Yep👏well said …. The guys a legend … if I look like that when I’m 75 I’d be fine with it… hell, if I looked like that back when I was 45 I’d have been cool !!!
Exactly. Let's just see what these commenters look like themselves at 75! It's a heck of a long time since he sung for Rainbow, so of course he's going to look a lot older, idiots. Just like you will at his age!!
@@anthonyclegg1511 He sang on the Rainbow album that had the hit song Since You've Been Gone, around 1981 0r 82. Other than that I don't know of anything else he did that charted, legend might be a bit strong of a term to apply to him but he certainly left his mark with that one song.
We all age. Your comment had me looking back at photos of myself from my rock and roll days. The transformation into my senior years is astonishing, and yet I feel the same .
Graham was easily my favorite Rainbow front man. That voice was a force of nature. I’ve said this on other posts but for kids like me who weren’t allowed to grow long hair; Graham’s cool look with the aviators and suit jackets in a way validated that it was ok for us kids to like hard rock and metal along with everyone else. Long live Graham Bonnet!!!
Graham's look was the ultimate rock n roll move. He refused to subscribe to what "rock" was supposed to look like. Rock is not about conformity, even if it's conforming to what rock is supposed to be. If anything, that's even less rock n roll. Looking the way you're "supposed to".
Cozy kept it pretty classy too, sporty clothes and a shaggy mullet with a good pair of kicks and it suited him. None of that crap with the long hair + beard + head to toe leather + sunglasses indoors. No stupid tat sleeves either. The worst ones are the guys who STILL try to dress like the Hell's Angels now at age 75-80, I honestly consider it abuse when their wives let them out of their houses dressed like that.
I saw Graham only once. He said 'We're going to do Catch the Rainbow and I may not be able to do it justice, but I'll give it a go'. I had so much more respect for him than ever before because of this. Oh, and in case you're wondering - he did a fantastic job of that song!
This guy made some of the greatest hard rock recordings of all time. Any band seemed to sound better WITH him in it. I've been a musician and worked in many disciplines of the music business my whole life, and I often say that the album he did with Michael Schenker (Assault Attack) was absolutely mind blowing. Arguably one of the best recorded albums in rock history. That was one of the albums we always had as a listed catalog of records we'd play through any studio nearfield monitors once we got the place calibrated. Track separation on that record is remarkable too, well mixed. When I would work with different vocalists, and even socially discussing music and recording with them, I would always ask if they were fans of Graham Bonnet, just to see where their knowledge of rock music was, and if they had good taste in how to understand dynamics as a vocalist--which was always missing in rock singers. Graham is a true legend. ~JSV
Down to Earth is a great album with some fantastic Richie Blackmore playing on it. Graham is great on that album as well as on everything he’s done that I’ve heard.
Graham Bonnet is a great singer and terrific guy! We love his classics, of course; let's also support these great artists in their ongoing careers. Bonnet is still very active and has recent solo albums released including: The Book (2016), Meanwhile, Back in the Garage (2018), Day Out in Nowhere (2022), plus work with Michael Schenker and Alcatrazz among others. This is great music, friends! If you don't know it, please check it out!
@@morrisanderson3180 never heard that about Jimmy. Have heard comments that his playing is too low in the mix. But not that he didn’t play on it Blackers played bass on much of LLRnR
Seeing Graham looking like David Jason is a sober reminder, and in some ways reassuring, that few of us manage to retain our youthful looks. Seems like a down to earth decent man.
Michael well said he's 75! People expect him to look like he's in his 40's Only rockers that look young are the ones on the cosmetic surgery and hair transplants fact!
He hasn't aged well at all even for 75. I am 73 and luckily look 60. I would never have recognized him today. Just another old looking grandad..in the western society Invisible
I like his voice, I like his songs. They were not too commercial. "Love aint a friend" is great, we used to listen to "All night long" on the streets on a Ghetto blaster as kids and "Eyes of the world" is a masterpiece.
Eyes of the World and Lost in Hollywood are my favorites on the album. Great album, but I hate Since you've been Gone, too bad that became the song many associate the album with.
@@zomielastaroth4956 The Marbles were an English rock duo that consisted of Graham Bonnet and Trevor Gordon, who operated between 1968 and 1969. Their only well-known singles were "Only One Woman" and "The Walls Fell Down". They also became associated with the Bee Gees members Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb at that time. "Only One Woman" reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1968.The duo disbanded in 1969. Shortly after their split, in 1970, they released their only self-titled album.
Graham talks all about the early beginnings of his career, the Bee Gees and all, in the full interview on the Vintage Rock Pod podcast. Its a fascinating interview with him, still full of life and vigour and still telling fantastic stories from his career! If you'd care to listen a link is here: pod.fo/e/17fe2c
I know Graham Bonnet never really looked rock n roll but yikes the years gather speed! I remember getting into rock in 1980 and listening to Graham singing All Night Long. I am 57 years old this year and he looks like an old man now (sorry Graham) but he is one of my early rock heroes
After Cozy Powell left, then Graham Bonnet and Don Airey soon after him, all the steam was gone from Rainbow. Years later, Cozy said he regretted leaving and was working with Ritchie to reunite Rainbow when he died.
Down to earth is a fantastic rainbow album Punchy melodic and poppy but that’s no bad thing. It’s a cracker. Also, the Ramones had a “look” but rainbow with a lead singer in a Hawaiian shirt didn’t matter, cos bonnets voice is just so bloody good!
