some of the music I make? - ragdollrock.bandcamp.com/
If Blackmore get's put underneath Iommi or Page, that's ridiculous. His technical abilities, his vibrato, control and taste in his solos are incomparable.
I think the Era was more than just the music. Page had incredible stage presence and was great working with, and his band mates loved him....Blackmore failed on all these front. Also sound wise he did very little experimentation compared to those guys. Sorta like why ACDC will out sell polyphia any day of the week. It's not just about technique or abilities.
I agree with every single riff here. I've been in love with Blackmore's guitar playing since I first picked up a guitar 2 years ago. Exotic, groovy and anthemic. I must point out that your tone is fascinating, even better than Blackmore's I dare to say. How did you get that man? It's amazing
I'd like to add to your list some Rainbow riffs too: Long Live Rock And Roll and Kill The King (from his last album with Dio) And also some Deep Purple riffs: Speed King (DP In Rock) Stormbringer (Stormbringer) and Nobody's Home (Perfect Strangers)
Just the mention of the song "Knocking on your Backdoor" by DP makes me think of the Blackmore riff instantly gives me chills. Just a totally great song..everyone shines on it.
Child in Time is a Masterpiece which stands the test of time, with a message for all generations. With brilliant performances from the whole band.. It's pure genus.....
@@roberttreborable - Have a listen to Bombay Calling by Its a Beautiful Life, this was the track that inspired Child In Time, as both bands admired each other and the latter had copied Purple's Wring That Neck earlier.
I remember Joe Bonamassa covering Lazy and he said that he found it very difficult to cover - copying Blackmore's feel is nigh on impossible. Blackmore's rhythm and syncopation and improvisation are second to none. His slide guitar playing never gets mentioned e.g. Lady of the Lake is sublime.
Naturally this generation is getting OLD and are staying at home. So obviously you won't hear about this stuff cause it just Naturally goes out of the word on the street. You're just so childish. If a whole generation doesn't want to talk with you, you'll have to deal with it. I don't care if Joe plays a thousand songs, he's not setting the social scene. If it's not your generation's product, it's none of your business.
Richie Blackmore is my #1 favorite rock guitarist of all time, if I had to pick one. Been playing all my life. I remember after seeing Hendrix 2x, I saw Deep Purple right after and Richie Blackmore impressed me as much as Hendrix. It was 1968/9. But I'm so drawn to his licks and tone, and never get tired of listening to him. All versions of Lazy are in my mind. I try to learn his stuff and its so hard for me, and I will continue to try licks from Lazy and Highway.
Ritchie for sure was my major inspiration when I was learning guitar. The man is just the major riffmaker, not to mention the drop-dead immense improv solos.
Favorite Blackmore riffs , there are so many . 1. Flight of The Rat . 2. Woman From Tokyo . 3. Temple of The King ( acoustic ) . 4. And The Address ( Mk. 1 Purple ) . 5 . When a Blind Man Cries . ( single B side , slow Blues ) . Obviously this is no way a definitive list , just what I could think of off the top of my head .
I think Lazy is my favorite DP song. Some of Ritchie's bends and phrasing in that song still gives me chills and has me reaching for the volume control to make it louder!
Blackmore is unfortunately so underrated. Not trying to step on anyone toes here but he really was leaps and bounds ahead of the rest in the early rock scene. And what a voice Dio had; no one seems to know about him here in Australia...
Ritchie's solos in 'No More Wasted Sunsets' almost made me cry. Never heard blues solos with such beauty, technical excellence and pure emotional content. Best guitarist the 20th Century ever had! (and still is!)
@@normanmuldoon7329 Agreed. I tried to learn to play that great solo many years ago. I managed a fair approximation but his control/timing/dynamics … are his and I’ll never nail it perfectly. I have a very simple theory about why he’s so underrated. He and Purple in general were too musical, in the widest sense, for most rockers taste. If you don’t get off on masterful improvisational instrumental music, then you won’t “get” deep purple/Blackmore. As I young kid I used to love watching the Oscar Peterson show . A grade one Jazz piano master … on prime time Saturday night telly. That is probably why I resonated with Purple so much aged 11/12. Purple fell down the crack between Zeppelin and Sabbath and in many ways were better than either (I love both) I will believe to my dying day that no one will ever make a better live rock album than Made in Japan or in the studio … Deep Purple in Rock. I saw them live at their peak in 72. Still the best rock gig I’ve ever attended. They split up in 73 when they were No 1 album artists worldwide that year . Have never met anyone who is aware that they were … the “biggest” band in the world. 😀
"Woman from Tokyo" "Mistreated" "Stranded" "Black Night" "Wring that Neck" some of my favourite riffs. Most underrated album is definitely "Bent Out Of Shape"
Stargazer/ Catch the Rainbow/ Man on the Silver Mountain/ A Light in the Black/ Mistreated. Most Ronnie era, but hey, great things come in small packages, right ? RIP.
'Kill the king' riff....straight 🔥 ....'drinking with the devil' rocks too....'cant happen here'....'stormbringer'....'speed king'....'flight of the rat' ....'smooth dancer'.....where do you stop?!?!
This video turned out to be way more popular than I ever imagined. Who would like to see one or more installments, perhaps focusing on the MKII lineup songs that I missed or some more of the Rainbow-era?
