It’s hard to believe a little over 4 years have passed since I stirred the pot by proclaiming “Stargazer” only the third best Rainbow song of the Dio era. A little over 4 years on, and my mind still hasn’t changed. However, one thing that has been on my mind is I’ve yet to properly follow up that list with a Top 10 celebrating Rainbow’s OTHER era. Indeed, when metal historians look back upon Ritchie Blackmore’s post-Purple pursuit, they stumble upon a tale of two bands: One mired in a world of dungeons and dragons, swords and sorcery, expanding upon the early metallic ideas of Mk. II Purple. The other, a streamlined, radio-friendly AOR act, polished for mass consumption and armed with a lethal knack for melody. No doubt about it, Rainbow sold out and sold out HARD, but the three albums they released with one Mr. Joe Lynn Turner at the helm are nothing to scoff at. In fact, they largely go toe to toe with the very bands they were trying to imitate. Without further ado, we present our Top 10 Rainbow Songs of the JLT Years.
10. “Can’t Happen Here” (Difficult to Cure, 1981)
For as much as Blackmore slagged Purple’s Mk. III years as “shoeshine crap music”, he sure could bring soul and swagger when he wanted to. Such is the case for the song that opens our list, “Can’t Happen Here”. Its rowdy, barroom rock n’ roller spirit sounds more in line with what Whitesnake was releasing at the time than anything released under the Rainbow moniker up until that point. Even JLT sounds like he’s trying to channel Coverdale with his freewheeling vocal attack. Don Airey bashes away on the piano like a madman, and Blackmore leads the charge, of course, with his hard-driving riffs and piping hot Burn-tinged leads. It’s straightforward, simple, and embodies the purity of rock n’ roll at its most unadulterated.
9. “Stranded” (Bent Out of Shape, 1983)
What is the key to a memorable album? There are many, but most would agree that you won’t make it too far without a standout opening track. Now considering Bent Out of Shape was my first Rainbow album, there could be some personal bias at play, but I think most of you will agree with me that “Stranded” succeeds in its mission of hooking the listener in. Blackmore is locked in with keyboardist David Rosenthal in a manner that hadn’t been heard since the days of Jon Lord, as if he secretly knew his old band were getting back together sooner than later. In many ways, Bent Out of Shape musically foreshadows Perfect Strangers, and “Stranded” is a prime example of this.
8. “I Surrender” (Difficult to Cure, 1981)
“I Surrender”: An AOR classic with a curious history. Written by hit-machine Russ Ballard, and given to the powers that be, what ensued then was an arms race to record the song and hit the charts. Over a short span of time, the song was recorded by Head East, Cherie and Marie Curie, and Praying Mantis, but in the end, it was Rainbow who took the spoils and made “I Surrender” their own staple. Having achieved the same colossal success with another Ballard-penned composition two years earlier in “Since You Been Gone”, I’m sure Blackmore would’ve been fine with an entire album’s worth of Ballard tunes, especially considering this newfound commercial direction.
7. “Drinking with the Devil” (Bent Out of Shape, 1983)
When it comes to the category of “Former Purple members singing about getting wasted in 1983”, Ian Gillan takes home the gold with Black Sabbath’s “Trashed” (based on a true story). Right behind him, the sorely underrated “Drinking with the Devil”. The flat-out metal songs of the JLT era are far and few in between, but this is certainly one of them. Even in their polite, adult era, Rainbow prove they can still fly off the handle on this high speed bruiser. The lyrics are decadent, the riffs are fiery, and JLT gives one of the best vocal performances of his career, at times sounding Gillan-esque, especially with those bloodcurdling shrieks. It’s no wonder JLT still plays it live to this day!
6. “Can’t Let You Go” (Bent Out of Shape, 1983)
Remember earlier when I said BOOS was the warmup for Perfect Strangers? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present to you, exhibit B in my argument. With its grandiose organ intro, steady driving beat, melodic cool, and subtle euro metal punch in the form of Blackmore’s brooding riffage and neoclassical soloing, “Can’t Let You Go” would fit right in between “Knocking at Your Back Door” and “Under the Gun”. It was also proof that, yet again, even in their AOR days, Rainbow were a cut above the rest, boasting a sense of sophistication and class that was nonexistent amongst the growing crop of synth-driven Foreigner imitators fighting tooth and nail for major label deals.
