Ritchie Blackmore

Ritchie Blackmore is beyond doubt one of the all-time great guitar players. From his pop roots with The Outlaws and his many session recordings in the sixties, through defining hard rock with Deep Purple and Rainbow in the seventies and eighties and on to the renaissance rock of Blackmore's Night, Ritchie has proved that he is a master of the guitar across a multitude of styles. For the first time "The Ritchie Blackmore Story" tells the story of his remarkable career.

Not only is Ritchie Blackmore one of the technically most accomplished guitarists in the world, he is also one of the most exceptional and uncompromising musicians. Following his extremely successful years with Deep Purple and Rainbow, he left all commercial considerations aside, founding Blackmore's Night with his partner Candice Night and devoting himself single-mindedly to his greatest passion, the music of the Middle Ages. Since then the renaissance-infused magic of Blackmore's Nght has captured the hearts and minds of fans and media around the globe.

With clips dating from the band's 1984 reformation, the release of the album Perfect Strangers, and the rejoining of Richie Blackmore, Deep Purple rocks out on 24 tracks recorded all over the world. From the original 1984 promo clips through their prestigious Montreux 2000 appearance, it's all here, with many unseen clips and performances exclusive to this release.

It works extremely well or it doesn't work at all, says Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice on this concert DVD, reflecting on DP's 25th anniversary reunion tour. This great-sounding disc (filmed in Birmingham, England, on November 9, 1993) finds the band working extremely well indeed.

A musical biography telling the incredible story of the making of the Deep Purple album Machine Head. The album that produced the rock masterpiece Smoke On the Water and in 1972 brought worldwide superstardom to Deep Purple putting them at the pinnacle of seventies hard rock. After the success of In Rock and Fireball the band decided on a European location to record their next album. They chose the Casino in Montreux in Switzerland only to see it burn down the night before recording was due to begin.