Rainbow/France 1980

The Grenoble, France performance, famous among enthusiasts for the rare song “Makin’ Love” played during RAINBOW’s European tour in early 1980 following the release of “DOWN TO EARTH”, has been recorded using a newly discovered top audience master! Although it is a sound source of a show that has already been released, this work, which contains a fresher and more punchy sound image, is a must-listen for all RAINBOW fans! The European tour, which started on January 17, 1980, was mainly held in Germany, with shows in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, etc. being held in a one-off format. In France, the second-highest number of live shows were booked after the total of 10 shows in Germany, and a total of four shows were shown on January 26th and 27th, February 9th when this live show was recorded, and February 12th when the Paris performance was held. Although famous sound sources such as “DOWN TO EUROPE” and “LOST IN BREMEN” are known from the first half of the tour, the European tour after February has limited notable sound sources, and the appearance of this sound source that allows you to enjoy the show with a full set will be especially pleasing for fans who follow later. Although there is a sense of distance between the taper and the stage, thanks to the high freshness of the original master, the performance that was difficult to hear in the previous release is reproduced with a fairly clear outline. Graham’s vocals, which were likely to be drowned out by the guitar and drums, have a clear presence, and the band’s ensemble can be properly grasped. Of course, the entire work has been remastered, and it has made great progress in ease of listening from the past sound sources that were slightly cracked and had noticeable hiss. Graham’s vocals, which felt tired at the end of January due to a series of tours that were not in the pop era, have regained their good condition on this day, and both “Eyes Of The World” and “Love’s No Friend” will give you a wonderful performance. Especially in the call-and-response with the audience in the second half of “All Night Long”, he makes a “reckless request” that seems to make the listeners’ breathless, showing off the unique Graham-likeness to the fullest. Graham’s romanticism cultivated in the pop field gave the song a different color from Ronnie’s, “Catch The Rainbow”, and the contrast between the clear tone of the first half that Richie listens to and the explosive climax is also wonderful, making it a great highlight in live performances (unfortunately the last part of the song is faded due to the master’s convenience). In addition, Richie was also in a good mood on this day, and in the second half of “Lost In Hollywood”, he sandwiched a different free solo than usual, and even in “Beethoven 9th”, he played a sharp play. Even in the driving “Man On The Silver Mountain”, the band assembled the performance with a wonderful sense of unity, and the listening response is the best. The band and Richie’s well-coordinated play was finally clear in “Blues”, and the result was the improvised “Makin’ Love”. It is clear from Graham’s slightly shaky singing that this song is an improvisation that was not rehearsed (he can sing the first chorus, but he gets stuck on the lyrics halfway through). Nevertheless, Don, Cozy, Roger and other members’ playing is well followed, and the song is in a fairly neat shape. The last song is “Long Live Rock’N’Roll”, which flows from Graham’s solo song “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”, and the show ends with a raging ending. Although the recording time is about 83 minutes, you can enjoy not only powerful performances, but also rare songs that can only be heard in this one take at the moment, and a live performance that is as fulfilling as the items released separately, or even more so. Please take this opportunity to enjoy a precious moment from the European tour when the band’s momentum was at its peak. Live At parc Des Expositions Alexpo Hall, Grenoble, France 9th February 1980. Disc 1 1. The Land Of Hope And Glory 2. Countdown/Over The Rainbow 3. Eyes Of The World 4. Love’s No Friend 5. Brandenburg Concert/Greensleeves 6. Since You Been Gone 7. Over The Rainbow 8. All Night Long 9. Catch The Rainbow Disc 2 1. Keyboards Intro. 2. Lost In Hollywood 3. Guitar Solo 4. Beethoven 9th 5. Keyboards Solo 6. Drums Solo incl. 1812 Overture 7. Lost In Hollywood (reprise) 8. Guitar Solo 9. Lazy 10. Man On The Silver Mountain 11. Blues 12. Makin’ Love 13. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? 14. Long Live Rock’N’Roll Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar Graham Bonnet – Vocals Cozy Powell – Drums Roger Glover – Bass Don Airey – Keyboards