Graham Bonnets Candid Account of Ritchie Blackmore & his time in Rainbow Plus the Notorious Haircut 

Jeez, I feel so fucking old. I saw rainbow with Dio and I was a adult then, looking at Graham I just realized I am a old man now.

That lineup was unreal Cozy Don Airey Roger Glover and Ritchie plus the coolest lead singer in hard rock history insane stage presence Graham Bonnett was the Boz Scaggs of hard rock

Rainbow was just a Great group! Every version produced wonderful songs. Richie Blackmore always picked the best artist to play with.

Graham was so cool, so much style. Impeccable hair and a sharp dresser....such a powerful voice.

Graham was great in Rainbow. Always enjoy his interviews too, he's very open and straightforward with a good dash of quirky humour.

that first alcatrazz album is the best thing graham ever put out. yngwie too

Since You’ve Been Gone was the first single my brother and I went halfers on - think I was 12 and he was 13. Can remember the excitement when it first blasted out of our parents cheapish living room record player.

Down to Earth is one of my all time favourite albums. What a great voice Graham has

Love the dog that walked past nonchalantly down the corridor

Everything Graham sings is awesome!

Longtime graham bonnet fan! Alcatrazz , the marbles, rainbow MSG; that loud, powerful, iconic voice he has hasnt lost a step. The james dean of rock

Best singer they ever had.

The most imposing but soulful voice in hard rock. And that look was the coolest. He still sounds like he could burst eardrums!

To me he was one of the coolest lead singers of all time. Love this guy!!

I❤️ Graham Bonnet voice. He's a great influence to me. I'm a huge fan.

Rainbow's Down To Earth is a long time fav. Cheers GB!

I'm 61 yrs old..Down to earth album is great with Bonnet powerful voice ..

Graham Bonnet is a BEAST!!!

I like Graham, he still sounds great live as well. It's great hearing these old stories.

Man anybody, can talk all the shit they want. But, Since You Been Gone? That song very much, speaks for itself! I mean the verses, the chorus, the bridge! It's crazy! Most certainly, one of if not my favorite, Rainbow song!

Aside from his spectacular voice, as far as stylistic appearances go, there's no doubt that Graham Bonnet always looked like he belonged in a New Wave band.

It's kinda funny, Ritchie reacting like that, as Graham Bonnet's hair cut was actually what made the Rainbow of that time being popular, if only for his looks alone. He made them look up-to-date and edgy, and no one cared how much other hair got entangled in strings, mikes and drum kits, I guess! 😆

I thought Graham was great in Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group and Alcatrazz. Thanks for the great interview!!

Love Down to Earth. Graham was great and cool. Superb interview, humble guy!

God bless Graham, great singer, big part of ny formative years!

Legend 🌈

Graham is a funny dude😂😂

Graham is Great singer!!!!

I thought Graham Bonnet was one of the best singers Ritchie Blackmore hired. I also thought the look was cool, with his short hair/ James Bond look. Especially in the middle of Punk and New Wave styles taking off.

Gotta love Graham good dude and Down to Earth was brilliant

Along with Dio, Mr Bonnet is my favorite singer. "Love's no Friend of Mine" - Awesome performance.

One of the most controversial and particular career rock bands. I really enjoy listening to all their eras to this day,

How sweet of Graham Bonnet to say some kind things about, Ritchie Blackmore! The man who talks shit, on, Ian Gillan?! Can you imagine trying to sing like that, forever? I mean, not everyone is Glenn Hughes! Ha!

Down to Earth, in matter of style and sound, counts for 3 albums and even for Blackmore of that era would have been impossible to record something better on this style, a rock opera maybe!!!!!! great job mate!!!!!

Graham has a fantastic memory and a great story teller, an amazing man for sure.

Amazing Voice...

What a great voice and character!

