Ritchie Blackmore Quotes

I was impressed by Hendrix. Not so much by his playing, as his attitude - he wasn't a great player, but everything else about him was brilliant.

When you've toured for about 10 years like me, you end up feeling like you're always waiting for somebody or something. The whole day is a drag.

I like leaping around on stage as long as it's done with class. None of this jumping up in the air and doing the splits.

Learning to play with a big amplifier is like trying to control an elephant.

I can imagine that Rod Stewart likes giving autographs because he's pure showbusiness.

I can never remember what I do even in the studio.

A lot of blues guitarists play with only three fingers, and they can't figure out certain runs that require the use of their little fingers. Classical training is good for that.

I'm not into that Keith Richard trip of having all those guitars in different tunings. I never liked the Rolling Stones much anyway.

I've always played every amp I've ever had full up, because rock and roll is supposed to be played loud. Also, that's how you get your sustain.

I have never met one person who likes Grand Funk.

Everything I do is usually totally spontaneous.

When I was 20, I didn't give a damn about song construction. I just wanted to make as much noise and play as fast and as loud as possible.

They used to complain at school that I looked out of the window for long periods of time - that sums up my life. I like to look out the window, do nothing, daydream.

I criticize my own work pretty harshly.

I don't see myself as such an important guitarist.

I found the blues too limiting, and classical was too disciplined.

I was always stuck in a musical no man's land.

I'm not good enough, technically, to be a classic musician. I lack discipline.

I'm very moved by Renaissance music, but I still love to play hard rock - though only if it's sophisticated and has some thought behind it.

When you're recording, if you're not really clean in your playing, it sounds like a mess.

What's the point of re-releasing an album? The original sounded good, why change something about it?

The cello is such a melancholy instrument, such an isolated, miserable instrument.

I think a lot about death more than life, because we're going towards death.

Playing a Fender is an art itself. They're always going out of tune.

Session work makes you more strict. You can't hit notes all over the place. You've got to make each one really count.

I however don't go to clubs to show off and to be seen, and certainly not to make statements. I just want to be able to quietly watch a band.