NEWS : “BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – THE BEGINNING”: il box in uscita!!!

“Blackmore’s Night – The Beginning” è un documentario sul primo periodo della leggendaria band Inglese. In questo ricercato box di velluto sono raccolti i primi due album dei Blackmore’s Night “Shadow of The Moon” e “Under A Violet Moon” insieme ad una raccolta di rare riprese fatte nel backstage durante i primi tour “Live In Germany 1997-1998″ e “Under A Violet Moon – Castle Tour 2000″ arricchite dalle interviste con Ritchie Blackmore e Candice Night. Blackmore‘s Night “The Beginning” è davvero un’uscita speciale non solo per fans o collezionisti ma per tutti gli amanti della musica scritta con il cuore.

Il Box uscirà il 7 Dicembre in Italia su UDR MUSIC / EMI DISTRIBUTION

Contenuto del box :

DVD 1: “Blackmore’s Night – Shadow Of The Moon – Live In Germany 1997-1998″

DVD 2: “Blackmore’s Night – Under A Violet Moon Castle Tour 2000″

CD1: “Shadow Of The Moon” album

CD2: “Under A Violet Moon” album

DVD 1: “Blackmore’s Night – Shadow Of The Moon – Live In Germany 1997-1998″ 

1. Shadow Of The Moon
2. The Clock Ticks On Play
3. Minstrel Play
4. Minstrel Hall
5. St. Theresa
6. Under A Violet Moon
7.  Magical World
8. No Second Chance
9. 16th Century
10. Greensleeves
11. Renaissance Faire
12. Writing On The Wall
13. Mond
14. Tanz
15. Be Mine Tonight
16. Memmingen
17. Black Night
18. Man On The Silver Mountain
19. Still I‘m Sad Maybe Next Time

 DVD 2: “Blackmore’s Night – Under A Violet Moon Castle Tour 2000″

1.  Written In The Stars
2. Morning Star
3. Renaissance
4. Faire Fires At Midnight (Midnight Acoustic Performance)
5. Possum Goes To Prague
6. Under A Violet Moon
7. Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
8. Past Time With Good Company
9. Wind In The Willows
10. March
11. The Heroes Home
12. Gone With The Wind
13. Fires At Midnight
14. Now And Then Durch Den Wald Zum Bach Haus

CD1: “Shadow Of The Moon” album

1. Shadow Of The Moon
2. The Clock Ticks On Be Mine
3. Tonight
4. Play Minstrel Play
5. Ocean Gypsy
6. Minstrel Hall
7. Magical World
8. Writing On The Wall
9. Renaissance Faire
10. Memmingen
11. No Second Chance
12. Mond Tanz
13. Spirit Of The Sea
14. Greensleeves
15. Wish You Were Here
16. Possum‘s Last Dance

CD2: “Under A Violet Moon” album

1. Under A Violet Moon
2. Castles And Dreams
3. Past Time With Good Company
4. Morning Star
5. Avalon
6. Possum Goes To Prague
7. Wind In The Willows
8. Gone With The Wind
9. Beyond The Sunset
10. March
11. The Heroes Home
12. Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
13. Catherine Howard‘s Fate
14. Fool‘s Gold
15. Durch den Wald Zum Bach Haus
16. Now And Then
17. Self Portrait

NEWS : Blackmore’s Night “The Beginning” Detailed

“Blackmore’s Night – The Beginning” is a documentation about the early period of a musical legend. In the lavish velvet-box you will find the first two BLACKMORE’S NIGHT albums “Shadow Of The Moon” and “Under A Violet Moon” as well as rare video footage of their early tours “Live In Germany 1997-1998″ and “Under A Violet Moon – Castle Tour 2000″. Available for the first time on DVD and only in the “The Beginning” box. The footage from various concerts from the “Shadow Of The Moon” and “Under A Violet Moon” tours is enriched by interviews with Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night, as well as backstage footage, rehearsal footage and medieval fight shows. “We live the music,” says Ritchie Blackmore, confirming the impression that this documentation gives every second — BLACKMORE’S NIGHT is authentic. The enthusiasm of the musicians captivates the audience and takes them along on a journey through the past. Some of the DVD tracks go from the living room rehearsals to the stage and are impressive proof that the compositions function wonderfully as intimate acoustic versions, as well as with the full band on the big stage. BLACKMORE’S NIGHT “The Beginning” is a very special release, not only for fans and collectors, for nostalgic or the medieval curious, but for any lover of beautiful timeless music. This extraordinary box provides the owner not only two DVDs with a delightful, interesting and entertaining performances plus two original studio albums of fantastic music, but rather with it is a ticket out of the dreary day to day life, a way to leave everything behind, to relax the soul for a few hours.

