@@ZillianZilch I have seen him at Donnington at the first monster of rock in 1980 ...I did not like him at all, it was the poppier sound that gave them 2 top ten singles...any other good singer would have achieved that result ...AOR singers like Steve Perry...Brad Delp...Lou Gramm...Bobby Kimball....Freddy Mercury...etc...were GREAT singers able to sing even poppier songs, anyway REAL Rainbow died after Long live rock n'roll .
@@margix1172 You don’t like him that’s fine. Lots of people do. Dio might be the greatest pure singer in rock history but his lyrics were a bit ropey and some of the songs on Rising and LLRNR are average. The first album is a masterpiece as is the live album but Down to Earth is certainly more consistent than Rising and a lot better than LLRNR. To say they made a mistake in getting Graham Bonnet though is ridiculous. They had a successful record with him so it clearly wasn’t a mistake.
@@ZillianZilch Rising is one of the best rock album of all times ...vocals guitars keyboards drums all sounds majestic and I put it ahead of many Purple albums.
He's got the same look today. Check out the Michael Schenker Fest videos. Graham's wearing a leather jacket here or there, but sometimes it's the pink suit and the same "Las Vegas" haircut. A few more wrinkles of course.
Would have been refreshing to hear Blackmore praising his voice and the fact that Graham gave him his first top 10 hit in the UK with that voice of his.
Bonnet was actually a year or two ahead of time with his style and hair. With him as frontman, they would have dominated the early 80's. The "rough" audience would have grown to love him
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look to the Stage and backed it too.
I love how Ritchie is still able to keep a straight face when telling his stories while laughing at how serious the interviewer reacts. He’s said a few times over the decades that he varies the stories depending on how gullible he thinks the interviewer is.
This man wears a ridiculous wig on his head and is criticizing Graham Bonnett? Seriously, Ritchie is a fabulous guitar player that’s where it end for me, all dribble from him.
Either that or Ritchie has no sense of humour for real, which is why he expects people not to laugh at his wig, or his amazing rock 'n' roll band Blackmore's Knight that he plays in (with his wife who can't sing) while he wears tights and velvet boots and performs songs about goblins at Hereford Arts Centre. His wife even begs the audience to buy their CDs. If i was a cynical person, I might even think that Ritchie is trying to cash in on the Internet by starting up a UA-cam channel. But a millionaire icon like the leader of Rainbow would surely never stoop so low, would he???
@@martyntoole4865 He's trying to keep the proper look. I still have it myself at 64, sans the wig. Try it if you have the guts. Since I was a redhead, my hair just turned blond. Doesn't matter that there are many here that don't know anything about being an out on the edge hardcore and many simply never will. It was an individualistic, philosophical stance even well beyond music.
Who gives a s$$t about Bonnet's hair!? I didn't care then and I don't care now - he was a great singer & Down To Earth was one of Rainbow's best albums. Bonnet pretty cool if you ask me; like having James Dean singing All Night Long!
Wow...the way Ritchie was telling the story, at first I thought it was actually going to be a humourous one - finish as such, but Richie was really quite serious. Also an odd story, for that time in the 70's, because the majority of musicians, and entertainers did have long hair, but Graham obviously didn't want that look, and ultimately it doesn't matter anyway, as it's the music, and the voice that really matter, and Graham has an amazing voice, and remains beloved amongst the Rainbow fans.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look to the Stage and backed it too.
I absolutely agree. Graham was an amazing singer and still is. He looked great. I loose respect for ritchie because he is always putting other People down. Always complaining.
The hair never bothered me either, in fact I loved his suit jacket, short hair and mirrored aviator look - it was something kids like me who weren’t allowed to grow their hair and wear leather or denim but loved hard rock could see was still ‘ok’ - plus that voice was simply incredible.