Saw Graham in Swindon 2-3 years ago, about 30 people showed up. Really sad as we were witnessing a legend. Glad he’s still doing a few festivals and getting rave reviews
Saw him in Pontypridd's Muni Arts centre in Wales around the same time, good crowd and him and his band went down a storm, his vocals were really good much better than I expected given his age and vocal style. Preformed his Rainbow songs better than when I saw Rainbow in Donnington Monsters of Rock show in 1980, think the entrance pyrotechnics blew some of the sound system up!
I was at the infamous concert at Wembley Arena (was it Empire Pool then?) in 1980 when Rainbow (with Graham) played a set for about an hour. Cozy Powell had just finished doing his 1812 Overture medley and we waited for the rest of the band to return.... but they didn't! We waited... and waited... and then a guy came out and announced the concert was over and the house lights came up. There was a stunned silence and then the place erupted. Chairs in the hall started flying with roadies frantically trying to get the equipment off stage with security surrounding the sound and light desk in the middle of the arena. My mate and I just sat in our seats in the upstairs section thinking it was wiser not to move while some motor cyclists around us smashed their helmets on the permanent foldable metal-seats! Apparently, according to a music press article later, Blackmore had been pissed off with members of the audience shouting out 'play 'Smoke on the Water' and other Deep Purple hits and refused to go on for the rest of the show. Damage to the Arena amounted to a rather large amount of money. Cozy was awesome by the way. It was an unexpectedly fun evening!😂
In some other interview he was saying that the band wanted a duo singers style and he refused to stay but he regretted it. He was struggling vocally with his screams night after night on tour so having a second singer would have taken the pressure off him. Can you imagine what it would have been like if he was sharing the stage with JLT. Shame it didn't materialize. Also this sounds so much like DP MK1 when no one turned up to record hallelujah only for them to invite Gillan and Glover to do it secretly. Peace ✌️
Graham Bonnet is a Rare Singer ,Artist ,Rocker ,Band Leader (Alcatrazz )I feel As though He's perennially underrated by the business .His nigh on constant Musical output of Quality Material and Sound's is quite phenomenal .Never following a trend nor bending to the whims of Record exec's in the old days or the passage of time as it rolls by .I think Graham Bonnet is a rather understated Real Deal Rock Star .🌟 He just doesn't act like a tosser informing everyone or bothering ti remind all that He is most definitely a Bona Fide Lead Vocalist Rock Star and Creative artist .Also rather a Thinking Man's Hard Rock &Metal God . Though We all know He can sing the shit out of a blues or soul number . TOP 🔝 Man
He went from talking about being in Rainbow to forming Alcatraz ...didn't he join MSG after Rainbow??.. and record the best MSG album ever - Assault Attack? Killer album.
Once Again....Ritchie needed New Blood....Sorry Graham, as much as I love you and You're One of my Top 3 favorite singers. Maybe even #1 because Down To Earth...Assault Attack and No Parole are my favorite 3 Lp's ??
@@highwaystar3780 My full interview with Graham is on the Vintage Rock Pod podcast. Its a fascinating interview with him, still full of life and vigour and still telling fantastic stories from his career! If you'd care to listen a link is here: pod.fo/e/17fe2c
My initial reaction was, “Who is that old guy in a rest home?” I keep forgetting how old I am. 😂 @ 60, you don’t THINK or FEEL that old …in your mind, you’re still the same as you were in your 20s-30s. Most of my hair is gray now. I love naps. Drugs are prescriptions. Rock and roll is best when it’s not too loud.
Graham rocks! He escaped out of the hotel window and got his hair cut short against Richies rules🤣🤣.. .Hes definitely a class act and i enjoyed his time in Rainbow and Blackthorn 👉💯✌️😎⛎
Although Graha tells a very different story about the haircut thing! We spoke about that in the interview too, you can see his version of events here ua-cam.com/video/0rsAMd4OW-M/v-deo.html
Okay i love how he have to bass guitars behind, both plugged in and to more and two guitars hanging on the oposite wall. I love those artistic people, who have their "hobby" displaid in plain sight, instead of just having it all in one room dedicated to their art. :D
Graham's a legend. Back in the day he had his own look & persona.. with the shorter hair.. not what u would have expected in the 70's with most of the hard rock singers having the wild longer hair look.. like Coverdale & others..
Graham had a towering voice that seemed to take command of whatever songs he was singing. He also did one album with the Michael Schenker Group and he did a phenomenal job on that. I had heard him say that Cozy encouraged him to join MSG but then he left right before Graham joined the band.
Man on the Silver Mountain 12/1/1979 Capital theater is the best version of Man on the Silver Mountain that I've ever heard. I've always wondered...at 2:38 in... Is he huffing out of that can? Or is that something for his throat or what? Just something I've always wondered.
Oh my ... now I feel old! I was in the Sixth Form I think when Down to Earth came out and to see that iconic young handsome guy as an elderly gentleman makes me feel ancient :lol:
How Bonnet escaped the usual visual Rock/Metal trappings of tight studded leather-ware for a SUIT (and tie) !!! is the MAIN reason I've admired and loved this Dude for Decades!!! One of Rock's/Metal's Most Underrated Frontmen.