Nice to see you Very Happy And Healthy, Dear Graham! 😊 I saw you in Concert in Binghamton, NY!!! 😊 and you were Fantastic!--really at the top of your game! Actually, the entire band, especially Ritchie, was in Great Form! I was standing with friends maybe 10-deep from off-center Stage, Stage Right, and you guys were warming-up for Blue Oyster Cult (I'm remember All of these details as I'm writing! 😊). And I think we All left the Concert after only a few Blue Oyster Cult songs, Lol. I remember that we All thought how foolish and strange it was that Rainbow 🌈 was actually "opening" for Blue Oyster Cult--and NOT the other way around. 😳 😊 Anyway, through the years, I've Always taken the Time to read about you whenever your name and very recognizable visage (face) appears before me! And, like I say: I'm Happy for you that you seem to be doing well (if that can Honestly be said of anyone of our age! 😊). Well, take good care, Graham! May God Bless You--and All The Rest of Us, Too! 😊

Graham was well known for his solo work in Australia. ✌️🤘🇦🇺

I'd have to say that Graham's clean cut look was a bit weird but honestly, was Rainbow's best singer.

As a guy from Bangladesh 🇧🇩, with English as my second language (in training), I grew up listening to 70s and 80s New Wave, Pop, Rock, Blues and Hard/Heavy Rock. All, in bootleg tapes, since genuine Cassette, Albums (Vinyl) were rare and super expensive to own, those days. Anyways, even tho my top preference as Rainbow singer is R. J. Dio, but somehow "Down To Earth" with Graham Bonnet has remained my topmost Rainbow album. Peace.

As a young teen, I always thought Graham's slick short haired look in a band of long haired musos was cool AF. He inspired me to always go against the grain in the bands I've played in.

Love this! Thanks for it!

Richie Blackmore.....and Deep Purple no doubt❤❤❤❤❤

Night Games……great song, great vocals 👍

lovely guy with a great voice

Thank You, both

Awesome interview. Thank you.

Ahhh my hero! I think the best performance in my opinion is with MSG Assault attack, back in 82'. The whole album is something that has followed me all this years and I still listening to the album 😍😎 By that I don't mean Rainbow and Alcatraz is bad, no no no! I have all the albums on vinyl 😎

How can you not love Graham?Such a funny down to earth bloke!

One of the most underestimated singer in rock industry! And may be he didn’t get too much luck! He always made me sober with his singing,- despite the fact, I hate Since You’ve been gone!!!!

The cover photo of Bonnet looks just like Francis Rossi of Status Quo from around 15 years ago

Bloody love Graham!

You & the band made a great album, there was nothing to be made fun of & thank you

While Dio rainbow is my favourite era my introduction was Graham Bonnet , incredible voice

I got to see this tour at the Palace Theatre in Albany NY. It was the first time I saw Graham Bonnet also with the Michael Schenker Group.

Real RocknRolla...Earth Soul Blues RocknRoll...

That's at Beth-Ami Heavenstone house.. saw her walk by.. his bassist

Clout were a band from South Africa and their biggest hit was Substitute.

The doggy at 3:35 is lovely!🙂 The song Freedom Fighter seems to have some Graham backing vocals under the lines in the middle: "Fighting for breath, as the world gathers speed..." It's uncanny. What's really odd about the haircut story is that Ritchie Blackmore seems to respect individuality and singlemindedness, both of which Graham Bonnet showed by having hair cut as he chose. In a band with guys with longish hair, just over the collar, his look fit well. Pretty sure I can remember the review of Clout's version of Since You Been Gone. It concluded, "For extra hipness value, the solo at the end could've been played by Mick Ralphs." Ralphs and Blackmore were my Top 2 guitarists in '78, as I didn't discover Gary Moore / Michael Schenker until '79. Thanks for a great interview.

I saw him play last week and he was bloody excellent! I had the good fortune to support him once and he was so nice to our band. I think that if he was American, his name would be on everyone's go-to great rock vocalists list.