I have long been a Rainbow fan - but of the period from Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow to Down to Earth. After that - it was a complete departure from what attracted me in the first place. I do have the 2 succeeding albums but have rarely spun them. I find this overall address by Ritchie both puzzling and as the previous commenter said "ridiculous". Graham Bonnet had a very well known image. You got what you saw. The most important thing was being able to sing. The Down to Earth period is certainly not one that came with a "rough look" - if anything, Ritchie was starting to look out of place. Rainbow would never be the same after Ronnie. A line was drawn and the change did wonders for them - breaking into the market Ritchie wanted them to. I think letting Bonnet go so quickly robbed us of a potential golden era with him out front. We'll never know but imo - Joe Lynn Turner (whilst a decent singer) was a step back. Rainbow has had so many different versions that in the end it lost its own identity and you can only look at one person for that.
The look was different and he was more than accepted, Bonnet is a legend, his voice is amazing , I saw him and his band last year they were fabulous, Im going again in a couple of months to see them, I saw Blackmore at the NEC in Birmingham a few years back, I was bored shitless.
The irony is of course that everybody loved Graham Bonnet for his voice. Having his hair cut just made him stand out even more - maybe Ritchie felt threatened by that?
@@jameswilliams-zr8co The look of a band is important. Especially in the MTV days. Blackmore was right. Bonnet looked like he belonged in Hall and Oats or the Talking Heads or something.
I love the Graham Bonnet look. Such a cool cat and such a great contrast to what came out of band and what came out of his singing. Like Al Pacino says " don't ever let them see you coming. That's the gaff my friend"
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals. His look is what I still carry as a Rock lover.
I read a magazine clipping from the early 70's (deep purple, mark2-era), one of those 'favourite colour, favourite food etc.-list' things. For things he hated, Ritchie had listed "short hair". So clearly hair is a big issue for him! 😂 And sneaking out the window to defiantly cut your hair is just hilarious
I think Graham said somewhere that the story was bullshit....Ritchie was just jealous Graham had hair that actually grew not a wig out of a box 😂 😂 😂... Graham is a great singer and at 72 he still is and I notice recently he's lat the hair go grey and grown it a bit for the Alcatrazz reunion.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals.
The reason I got into Rainbow was Graham Bonnet, front man of a rock band, wearing a hawian and aviators, cool. Richie Blackmore is Riche Blackmore , Deep Purple, say no more.
I was at the Newcastle show that Ritchie talks about with some mates, none of us cared what Bonnet looked like cause he could sing, Blackmore talks some shite about the look he was hardly Motorhead.
Remember when the social fight used to be about being allowed to have LONG hair ? Crazy that Blackmore would go apesh*t over someone wanting SHORT hair. So why the f*ck did he hire Bonnet if he was gonna lose his sh*t about a haircut ? Ridiculous. Graham Bonnet was GREAT with them. Blackmore should have just rolled with it. The MUSIC is what counts, fans will adjust to whatever the look is. Down to Earth was EXCELLENT.
Bonnet's story is rather different, and I tend to believe his version. Anyway, his "Mister Smooth" appealed to the teenage rebel in me. It was a massive middle finger to conformity.
I don't care about his hair (an inadvertent bit of poetry there) or look (he was pretty slick to me), Graham has a fantastic voice who could hit all the notes. Better than one or two of the subsequent singers I heard for Rainbow.
This story is silly and doesn't make sense to me. They knew what Bonnet was when they took him on. They should thank him for opening the band up to a whole new audience. Down to Earth still stands today and I wish they'd done a second album together. I liked all three Rainbow singers, all different but each had their merits. In fact Ritchie should've had Romero open the latest Rainbow shows (I should say the ONE UK show they deigned to do) with Dio numbers, then have Bonnet come on for his, then Turner to close. Now that would've been a good one off trip down memory lane for Rainbow fans. Not the tired Highway Star etc with a bunch of unknowns huddled in the middle of the stage with NO big screens. Bonnet still belting out the old hits today and is always good value. The same cannot be said of Revisionist Ritchie!
I based a comic book character on Graham because of his look. Real rock n roll is not trying to look like everyone else but yourself. Good for you Graham.