Graham has sang and played in some great groups,my favourite song by Graham is Supergirl which he performed in 1966 and I'm sure he also wrote the song
I saw Graham with The Down to Earth Tour at The Deeside Leisure Centre in North Wales, Feb 1980. It was one of The Foggiest nights I have ever seen. How we found the place was a Miracle.
@@KeithyTom Me and my mate climbed up onto all the equipment storage Boxes that they stacked up on the right hand side, we had a great view until others tried the same and security came and got us down 😂
I think when COZY left Rainbow that would have been a real tough act for any new Rainbow drummer to follow...No wonder band members felt it lost its momentum.Good job Graham's new manager steered him towards Alcatrazz and not THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (who he'd managed) Can you imagine Graham's voice annihilating the teenage audience & the rest of the group onstage singing 'SHANG-A-LANG' ....or 'BYE-BYE BABY' 🤔....That would have been less Alcatrazz & more ALKA SELTZER I imagine ....lol ...In between drifting away from Rainbow & forming Alcatrazz there was LINE UP (1981) and of course MSG (1982) In Line up guys like Micky Moody made it Rock & Roll but apparently producers came in with keyboardists from Toyah's band & made it 'flowery' (Nothing against Toyah) ...So then off to MSG...I'm not sure whether Graham was briefly re-united with COZY when he joined MSG or whether it was Ted McKenna all the way ?......In the studio making ASSAULT ATTACK working with Martin Birch Graham sang some Extraordinary vocals on it. Just mind blowing...I thought songwriting wise he worked very well with Michael too on things like Dancer, & Samurai .......I don't know whether they united because management wanted a singer of Graham's H-Bomb power to ensure the band made it big in America. But when MSG took Graham out to perform LIVE unfortunately things went rather to pieces. There was talk of guitar roadie Steve Casey playing rhythm guitar from behind the amps,,,,Then there was a warm up gig for 1982s Reading Festival at Sheffield Polytechnic,,,,Certain folks got 'INEBRIATED' and,,,and,,,well,,NEVER MIND 🤐🤐🤐🤐😬😬🙄🥴🥴
Ritchie tried locking Graham in a hotel room from going and getting his haircut. Graham snuck out through a window and got it cut anyway. Ritchie wanted him to grow his hair to match the image of the band. Ritchie wasnt happy that he got his haircut and was going to bash him over the head with his guitar. 😂
Interestingly, Graham gave me his version of events about that famous Ritchie 'haircut' story. You can see it here: ua-cam.com/video/0rsAMd4OW-M/v-deo.html
Thanks for that, it's 4:16 in the morning and I just busted out in laughter when I read that 😂 I could so picture Ritchie running after him with his guitar swearing at him 😂 I think I peed a little 🤭 good stuff LoL
Nothing against Graham personally but i didn't care for any versions of Rainbow after Dio left. To go from a heavy medieval themed rock band with gothic overtones to a commercial pop band desperate for radio play was the most musically destructive thing i've ever seen in rock. Even though Ritchie will always be my favorite guitar player (along with Tony Iommi) i didn't listen to anything he did until the Perfect Strangers album came out. He probably made a few more bucks going commercial but he destroyed what was a unique and highly creative nucleus of musicians destined to do even greater things had they the opportunity. Such a waste of great talent.
agree i was lucky enough to see the rising tour and see stargazer light in black etc etc performed live later i saw a few rainbow gigs with graham and joe lyn but honesty , they were no comparison to the magic of the cozy dio years
A lot of Dio fans say this but actually "Long Live Rock N Roll" was pretty commercial as a whole. The title track, Lady of the Lake, The Shed, L.A. Connection and Rainbow Eyes (which was as ballad as it gets, lol). The only really fast/heavy tunes were Kill The King & Gates of Babylon. In other words they were already transitioning to that commercial sound Blackmore was after. What kept it more grounded was that Dio was still writing the lyrics. When Bonnet came in Roger Glover took over the lyric department but I would've loved to heard Dio's vocals and the heavier Down to Earth tunes like Eyes of the World, Danger Zone and Lost in Hollywood. He could've pulled it off, I think and made the songs even more aggressive. But I love both Dio and Graham's stint in Rainbow....
Down to Earth is a Monumental Album along with Assualt Attack, No Parole AND Disturbing the Peace. It's Not ironic Bonnet is on All of them? Heaven&Hell, Mob Rules and Dehumanizer are Monumental Albums and Dio is on All of those. All this Amazing stuff happened because Ritchie and Ronnie broke up. And I'm greatful for that. Same way I'll Always be greatful for Ritchie leaving Purple and joining Ronnie. So I'd 1000000x more would rather have Had All this Aftermath rather than listening to Different Versions of Stargazer or Babylon for next 10 yrs or so. If you want More and More Dio Medieval horse shit...you can put on those Awful Endless Dio Solo albums over n over again! Some things in life just have ways of working out for the best.
Haircut 💈 that is what happened Blackmore explained He wanted Graham to grow his hair long to look more Metal , Graham snuck out one day and cut his hair and Blackmore literally tried to kill him lol weird fact Yngwie Malmsteen strangled Graham once for pulling his guitar lead out lol 😄
DAMN he's old now. Still very sharp-minded, though. I love Graham. Extremely spotty career as such; however, there's no denying he's one of the greatest Rock singers ever.
