Ritchie Blackmore discussing his time working with Graham Bonnet in Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore discussing his time working with Graham Bonnet.

Getting down and dirty with Ritchie Blackmore discussing the Rainbow period with Graham Bonnet. It was 1979 and it was all about attitude and style ...Rock Style!
Ritchie Blackmore tells as it as it is- and pulls no punches in his new documentary'The Ritchie Blackmore Story' out on Eagle Rock.

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[bobbyrock]

I love Graham Bonnets' Miami Vice coke dealer look; perfect for the 80s!

[markhellyer]

Grahams vocals were amazing. His look was a refreshing change at the time.

[milosdunjic]

I think Graham Bonet was such a refreshment for a change ... plus one of the greatest singers that Ritchie played with

[thriftdig]

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.

[jetydosa]

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

[marcusdavid]

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!

[HiruS]

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.

[EmbraceBoredom-prrt]

Graham should have just asked for one of Richie's wigs 😆😆😆😆😆

[peugaldino]

For me Graham Bonnet was the right vocalist for Rainbow

[tinamariechurch]

I'm sorry is a silly story and Graham is amazing.

[joshuajouet]

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.

[theethdoctor]

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.

[OCCUPIEDNATION]

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?

[rogereynon]

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.

[chebrneck]

Richie has a point but just shows what a control freak he really is.

[grassabrutta]

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

[BrianEdennis]

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"

[WHATISUTUBE]

bonnet had such an 80s look. I love it. I wasnt even born in the 80s but in retrospect it was a fantastic look

[markjackson]

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.

[deanhackett]

I think it really worked, the short hair was a breath of fresh air and helped them