I love Rainbow. But Richie. Graham rocked. I had long hair and cut mine too. Because the motorcycle riding made it a nightmare to deal with. Too much work for a young guy riding a bike. It wasn't a wig. Graham brought you something you were missing. And that is, Rock to the Pop industry. You've welcome. Grandad. Wiggin hell. 😂
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals
Ritchie.....a great guitarist but not so good with people. Graham Bonnet performing with Rainbow started my life long love affair with heavy metal. Graham sang songs like they should be sung....100% all in and what a voice ! Graham also gained countless new fans for Rainbow along with the associated chart success. Did anyone ever buy an LP because of the bands hair ? Did anyone ever NOT buy an LP because of the bands hair ? I bought Rainbow records because they sounded great......great vocalists, great guitarists, and great drummers. Graham's image enhanced the appeal of the band rather than detracted from it. Ritchie.......a guitar legend but sometimes........🙈
Graham was earth shattering and made me, a New Romantic and New Waver a Rainbow fan. Graham's voice in All Night Long is so great he could have been wearing Granny's nightie in that video and no one would have given a shit.
And there folks is the reason why Rainbow always just remained a band running in the middle of the pack. Bonnet was a one off...what a voice! Good on him for cutting his hair.
I think Down The Earth is one of the best Rainbow albums with Rising. Difficult to Cure album would be better if Graham Bonnet would done the singing. But that is speculation and imagination of course.
It's the same story as the Doobie Brothers when Tom Johnston left. More big hits came out of this, but ruined the feel of the band for all the older fans. Double edges sword.
I like the fact Bonnet had his own style, seems odd that Blackmore wanted the standard hard rock vicalist look when they were starting to chase a more mainstream audience. That voice was what people really cared about.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look to the Stage and backed it too.
I like the music of Rainbow but not that I know a lot about the band. I just watched a video with Graham Bonnet singing and my first thought was, that guy looks like Falco! Lol.
Graham looked like a sleazy used car salesman and had an absolutely amazing voice to go along with it. Extremely cool. Richie should have never gotten rid of him. Turner had an incredibly boring voice and look.
Graham Bonnet was the only one who was actually reading the room, and was changing with the times. 🤷♂️ I love Ritchie, dearly. But, he should have just let Bonnet be his own thing. The audience wouldn’t have cared - especially the way Bonnet sang… The interviewer here is like… “Yeah…. Uh… okay…” 😂😂
Ritchie is an absolutist and a medievalist and always the boss of his bands. Down to Earth was one of Rainbows best albums though and much of that thanks to Graham Bonnet. In hindsight im amazed Ritchie stayed with the reformed Mk2 D.P. for 10 years.
It´s strange, because about that time short hair was not "las vegas things", but a cool thing with new wave and punk rock on the spot. So, Graham was kind of right about the hair...
The conclusion was unfortunate. I thought Richie was gonna say, "...there's nothing we could do about it that night, so out we went, Graham was spectacular and the crowd adored him...., so after that night I personally paid for every one of his haircuts." But instead it left me thinking Blackmore's an arrogant prick.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals. His look is what I still carry as a Rock lover.
I really think Ritchie underestimated the fans. Did he really think they were so shallow that they would stop listening to great music because the singer had short hair? Rainbow probably gained more fans than ever before because Graham's look was more mainstream.
I think it was such commercial move by Richie. Graham's extravagant appearance is Richie's decision, which he has been hiding until now. He wanted to attract new fans to band, and also wanted to influence Rainbow America Tour, where the pop look was appreciated..
I grew up as a teen in the 1970s and 1980s Bonet actually looked rebellious and cool exactly because he did not look like nearly every other rocker. I thought it was great. And guys like Page and Plant, Bonham and Jones with long hair in Zeppelin were my favorite rockers of all back in the day. Richie sounds moronic. Who cares about how someone wears his hair? None of Rainbow's fans and I mean none of Rainbow's fans would have liked Rainbow less because Bonet did not grow his hair long. Yeah I was gonna buy tickets to see Rainbow back in 1979 but I changed my mind because the singer doesnt have long hair LOL! Richie is insane. I bet even he thinks this is ridiculous now. Nobody cared, except Richie for some reason.
My mate said to me ,my uncle was in a band . Me oh really what were they called. Rainbow I think Me fuck off Ritchie Blackmores? I don’t know. Me what’s your uncles name? Graham Bonnet. Me fuck off are you serious. True story ! He had no idea .