Graham's got old man lol , anyway he had weird luck he went onto form Alcatrazz and discovered 2 great guitar 🎸 players Yngwie and Vai , remember without Bonnet we may never have heard of Yngwie Malmsteen or Steve Vai , he helped make them MTV famous as Island 🏝️ in the Sun and God Blessed Video were MTV hits in the Early 80s
Graham had a powerful touching voice. I loved him with the Marbles. He can wear his hair the way he wants to but he was so sexy when his hair was longer with the Marbles !!!!
To people in the comments - he's 75 years old, did you think he was going to look like he did in 1983? Have some f*cking respect, the guy's a legend.
Well said
Yep👏well said …. The guys a legend … if I look like that when I’m 75 I’d be fine with it… hell, if I looked like that back when I was 45 I’d have been cool !!!
Exactly. Let's just see what these commenters look like themselves at 75! It's a heck of a long time since he sung for Rainbow, so of course he's going to look a lot older, idiots. Just like you will at his age!!
@@anthonyclegg1511
He sang on the Rainbow album that had the hit song Since You've Been Gone, around 1981 0r 82.
Other than that I don't know of anything else he did that charted, legend might be a bit strong of a term to apply to him but he certainly left his mark with that one song.
@@dukecraig2402How about ‘All Night Long’ with Rainbow…Also had a Solo Top 20 hit with ‘Night Games’….
I once met Graham at an event and I have to say, he was the sweetest/kindest guy. Great to see him going on strong after all these years.
Had a " Monsters of rock " compilation of Graham singing " Stargazer" Live. Fantastic. Totally owned it. ( Ronnie is great too)
We all age. Your comment had me looking back at photos of myself from my rock and roll days. The transformation into my senior years is astonishing, and yet I feel the same .
Indeed, Graham is such a nice guy. I will be seeing him again in a couple of days.
Me too - we chatted for a good few minutes and he was a real gent
Oh. And here I thought he was fired because he exposed himself on stage.
Graham was easily my favorite Rainbow front man. That voice was a force of nature. I’ve said this on other posts but for kids like me who weren’t allowed to grow long hair; Graham’s cool look with the aviators and suit jackets in a way validated that it was ok for us kids to like hard rock and metal along with everyone else.
Long live Graham Bonnet!!!
Man on a silver mountain. ! ! Live!
He's good, but Dio is by far Rainbow's best singer.
Graham's look was the ultimate rock n roll move. He refused to subscribe to what "rock" was supposed to look like. Rock is not about conformity, even if it's conforming to what rock is supposed to be. If anything, that's even less rock n roll. Looking the way you're "supposed to".
Really!!
Cozy kept it pretty classy too, sporty clothes and a shaggy mullet with a good pair of kicks and it suited him. None of that crap with the long hair + beard + head to toe leather + sunglasses indoors. No stupid tat sleeves either. The worst ones are the guys who STILL try to dress like the Hell's Angels now at age 75-80, I honestly consider it abuse when their wives let them out of their houses dressed like that.
Saw him with Alcatraz a few decades back. Awesome. Glad to see you doing well Graham.
I saw Graham only once. He said 'We're going to do Catch the Rainbow and I may not be able to do it justice, but I'll give it a go'. I had so much more respect for him than ever before because of this. Oh, and in case you're wondering - he did a fantastic job of that song!
One of the greatest voices in rock...
No, not even close.
Excellent rock voice.
He's got some serious power
Clever too as he found Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai
@@ppo2424 bs
Good on you Graham.Good to see a rocker dressing his age.
Right?!! love it.
This guy made some of the greatest hard rock recordings of all time. Any band seemed to sound better WITH him in it. I've been a musician and worked in many disciplines of the music business my whole life, and I often say that the album he did with Michael Schenker (Assault Attack) was absolutely mind blowing. Arguably one of the best recorded albums in rock history. That was one of the albums we always had as a listed catalog of records we'd play through any studio nearfield monitors once we got the place calibrated. Track separation on that record is remarkable too, well mixed. When I would work with different vocalists, and even socially discussing music and recording with them, I would always ask if they were fans of Graham Bonnet, just to see where their knowledge of rock music was, and if they had good taste in how to understand dynamics as a vocalist--which was always missing in rock singers. Graham is a true legend.
~JSV
Down to Earth is a great album with some fantastic Richie Blackmore playing on it. Graham is great on that album as well as on everything he’s done that I’ve heard.
I thought it was shit commercial rock pop crap.
Love it too!
Saw Graham singing with Rainbow in 1980 when I was 15 at Ingliston, near Edinburgh on the Down to Earth tour...fantastic.
Yes - the short hair and the rough voice 😃
Graham is so underrated!! Awesome voice and stage presence!!!
Graham Bonnet is a great singer and terrific guy! We love his classics, of course; let's also support these great artists in their ongoing careers. Bonnet is still very active and has recent solo albums released including: The Book (2016), Meanwhile, Back in the Garage (2018), Day Out in Nowhere (2022), plus work with Michael Schenker and Alcatrazz among others. This is great music, friends! If you don't know it, please check it out!
Rainbow Rising line up was the best
@gengar2816 why was jimmy bain credited? I understand that he didn't play a note!
