Quotes from Ritchie Blackmore

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

In my early days, I never used finger vibrato at all. I originally carved my reputation as one of the 'fast' guitar players.

Simplicity is the key.

I can turn on some jazz guitarist, and he won't do a thing for me, if he's not playing electrically. But Jeff Beck's great to listen to.

If a ballet dancer falls over, it's knowing how to get out looking clumsy that counts.

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 have never met one person who likes Grand Funk.

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

I had given up the guitar between '75 and '78. I completely lost interest. I was sick of hearing other guitar players and I was tired of my tunes.

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

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

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.

Combing my hair doesn't make me a better musician.

When you're around someone good, your own standards are raised.

The only way you can get good, unless you're a genius, is to copy. That's the best thing. Just steal.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was very intense. Maybe that's what caught everybody's attention. As a player, he didn't do anything amazing.

I was impressed by Hendrix. His attitude was brilliant. Even the way he walked was amazing.

Pete Townshend used to crash chords and let the guitar feed back. He's overrated.

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 can do the old hand vibrato just fine, but I like attacking the strings.

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

I criticize my own work pretty harshly.

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

If you can play well in the studio, you can play well on stage.