I think Graham Bonet was such a refreshment for a change ... plus one of the greatest singers that Ritchie played with
Bullshit! GB was crap both aesthetically and vocally
absolutly ..ritchie''s arguments are weak and a bit weird ..he found a super vocalist and fired him because his hair was cut short ..come on ...
@@oliviergeoffroy9823that's humor dude...
@@cryptoking7093 ah! ok ;-))
Okay, Graham, thank you for pointing that out lol🤣
Grahams vocals were amazing. His look was a refreshing change at the time.
GB was a BIG mistake for Rainbow
@@margix1172 What a load of rubbish. He was a great singer and helped give them 2 top ten singles and a great album.
@@ZillianZilch I have seen him at Donnington at the first monster of rock in 1980 ...I did not like him at all, it was the poppier sound that gave them 2 top ten singles...any other good singer would have achieved that result ...AOR singers like Steve Perry...Brad Delp...Lou Gramm...Bobby Kimball....Freddy Mercury...etc...were GREAT singers able to sing even poppier songs, anyway REAL Rainbow died after Long live rock n'roll .
@@margix1172 You don’t like him that’s fine. Lots of people do. Dio might be the greatest pure singer in rock history but his lyrics were a bit ropey and some of the songs on Rising and LLRNR are average. The first album is a masterpiece as is the live album but Down to Earth is certainly more consistent than Rising and a lot better than LLRNR. To say they made a mistake in getting Graham Bonnet though is ridiculous. They had a successful record with him so it clearly wasn’t a mistake.
@@ZillianZilch Rising is one of the best rock album of all times ...vocals guitars keyboards drums all sounds majestic and I put it ahead of many Purple albums.
I love Graham Bonnets' Miami Vice coke dealer look; perfect for the 80s!
Bobby Rock 😂
He's got the same look today. Check out the Michael Schenker Fest videos. Graham's wearing a leather jacket here or there, but sometimes it's the pink suit and the same "Las Vegas" haircut. A few more wrinkles of course.
He's a doppelganger for Falco, lol.
Translation: If you look different, you'll get attention instead of me.
😅
Would have been refreshing to hear Blackmore praising his voice and the fact that Graham gave him his first top 10 hit in the UK with that voice of his.
Richie was being tongue-in-cheek with his humour. He knows Graham has a great voice or he wouldn't be in the band.
Roger Glover did. Graham just sang.
@@FuturePast2019 Yeah, Butterfly Ball.
His voice wasn't the point, or he wouldn't be in the band in the first place.
A clip out of context doesn’t mean he didn’t spend the previous 5 minutes praising him. Blame the editor not Ritchie.
Bonnet was actually a year or two ahead of time with his style and hair. With him as frontman, they would have dominated the early 80's. The "rough" audience would have grown to love him
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look to the Stage and backed it too.
Well said. Realistically, he was about 15 years early
I love how Ritchie is still able to keep a straight face when telling his stories while laughing at how serious the interviewer reacts. He’s said a few times over the decades that he varies the stories depending on how gullible he thinks the interviewer is.
This man wears a ridiculous wig on his head and is criticizing Graham Bonnett? Seriously, Ritchie is a fabulous guitar player that’s where it end for me, all dribble from him.
Either that or Ritchie has no sense of humour for real, which is why he expects people not to laugh at his wig, or his amazing rock 'n' roll band Blackmore's Knight that he plays in (with his wife who can't sing) while he wears tights and velvet boots and performs songs about goblins at Hereford Arts Centre. His wife even begs the audience to buy their CDs. If i was a cynical person, I might even think that Ritchie is trying to cash in on the Internet by starting up a UA-cam channel. But a millionaire icon like the leader of Rainbow would surely never stoop so low, would he???
@@martyntoole4865 He's trying to keep the proper look. I still have it myself at 64, sans the wig. Try it if you have the guts. Since I was a redhead, my hair just turned blond. Doesn't matter that there are many here that don't know anything about being an out on the edge hardcore and many simply never will. It was an individualistic, philosophical stance even well beyond music.