@@morrisanderson3180 never heard that about Jimmy. Have heard comments that his playing is too low in the mix. But not that he didn’t play on it
Blackers played bass on much of LLRnR
And long live rock and roll
The man is a phenomenal vocalist, not only a terrific range but a wonderful timbre to it ✊😊🇬🇧
Wow, Graham looks a little older than when I saw him live... wait, 40 YEARS AGO!
And you look still the same of course
@@UserUli Oh, dear God no! lol
I know! And we haven’t changed at all! What is going on!
@@BillLaBrie LOL! My denial setting is at maximum my friend!
I think down to earth was the best rainbow album, graham was on fire , a truly great singer and a genuinly nice guy.
Seeing Graham looking like David Jason is a sober reminder, and in some ways reassuring, that few of us manage to retain our youthful looks. Seems like a down to earth decent man.
Hahaha good joke. 'Down to earth'. Like it! 👍
Fuck sakes he’s 75 What is he supposed to look like. I hope I make it to 75.
A Clever pun.
Michael well said he's 75! People expect him to look like he's in his 40's
Only rockers that look young are the ones on the cosmetic surgery and hair transplants fact!
He hasn't aged well at all even for 75. I am 73 and luckily look 60. I would never have recognized him today. Just another old looking grandad..in the western society Invisible
I like his voice, I like his songs. They were not too commercial. "Love aint a friend" is great, we used to listen to "All night long" on the streets on a Ghetto blaster as kids and "Eyes of the world" is a masterpiece.
"Love's no friend" is a hugely underrated track in my opinion. Love it's bluesy feel.
Eyes of the World and Lost in Hollywood are my favorites on the album. Great album, but I hate Since you've been Gone, too bad that became the song many associate the album with.
Nobody in Rainbow ever had the range of Graham. When you hear others try songs from Down To Earth, you realise just what an amazing voice he has.
I didn't realize that Dio had covered anything from Down to Earth.
bonnet was excellent, but dio was far better specially with his range
RJD ffs 😂
To me Graham will always be the voice of Only One Woman, the Marbles' smash hit from 1968.
I didn't know it was him who sang that song.
@@zomielastaroth4956 The Marbles were an English rock duo that consisted of Graham Bonnet and Trevor Gordon, who operated between 1968 and 1969. Their only well-known singles were "Only One Woman" and "The Walls Fell Down". They also became associated with the Bee Gees members Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb at that time.
"Only One Woman" reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1968.The duo disbanded in 1969. Shortly after their split, in 1970, they released their only self-titled album.
@@CB-xr1eg You didnt really mention this, but the Bee Gees actually wrote Only one woman.
@@Stefan- You're right, I didn't mention that but I'm thrilled that you did. I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing that. Thanks so much.👍
Graham talks all about the early beginnings of his career, the Bee Gees and all, in the full interview on the Vintage Rock Pod podcast. Its a fascinating interview with him, still full of life and vigour and still telling fantastic stories from his career! If you'd care to listen a link is here:
pod.fo/e/17fe2c
I know Graham Bonnet never really looked rock n roll but yikes the years gather speed! I remember getting into rock in 1980 and listening to Graham singing All Night Long. I am 57 years old this year and he looks like an old man now (sorry Graham) but he is one of my early rock heroes
Mate he's 75 he is an old man! Hardly going to look like he did when you got into rock 43 years ago 😂😂
Funny how we lock our memories in a time frame. Nothing moves faster than time.
He is seventy plus
And you look like a teenager with your 57 years (I'm 56)
We all are getting older each day and we look that way. Normal.
There is a way to look younger if he takes estrogen hrt it will make his skin youthful again but then boobs will too appear lol 😄
Love seeing you here GB! I remember mixing you in Australia and your energy being off the charts!! Much love and respect!
After Cozy Powell left, then Graham Bonnet and Don Airey soon after him, all the steam was gone from Rainbow. Years later, Cozy said he regretted leaving and was working with Ritchie to reunite Rainbow when he died.
I never knew about the proposed reunion
There was supposed to be a reunion - lots of interest from Japan. But fate intervened and it’s left as “if only..”
Thanks didnt know that
Graham is a gentleman and a mad man all at once. Love you sir!
Down to earth is a fantastic rainbow album Punchy melodic and poppy but that’s no bad thing. It’s a cracker.
Also, the Ramones had a “look” but rainbow with a lead singer in a Hawaiian shirt didn’t matter, cos bonnets voice is just so bloody good!
Saw Graham in Swindon 2-3 years ago, about 30 people showed up.
Really sad as we were witnessing a legend.
Glad he’s still doing a few festivals and getting rave reviews
Saw him in Pontypridd's Muni Arts centre in Wales around the same time, good crowd and him and his band went down a storm, his vocals were really good much better than I expected given his age and vocal style.
Preformed his Rainbow songs better than when I saw Rainbow in Donnington Monsters of Rock show in 1980, think the entrance pyrotechnics blew some of the sound system up!
Love you Graham - any chance of your band visiting Oz again.
This guy had The Rock Voice. One of the very best ever.
I only saw Graham once. 1982 in Austin, TX with Alcatrazz. Some kid named Yngwie Malmsteen was his new guitarist. Seems like a lifetime ago.
Talk about a powerhouse voice
Down to earth and Rising best 2 Rainbow Albums for me Eyes of the world as good as rock vocals get GB your a legend
Boy now I really feel old, he was so young looking with Rainbow! Guess that was 40 years ago!