Deep Purple were one of the few rock bands, where the drummer could make the groove swing. "Lazy", being my favourite Purple swing song. Personally for me, Machine Head was such a classic album.
the man is an undeniable guitar legend, great riffer and a monster lead player ( he had the ferocity of a shreder and the emotion of a guy like gilmour , he knew the right notes to fret , ex : Tarot Woman & Catch the Rainbow to name a few... cant even count the the idiosyncrasies of richie's playing that i love so much and try to steal haha , great video as usual , thanks Leon !
Great video! I had to laugh when you mentioned watching California Jam on VHS. Heck, we had to watch it on TV before there were those newfangled VHS things! A couple bands one week and then we had to wait a whole week to see two or three more. Never will forget the exploding Marshalls and Strat abuse among other choice. Man, that was a long time ago!
Great vid! Ritchie and Beck are my two favorite rock guitarists. My favorite Ritchie riffs are: 1. Maybe I’m a Leo - especially the outro solo. 2. Hard Lovin’ Man 3. Hush 4. Fools 5. Lazy
Lord CirJames Well said. Thought exactly the same. Had to see them in their “original” lineup in the early nineties just because of him. My introduction to Richie was Made in Japan as a 7 year old boy. Highway Star started with Lordie on Hammond but as soon as Richie kicked in with his Strad, I was soled.
Nice post my man, really enjoyed this post, love the riffs and the tone of that awesome Strat, I love the color on the head stock, so,cool, where are you from U.K.? Where are you living now. Have you played in professional bands? I never really got into Rainbow and Dio much but you've tuned me into checking them out now. I'd love to,come hear you and?or your band(s)! Take care. Keep rockin and riffin!
As you said , we can't stop at 5 , so many great licks and solos from Ritchie Blackmore , I'm not making a list , it would take the all page . Rock on Leon ! : )
If I could like a video 1,000 times over, this would definitely be one of them. I’ll never forget my first exposure to Rainbow being “Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow”. It may not be a notable rock riff, but the melody in “Temple of the King” just floored me at the time. All of the intricate clean arpeggios being played under the chorus. One of my all time favorites to jam to will forever be “Mistreated”. Also loved “Spotlight Kid”.
Ritchies' playing is just always so melodic & tasty. He did his own thing and influenced so many that came after. My personal favorite examples of his guitar playing actually came later in his career and include riffs and solos.. Standouts: Difficult to Cure (whole song), Since You've Been Gone (solo), Knockin' At Your Back Door (main riff), and Spanish Archer (solos).
Ritchie! One of my idols in my teenage years! I bought all DP albums back then. I like Ritchies melodic style a lot. He has a very distinctive sound and style. Thank you very much. I enjoyed your video a lot. I wish it was longer!
Waiting for a sign- Love this (new)song. Caught my ear on the radio and I just knew it was RB! Great to see he still has that magic bluesy feel. His tone has been pretty consistent over the years.
the best thing about the video is that you played the guitar without any bass or drum. The thing I personally like to see, but hard to find in youtube. Hope to find more in the future
Blackmore is the riff master. Throughout his rock career he was coming up with killer riffs. Every album of his has at least 2-3 stunning riffs. Even his last rock album - Stranger in Us All - has an all time great riff - the song Ariel. My favorite one has to be Sail Away though - to me this is the best riff in rock music, it is like an adrenaline injection every time I hear it.
Thanks for your personal RB top, Leon! Ritchie is great! Though it's so difficult to limit ourselves with only 5 riffs. There are tons of amazing ones by Blackmore.
Dig your playing and love your sound! As a matter of fact, Ritchie hates smoke on the water, it was an after thought and goes against the depth of his capabilities. I’m an ol friend of RB and actually was sitting next to him (for 6 hours) as he laid down the solo of Knocking on Your Back Door. It was outdoors on the steps of the mobile unit (Nick Blagona inside engineering). I had a fly swatter and was assigned the duty to keep the mosquitos away. He laid down 30 different solos before he and Roger chose the one that made the cut, and then on Roger’s suggestion, added the tremelo bar sink at the very end
The riff in Hard Loving Man was 10 years before the first Maiden record. Also: Into The Fire, Lady Double Dealer, the one-note staccato intro to Tarot Woman, Spotlight Kid... all great writing and playing. Stranded, Mad Dog, simple catchy stuff.
Machine Head is one of the best end-to-end albums ever! Up there with Paranoid, Hair of the Dog, the first VH, Back in Black, Screaming for Vengeance...
I grew up in the 80s but as well as contemporary metal I listened to tons of 70s rock too. It wasn’t until many years later I realised how much I loved Ritchie’s playing and so many of his riffs are burned in my brain. So hard to replicate too because his phrasing is unique. Fabulous player. 🎸🎸🎸
Yes, "Gates of Babylon" riff was unlike anything I'd heard before when I first came across it. Amazing how such a syncopated riff works so well with the strings, that enter the song as it develops. LA Connection is another great riff that sounds like it has just been lifted from some Blues guitarist in the Deep South and transposed onto Blackmore's Strat! Blackmore certainly is enigmatic as well as hugely influential, his style and influence still inform and mesmerize us!