@@AdamMcGrathwhat do you smoke?
Who gives a s$$t about Bonnet's hair!? I didn't care then and I don't care now - he was a great singer & Down To Earth was one of Rainbow's best albums. Bonnet pretty cool if you ask me; like having James Dean singing All Night Long!
Ritchie gave a fuck about his hair. Lol. Okay that was pretty funny. Roughed up he called it. Lol
For me Graham Bonnet was the right vocalist for Rainbow
We're on the same page, Bonnet deserves more albums with Rainbow
But not the look .
GB was crap
@@margix1172 Takes a turd to know one.
GB HES A BALLAD LAS VEGAS TYPE ..
Graham should have just asked for one of Richie's wigs 😆😆😆😆😆
😆
Wow...the way Ritchie was telling the story, at first I thought it was actually going to be a humourous one - finish as such, but Richie was really quite serious. Also an odd story, for that time in the 70's, because the majority of musicians, and entertainers did have long hair, but Graham obviously didn't want that look, and ultimately it doesn't matter anyway, as it's the music, and the voice that really matter, and Graham has an amazing voice, and remains beloved amongst the Rainbow fans.
You can see Blackers is still pissed. :)
It is not ONLY about the voice - it is the whole package, being rebellious meant having long hair.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look to the Stage and backed it too.
@@sarral2008To the contrary, it sounds like TRUE “rebellion” was getting a short haircut when everyone else grew theirs long.
I'm sorry Ritchie......this is a silly story and Graham is amazing.
agreed Graham Bonnet way cooler than Richie!! kinda stoopi
d!
I absolutely agree. Graham was an amazing singer and still is. He looked great. I loose respect for ritchie because he is always putting other People down. Always complaining.
Graham Bonnet was to good for Rainbow
and who cares how someone wears their hair, music is more than a shallow image
As much as I love Ritchie for everything musical that he has accomplished, Graham and Ronnie were the best things ever to have happened to Rainbow
The hair never bothered me either, in fact I loved his suit jacket, short hair and mirrored aviator look - it was something kids like me who weren’t allowed to grow their hair and wear leather or denim but loved hard rock could see was still ‘ok’ - plus that voice was simply incredible.
I know exactly what you mean. We all tried to look like metal guys, but we couldn't. Alex Lifeson was clean cut too.
@Ben Pegley Perfectly described! Some of our parents would not be impressed, to say the least.
I have long been a Rainbow fan - but of the period from Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow to Down to Earth. After that - it was a complete departure from what attracted me in the first place. I do have the 2 succeeding albums but have rarely spun them. I find this overall address by Ritchie both puzzling and as the previous commenter said "ridiculous". Graham Bonnet had a very well known image. You got what you saw. The most important thing was being able to sing. The Down to Earth period is certainly not one that came with a "rough look" - if anything, Ritchie was starting to look out of place. Rainbow would never be the same after Ronnie. A line was drawn and the change did wonders for them - breaking into the market Ritchie wanted them to. I think letting Bonnet go so quickly robbed us of a potential golden era with him out front. We'll never know but imo - Joe Lynn Turner (whilst a decent singer) was a step back. Rainbow has had so many different versions that in the end it lost its own identity and you can only look at one person for that.
The look was different and he was more than accepted, Bonnet is a legend, his voice is amazing , I saw him and his band last year they were fabulous, Im going again in a couple of months to see them, I saw Blackmore at the NEC in Birmingham a few years back, I was bored shitless.
The irony is of course that everybody loved Graham Bonnet for his voice. Having his hair cut just made him stand out even more - maybe Ritchie felt threatened by that?
No he is obviously a control freak with a narrow perspective and stoooopid at that.
Richie has a point but just shows what a control freak he really is.
lol and who cares how someone wears their hair, music is more than a shallow image
@@jameswilliams-zr8co The look of a band is important. Especially in the MTV days. Blackmore was right. Bonnet looked like he belonged in Hall and Oats or the Talking Heads or something.