I was at the infamous concert at Wembley Arena (was it Empire Pool then?) in 1980 when Rainbow (with Graham) played a set for about an hour. Cozy Powell had just finished doing his 1812 Overture medley and we waited for the rest of the band to return.... but they didn't! We waited... and waited... and then a guy came out and announced the concert was over and the house lights came up. There was a stunned silence and then the place erupted. Chairs in the hall started flying with roadies frantically trying to get the equipment off stage with security surrounding the sound and light desk in the middle of the arena. My mate and I just sat in our seats in the upstairs section thinking it was wiser not to move while some motor cyclists around us smashed their helmets on the permanent foldable metal-seats! Apparently, according to a music press article later, Blackmore had been pissed off with members of the audience shouting out 'play 'Smoke on the Water' and other Deep Purple hits and refused to go on for the rest of the show. Damage to the Arena amounted to a rather large amount of money. Cozy was awesome by the way. It was an unexpectedly fun evening!😂
In some other interview he was saying that the band wanted a duo singers style and he refused to stay but he regretted it. He was struggling vocally with his screams night after night on tour so having a second singer would have taken the pressure off him. Can you imagine what it would have been like if he was sharing the stage with JLT. Shame it didn't materialize.
Also this sounds so much like DP MK1 when no one turned up to record hallelujah only for them to invite Gillan and Glover to do it secretly.
Peace ✌️
Joe and graham have toured together sharing the same stage together night after night, both singing rainbow songs it’s on here
Graham Bonnet is a Rare Singer ,Artist ,Rocker ,Band Leader (Alcatrazz )I feel As though He's perennially underrated by the business .His nigh on constant Musical output of Quality Material and Sound's is quite phenomenal .Never following a trend nor bending to the whims of Record exec's in the old days or the passage of time as it rolls by .I think Graham Bonnet is a rather understated Real Deal Rock Star .🌟 He just doesn't act like a tosser informing everyone or bothering ti remind all that He is most definitely a Bona Fide Lead Vocalist Rock Star and Creative artist .Also rather a Thinking Man's Hard Rock &Metal God . Though We all know He can sing the shit out of a blues or soul number . TOP 🔝 Man
Wonderfully put, I totally agree @simonjamesyoung1990!
I agree with you although I feel he'd have done 'better' had he had long hair. I'm being serious.
@@matoko123so was ritchie😂.
Assault Attack is brilliant ✌
it is indeed, what an album that is - fantastic display of Grahams songwriting and singing ability
He went from talking about being in Rainbow to forming Alcatraz ...didn't he join MSG after Rainbow??.. and record the best MSG album ever - Assault Attack? Killer album.
After leaving Rainbow and before joining MSG, Graham also did a fine solo album („Line-Up“).
That was a great solo album. His version of Night Games is one of my absolute favourites!
Once Again....Ritchie needed New Blood....Sorry Graham, as much as I love you and You're One of my Top 3 favorite singers. Maybe even #1 because Down To Earth...Assault Attack and No Parole are my favorite 3 Lp's ??
@@VRPRocks Graham's version of Night Games is far superior to the original by Fast Back.
@@highwaystar3780 My full interview with Graham is on the Vintage Rock Pod podcast. Its a fascinating interview with him, still full of life and vigour and still telling fantastic stories from his career! If you'd care to listen a link is here:
pod.fo/e/17fe2c
To bad he didn’t stay. Difficult to Cure turned out good and I liked Bonnet’s voice. Good rocker.
Great vocalist used his mum and dads shop in Skegness a few times when I was younger
My initial reaction was, “Who is that old guy in a rest home?” I keep forgetting how old I am. 😂
@ 60, you don’t THINK or FEEL that old …in your mind, you’re still the same as you were in your 20s-30s.
Most of my hair is gray now. I love naps. Drugs are prescriptions. Rock and roll is best when it’s not too loud.
I get the same old dreams, same time every night.. What a classic.
Joe Lynn Turner
He was great in MSG, top singer.
Graham rocks!
He escaped out of the hotel window and got his hair cut short against Richies rules🤣🤣.. .Hes definitely a class act and i enjoyed his time in Rainbow and Blackthorn 👉💯✌️😎⛎
Although Graha tells a very different story about the haircut thing! We spoke about that in the interview too, you can see his version of events here ua-cam.com/video/0rsAMd4OW-M/v-deo.html
Grahams voice is phenomenal guys a legend😁🏌🏌🎶🎶
Class Act....Nice Cream Precision behind him. They needed a few more records together..Matt
Okay i love how he have to bass guitars behind, both plugged in and to more and two guitars hanging on the oposite wall. I love those artistic people, who have their "hobby" displaid in plain sight, instead of just having it all in one room dedicated to their art. :D
I saw him in Alcatraz. Great voice.
Graham's a legend. Back in the day he had his own look & persona.. with the shorter hair.. not what u would have expected in the 70's with most of the hard rock singers having the wild longer hair look.. like Coverdale & others..
Love Graham. Have followed his career for years.
Graham had a towering voice that seemed to take command of whatever songs he was singing. He also did one album with the Michael Schenker Group and he did a phenomenal job on that. I had heard him say that Cozy encouraged him to join MSG but then he left right before Graham joined the band.
Warm ride,baby blue some of my faves from the 70s
Greatest Rock and Roll pipes.
Incredible singer. Great songwriter.
