Down to Earth is the fourth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow. It is their last album to feature drummer Cozy Powell, their first with bassist Roger Glover and keyboardist Don Airey and their only album with vocalist Graham Bonnet, as well as their only album with an entirely British lineup. Released in 1979, it contains Rainbow's first hit single "Since You Been Gone", marking a more commercial direction of the band's sound.
Writing and recording
The writing of Down to Earth began at Ritchie Blackmore's house in Connecticut in January 1979. By that time, he had dismissed both bassist Bob Daisley and keyboardist David Stone before singer Ronnie James Dio quit the band. Blackmore had already recruited his old Deep Purple bandmate Roger Glover as producer and started auditioning musicians for the vacant slots in the band, while songwriting progressed with Blackmore, Cozy Powell and session bassist Clive Chaman.
By early 1979, Blackmore had recruited keyboardist Don Airey – a suggestion from Powell – and considered Peter Goalby of Trapeze, as well as another old Deep Purple bandmate Ian Gillan, to replace Dio. In April 1979, Jack Green of The Pretty Things was hired as new bass player for the recording sessions at Château Pelly de Cornfeld, in the countryside of Southern France, but he did not stay for long. His vocals were not recorded with the other tracks in France, but later at Kingdom Sound Studios on Long Island, when all other recording sessions were completed.
Songs from Down to Earth have been performed by Graham Bonnet at his solo shows, as well as at concerts performed with Don Airey (2001) and Joe Lynn Turner (2007).
Release
In the UK there was a limited edition clear vinyl LP release.
"Bad Girl", an outtake from the album sessions, was used as the B-side to the "Since You Been Gone" single. Similarly, "Weiss Heim", an instrumental recorded in Copenhagen in January 1980, was the B-side to "All Night Long".
A remastered CD reissue was released in May 1999, with packaging duplicating the original vinyl.
In 2011, a Deluxe Edition of the album was released, featuring a bonus disc with previously unreleased songs and instrumental versions of the basic tracks.
Reception
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine defines the album "a fine hard rock platter", which "might not offer anything unique, but it delivers the goods." He criticizes mostly Bonnet's vocals, but praises "the guitar artistry and mystical sensibility of Ritchie Blackmore", who "sounds invigorated on the album".
Legacy
In an interview with Sounds in 1979, Blackmore said: "I have so much respect for classical musicians that when I listen to myself I think, oh, that's nonsense. I can put down other people's music because the fact is I put down my own music and say it's rubbish. A lot of it is- not all of it- "No Time to Lose" definitely is but "Eyes of the World" is OK. But a good deal of it is a waste of time."
Track listing
2011 deluxe edition track listing
Personnel
;Rainbow
- Ritchie Blackmore – guitars
- Cozy Powell – drums
- Roger Glover – bass, producer
- Don Airey – keyboards
- Graham Bonnet – vocals
;Production
- Gary Edwards – engineer
- Michael Palmer, Leigh Mantle – assistant engineers
- Greg Calbi – mastering
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1979)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
| align="center"| 27
|-
! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)
| align="center"| 26
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)
| align="center"| 15
|-
|-
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (2011)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)
|align="center"|90
|}