Content: DVD 1: “Blackmore’s Night – Shadow Of The Moon – Live In Germany 1997-1998″

DVD 2: “Blackmore’s Night – Under A Violet Moon Castle Tour 2000″

CD1: “Shadow Of The Moon” album

CD2: “Under A Violet Moon” album

In stores: UK: December 10, 2012 Rest Of Europe: December 7, 2012 USA: November 20, 2012

DVD 1: “Blackmore’s Night – Shadow Of The Moon – Live In Germany 1997-1998″ 

1. Shadow Of The Moon
2. The Clock Ticks On Play
3. Minstrel Play
4. Minstrel Hall
5. St. Theresa
6. Under A Violet Moon
7.  Magical World
8. No Second Chance
9. 16th Century
10. Greensleeves
11. Renaissance Faire
12. Writing On The Wall
13. Mond
14. Tanz
15. Be Mine Tonight
16. Memmingen
17. Black Night
18. Man On The Silver Mountain
19. Still I‘m Sad Maybe Next Time

 DVD 2: “Blackmore’s Night – Under A Violet Moon Castle Tour 2000″

1.  Written In The Stars
2. Morning Star
3. Renaissance
4. Faire Fires At Midnight (Midnight Acoustic Performance)
5. Possum Goes To Prague
6. Under A Violet Moon
7. Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
8. Past Time With Good Company
9. Wind In The Willows
10. March
11. The Heroes Home
12. Gone With The Wind
13. Fires At Midnight
14. Now And Then Durch Den Wald Zum Bach Haus

CD1: “Shadow Of The Moon” album

1. Shadow Of The Moon
2. The Clock Ticks On Be Mine
3. Tonight
4. Play Minstrel Play
5. Ocean Gypsy
6. Minstrel Hall
7. Magical World
8. Writing On The Wall
9. Renaissance Faire
10. Memmingen
11. No Second Chance
12. Mond Tanz
13. Spirit Of The Sea
14. Greensleeves
15. Wish You Were Here
16. Possum‘s Last Dance

CD2: “Under A Violet Moon” album

1. Under A Violet Moon
2. Castles And Dreams
3. Past Time With Good Company
4. Morning Star
5. Avalon
6. Possum Goes To Prague
7. Wind In The Willows
8. Gone With The Wind
9. Beyond The Sunset
10. March
11. The Heroes Home
12. Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
13. Catherine Howard‘s Fate
14. Fool‘s Gold
15. Durch den Wald Zum Bach Haus
16. Now And Then
17. Self Portrait

Eerie Sound Interview : Candice Night – Blackmore’s Night

Interview by Si Smith

Intro by Miriam C.

It’s the second time that we give space to Candice Night, the first time it was for promote her debut solo album “Reflections” now it’s time for a new Blackmore’s Night record and precisely is the DVD “A Night in York”. Let’s see hear (or better read) the details straight away from the enchanting and dreamy Candice.

First of all congratulations on the DVD and more importantly the birth of your new musketeer Rory Dartanyan! It must be a great time for the family.

It really is. He is my spiritual, peaceful child. When all else is chaotic in the world, he just grabs your face and looks into your soul and you breathe him in and all is well. I’ve been calling him my zen baby since the 1st day in the hospital. And Autumn LOVES her baby brother. They have an amazing relationship.

The last time we spoke to you was for your solo album. As a metal based webzine we enjoy supporting related genres as well. Blackmore’s Night has always seemed to defy genre definition, crossing several genres. How would you describe Blackmore’s Night music to a newcomer?