Brilliant concept Todd and excellent video you've made! I'm also Ritchie Blackmore fan, ever since hearing 'In Rock' in 1970, and he remains my favorite musician, as well as being favorite guitarist. 'In Rock' was MK 2, but I thought that was a new group, only finding out in 1971 there was MK 1. 5 Killer Blackmore Riffs, how to select just 5!! Glad you and some other commentators mentioned Gates of Babylon. I'm not a guitarist, could recognise the harmonic minor scale but not its little inversions etc. Cozy Powell, RIP, remains my favorite heavy rock drummer (i'm a drummer) BUT I only 'got into him' because he joined Rainbow, again their MK 2. Uncanny somehow, but to me both Deep Purple and Rainbow I feel had their MK 2 as their 'definitive lineup and hence compositions'. From Rising, only 2 tracks on Side B, but both killers! A Light in the Black seems reprised on Long Live Rock and Roll's Kill the King. the latter being a favorite place for Cozy's solo and hence well known to drummers! Am also glad a commentator mentioned Woman from Tokyo. Todd, you select whatever to post, as we all feel that Ritchie Blackmore is vastly under-appreciated, both in technique and in composing, even non-guitarists can see this!
Well Done, I enjoyed your intuitive ramblings. I am not a geetar player and will never be a guitar player, but I love how it is put together and the infinite varieties of what can be. Iommi and Blackmore are my favs with Page being my acoustic loving. Keep it going, Mon.
The guitar solo in Highway Star - Machine Head - remains one of the best of his solos and probably one of the hardest to recreate. Most of it is pretty easy, but then you get to the section where he is playing 12 notes per second. Ah! right!
Hard Lovin' Man. Fundamental riff for speed/thrash metal, in 1970! Can you believe it? I was born 1975, first time I heard that song I was, hm, around 13 yo, and man, that riff and song blew me away! Cheers from Serbia! Just one more thing, like Hendrix, Ritchie got his unique sound, which is amazing, one tone and you know it is him.
@@LeonTodd Wow bro! Serbia is full of good people, believe me, but in last 30 years we have some crazy people in our govermant. Nevermind, I am so glad for your answer. In what year you were born? I am in RnR all of my life, since I was 7 yo. Used to play drums, but that was long ago. And after all this time, I realise what I was knew long time ago, for me best rock band ever is DP.
I love your choices and have been listening to Blackmore since the early '70s. You've really nailed his sound too! But no Black Sheep of the Family or Lazy??
Let stop to appreciate Blackmore's tone. He is like, only hard rock guitarist who made it through career on Strat with REAL single coils. That's why he sounds so different than anyone else. And whoever tried to nail that tone with singles (or with humbuckers for that matter) failed miserably. That's why Yngwie opted for humbuckers in single format. And everybody else as far as I know. You just can't play it as master did on single coils and get this menacing big sound out of it.
Also, please review riffs and solos from the most underrated album by Rainbow - Stranger in us all. I think Ritchie made there his best,such a solid and powerful riffs and phrases. Wolf to the moon for example. Thank you very much. You are great musician too.
Yeah you mentioned my list along the way. Kill the King and pictures of home, but I'll just add Highway star to it because it's just such a killer riff/song.
California Jam on VHS is what got me hooked onto Purple. And I agree, that opening on Burn is just awesome, and in fact I think the best live rendition of it.
One of my favourite Blackmore moments is Rainbow - I Surrender. So much fun to play and the lead break is just classic Richie Blackmore fusing neo classical with rock.
In Rock Music there is Ritchie Blackmore and then everyone else. Blackmore: There is no substitute. 1. Highway Star 2. Light in the Black 3 Burn 4. Lazy 5. Lost in Hollywood
No denying Blackmore's guitar genius status, and even some of Rainbow's more poppy late 70s/80s songs/riffs are often simplistic to the ear yet a swine to correctly learn and replicate . My personal favourites riffs are: Can't Happen Here All Night Long Mistreated Since You Been Gone Long Live Rock n Roll
Re: Man on a Silver Mountain, He pauses before he goes back to the low G and plays that on the off beat, gives it a bouncy feel. So glad you made this video! Love Ritchie Blackmore. I play by ear and I wanted to ask you about the solo to Highway Star. It feels to me like most people play the fast part of the solo wrong where Blackmore is playing what sounds like a triplet on the E string moving up the string positionally, and then plays the whole sequence again with a harmony of that riff, at least in the studio version. Most people play it as a triplet but when I learned it years ago, I slowed down the vinyl record and what I heard is him playing a repeating 4 note riff but with a triplet feel, bouncing off of the E string with each 4 note rifflet as he moves up the string, an absolutely unique and amazing riff. But as I said, keeping a triplet feel. What do you think? Here's the part of the solo I'm talking about. Set playback speed 0.5 to hear what I am talking about, assuming you do hear it like I do: ua-cam.com/video/W2BO3UTOhZ8/v-deo.htmlsi=va4WOz9bHdbg-SK0&t=271
Tommy Ason Man, that solo has blown me away for forty years. They say he improvised it, but...I’m not sure I can really believe that, lol. He HAD to have noodled around with the chord structure beforehand, especially at the tail end of it, because it’s just too complex to make that much musical sense on a one off attempt.
Im a Blackmore fan as long as i can remember ( im 61 ) theres something other worldly about him. From his strat shredding to his acoustic melody THANKS RITCHIE
His riffs are pretty indestructible. Hard to pick up 5, there's like 50+ of them...all awesome. My 5 pick: long live r'n'r, smoke on the water, knocking at your back door, speed king, jelous lover. Thanks for the video🙏
Here it goes : 1- Stargazer. 2- Gates of Babylon . 3- Anya (underrated). 4- Perfect Strangers . 5- Man on the silver mountain . And thanks for such a great video .