I love the Graham Bonnet look. Such a cool cat and such a great contrast to what came out of band and what came out of his singing. Like Al Pacino says " don't ever let them see you coming. That's the gaff my friend"
GB look DO SUCKS
My favorite Spinal Tap clip ever.
bonnet had such an 80s look. I love it. I wasnt even born in the 80s but in retrospect it was a fantastic look
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals. His look is what I still carry as a Rock lover.
I think it really worked, the short hair was a breath of fresh air and helped them
the short hair sucks
Did Ritchie know his audience ?
Graham is a wonderful singer.
I read a magazine clipping from the early 70's (deep purple, mark2-era), one of those 'favourite colour, favourite food etc.-list' things. For things he hated, Ritchie had listed "short hair". So clearly hair is a big issue for him! 😂
And sneaking out the window to defiantly cut your hair is just hilarious
I guess hair was an issue since Blackmore was losing his ha!
I think Graham said somewhere that the story was bullshit....Ritchie was just jealous Graham had hair that actually grew not a wig out of a box 😂 😂 😂... Graham is a great singer and at 72 he still is and I notice recently he's lat the hair go grey and grown it a bit for the Alcatrazz reunion.
I was a punk when I first heard Bonnet, loved it great singer
What Richie did not understand is that contrast is a good thing.
One of the best vocalists ever. Richie is fucking full of himself as usual...
Ritchie ... made him. Like he made Coverdale. They know it
Graham's look was all wrong ,great vocals but look was crap
GB vocally was CRAP
@@FuturePast2019 The Bee Gees made him first
@@robertdouble559 It was that recordning, yes, from 1968 that made Ritchie think... "Perhaps..." And Mr Bonnet is forever thankful
Seems like Graham's voice (and hair) worked out just fine without Ritchie Blackmore.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals.
The reason I got into Rainbow was Graham Bonnet, front man of a rock band, wearing a hawian and aviators, cool.
Richie Blackmore is Riche Blackmore , Deep Purple, say no more.
Graham had a unique look. I think Blackmore underestimates a rock audience; they accepted him.
I was at the Newcastle show that Ritchie talks about with some mates, none of us cared what Bonnet looked like cause he could sing, Blackmore talks some shite about the look he was hardly Motorhead.
A short hair, eh?
He was my favorite Rainbow singer.
Cool as hell... with his short hair !
short hair is for losers
Remember when the social fight used to be about being allowed to have LONG hair ? Crazy that Blackmore would go apesh*t over someone wanting SHORT hair. So why the f*ck did he hire Bonnet if he was gonna lose his sh*t about a haircut ? Ridiculous. Graham Bonnet was GREAT with them. Blackmore should have just rolled with it. The MUSIC is what counts, fans will adjust to whatever the look is. Down to Earth was EXCELLENT.
I was there, Loved Grahams voice!, us Rock fans were way more concerned about Ritchie running off to Renaissance fairs
He was in bad mood then and earliar
same place when Mountain opened for Purple
" He did it deliberately, out of contempt"...lmao
The fans didn't care about his hair length. "Well I'm not going to the concert because his hair is too short"?
Bonnet's story is rather different, and I tend to believe his version.
Anyway, his "Mister Smooth" appealed to the teenage rebel in me. It was a massive middle finger to conformity.
I don't care about his hair (an inadvertent bit of poetry there) or look (he was pretty slick to me), Graham has a fantastic voice who could hit all the notes. Better than one or two of the subsequent singers I heard for Rainbow.
Don't think anyone was bothered about Grahams hair, his voice was was enough, my favourite Rainbow singer.
This story is silly and doesn't make sense to me. They knew what Bonnet was when they took him on. They should thank him for opening the band up to a whole new audience. Down to Earth still stands today and I wish they'd done a second album together. I liked all three Rainbow singers, all different but each had their merits. In fact Ritchie should've had Romero open the latest Rainbow shows (I should say the ONE UK show they deigned to do) with Dio numbers, then have Bonnet come on for his, then Turner to close. Now that would've been a good one off trip down memory lane for Rainbow fans. Not the tired Highway Star etc with a bunch of unknowns huddled in the middle of the stage with NO big screens. Bonnet still belting out the old hits today and is always good value. The same cannot be said of Revisionist Ritchie!