It is a variety of fantasy music that incorporates rock, regional ethnic, tavern/gypsy music with ballads, instrumentals and Renaissance music.

This was your first trip back to England for a while. Why did you choose to film the DVD in England?

Our first DVD, “Castles and Dreams”, was shot in a medieval castle in Germany in 2004; the next one was in the Olympia Theater in Paris in 2007. Since then we have put out 2 more CDs and we do a lot of the songs in concert that have different arrangements than what is on CD. So, a haunted opera house in a medieval city seemed like the perfect venue to record and show these newer songs on DVD.

Your set contains a great mixture of slow tracks and upbeat dance numbers. How did the audience respond?

Great. They were an amazing audience. People think that the English audiences will be more reserved, but more people dress up in costume and garb in England than anywhere else. Ritchie amends the set list per night based on the audience’s energy so he’s constantly reading them.

You describe this as a “trip through the ages”. Have you a favourite historical era you would like to have lived in?

I think the greatest thing about living now is that you can choose from the eras that have come before to see what feels right to you and then incorporate that into your life today. I love the romantic visuals and castles from the Renaissance time; the costume and garb of the Victorian era; and the creativity of the 1960’s. And I bring a bit of each of these things into my life now.

As always your outfit is beautiful and really compliments the performance. Is it your own work?

Thank you. I guess it is. I tend to collect things as I go along whether it is from vintage shops, Renaissance faire vendors or gothic shops and piece everything together to make it my own look. It’s like a patchwork outfit from lots of different fabrics.

Despite the grandiose setting you manage to create that intimacy even from the beginning as you tell us about Autumn and how she sleeps and drinks. We almost feel part of the family! Is that intimacy with the audience important to you?

Yes, it is, because our audiences are more than just audiences. I feel as if when they understand us though our music, its as if they understand us deeply- more so than someone who would just have a chance meeting in the street or even who have known us for years. The music level is a deeper level than conversation, so I feel comfortable sharing things with them. I used to say that fans are just the friends we haven’t met yet, and I still feel that way.

You sing some songs form “Autumn Sky” and some from older releases. How do you decide on a set list? Is it set in stone?

Never set in stone. Ritchie changes the set list as we go along and no one ever knows what he is going to play next. He does it based on the audience, on the venue, on how the songs ring in the hall, on his mood. It all depends.

For “World of Stone” you speak of your love for Renaissance music. What is it about this music that captivates you?

It is an honest music. In my mind, it was from when people played for the pure love and passion of the melody. Not to get on MTV or be played on the radio. It’s this passion and mystery that makes it so enthralling.

A magical moment is when Autumn joins you on stage. How has she taken to the minstrel’s life? What did she really think about it?

She absolutely loves it. Loves meeting new people. Stands on the side of the stage and each time Ritchie changes a guitar she says “Now? Dada? Now?”, she always wants to be on the stage! She sings every word to every song, dances and spins in circles and pretends to be the band members or play their instruments months after we are back home. She is a true performer. Perfect tempo, perfect pitch- it’s a little scary.

At one point you duet with a rather male Lady Gaga. Are there any real life collaborations you would like to pursue in the future?

The people I am fans of are the people I’d be afraid to meet in case they weren’t what I thought they were in my mind. I love Don Henley, but I can’t imagine ever recording anything with him. I’m a big fan of the 80’s rock and metal bands too but I think we’re in different world musically – though it did work with Helloween so who knows?

Finally, one theme of the show seems to be “magic is here”. How important is it to find our place in nature and the world? Can music help?

Music can help everything. Help you heal, help you celebrate, help you make it through and help you to dream. Our place in the world helps you to find yourself too and in turn help to heal the world. So it’s all cyclical.

It has been a pleasure talking to you. Thanks so much for this interview.

Thank You!