Blackmore is one of the pioneers of fusing classical with Hard Rock plus some huge bands he played PLUS a scalloped fretboard strat...what more can you ask for?☺
Fabulous video Leon - my first ever album was rainbow Rising - I was transfixed with Ritchie's playing!!!! - the seamless shift from front to back pickup and those riffs !!! loved that Eastern vibe too. Five favourite Ritchie Riffs : Stagazer, Tarot Woman, Lazy, Eyes of The World ,Lost in Hollywood.
Thanks for helping me celebrate my favourite Blackmore riffs! If you'd like to support what i do, what better way than to purchase some of the music I make? - ragdollrock.bandcamp.com/
I'mma hafta get the tabs Mr. Todd🤔
If Blackmore get's put underneath Iommi or Page, that's ridiculous. His technical abilities, his vibrato, control and taste in his solos are incomparable.
I think the Era was more than just the music. Page had incredible stage presence and was great working with, and his band mates loved him....Blackmore failed on all these front. Also sound wise he did very little experimentation compared to those guys.
Sorta like why ACDC will out sell polyphia any day of the week. It's not just about technique or abilities.
Nope, just different....
@@arpitsave1089acdc wouldn’t sell for shit if they came out now though, that’s a bizarre comparison
DP in Rock, one of 10 albums I'd not want to be without stranded on an island for years
1. Hard Lovin’ Man
2. Living Wreck
3. Woman from Tokyo
4. Space Truckin
5. Into the Fire
6. Another 50 riffs because Ritchie IS THE RIFFMEISTER!
I started this list from early Deep Purple and I could have kept going all day but I had to get back to work.
When A Blind Man Cries...
My favorite Blackmore guitar riff is Lazy. The play between him and Lord on the organ was so innovative.
So true ! : )
Lloyd Bonafide finally someone smart.
Lazy is the best rock song ever!
Lazy
Lazy doesn't have a "riff" as such, it's a blues with a guitar instrumental into.
Ritchie Blackmore is a Guitar God. DP and Rainbow are two of my favorite bands in history.
same here
FINALLY someone who appreciates the magnificence of "Stargazer". Nice job all around, Leon.
I agree with every single riff here. I've been in love with Blackmore's guitar playing since I first picked up a guitar 2 years ago. Exotic, groovy and anthemic. I must point out that your tone is fascinating, even better than Blackmore's I dare to say. How did you get that man? It's amazing
I'd like to add to your list some Rainbow riffs too: Long Live Rock And Roll and Kill The King (from his last album with Dio)
And also some Deep Purple riffs: Speed King (DP In Rock) Stormbringer (Stormbringer) and Nobody's Home (Perfect Strangers)
Thanks mate! I did a Rainbow 5 Killer Riffs vid as well :)
@@LeonTodd oh, I'll definitely check that out
Just the mention of the song "Knocking on your Backdoor" by DP makes me think of the Blackmore riff instantly gives me chills. Just a totally great song..everyone shines on it.
I love the Solo
Child In Time....Greatest Deep Purple song and one of the greatest hard rock songs ever recorded
Ritchie described the solo from Child in Time as 'a throwaway' in an interview. Amazing guitarist.
that song makes all hair stand.....especially with Gillan's banshee screaming and Ritchie torquing it up to 11, amazing song.
Child in Time is a Masterpiece which stands the test of time, with a message for all generations. With brilliant performances from the whole band.. It's pure genus.....
@@roberttreborable - Have a listen to Bombay Calling by Its a Beautiful Life, this was the track that inspired Child In Time, as both bands admired each other and the latter had copied Purple's Wring That Neck earlier.
Skeeter Peter Pants and that machine gun solo! Just a joy.
I remember Joe Bonamassa covering Lazy and he said that he found it very difficult to cover - copying Blackmore's feel is nigh on impossible. Blackmore's rhythm and syncopation and improvisation are second to none. His slide guitar playing never gets mentioned e.g. Lady of the Lake is sublime.
Naturally this generation is getting OLD and are staying at home.
So obviously you won't hear about this stuff cause it just Naturally goes out of the word on the street.
You're just so childish.
If a whole generation doesn't want to talk with you, you'll have to deal with it.
I don't care if Joe plays a thousand songs, he's not setting the social scene.
If it's not your generation's product, it's none of your business.
Not enough people talk about Dio era Rainbow and that’s a serious problem.
+10000000000
Rainbow On Stage is on permament rotation on my car cd 6 stack. Epic album.
That is the best Rainbow!
First Rainbow album, every song is good.
im gonna be hated in this section right now but....
Graham Bonnett > Dio in rainbow.....
Richie Blackmore is my #1 favorite rock guitarist of all time, if I had to pick one. Been playing all my life. I remember after seeing Hendrix 2x, I saw Deep Purple right after and Richie Blackmore impressed me as much as Hendrix. It was 1968/9. But I'm so drawn to his licks and tone, and never get tired of listening to him. All versions of Lazy are in my mind. I try to learn his stuff and its so hard for me, and I will continue to try licks from Lazy and Highway.
Ritchie for sure was my major inspiration when I was learning guitar. The man is just the major riffmaker, not to mention the drop-dead immense improv solos.
