Rainbow / Tokyo, Japan 2.3.1978 Complete

The final day of RAINBOW’s 1978 Japan tour, February 3rd, at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, has been unearthed as an audience master recorded by Miracle Man! It will be released as a 2-disc set. This live performance was the last performance in Japan for RAINBOW during the Ronnie era, and various excellent recordings have been released so far. This work will reveal that special live performance from a new angle. After the end of the 1976 tour, RAINBOW began working on a studio album following “RISING”, but due to repeated member changes, the work was delayed, and the tour that began in the fall of 1977 was in the form of promoting the live album “ON STAGE” (although the set included the new song “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”). Nevertheless, the band, with Bob Disley on bass and David Stone on keyboards, acquired solid performance skills and a different sound appeal from ’76, and performed fulfilling live shows in various places. In January ’78, the new year, they landed in Japan again. Amidst the enthusiasm that surpassed that of ’76, a large-scale tour of about three weeks was held, starting with the Nagoya performance on the 11th. However, due to a tragic accident that occurred at the Sapporo performance, the mood of the venue changed completely in the second half of the tour. From both records and memories, it became a tour that will remain in the history of Western music concerts in Japan. This work is a recording of the live performance at the Nippon Budokan on the final day, February 3rd, from “Row N, Seat 45” in the arena seats. In the first half of the live, the sound image is somewhat distant, probably because the taper is hidden by the equipment, and it is close to the standard of the time for a Miracle Man recording, but the freshness of the master is certain, so the sound visibility itself is not bad. As the show progresses, the direct feeling of the sound improves, and by the middle of the live, you can enjoy a powerful sound image. When you think of the Budokan performance of the RAINBOW live by Miracle Man, the first thing that comes to mind is “AN EVENING IN DECEMBER”, which surprised all RAINBOW fans. However, the final day of ’78, held under strict security, was different from the live performance of ’76, when the heat erupted, and the excitement of the fans, suppressed by security, was waiting for an opportunity to explode everywhere. In this recording, you can listen to the live performance proceeding in such a tense atmosphere with interest from the opening to the ending. Perhaps influenced by the tense atmosphere of the strict security, Richie on this day seemed to be playing as if he was trying to calm himself down, and there was a feeling of groping. There were certainly some mistakes, and in “Kill The King” you can see someone shouting abuse at him. The fun session-style performance that was a characteristic of the live performances of this period is hidden (Ronnie’s MC is friendly, but a little shy), but you can feel the melodic side of the band from the hard and solid performance. The well-organized “Mistreated” creates a strange tension for both the band and the audience, but in “Greensleeves,” which is taken up as the introduction to “16th Century Greensleeves,” the tone of the plucking is crystal clear and the playing is wonderful (similarly, “Blues” also shows a wonderful tone). In this live performance, prior to “Catch The Rainbow,” a memorial and a moment of silence will be held by MCs from Japanese related parties. This scene can also be confirmed more clearly than before (the atmosphere of the live venue at that time is also reflected in the fact that many of the audience members shout “Pull back!”). In the following “Catch The Rainbow,” Richie’s guitar is wonderful, and both the quiet part in the first half and the dramatic solo in the second half should strike the hearts of all listeners. In the momentum and power-filled “Man On The Silver Mountain” and “Blues,” the impactful guitar that pops out after featuring Bob Disley’s bass solo is full of power. Ronnie’s vocal ad-lib (familiar to fans as “Night People”), which is performed in the middle of the song, sandwiched between “Starstruck”, makes you realize his outstanding ability. On this day, the main set list ended with “Man On The Silver Mountain”. “Still I’m Sad” including the drum solo will be played as an encore. Fans who were expecting an explosive ending with “Do You Close Your Eyes” and a guitar crash may have been disappointed, but Richie’s guitar with its slow and fast movements is also worth listening to here. Of course, Cozy’s “1812 Overture” is a powerful performance that shakes the entire Budokan. Ronnie’s singing at the end is simply magnificent, and the live will close with a grand finale in the excitement of the original RAINBOW live. The record of Miracle Man’s 1978 Japan tour was released as “BACK TO FRONT,” a live performance at Nagoya City Public Hall on the first day, revealing the excitement of the first day of the tour with a vivid recording. By listening to this work, which also documents the final day of the same tour, fans will be able to deeply and realistically confirm the atmosphere of the 1978 Japan tour. Now another new one has been added to the record of “February 3, 1978,” which is a mountain range of classic sound sources such as “REQUIEM,” “STILL I’M SAD,” and “EPILOGUE”! Recording seats are Arena N row 45 Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 3rd February 1978 PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (48:44) 1. Opening 2. Over The Rainbow 3. Kill The King 4. Mistreated 5. 16th Century Greensleeves 6. MC 7. Catch The Rainbow Disc 2 (47:02) 1. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll 2. Intro. 3. Man On The Silver Mountain 4. Blues / Vocal Improvisation 5. Starstruck / Night People 6. Man On The Silver Mountain (reprise) 7. Guitar Intro. 8. Still I’m Sad 9. Beethoven 9th 10. Keyboard Solo 11. Cozy Powell Solo feat. 1812 Overture 12. Still I’m Sad (reprise) 13. Over The Rainbow Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar Ronnie James Dio – Vocal Cozy Powell – Drums Bob Daisley – Bass David Stone – Keyboards