45 years ago today (8/4/75), then ex Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore released his first album as leader of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. This self-titled release featured members of proto hard rockers Elf and a fiery young singer Ronnie James Dio. The album was ahead of its time as it contained fantasy lyrics and a then-innovative approach to metal that was prog and thunderous. Watch Rainbow perform the heralded “Man on the Silver Mountain” off the debut live in 1977…