Favorite Blackmore riffs , there are so many . 1. Flight of The Rat .
2. Woman From Tokyo . 3. Temple of The King ( acoustic ) .
4. And The Address ( Mk. 1 Purple ) . 5 . When a Blind Man Cries .
( single B side , slow Blues ) .
Obviously this is no way a definitive list , just what I could think
of off the top of my head .
I think Lazy is my favorite DP song. Some of Ritchie's bends and phrasing in that song still gives me chills and has me reaching for the volume control to make it louder!
Ritchie Blackmore has been and still is the quintessential rock and roll blues classical icon of all time
strange kind of woman is my favorite blackmore riff ever. That thing is insane.
My personal favorite is Gates of Babylon - the whole composition is a masterpiece.
And the Kill the King from the same album.
BEST TONE EVER+SICK SOLOS, RIFFS ETC...
GOB, has such a unique scale to it and sounds haunting beautiful.
One of my favourite solos ever. Beautifully crafted.
For me...blackmore got his own stlye ..solo...purple or rainbow.....
‘Pictures of Home’ would be one of my favourite solos. ✌🏽
It's a crime how underrated Blackmore is. People forget Uli and Yngwie copped his whole thing. Blackmore is easily in the top 5 guitarists ever
And he looked so cool while playing
WORSE ,when people say Uli+Yng are better, when they would not have picked up the guitar without RB
Matt, I agree but I'd place Ritchie as the best lead guitarist of all time.
@@joelombrdo I agree ...
joelombrdo totally agree!
Blackmore is unfortunately so underrated. Not trying to step on anyone toes here but he really was leaps and bounds ahead of the rest in the early rock scene. And what a voice Dio had; no one seems to know about him here in Australia...
Ritchie's solos in 'No More Wasted Sunsets' almost made me cry. Never heard blues solos with such beauty, technical excellence and pure emotional content. Best guitarist the 20th Century ever had! (and still is!)
@@normanmuldoon7329 Agreed. I tried to learn to play that great solo many years ago. I managed a fair approximation but his control/timing/dynamics … are his and I’ll never nail it perfectly.
I have a very simple theory about why he’s so underrated. He and Purple in general were too musical, in the widest sense, for most rockers taste. If you don’t get off on masterful improvisational instrumental music, then you won’t “get” deep purple/Blackmore. As I young kid I used to love watching the Oscar Peterson show . A grade one Jazz piano master … on prime time Saturday night telly. That is probably why I resonated with Purple so much aged 11/12.
Purple fell down the crack between Zeppelin and Sabbath and in many ways were better than either (I love both)
I will believe to my dying day that no one will ever make a better live rock album than Made in Japan or in the studio … Deep Purple in Rock. I saw them live at their peak in 72. Still the best rock gig I’ve ever attended. They split up in 73 when they were No 1 album artists worldwide that year . Have never met anyone who is aware that they were … the “biggest” band in the world. 😀
I do and have those Rainbow albums 👍👍
I love Blackmore's playing. You did a great job dialing in an appropriate tone as well.
I think that the riff from the "Bloodsucker" is one of his best. Too bad that this masterpiece is forgotten by many.
"Woman from Tokyo" "Mistreated" "Stranded" "Black Night" "Wring that Neck" some of my favourite riffs. Most underrated album is definitely "Bent Out Of Shape"
Stargazer/ Catch the Rainbow/ Man on the Silver Mountain/ A Light in the Black/ Mistreated. Most Ronnie era, but hey, great things come in small packages, right ? RIP.
In the 70s Richie Blackmoore was the most admired hero of us young rock guitar players...
'Kill the king' riff....straight 🔥
....'drinking with the devil' rocks too....'cant happen here'....'stormbringer'....'speed king'....'flight of the rat' ....'smooth dancer'.....where do you stop?!?!
Inspiring....especially your song....nice!
Spotlight Kid
livingabovethe12th8
Rat Bat Blue .... awesome riff and tune. Plus the keyboard solo is terrifying! Who Do We Think We Are ? Great album. They hated it. 🎸🙂
@@brettpiveral9313 I think he nicked that
My favorite Blackmore riff is "Pictures of Home"! Off the album, machine Head! Bad ass riff!!!
This video turned out to be way more popular than I ever imagined. Who would like to see one or more installments, perhaps focusing on the MKII lineup songs that I missed or some more of the Rainbow-era?
I think the Rainbow-era is more fruitful than the DP era, so go ahead, it will be my pleasure.
Any Blackmore is great Blackmore. Even Blackmore's Night.
Why didn't you play anything from Deep Purple in Rock? Too hard?
ABSOLUTELY!!!
Deep Purple were one of the few rock bands, where the drummer could make the groove swing. "Lazy", being my favourite Purple swing song. Personally for me, Machine Head was such a classic album.
Rainbow on Stage is my all time Fav Album. Blackmoore FTW!
Still I'm Sad intro guitar tone cuts right through you.
For me. Richle. Got his own stlye of solo...power...all the best...
Kill the King is absolutely the hottest thing I have ever seen
the man is an undeniable guitar legend, great riffer and a monster lead player ( he had the ferocity of a shreder and the emotion of a guy like gilmour , he knew the right notes to fret , ex : Tarot Woman & Catch the Rainbow to name a few... cant even count the the idiosyncrasies of richie's playing that i love so much and try to steal haha , great video as usual , thanks Leon !