I loved his look!
Graham was rebelling it seems, pretty rock and roll.
He was the anti-rock star rock star.
RB has found many great singers during his career.
Agree, just a shame they want to hang out with for long ....
Have to admit I was shocked at Bonnets clean cut appearance after dio. He had the pipes ... still looked like an accountant.
I think Graham is great and love the contrast of a normal looking dude belting out rock songs.
He brought him in and new what he had...he did a great job
I haven't laughed so hard in a LONG time! And it's mainly the way Ritchie tells the story!
Laughed? He totally serious.
I can hear it now "Just shut your hole Ritchie, I'll cut it mate! I'll f'n cut it!" 😂
Think he looked great - made the band look unique among others, with the lead singer popping out among the rest of the band
I based a comic book character on Graham because of his look. Real rock n roll is not trying to look like everyone else but yourself. Good for you Graham.
I love Rainbow. But Richie. Graham rocked. I had long hair and cut mine too. Because the motorcycle riding made it a nightmare to deal with. Too much work for a young guy riding a bike. It wasn't a wig. Graham brought you something you were missing. And that is, Rock to the Pop industry. You've welcome. Grandad. Wiggin hell. 😂
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals
Graham Bonnet is the most hard rock guy in the whole world even without a hair at all!
Ritchie.....a great guitarist but not so good with people. Graham Bonnet performing with Rainbow started my life long love affair with heavy metal. Graham sang songs like they should be sung....100% all in and what a voice ! Graham also gained countless new fans for Rainbow along with the associated chart success. Did anyone ever buy an LP because of the bands hair ? Did anyone ever NOT buy an LP because of the bands hair ? I bought Rainbow records because they sounded great......great vocalists, great guitarists, and great drummers. Graham's image enhanced the appeal of the band rather than detracted from it. Ritchie.......a guitar legend but sometimes........🙈
I saw Rainbow, 11/10/79, and although Graham Bonnet's look was a bit different, I didn't know anybody that really cared about it.
Graham was earth shattering and made me, a New Romantic and New Waver a Rainbow fan. Graham's voice in All Night Long is so great he could have been wearing Granny's nightie in that video and no one would have given a shit.
cast my mind back to Castle Donnington Graham stole the show with his brilliant vocal range and his short hair
And there folks is the reason why Rainbow always just remained a band running in the middle of the pack. Bonnet was a one off...what a voice! Good on him for cutting his hair.
I think Down The Earth is one of the best Rainbow albums with Rising. Difficult to Cure album would be better if Graham Bonnet would done the singing. But that is speculation and imagination of course.
It's the same story as the Doobie Brothers when Tom Johnston left. More big hits came out of this, but ruined the feel of the band for all the older fans. Double edges sword.
Super Legends!!! GREAT! R.Blackmore and G.Bonnet!!! LOVE !!! Vodka!! Thank You!! Val
I like the fact Bonnet had his own style, seems odd that Blackmore wanted the standard hard rock vicalist look when they were starting to chase a more mainstream audience. That voice was what people really cared about.
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look to the Stage and backed it too.
Yeah..but Grahame smashed it😃😃
He can still sing, saw him in Scunthorpe last year
Shades of Spinal Tap. Thought I was listening to Nigel Tunfel. 😂😂😂
I love Ritchie's humor and all -
but having one of the strongest voices in rock in the band
and bitchin' about the length of his hair is a bit rich!
Wow, I never knew there were so many deleted scenes from Spinal Tap!
Ritchie is funny!!
They should arrange to have Rowan Atkinson to interview him, would be hilarious.
I like the music of Rainbow but not that I know a lot about the band. I just watched a video with Graham Bonnet singing and my first thought was, that guy looks like Falco! Lol.
Ritchie Blackmore Rainbow is the worlds best hard rock bands in Europe & the worlds.
I always liked Graham's contrary image.
Is this interview on a dvd.... love to hear the full version
Graham looked like a sleazy used car salesman and had an absolutely amazing voice to go along with it. Extremely cool. Richie should have never gotten rid of him. Turner had an incredibly boring voice and look.
