If you were anywhere near an FM radio, or a sold out stadium rock show back in the mid 1970s, Angel were inescapable.
Formed in 1975 and discovered by Gene Simmons very soon after, Angel were the glam metal monster that all the others wished they could be. Clad in all white satin but eviscerating the spectrum, Punky Meadows and co had a stage show to rival any you could think of; a sense of drama that was almost poetic in its punchiness… when they named their second album (after a self-titled debut) Helluva Band, they really weren’t kidding.
“The boys like them,” journalist Sylvie Simmons wrote in 1978, “The girls like them, parents probably think they’re sick. In other words, they’re everyone’s perfect Teen Dream.”
Who better, then, to take on one of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow’s most heavenly songs?
“Lady of the Lake” was originally released back in 1977, on Rainbow’s third album Long Live Rock’n’Roll, Blackmore’s grinding guitar a delicious counterpoint to virtuoso Ronnie James Dio vocal, “burn[ing] real slow against a tough beat,” as Trouser Press put it in their review of the album.
Angel retain the grind, the pace and the toughness, but they make the Lady their own regardless, a thunderous punch that could easily have slipped off any of the band’s classic albums, and is underpinned by a Punky guitar solo that’ll send your jaw dropping floorboards in seconds.
”Rainbow were a great band,” says Punky, “Angel had the opportunity to play some shows with Rainbow back in the day, and it was awesome! Angel is so honored to record ‘Lady of the Lake” for the Rainbow tribute album and….we killed it!”
Aside from sharing concert bills, frontman Frank Dimino adds, “We also rehearsed next to each other in the Gower lot, so doing this song brought back great memories!! Plus I love Ronnie’s voice so singing and recording ‘Lady of the Lake’ was a lot fun for me!!!
Angel rhythm guitarist Danny Farrow continue, “We were very happy when asked to record a song for the Ride The Rainbow Tribute album from Cleopatra Records. Recording ‘Lady of the Lake’ was a lot of fun with the band, and we really love the way the song came out.” And, of the accompanying video, he adds, “Visual creator Jay Rice made a really great video to capture the song perfectly.”
SINGLE: https://orcd.co/angel_ladyofthelake
There’s a lot more where this came from, too. Scheduled for release June 19, Ridin’ The Rainbow – The Ultimate Tribute to Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow lives up to its grandiose sub-title with room to spare. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow were one of the most multi-faceted bands ever to walk the Heavy Metal highway, not only swooping from devastating power chords to delightful power ballads, but also venturing far from those waters when the mood hit them.
All of these facets are laid bare here, not only by Angel but also a cast of fellow guests that includes stunning performances from no fewer than six Rainbow alumni – Bob Daisley, Graham Bonnet, Don Airey, Joe Lynn Turner, Doogie White, and Ronnie Romero! Plus Ritchie’s wife and Blackmore’s Night partner Candice Night, and his successor in Deep Purple, Steve Morse; and others beside.
Even better, the album will be available both on CD and cassette, and across three differently colored 2 LP vinyl sets – choose between red, yellow and violet, or buy all three and you’ll be almost halfway to completing a rainbow of your own.
CD/VINYL/CASS: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=ride+the+rainbow
DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/ridetherainbow_ultimatetributetorainbow
Track listing
1. Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll – Bob Daisley, Graham Bonnet, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Carmine Appice, Don Airey
2. Man on the Silver Mountain – Sebastian Bach, Doug Aldrich, Bob Daisley, Carmine Appice, Mick Box, Jonathan Cain
3. Stargazer – Derek Sherinian, Marty Friedman, Vinny Appice, Jürgen Engler, Joe Bouchard, Ronnie Romero
4. Lady of the Lake – Angel
5. Rainbow Eyes – Mike Tramp
6. Since You Been Gone – Marty Friedman, Vinny Appice, Graham Bonnet, Jürgen Engler
7. Kill the King – Rick Wakeman, Bob Daisley, Vinnie Moore, Marc Lopes, Chris Adler
8. The Temple of the King – Steve Morse, Phil Soussan, Ronnie Romero, Simon Wright, Jonathan Cain, Kevin James Morse
9. Jealous Lover – George Lynch, Vinny Appice, Andrew Freeman, David Ellefson, Jonathan Cain
10. I Surrender – Eric Gales, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Phil Soussan, Don Airey, Chris Adler
11. Catch the Rainbow – Doogie White, Derek Sherinian, Chris Poland, Vinny Appice, Bob Daisley
12. Street of Dreams – Paul Shortino, Joel Hoekstra, Joe Bouchard, Fred Aching, Jonathan Cain
13. Stone Cold – Vivian Campbell, Joe Lynn Turner
14. I Surrender – Marcus Nand, Candice Night