The riff during the verse on "You can't do it right" on Stormbringer. Hands down. Period.
Great video! I had to laugh when you mentioned watching California Jam on VHS. Heck, we had to watch it on TV before there were those newfangled VHS things! A couple bands one week and then we had to wait a whole week to see two or three more. Never will forget the exploding Marshalls and Strat abuse among other choice. Man, that was a long time ago!
Great vid! Ritchie and Beck are my two favorite rock guitarists. My favorite Ritchie riffs are:
1. Maybe I’m a Leo - especially the outro solo.
2. Hard Lovin’ Man
3. Hush
4. Fools
5. Lazy
Blackmore is extremely underrated, great feel, soul and a brilliant showman.
Yeah, I agree, he never gets mentioned with the greats, but he was pretty good.
Yeah Richie Blackmore and Tony Iommi are 2 of the most underrated guitarists and are 2 of the riff gods.
Lord CirJames
Well said. Thought exactly the same. Had to see them in their “original” lineup in the early nineties just because of him. My introduction to Richie was Made in Japan as a 7 year old boy. Highway Star started with Lordie on Hammond but as soon as Richie kicked in with his Strad, I was soled.
Just me but I wished he would have played some acoustic once in awhile.......he would have killed it.
@@markandersen793 he actually does now. His current band he plays more acoustic guitar
Nice post my man, really enjoyed this post, love the riffs and the tone of that awesome Strat, I love the color on the head stock, so,cool, where are you from U.K.? Where are you living now. Have you played in professional bands? I never really got into Rainbow and Dio much but you've tuned me into checking them out now. I'd love to,come hear you and?or your band(s)! Take care. Keep rockin and riffin!
His solos in early Rainbow with Dio in the band were phenomenal. What feeling he had.
As you said , we can't stop at 5 , so many great licks and solos from Ritchie Blackmore , I'm not making a list , it would take the all page .
Rock on Leon ! : )
Great job, In the words of Steve Vai, " RITCHIE'S LICKS DESERVE THEIR OWN ZIP CODE, "
One Zip Code per riff?
deep purple- Mistreated
Deep purple- Maybe I’m a Leo
Rainbow- Jealous Lover
If I could like a video 1,000 times over, this would definitely be one of them. I’ll never forget my first exposure to Rainbow being “Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow”. It may not be a notable rock riff, but the melody in “Temple of the King” just floored me at the time. All of the intricate clean arpeggios being played under the chorus. One of my all time favorites to jam to will forever be “Mistreated”. Also loved “Spotlight Kid”.
Ritchies' playing is just always so melodic & tasty. He did his own thing and influenced so many that came after. My personal favorite examples of his guitar playing actually came later in his career and include riffs and solos.. Standouts: Difficult to Cure (whole song), Since You've Been Gone (solo), Knockin' At Your Back Door (main riff), and Spanish Archer (solos).
Ritchie! One of my idols in my teenage years! I bought all DP albums back then. I like Ritchies melodic style a lot. He has a very distinctive sound and style. Thank you very much. I enjoyed your video a lot. I wish it was longer!
Mistreated
Nobody's home
The battle rages on
Knocking at your back door
Lazy
Waiting for a sign- Love this (new)song. Caught my ear on the radio and I just knew it was RB! Great to see he still has that magic bluesy feel. His tone has been pretty consistent over the years.
the best thing about the video is that you played the guitar without any bass or drum. The thing I personally like to see, but hard to find in youtube. Hope to find more in the future
Blackmore is the riff master. Throughout his rock career he was coming up with killer riffs. Every album of his has at least 2-3 stunning riffs. Even his last rock album - Stranger in Us All - has an all time great riff - the song Ariel. My favorite one has to be Sail Away though - to me this is the best riff in rock music, it is like an adrenaline injection every time I hear it.
Yes, Stranger In Us All is a killer album and Ariel is so powerful
Man on the Silver Mountain, one of my top 5 favorite songs ever! (Freewill/Rush is #1)
Thanks for your personal RB top, Leon! Ritchie is great! Though it's so difficult to limit ourselves with only 5 riffs. There are tons of amazing ones by Blackmore.
Great video! Richie was on another level altogether.
Dig your playing and love your sound! As a matter of fact, Ritchie hates smoke on the water, it was an after thought and goes against the depth of his capabilities. I’m an ol friend of RB and actually was sitting next to him (for 6 hours) as he laid down the solo of Knocking on Your Back Door. It was outdoors on the steps of the mobile unit (Nick Blagona inside engineering). I had a fly swatter and was assigned the duty to keep the mosquitos away. He laid down 30 different solos before he and Roger chose the one that made the cut, and then on Roger’s suggestion, added the tremelo bar sink at the very end
That is amazing!
You know you are great when so many of your contemporaries are absolutely jealous of you.
Ah, my favorite modern player jamming on my favorite all time great!! Doesn't get any better!!
You're too kind my friend!
Sweet video and tone, Blackmore’s riffs definitely need more recognition.
The riff in Hard Loving Man was 10 years before the first Maiden record. Also: Into The Fire, Lady Double Dealer, the one-note staccato intro to Tarot Woman, Spotlight Kid... all great writing and playing. Stranded, Mad Dog, simple catchy stuff.
