What Ritchie Blackmore once said about Kiss and Fleetwood Mac

The guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is one of the few artists in Rock and Roll music who were able to be successful in two different bands. He helped to form Deep Purple back in the 60s and in the following years they became one of the most influential groups in the world. In 1975 when he decided to leave the band, he formed Rainbow, which also would become one of the biggest Hard Rock bands of all time.

So he had the chance to see the evolution of the music business up-close and also to see many new bands appearing. Two of them were Kiss and Fleetwood Mac and in an interview with Trouser Press back in 1978 he shared his opinion on both bands.

What Ritchie Blackmore said about Kiss and Fleetwood Mac

By the time Kiss released their self-titled debut album in 1974, Deep Purple already was a very successful band and when Blackmore gave the interview to Trouse Press in 1978, Kiss was already one of the biggest bands in the world.

During the interview, Blackmore said that in the United States there were some “strange big groups”. Then the interviewer questioned if Kiss was one of them. So the guitarist said: “No, Kiss I like because they don’t care what people think of them. They took a chance and it worked.”

“They’re the first ones to admit they’re not good musicians. I’m talking about middle-of-the-road bands that turn out that lethargic, laid-back cocaine beat. The DJs love it and they play and play it all the time.”

After that answer, the interviewer asked Blackmore if a band like Fleetwood Mac was that kind of group that the DJs loved. So he laughed and replied: “Funny you should mention them. Nice people, but I have reservations about what they’re doing.”

“But the rest of America doesn’t seem to have reservations. It’s gone into this mellow thing and I’m not keen on that. I like intense music that comes across as drama, as acting. (…) I cannot play anything which is not in me. (So) I could never play like Fleetwood Mac. I could play like that if I was fast asleep (chuckling). I’m not trying to be derogatory, I just cannot play that way. Lucky for them it worked because they were going through some hard times about six years ago. So I’m glad for them as people. They’re very nice people,” Ritchie Blackmore said.

Gene Simmons was part of a documentary about Ritchie Blackmore’s life

Curiously, the Kiss co-founder, bassist, singer and songwriter Gene Simmons was interviewed for the documentary “Ritchie Blackmore Story“, released in 2015. He praised the musician, saying (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage): “In a lot of ways, it’s a little tragic that Ritchie didn’t stand up and shine the light on himself. Which is why I’m happy to be here. He needs the light right on him. Because unlike many people he actually deserves it.”

“You know, it bears noting that, for me, Ritchie Blackmore, unlike many guitar players, never lost his edge, if it were. ‘Burn’ is every bit as important as ‘Space Truckin” and some of the later stuff. You can actually hear a guitar player at the top of his game.”

“When Ritchie plunged into medieval music it wasn’t so much as a surprise as a natural course of events. You know, there are people who enter this band thing for lots of different reasons. For many, for fame and for the chicks. It seems to me Ritchie Blackmore entered into this for the music,” Gene Simmons said.