| Down to Earth | ||||
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| Studio album by Rainbow | ||||
| Released | 28 July 1979 | |||
| Recorded | Château Pelly de Cornfeld, France, 1979 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 36:05 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Roger Glover | |||
| Rainbow chronology | ||||
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Down To Earth is the fourth studio album released by Rainbow, released in 1979. Most of the album had been already written and recorded by the time Graham Bonnet was recruited. Also recruited were ex-Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover and keyboardist Don Airey. Almost all the music was written by Ritchie Blackmore (with Bonnet making vocal melodies uncredited contributions[1]), lyrics by Glover. The album marked the commercialization of the band's sound, and contained Rainbow's first chart successes, as the single "Since You Been Gone" (a cover of the Russ Ballard penned tune) became a smash hit.[2]
This was to be the only Rainbow album on which Bonnet sang, although he was still part of the band when writing for Difficult to Cure began.
"Bad Girl", an outtake from the album sessions, was used as the B-side to the "Since You Been Gone" single.
Similarly, "Weiss Heim", an instrumental recorded in Copenhagen in January 1980, was the B-side to "All Night Long".
Also recorded for the proposed next single but unreleased due to Bonnet's departure, was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Bonnet had previously recorded this song for his first, eponymously-titled, solo album in 1977. Rainbow's version was recorded in the studio in May 1980, during rehearsals for the Japanese leg of the Down to Earth tour. It was subsequently played live throughout that tour.
In the UK there was a limited edition clear vinyl LP release.
In 1980 Blackmore's Rainbow headlined the inaugural Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in England.
A remastered CD reissue was released in May 1999, with packaging duplicating the original vinyl. In 2010, a Deluxe Edition of the album was released, featuring bonus disc with previously unreleased songs and instrumental versions of basic tracks.
Songs off the album are often performed by Graham Bonnet at his solo shows, as well as at concerts which he performed with Don Airey (2001) and Joe Lynn Turner (2007).
Critic and author Martin Popoff has cited this album as his favorite by Rainbow.
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| Allmusic | link |
Contents |
All songs written by Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover except where noted.
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