Quotes By Ritchie Blackmore

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

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

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

But you have to give your whole life to a cello. When I realized that, I went back to the guitar and just turned the volume up a bit louder.

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

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

I never work out my leads. Everything I do is usually totally spontaneous. If someone says, 'That was good; play that again,' I'm not able to do it.

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

I criticize my own work pretty harshly.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and I wanted to be a hard rock band - we wanted to play rock and roll only.

I don't use the twang bar anymore. It's become too popular.

Jimi... He was the gov'nor and that's it. He was brilliant, wasn't he?

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

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

I feel like I own the stage.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Hendrix inspired me, but I was still more into Wes Montgomery. I was also into the Allman Brothers around the time of those albums.

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

Those record companies don't know what's happening at all.

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.

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

When something is not good, it's bad. Period.

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

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.

Johnny Winter is one of the best blues players in the world. He's very underrated.

I have never met one person who likes Grand Funk.