I thought Graham Bonnet looked awesome with the short hair, and with those sunglasses, he was very entertaining. Awesome singer whatever the look.
Graham Bonnet was the only one who was actually reading the room, and was changing with the times. 🤷♂️ I love Ritchie, dearly. But, he should have just let Bonnet be his own thing. The audience wouldn’t have cared - especially the way Bonnet sang…
The interviewer here is like… “Yeah…. Uh… okay…” 😂😂
I totally get Ritchies frustration with Graham, imagery is a big part of it.
I was in that audience in Newcastle.
Ritchie is an absolutist and a medievalist and always the boss of his bands. Down to Earth was one of Rainbows best albums though and much of that thanks to Graham Bonnet. In hindsight im amazed Ritchie stayed with the reformed Mk2 D.P. for 10 years.
It´s strange, because about that time short hair was not "las vegas things", but a cool thing with new wave and punk rock on the spot. So, Graham was kind of right about the hair...
The conclusion was unfortunate. I thought Richie was gonna say, "...there's nothing we could do about it that night, so out we went, Graham was spectacular and the crowd adored him...., so after that night I personally paid for every one of his haircuts."
But instead it left me thinking Blackmore's an arrogant prick.
Exactly!
Too bad they didn't do another album with that line up.
Being let go (which is: fired) by Ritchie Blackmore AND Michael Schenker after just one album is a World Record, which speaks for itself!
Only reason i got into Rainbow was because of Graham's look.
Rainbows loss, fantastic singer...
Ritchie Blackmore is a Legend ! Good Bless you Ritch
Each time Bonet sang Richie would forget about his hair.
yep
lolllllllllll
Many in the comments who were not even around then 🤣Ritchie knew his audiences well. He didnt like fans much but he knew em.
As bikers, we loved Rainbow. We also loved Graham, regardless of the Bonnet barnet...
Graham Bonnet are aiging whit dignity and still can sing amazing and rich those high notes , not every one does that…..
Ritchie such a dick. I love that song. I never cared about a band member’s hair. Graham was awesome. All about the music! He rocked it!
Indeed, I did not come to about him till today. Great to see and hear of his Rock talent in 'in that Disco singer dress look', for Im both Rock and
Disco. He 'Rocked it!' that Look and on to the Stage with singing vocals. His look is what I still carry as a Rock lover.
I really think Ritchie underestimated the fans. Did he really think they were so shallow that they would stop listening to great music because the singer had short hair? Rainbow probably gained more fans than ever before because Graham's look was more mainstream.
I think it was such commercial move by Richie. Graham's extravagant appearance is Richie's decision, which he has been hiding until now. He wanted to attract new fans to band, and also wanted to influence Rainbow America Tour, where the pop look was appreciated..
i thought the juxtaposition of the smooth look versus the others worked really well,
“Communication Breakdown “ - LeD ZePPeLiN 🎸🥁🎙️🎸
i never laughed so hard.
I really didn't care how they looked as long as the music was good.
exactly
I grew up as a teen in the 1970s and 1980s Bonet actually looked rebellious and cool exactly because he did not look like nearly every other rocker. I thought it was great. And guys like Page and Plant, Bonham and Jones with long hair in Zeppelin were my favorite rockers of all back in the day.
Richie sounds moronic. Who cares about how someone wears his hair? None of Rainbow's fans and I mean none of Rainbow's fans would have liked Rainbow less because Bonet did not grow his hair long.
Yeah I was gonna buy tickets to see Rainbow back in 1979 but I changed my mind because the singer doesnt have long hair LOL!
Richie is insane. I bet even he thinks this is ridiculous now.
Nobody cared, except Richie for some reason.
right
A band about roughness and dirty...called rainbow🤣
How long was his hair when you hired him?
I really hope that Christopher Guest and the guys who wrote Spinal Tap get to see this one day, life imitating art eh? 😆
My mate said to me ,my uncle was in a band . Me oh really what were they called. Rainbow I think Me fuck off Ritchie Blackmores? I don’t know. Me what’s your uncles name? Graham Bonnet. Me fuck off are you serious. True story ! He had no idea .
Graham is an awesome singer long hair or not