Knockin at Your Back Door

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johntheswan33

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I've been listening to some Deep Purple recently and I really like Ritchie Blackmore's tone for the solo on Knockin at your Back Door. Does anyone know how to replicate this, as well as his tone earlier on in the 70's?
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

johntheswan33 said:
I've been listening to some Deep Purple recently and I really like Ritchie Blackmore's tone for the solo on Knockin at your Back Door. Does anyone know how to replicate this, as well as his tone earlier on in the 70's?
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Part of his tone was plugging into an Aiwa TP 1011 reel to reel tape deck to use as a preamp. He also used it for echo.

On earlier recordings he used a Hornby Skews treble booster, which was a Rangemaster type box.

And his fingers!


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Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

I am something of a Deep Purple completest (well over 100 recordings at last count), and man, that solo just sounds weird to me. It has this strange modulation just to the solo, like he didn't want to solo over the songs chords, so they just dropped it in. Then he just spews out a bunch of nonsense that they cut a piece out of and pasted over the chords. I love DP, but that album's production was a mess, too.
Blackmore played some great stuff on their first album through Stormbringer, though. And much of the earlier Rainbow stuff. I am also a big Morse fan, too. 'Purpendicular' was just amazing.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

See, when that came out, to me it was an awesome comeback album. Ian Gillian is also incredible. Killer cd Perfect Strangers and Knockin at Your Back Door are worth the price alone. The outro solo fron KABD is my fave Blackmore solo
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

God bless you, man. I'm a huge Deep Purple fan and I hate everything about that solo. :D

Can't say much on how I'd get that tone, I really don't know.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

Ben1962 said:
See, when that came out, to me it was an awesome comeback album. Ian Gillian is also incredible. Killer cd Perfect Strangers and Knockin at Your Back Door are worth the price alone. The outro solo fron KABD is my fave Blackmore solo
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Oh when it came out, I loved it, too. It is just that it doesn't stand up against the rest of their catalong. Either does the next album,' The House of Blue Light', but there are a few good tracks on it. The production on that one isn't that great, either.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

Mincer said:
I am something of a Deep Purple completest (well over 100 recordings at last count), and man, that solo just sounds weird to me. It has this strange modulation just to the solo, like he didn't want to solo over the songs chords, so they just dropped it in. Then he just spews out a bunch of nonsense that they cut a piece out of and pasted over the chords. I love DP, but that album's production was a mess, too.
Blackmore played some great stuff on their first album through Stormbringer, though. And much of the earlier Rainbow stuff. I am also a big Morse fan, too. 'Purpendicular' was just amazing.
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Well, the musical part does make sense. After the chorus they went from the key of A- to B- and he recorded it with different modulation on a different track.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

I love that outro solo- classic Blackmore. The middle solo doesn't really do much for me. Can't quite call it slapped together, but IMO it isn't up to Ritchie's usual standard. You need objective ears in the studio; I think an outside producer likely would've insisted on another take.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

That's just it- Ritchie is capable of a lot more melody than that. However, I doubt any producer would want to produce that era of Deep Purple. They were always at odds with each other.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

Maybe Richie was always at odds with somebody. He seems like an arrogant SOB and not very personable
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

I can't really recall the solo of Knocking at your back door at all, but it's great song.

That album is my favorite of Deep Purple. Just awesome. Compositions and lyrics on that are among the best DP has done. Even production sounds great, despite that sort errors you apparently have noticed... (I haven't. And does it even matter. There's no rules in music)

It is messy though, I think every Blackmore era Deep Purple album is somewhat like that. Especially In Rock: Loud, shrill and incoherent comes to mind... It may be classic, but really a bit overrated. Shows what great live act can do.

However, the newer albums have been bit too sleek for me to get much interest. Not bad, just not that exciting.

BTW: Rainbow has always been the band for me. Going to see the new lineup live next month :D Born in 90's I never believed I'd have a chance...
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

I've heard some of the new live DVD from Rainbow...I don't know about it yet. Ritchie's tone is really mid-heavy and compressed, and the singer seems to over-sing everything.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

Mincer said:
That's just it- Ritchie is capable of a lot more melody than that. However, I doubt any producer would want to produce that era of Deep Purple. They were always at odds with each other.
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I honestly think Ritchie was really pissed off when he was playing that solo. The end solo was more melodic, but the middle one I can only really play it if I'm in a bad mood. It's just a guess.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

johntheswan33 said:
I honestly think Ritchie was really pissed off when he was playing that solo. The end solo was more melodic, but the middle one I can only really play it if I'm in a bad mood. It's just a guess.
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Oh I get it...there are some solos he played when he was obviously mad or didn't care for the song. I can imagine being with someone in the studio who thinks the song is terrible, doesn't like many of the band members and doesn't want to be there, but is contractually obligated. The engineer just has to piece together something- so they take what they can get. I think I can hear when Ritchie was in one of those kinds of moods.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

Yea, but the outro solo is a KILLER!! All these years, I still love that song
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

Mincer said:
I've heard some of the new live DVD from Rainbow...I don't know about it yet. Ritchie's tone is really mid-heavy and compressed, and the singer seems to over-sing everything.
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In 2016 concerts he was using some rail humbuckers in his strat, which was quite a surprise.

Tones in the new Rainbow studio song are way better though, as is his playing, so it seems rather promising.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xKtPlcugqF0
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

The new track is pretty good. I am still not sold on the new singer, though. I don't think they recorded more than one or 2 new tracks, with no plans to go any further than that.
 
Re: Knockin at Your Back Door

I'm a huge Rainbow fan, but the new song sounds kind of generic to me. To me, it sounds like it could have been a B-side from the JLT era, which means that it is fine, but hardly comeback material.
 
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