❤

How was it working with Yngwie Vs Ritchie Blackmore? Musically, how were they different? Who had/has the bigger musical brain 🧠? -Cheers

Assault Attach - classic - great album that did not get much recognition

Great voice one of the best in rock. I have Graham to thank for one of my relationships. Around 82 got his haircut and some red trousers. Went to a pub for a football function but got dumped by the then girlfriend. Ok I thought so I walked 3 miles to a friends house who was having a party. As I got there everyone was leaving, but his Sister liked my look and I stayed for a few more hours just her , me. and her budgie that masturbated on a pencil) Start of a wonderful time for the next 6 months. I was 25 at the time.

3:23 min best bit

Yes, Dio sang like a bird & I saw him for the Heaven and Hell record, Holy Diver & Last In Line. But Graham Bonnet, is still my favorite Rainbow singer! I was just saying the other day that song wise, Alcatraz was the best thing Wingnut Valvestem, ever did! Just an opinion!

I just listened to the Guardians of the Galaxy version. Different arrangement, similar voice to Graham's but Different.

Interesting what he says about ‘Out of Time’ & ‘Since you’ve be gone’..

I always thought his short hair look was cool. Looked like James Dean. I dug all the versions of Rainbow

Ironic that Blackmore should take exception to Graham's hair when Blackmore's was really quite crap until he go that wig.

Yeah ! Ena sou o primeiro ;)

Skegness's finest😊

Alcatazz was a top band

"Since" is a Russ Ballard song

It's funny Blackmore was overly concerned about Graham's hair considering Ritchie wears a wig.

There's nothing wrong with having rhythm and blues in your voice and your singing heavy rock..... It's a good mixture kinda like Dug Pinnick

Haircut story - it was in Newcastle

Seems like a nice guy and didn’t cow tow to Blackmore,which is credible and Blackmore must have respected him for that.

Blackmore called that lineup the best rainbow version. I wish Graham would have grown his dam hair back then.

To think people had a go at Graham when Joleen followed who was useless. GB was fantastic in retrospect

Did they do much Dio era songs during Graham’s tenure?

I'm worried one of those bass guitars is going to fall off !

I think Graham Bonnett should be given credit for steering Blackers to the American market, think about who followed Bonnett..🧐

I always thought He worked with MSG straight after Rainbow ? but here He says Alcatraz ?

3:35 Pies

in the last years of the 1970s i like many kids of 14 in England knew of all those bands like Lizzy , Quo , Queen & even Cozy whom had exposure from hit singles & I’d also heard Sabbath & Hawkwind, Focus etc because their sound stood out when played on Saturday afternoon rock music radio shows but in 1979 I had never heard of Rainbow until a guy on school bus got stick from the jack the lads into Mod & Ska because on his bag in big letters he’d written RAINBOW ….a very popular young kids tv programme 😂Until the arrival of Graham in England only serious Rock Music lovers were aware of this meaning of the term Rainbow otherwise it was something in the sky , on hippies busses or on kids tv. In England in 1979 no matter how big a phenomenon in rock music you were , you were still as famous as a cult band until managing a hit single . Genesis are another example of this . The guy with Rainbow on his bag was only aware of them from having much older siblings …

His style and his voice stuck out and I always thought it was cool to do that.

There's a strong argument to be made that Bonnet is right up there with the Dios and Halfords in terms of pure hard rock/metal singing. I rate him higher than Ozzy even with Sabbath. It was pretty much his work with Michael Schenker that sealed it. Imagine Ozzy trying to sing Samurai or Desert Song. He would get embarrassed. Even Dio/Halford would have trouble. Graham is top 3, imo.

Attack - lol

When I saw that he had short hair I thought it was all over.

Graham Bonnet or John Shuttleworth? 😉

Who remembers Gamma? You neither

ritchie is so comical XD. Who cares about hair right. He's so serious about it. But it's ridiculous XD.

Deep purple did not change their name to rainbow..lol

Simply criminal that Down to Earth was a one off. Really wish that Graham and Cozy had stayed on as that lineup with them was far superior to what followed.

😂😂😂😂😂Over hair length😂

Assault Attack!

So Ritchie Blackmore’s🌈was all about taking the piss 😂😂😂😂

Jeeezzz! Just shows ya what a tyrant Blackmore is!