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Eerie Sounds Reviews : Blackmore’s Night – “A Night in York” DVD (2012)

Label : UDR/EMI

Review by Luisa Mercier

Blackmore’s Night on 30th September 2011 held a show in York, England at the Grand Opera House. The Medieval setting of the city provided the right atmosphere for the performance of the duo, famous for its Celtic/faitytale mood. Candice and Ritchie and their band of minstrels entertained the audience with songs from their latest two releases and great classics like “Fires at Midnight”. The costumes, the stage, the instruments, all is set to conjure up the image of a wood off a fairytales book or some Renaissance fair. Candice crystal clear vocals create a magic mood that, in addition to the music, is positive, lively, playful, sometimes melancholic but never too sad. In some songs like “The Circle” the rock roots of Blackmore come alive and the acoustic experience  turns into an amazing display of his guitar skills with a prog flavour. A beautiful keyboards solo introduces the instrumental cover of “O Fortuna” off Carmina Burana by Carl Orff  and introduces to “Journeyman”. The rest of the tracks alternate old and new in a journy through the different ages of the band and of history. The dvd is clearly for Blackmore‘s fans, but I think that also a wider audience might enjoy it goven the quality and the beauty of the music that is close to our own shared history.

Rating – 80/100

Tracklist

1. Locked Within the Crystal Ball
2. Gilded Cage
3. The Circle
4. Journeyman
5. World of Stone
6. The Peasant‘s Promise
7. Toast to Tomorrow
8. Fires at Midnight
9. Barbara Allen
10. Darkness
11. Dance of the Darkness
12. Dandelion Wine
13. All the Fun of the Fayre
14. First of May

Line Up

• Ritchie Blackmore – Guitars, mandolin, domra, hurdy gurdy
• Candice Night – Vocals, chanter, cornamuse, shawm, rauschpfeife, tambourine
• Bard David of Larchmont: Keyboards and vocals
• Earl Grey of Chimay – Bass, rhythm guitar
• Squire Malcolm of Lumley – Drums and percussion
• Gypsy Rose:- Violin and harmony vocals
• Minstrel Albert – Various medieval woodwinds

Links

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Eerie Sounds Section : Blackmore’s Night – “Autumn Sky” (2010)

Label : Spinefarm Records/Universal

Review by Tony Cannella

Ritchie Blackmore, Candice Night and their merry band of minstrels have been spreading the gospel for fine renaissance music since 1997. Who ever thought it would last this long? I sure as heck didn’t but the fact remains that Blackmore’s Night has quietly and steadily built up a strong back catalogue of material that continues with their latest offering “Autumn Sky”. Musically “Autumn Sky” is not really much of a departure from what Blackmore’s Night has been known for. The tandem of Ritchie and Candice Night continues to explore their fascination with Renaissance era music and sounds. Candice Night, in particular has been a huge, integral part of Blackmore’s Night’s sound and evolution – both with her voice and her lyrics. Songs like “Highland”, “Vagabond”, “Journeyman”, “Celluloid Heroes” and “Strawberry Girl” are all strong indeed and continue the tradition that began in 1997 with “Shadow of the Moon”. Of course Ritchie Blackmore is far removed from his days as a guitar virtuoso in such legendary bands as Deep Purple and Rainbow and is fully entrenched in the Renaissance thing. Candice and Ritchie are obviously doing something they enjoy and that comes out loud and clear on “Autumn Sky”.

Rating – 84/100

Tracklist

1. Highland
2. Vagabond (Make a Princess of Me)
3. Journeyman
4. Believe In Me
5. Sake of the Song
6. Song and Dance, Pt. 2
7. Celluloid
8. Heroes
9. Keeper of the Flame
10. Night at Eggersberg
11. Strawberry Girl
12. All the Fun of the Fayre
13. Darkness
14. Dance of the Darkness
15. Health to the Company
16. Barbara Allen 

Line Up

• Candice Night – Vocals, Chanter, Cornamuse, Shawm, Rauschpfeife & Tambourine
• Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar, Mandolin, Domra & Hurdy Gurdy
• Bard David of Larchmont – Keyboards
• Gypsy Rose – Violin
• Earl Grey of Chamay – Bass, Mandolin and Rhythm Guitar 
• Squire Malcolm of Lumley – Drums, Percussions

Links

MySpace * Facebook * Site