I can't say enough good things about his baddass talent. 🤘😊👍
Seen graham with rainbow, 1980 ( i think ) in cardiff, my first concert, they were brilliant
Love Graham… Down to Earth a great album… Eyes of the World a Top 3 best ever track for me
Graham Bonnet So talented ..wish he had more time w Rainbow! Great look too!
Dio got the best out of Blackmore -- motivated in studio and on stage.
I agree. Ronnie got the best out of everybody who played with him. Who wouldn’t be inspired by that level of talent?
Man on the Silver Mountain 12/1/1979 Capital theater is the best version of Man on the Silver Mountain that I've ever heard. I've always wondered...at 2:38 in... Is he huffing out of that can? Or is that something for his throat or what?
Just something I've always wondered.
Oh my ... now I feel old! I was in the Sixth Form I think when Down to Earth came out and to see that iconic young handsome guy as an elderly gentleman makes me feel ancient :lol:
Saw him with rainbow 'down to earth tour' at bingly hall my first gig at the age of 12 😁👍
I refuse to believe THATS Graham Bonnett 😂
That's why I clicked on the video. I thought no way.
I just saw him with his own band about 4 years ago and he aged markedly since then.
You always look older after you stop colouring your hair. Bonnet had dark brown hair when I saw him with Schenker in April 2019.
Dude he's 75, what's he supposed to look like?
Sorry but what‘s the reason for that and why is it funny? Looks like an insult IMO
Fantastic voice. Great character.
I don't always believe Graham's stories, but he is a great storyteller and a great singer even in 2024. I low key love him.
Graham recorded a great cover of Roy Wood's ELO song "Whisper in the Night".
One of the best singer in the world
Master vocalist..! Give Assault attack a listen!
He has that magic voice that you just can't copy!!
Great vocalist. Seems like a decent bloke, too.
i remember warm ride on the radio & on rtr ,ready to roll ,music on tv gee that was a while back .
How Bonnet escaped the usual visual Rock/Metal trappings of tight studded leather-ware for a SUIT (and tie) !!! is the MAIN reason I've admired and loved this Dude for Decades!!!
One of Rock's/Metal's Most Underrated Frontmen.
There must be over 100 videos of guys talking about why they quit Rainbow.
I was waiting for that bass to fall.
😂 I hadn't even noticed that!
That Dude with Huge hair was Bobby Rondinelli who's a Better Drummer than Cozy ever was !
@@highwaystar3780 You don't know much about drumming.
There were two guitars about to drop off that wall. I kept thinking - move your chair forward.
Russ Ballard is a legend!
didn't before Alcatraz you had the Graham bonnet band with cozy playing drums!?
Graham has sang and played in some great groups,my favourite song by Graham is Supergirl which he performed in 1966 and I'm sure he also wrote the song
'Supergirl' wasn't sung by Graham Bonnet, it was Graham Bonney, a totally different person.
@curlyken01 My apologies I got the wrong Graham Bonnet,still Supergirl is still a great song
Great interview!
Why is the Bass plugged in Graham?
Yngve and mr Bonnet should reunite.❤
The best Singer in Rainbow🎶🤘
Graham Bonnett was the only person in the world with short hair in 1979. I'm pretty sure of it.
Nope. Bryan Ferry.
Lots of skinheads would disagree
Buster Bloodvessel - Bad Manners (less hair than Bonnet)
I saw Graham with The Down to Earth Tour at The Deeside Leisure Centre in North Wales, Feb 1980. It was one of The Foggiest nights I have ever seen. How we found the place was a Miracle.
Same here! I just remember having cold feet standing near the back on a covered ice rink. Acoustics were terrible even though the band played well.
@@KeithyTom Me and my mate climbed up onto all the equipment storage Boxes that they stacked up on the right hand side, we had a great view until others tried the same and security came and got us down 😂
I think when COZY left Rainbow that would have been a real tough act for any new Rainbow drummer to follow...No wonder band members felt it lost its momentum.Good job Graham's new manager steered him towards Alcatrazz and not THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (who he'd managed) Can you imagine Graham's voice annihilating the teenage audience & the rest of the group onstage singing 'SHANG-A-LANG' ....or 'BYE-BYE BABY' 🤔....That would have been less Alcatrazz & more ALKA SELTZER I imagine ....lol ...In between drifting away from Rainbow & forming Alcatrazz there was LINE UP (1981) and of course MSG (1982) In Line up guys like Micky Moody made it Rock & Roll but apparently producers came in with keyboardists from Toyah's band & made it 'flowery' (Nothing against Toyah) ...So then off to MSG...I'm not sure whether Graham was briefly re-united with COZY when he joined MSG or whether it was Ted McKenna all the way ?......In the studio making ASSAULT ATTACK working with Martin Birch Graham sang some Extraordinary vocals on it. Just mind blowing...I thought songwriting wise he worked very well with Michael too on things like Dancer, & Samurai .......I don't know whether they united because management wanted a singer of Graham's H-Bomb power to ensure the band made it big in America. But when MSG took Graham out to perform LIVE unfortunately things went rather to pieces. There was talk of guitar roadie Steve Casey playing rhythm guitar from behind the amps,,,,Then there was a warm up gig for 1982s Reading Festival at Sheffield Polytechnic,,,,Certain folks got 'INEBRIATED' and,,,and,,,well,,NEVER MIND 🤐🤐🤐🤐😬😬🙄🥴🥴
Ritchie tried locking Graham in a hotel room from going and getting his haircut. Graham snuck out through a window and got it cut anyway. Ritchie wanted him to grow his hair to match the image of the band. Ritchie wasnt happy that he got his haircut and was going to bash him over the head with his guitar. 😂
Interestingly, Graham gave me his version of events about that famous Ritchie 'haircut' story. You can see it here: ua-cam.com/video/0rsAMd4OW-M/v-deo.html
Myth
@@bluesdoc737 Indeed! ua-cam.com/video/0rsAMd4OW-M/v-deo.html
Thanks for that, it's 4:16 in the morning and I just busted out in laughter when I read that 😂 I could so picture Ritchie running after him with his guitar swearing at him 😂 I think I peed a little 🤭 good stuff LoL
But who is wearing the wig now! Lol
Nothing against Graham personally but i didn't care for any versions of Rainbow after Dio left. To go from a heavy medieval themed rock band with gothic overtones to a commercial pop band desperate for radio play was the most musically destructive thing i've ever seen in rock. Even though Ritchie will always be my favorite guitar player (along with Tony Iommi) i didn't listen to anything he did until the Perfect Strangers album came out. He probably made a few more bucks going commercial but he destroyed what was a unique and highly creative nucleus of musicians destined to do even greater things had they the opportunity. Such a waste of great talent.
