Ritchie Blackmore has given his first account of the Jones Beach reunion, saying he had no time to warm up and lost his place.
Ritchie Blackmore has set out what happened when he walked back on stage with Deep Purple last Wednesday, and says accuracy was never the point of it.
The guitarist, 81, joined the band for “Smoke On The Water” at the close of their main set at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York on August 12, his first performance with them since 1993. Writing to Guitar Player by email afterwards, he described going on cold.
“It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately,” he said. “I couldn’t warm up, but I wasn’t there to be playing correct notes. I was there to see old friends I hadn’t seen in 40 years, and we’re all getting older. I think we realized it could be the last time we see each other, maybe.”
He also admitted the performance did not go cleanly.
“It was tricky; I didn’t play anything too technical, as I felt I should stick to the rudiments of being simple,” Blackmore added. “I still lost my place at one point, but it’s not why I was there. I was there to heal any wounds — but there weren’t any wounds. Everyone was like we were in the army all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment.”
Ian Gillan introduced him from the stage that night. “I’ve gotta say something. A couple of days ago, I got a message. I got a letter from this man saying, ‘I only live around the corner. Do you mind if I come and jam with you?’ And it was an absolute pleasure to have back onstage, the founder member, the great legend, the immortal, Ritchie Blackmore!” He added: “Thanks, Ritchie. I have to say it was a great pleasure. I’ll see you in the bar.”
Gillan returned to it the following day: “What a pleasure it was to welcome Ritchie Blackmore on stage with us to play ‘Smoke‘ last night… Thanks Ritchie, that meant a lot to many people; not least me.”
The band’s own account called it “a big moment in rock history”. Guitarist Simon McBride, whose position Blackmore occupied for the song, posted a photograph of the two of them backstage: “My absolute pleasure to share the stage with this legend, such a great guy and an inspiration to all.”
Blackmore had thanked the band himself the day after: “Good night had by all, I hope. I know I had a great time. Thanks a lot lads. Carry on and have a good tour.”
He announced the appearance during an Instagram Live with his wife Candice Night the night before, having approached Gillan, who lives in Portugal, and asked for a single song.
Blackmore explained at the time: “I actually called up… I didn’t call him up, I sent my A.I. pigeon to Ian Gillan in Portugal, where he lives at the moment. And I said, ‘How would you feel about if I got up just for an encore? Just one of the songs. I don’t want to intrude.’ And I said, ‘No pressure — just kind of [for] old times’ sake.’ I’m 81 now. So he seemed to love the idea, put it to the band, got a thumbs up, and it looks like we might be doing that.”
Gillan apparently took the idea to the rest of Deep Purple, with the band giving Blackmore the green light for the special appearance.
“I have my roadie there kind of now, setting up my amplifier,” he further revealed. “But I’ll be using a small amplifier, but it’s very loud. It’s what I use when I record. I hope I can compete with the [current Deep Purple] guitar player [Simon McBride], ’cause I can see that he has very big amplifiers behind him. So, it’d probably just be the one number, as it’s been a while. I changed my strings on my Strat, which I haven’t done in over 25 years… I hope the guy out in the front can turn me up. I’ve got my roadie there for a soundcheck.
Blackmore said returning to the Deep Purple stage feels like something of a challenge after spending so much time away from electric rock music.
“[Simon] is a very good guitar player. As was, and is, [former Deep Purple guitarist] Steve Morse, is a great guitar player.”
“So, that’s gonna be interesting. I have not played rock music in 25 years, actually,” Blackmore added. “It’ll be good to see the old guys again. I think we’ll all be on crutches and wheelchairs and things, although I think the rest of them are okay. But, yes, it’s kind of frightening. I haven’t played rock in 25 years… I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years, and at first I was very uncomfortable playing it, but I got used to it, and now I’m used to playing the acoustic more so than the electric.”
The physical arrangements took some managing. Blackmore has four herniated discs and had a steroid injection in his lumbar area two days before the show to allow him to stand with a guitar, with a stool kept at the side of the stage. He also has gout, arthritis in his fingers and feet, and a history of heart problems, and a severe vertigo attack last November forced him to cancel dates. He and Night live near Port Jefferson on Long Island, roughly twenty minutes from the venue.
Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 and left for the last time after a show in Helsinki in November 1993. He did not attend the band’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2016, saying afterwards that the group’s management had prevented him from taking part.