5. “Stone Cold” (Straight Between the Eyes, 1982)
Having achieved back to back rock radio hits in the form of “Since You Been Gone” and “I Surrender”, the pressure was on for Rainbow to make a hat trick with 1982’s Straight Between the Eyes. This time around, they were determined to do so without the aid of their old pal, Russ Ballard. So Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, and JLT banded together to write their own Ballard-esque composition. The result was “Stone Cold”. Inspired by Glover lamenting over his latest breakup (“She left me stone cold.”), the song became an instant hit overnight, topping the rock charts and dominating MTV. To this day, it receives regular airplay on classic rock radio, and remains one of the finest examples of AOR ever recorded.
4. “Eyes of Fire” (Straight Between the Eyes, 1982)
I’ve often had the discussion with my friends: “Are there any Dio era Sabbath songs you could imagine Ozzy singing?” “I don’t know…maybe “Lady Evil”?” In the same regard, I often ask myself, are there any JLT era Rainbow songs I can imagine Dio singing? Well, there are more JLT era Rainbow songs I can imagine Dio singing than Dio era Sabbath songs I can imagine Ozzy singing. That said, they are far and few in between. “Eyes of Fire” is one of the select few. This glorious pomp metal epic closes out 1982’s Straight Between the Eyes, and almost feels like Blackmore consciously fighting for Rainbow’s metal cred amongst the denim and leather-clad crowd. It joins a long line of grandiose legends (i.e. “Stargazer”, “A Light in the Black”, “Gates of Babylon”), and fits the mold quite nicely.
3. “Death Alley Driver” (Straight Between the Eyes, 1982)
Ritchie Blackmore didn’t just play speed metal; he damn near invented it. Between Purple and Rainbow, his reputation for high-octane speedsters was legendary. “Speed King”, “Fireball”, “Highway Star”, “Burn”, “Kill the King”: The list goes on. Blackmore must’ve missed his breakneck ways, as Straight Between the Eyes opens with one of the most vicious cuts of the JLT era, “Death Alley Driver”. For a certified AOR crooner, JLT proved he could hold is own as a metal frontman, spitting venom alongside Blackmore’s signature six-string pyrotechnics and Bobby Rondinelli’s double-bass drum battering. Though not nearly as unrelenting as cuts like Venom’s “Black Metal” or Accept’s “Fast as a Shark” released that same year, it’s sure a fitting homage to the proto-speed of the ’70s.
2. “Spotlight Kid” (Difficult to Cure, 1981)
That’s right, maniacs! For spots #3 and #2 of this here list, it’s go fast or go home! Even the subdued AOR production of Difficult to Cure can’t contain the balls-to-the-wall, euro metal frenzy of “Spotlight Kid”. Blackmore lets loose as usual. After all, this his show. In the tradition of “Highway Star”, his lead is one part tremolo arm blitz, one part neoclassical duel, this time against sparring partner Don Airey, who sure held his own on 1979’s Down to Earth. Much like “Death Alley Driver”, JLT goes full metal mode, unleashing hellfire and brimstone the best way a Lou Gramm-adjacent frontman can. Indeed, all these years on, we’re still in love with the spotlight.
- “Street of Dreams” (Bent Out of Shape, 1983)
For a metal band cosplaying as an AOR act, Rainbow sure had a hell of a second wind in the early ’80s. And considering the quality (or lack thereof) of fare being released by the bands they looked to as suitable templates by ’83 (i.e. Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Styx), one can point to “Street of Dreams” as a true “student surpassing the master” moment. By AOR standards, there are few songs in the history of the genre more compelling. Much as the name infers, the song itself sounds otherworldly, as if extracted straight out of a dream. The synths are some of the lushest ever laid down on tape, Blackmore delivers a masterful solo that makes sense, and JLT is right at home in his AOR wheelhouse, delivering a vocal performance that’s pure passion. For these reasons and more, “Street of Dreams” is the greatest Rainbow song of the JLT era, and that’s law!
JOE!!! You better rewrite this and include FIRE DANCE bro! xD