Machine Head is one of the best end-to-end albums ever! Up there with Paranoid, Hair of the Dog, the first VH, Back in Black, Screaming for Vengeance...
Yeah it's very much a definitive rock album.
Deep Purple In Rock just might be better than Machine Head imo
I grew up in the 80s but as well as contemporary metal I listened to tons of 70s rock too. It wasn’t until many years later I realised how much I loved Ritchie’s playing and so many of his riffs are burned in my brain. So hard to replicate too because his phrasing is unique. Fabulous player. 🎸🎸🎸
Ritchie Blackmore, there's so much to love. Lady Double Dealer, A Light in the Black, Rat Bat Blue, Flight of the Rat, Spanish Archer.
Your talking points are nothing short of fantastic, thank you, Ritchie was my favorite and still is after over 50 years.
Real good job Leon. Enjoyed it very much. Nice tone as well. Inspiring!
Amongst all those riffs, Firedance and its solo always stood out to me. It's rarely mentioned sadly.
Yes, "Gates of Babylon" riff was unlike anything I'd heard before when I first came across it. Amazing how such a syncopated riff works so well with the strings, that enter the song as it develops.
LA Connection is another great riff that sounds like it has just been lifted from some Blues guitarist in the Deep South and transposed onto Blackmore's Strat! Blackmore certainly is enigmatic as well as hugely influential, his style and influence still inform and mesmerize us!
This guy is right on, I could not argue with anything he's saying. Keep it up!
Hello Leon, spot on video!!!
Blackmore wrote huge riffs.
By the way you nailed the sound.
Cheers, I swapped a Royer IR into a Plexi preset and added some room verb so I'm glad it came out OK :)
Brilliant concept Todd and excellent video you've made! I'm also Ritchie Blackmore fan, ever since hearing 'In Rock' in 1970, and he remains my favorite musician, as well as being favorite guitarist. 'In Rock' was MK 2, but I thought that was a new group, only finding out in 1971 there was MK 1. 5 Killer Blackmore Riffs, how to select just 5!! Glad you and some other commentators mentioned Gates of Babylon. I'm not a guitarist, could recognise the harmonic minor scale but not its little inversions etc. Cozy Powell, RIP, remains my favorite heavy rock drummer (i'm a drummer) BUT I only 'got into him' because he joined Rainbow, again their MK 2. Uncanny somehow, but to me both Deep Purple and Rainbow I feel had their MK 2 as their 'definitive lineup and hence compositions'. From Rising, only 2 tracks on Side B, but both killers! A Light in the Black seems reprised on Long Live Rock and Roll's Kill the King. the latter being a favorite place for Cozy's solo and hence well known to drummers! Am also glad a commentator mentioned Woman from Tokyo. Todd, you select whatever to post, as we all feel that Ritchie Blackmore is vastly under-appreciated, both in technique and in composing, even non-guitarists can see this!
Smoke on the Water is one of the first riffs most people learn on the guitar and is also one of the riffs most people get wrong, how ironic...lol
Dick Dastardly yep 4ths
@@kenmar4009 Or inverted 5ths in the context of being in the key of G
True. But the worst is the guitarist's who just butcher Highway Star. It outa be a crime.
Tapping technique sounds and looks impressing to many, and I know a lot of people don’t agree but I put Blackmore above Van Halen.
I do to blackmoor all the way
Always
In america people know less about Ritchie and Purple or Rainbow. The rest world thinks Ritchie is number 1. And I think the same.
Bull. Any rock fan in the US knows about Ritchie Blackmore and DP and Rainbow.
@@jeffreyhutchins6527 but every just person knows about Page and Zepp in US)). Fans are fans...
Ritchie is the greatest lead guitarist. Iommi is the riff master.
In terms of compositions. Yes, of course. But the guitar technique had a huge leap foreward. Think of Jason Becker for instance!
@@joelombrdo throw in some Tony Bourge and there's a great triumvirate.
Nice 👌 The Battle Rages On is also another awesome, heavy riff from Ritchie.
Well Done, I enjoyed your intuitive ramblings. I am not a geetar player and will never be a guitar player, but I love how it is put together and the infinite varieties of what can be. Iommi and Blackmore are my favs with Page being my acoustic loving. Keep it going, Mon.
The guitar solo in Highway Star - Machine Head - remains one of the best of his solos and probably one of the hardest to recreate. Most of it is pretty easy, but then you get to the section where he is playing 12 notes per second. Ah! right!
Grew up listening to the Purples, my dad was such an influence .... I love rock n roll and the legacy .....
Hard Lovin' Man. Fundamental riff for speed/thrash metal, in 1970! Can you believe it? I was born 1975, first time I heard that song I was, hm, around 13 yo, and man, that riff and song blew me away! Cheers from Serbia! Just one more thing, like Hendrix, Ritchie got his unique sound, which is amazing, one tone and you know it is him.
Cheers mate! My Dad was born in Serbia funnily enough.
@@LeonTodd Wow bro! Serbia is full of good people, believe me, but in last 30 years we have some crazy people in our govermant. Nevermind, I am so glad for your answer. In what year you were born? I am in RnR all of my life, since I was 7 yo. Used to play drums, but that was long ago. And after all this time, I realise what I was knew long time ago, for me best rock band ever is DP.
I love your choices and have been listening to Blackmore since the early '70s. You've really nailed his sound too! But no Black Sheep of the Family or Lazy??