Graham's stuff with Alcatrazz was pretty heavy at least. Probably his best singing phase too.
agree i was lucky enough to see the rising tour and see stargazer light in black etc etc performed live later i saw a few rainbow gigs with graham and joe lyn but honesty , they were no comparison to the magic of the cozy dio years
A lot of Dio fans say this but actually "Long Live Rock N Roll" was pretty commercial as a whole. The title track, Lady of the Lake, The Shed, L.A. Connection and Rainbow Eyes (which was as ballad as it gets, lol). The only really fast/heavy tunes were Kill The King & Gates of Babylon. In other words they were already transitioning to that commercial sound Blackmore was after. What kept it more grounded was that Dio was still writing the lyrics. When Bonnet came in Roger Glover took over the lyric department but I would've loved to heard Dio's vocals and the heavier Down to Earth tunes like Eyes of the World, Danger Zone and Lost in Hollywood. He could've pulled it off, I think and made the songs even more aggressive.
But I love both Dio and Graham's stint in Rainbow....
Gates of Babylon takes a lot to beat.
Down to Earth is a Monumental Album along with Assualt Attack, No Parole AND Disturbing the Peace. It's Not ironic Bonnet is on All of them? Heaven&Hell, Mob Rules and Dehumanizer are Monumental Albums and Dio is on All of those. All this Amazing stuff happened because Ritchie and Ronnie broke up. And I'm greatful for that. Same way I'll Always be greatful for Ritchie leaving Purple and joining Ronnie. So I'd 1000000x more would rather have Had All this Aftermath rather than listening to Different Versions of Stargazer or Babylon for next 10 yrs or so. If you want More and More Dio Medieval horse shit...you can put on those Awful Endless Dio Solo albums over n over again! Some things in life just have ways of working out for the best.
Best vocalist rainbow ever had !
The Marbles from 1968/9 that is when you will see how powerful his voice is!
Indeed! We spoke about the hit he had with the Marbles here ua-cam.com/video/hyuKfyfrcdQ/v-deo.html
OMG, THAT'S Graham Bonnett??? What happened to him???
He's 75 🤷♂️
I'm in disbelief of what I'm hearing lol could've sworn I've seen Rainbow at the LA Forum with Graham Bonnett singing (or lipsyncing)
The problem was that everyone looked to Ritchie as the leader when in fact he didn’t give a crap about any of them!
In America he's Graham Hood!
😂😂👏👏
Wow a legend speaking
Great voice powerful 🙏
He got a touch of frost in his playing hand?
It would be interesting to know about their relationship with Ing, they had some kind of conflict, sort of
Haircut 💈 that is what happened Blackmore explained He wanted Graham to grow his hair long to look more Metal , Graham snuck out one day and cut his hair and Blackmore literally tried to kill him lol weird fact Yngwie Malmsteen strangled Graham once for pulling his guitar lead out lol 😄
This guy turned me on to music. He was the first guy to make my hair stand on end.
Sounds like where I work!
😂
One can hear Bonnet's forehead skin tightening the same second he starts singing. I love his work as well as Dio's and Turner's.
Glover produced the albums. "They got a new singer, but I wasn't fired." Nice guy Roge.
DAMN he's old now. Still very sharp-minded, though. I love Graham. Extremely spotty career as such; however, there's no denying he's one of the greatest Rock singers ever.
Graham's got old man lol , anyway he had weird luck he went onto form Alcatrazz and discovered 2 great guitar 🎸 players Yngwie and Vai , remember without Bonnet we may never have heard of Yngwie Malmsteen or Steve Vai , he helped make them MTV famous as Island 🏝️ in the Sun and God Blessed Video were MTV hits in the Early 80s
Graham had a powerful touching voice. I loved him with the Marbles. He can wear his hair the way he wants to but he was so sexy when his hair was longer with the Marbles !!!!
‘Drummer with huge hair’ Bobby Rondineli?
Yes.