I could have easily done "50 killer riffs" TBH
Let stop to appreciate Blackmore's tone. He is like, only hard rock guitarist who made it through career on Strat with REAL single coils. That's why he sounds so different than anyone else. And whoever tried to nail that tone with singles (or with humbuckers for that matter) failed miserably. That's why Yngwie opted for humbuckers in single format. And everybody else as far as I know. You just can't play it as master did on single coils and get this menacing big sound out of it.
Blacmore's Strat pickups, with reverse winding and reverse polarity on the bridge pickup for hum cancellation.
Blackmore's intro to the shed is totally bad ass. No lies.
Also, please review riffs and solos from the most underrated album by Rainbow - Stranger in us all. I think Ritchie made there his best,such a solid and powerful riffs and phrases. Wolf to the moon for example. Thank you very much. You are great musician too.
Yeah you mentioned my list along the way. Kill the King and pictures of home, but I'll just add Highway star to it because it's just such a killer riff/song.
Highway Star is just a crushing tune. So heavy
It would be hard to pick the best 50 Blackmore riffs, let alone 5!
California Jam on VHS is what got me hooked onto Purple. And I agree, that opening on Burn is just awesome, and in fact I think the best live rendition of it.
One of my favourite Blackmore moments is Rainbow - I Surrender. So much fun to play and the lead break is just classic Richie Blackmore fusing neo classical with rock.
Masterful piece of pop-rock. Reminds me of Foreigner with neoclassical guitar breaks.
Totally agree with this!
@@LeonTodd And Toto like keys :)
Awesome 👍👍 I also like the riff to "Rat Bat Blue", to mention one, it's so cool, "simple" but awesome riff. Thanks for your video. 🎸
In Rock Music there is Ritchie Blackmore and then everyone else. Blackmore: There is no substitute.
1. Highway Star
2. Light in the Black
3 Burn
4. Lazy
5. Lost in Hollywood
'Rat Bat Blue' -- quintessential riff of the era
No denying Blackmore's guitar genius status, and even some of Rainbow's more poppy late 70s/80s songs/riffs are often simplistic to the ear yet a swine to correctly learn and replicate . My personal favourites riffs are:
Can't Happen Here
All Night Long
Mistreated
Since You Been Gone
Long Live Rock n Roll
Mistreated is one of my favourites, especially that version on the california jam concert.
My favorite version of Mistreated is in Rainbow On Stage. Best version and best song ever!
Re: Man on a Silver Mountain, He pauses before he goes back to the low G and plays that on the off beat, gives it a bouncy feel.
So glad you made this video! Love Ritchie Blackmore. I play by ear and I wanted to ask you about the solo to Highway Star. It feels to me like most people play the fast part of the solo wrong where Blackmore is playing what sounds like a triplet on the E string moving up the string positionally, and then plays the whole sequence again with a harmony of that riff, at least in the studio version. Most people play it as a triplet but when I learned it years ago, I slowed down the vinyl record and what I heard is him playing a repeating 4 note riff but with a triplet feel, bouncing off of the E string with each 4 note rifflet as he moves up the string, an absolutely unique and amazing riff. But as I said, keeping a triplet feel. What do you think?
Here's the part of the solo I'm talking about. Set playback speed 0.5 to hear what I am talking about, assuming you do hear it like I do:
ua-cam.com/video/W2BO3UTOhZ8/v-deo.htmlsi=va4WOz9bHdbg-SK0&t=271
I'm glad that you added Knocking at your back door.....MY FAVORITE CD!!!!
There’re many. Here’s one. “Flight of the Rat”. Always loved to hear and play that one.
Gates of Babylon solo is in my ears 100 % skill mixed with 100 % feeling A master guitarist.
Tommy Ason Man, that solo has blown me away for forty years. They say he improvised it, but...I’m not sure I can really believe that, lol. He HAD to have noodled around with the chord structure beforehand, especially at the tail end of it, because it’s just too complex to make that much musical sense on a one off attempt.
Great vid Leon. Would love to see more videos along these lines.
Im a Blackmore fan as long as i can remember ( im 61 ) theres something other worldly about him. From his strat shredding to his acoustic melody THANKS RITCHIE
His riffs are pretty indestructible. Hard to pick up 5, there's like 50+ of them...all awesome. My 5 pick: long live r'n'r, smoke on the water, knocking at your back door, speed king, jelous lover. Thanks for the video🙏
Here it goes :
1- Stargazer.
2- Gates of Babylon .
3- Anya (underrated).
4- Perfect Strangers .
5- Man on the silver mountain .
And thanks for such a great video .
Blackmore is one of the pioneers of fusing classical with Hard Rock plus some huge bands he played PLUS a scalloped fretboard strat...what more can you ask for?☺
Fabulous video Leon - my first ever album was rainbow Rising - I was transfixed with Ritchie's playing!!!! - the seamless shift from front to back pickup and those riffs !!! loved that Eastern vibe too. Five favourite Ritchie Riffs : Stagazer, Tarot Woman, Lazy, Eyes of The World ,Lost in Hollywood.
Dude, how about Sail away and Spotlight kid?
Loved how Ritchie lifted the melody from "fascinating rythym" from George Gershwin to make Burn
"A Light in the Black" is "Stargazer" part 2, so it makes sense that he would carry over that idea. Pretty genius if he did that intentionally.