RAINBOW - Difficult To Cure Germany Release 12" Vinyl LP Album
- A groundbreaking fusion of classical mastery and hard rock power – Rainbow’s bold leap into the 80s with a Beethoven-inspired anthem
Rainbow's fifth studio album, "Difficult to Cure" (1981), marked a pivotal moment in the band's evolution. Led by Ritchie Blackmore and featuring Joe Lynn Turner, the album blended hard rock with classical influences, notably incorporating Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony." The result was a musical masterpiece that showcased the band's virtuosity and left an indelible mark on the rock genre.
Rainbow's "Difficult to Cure" was released in 1981 and is widely regarded as one of the band's most successful albums. It was the first album to feature Joe Lynn Turner as the lead vocalist, replacing Ronnie James Dio, who had left the band to pursue a solo career.
The album features a mix of hard rock and progressive rock with classical influences, and it includes several notable tracks, including the title track "Difficult to Cure," a reworking of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and the hit single "I Surrender." The album also features the talents of keyboardist Don Airey, who had previously worked with bands such as Ozzy Osbourne and Deep Purple.
The album was released in Germany on 12" vinyl LP and was produced by the band's guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, and sound engineer Louis Austin. The album cover features an illustration of a dragon with its tongue sticking out, created by artist Jeff Cummins.
Critics praised the album for its musical diversity and technical prowess, with many noting the band's ability to seamlessly blend different genres of music. The album also helped to solidify Rainbow's place in the hard rock scene of the 1980s and helped to further establish the careers of Blackmore and Turner.
This album "RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure" includes the original custom inner sleeve with album details, complete lyrics of all songs by and artwork/photos
Music Genre:
British Hard Rock
Album
Production information:
The album: "RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure" was produced by:
Roger Glocer
Sound/Recording Engineer(s):
Flemming Rasmussen
Flemming Rasmussen is a legendary Danish music producer and sound engineer, acclaimed for his work in heavy metal. He played a crucial role in shaping the sound of Metallica, producing iconic albums like Ride the Lightning (1984) and Master of Puppets (1986). His expertise at Sweet Silence Studios influenced many metal classics.
Learn more
.
Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark is a Danish music recording music in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is owned by Freddy Hansson and Flemming Rasmussen (producer of Metallica albums).
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City by Greg Colvy
Album cover design and photos Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis, the legendary British art design group, revolutionized album cover art for rock music. Explore their iconic visual creations on our website, featuring a vast collection of their innovative designs for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and many more.
Here is the web-page with a gallery of album covers created by Hipgnosis
Record Label & Catalognr:
Polydor 2391 506
Media Format:
12" LP Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram
Year & Country:
1981 Made in Germany
Personnel/Band Members and Musicians on: RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure
Band-members, Musicians and Performers
Ritchie Blackmore - Guitar
Ritchie Blackmore, born Richard Hugh Blackmore (1945), is a legendary English guitarist known for his pioneering role in rock and metal. As a founding member of Deep Purple, his electrifying riffs on classics like Smoke on the Water defined hard rock. Later, he formed Rainbow, blending neoclassical influences with rock. Explore more in his
vinyl album discography
.
Don Airey - Keyboards
Roger Glover - Bass
Roger Glover is a renowned bassist, producer, and songwriter, best known for his key role in Deep Purple and Rainbow. Since joining Deep Purple in 1969, his melodic bass lines and songwriting have shaped classics like Smoke on the Water and Highway Star. Beyond Deep Purple, he produced for bands like Nazareth and worked on solo projects.
Learn more.
Bob Rondinellii - Drums
Bobby Rondinelli is a renowned American rock drummer known for his thunderous style and work with legendary bands like Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and DORO (Pesch). Influenced by classic hard rock, his dynamic drumming has left a lasting impact on the genre.
Complete Track-listing of the album "RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure"
The detailed tracklist of this record "RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure" is:
Track-listing Side One:
I Surrender
Spotlight Kid
No Release
Magic
Vielleicht das Nachste Zeit
Track-listing Side Two:
Can't Happen Here
Freedom Fighter
Midtown Tunnel
Difficult to Cure
Beethoven Ninth
High Quality Photo of Album Front Cover "RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure"
Album cover of Rainbow's 1981 LP "Difficult to Cure", German pressing on Polydor Records. The image features seven men dressed as surgeons in dark green operating room scrubs, white surgical masks, and green caps. Their expressionless eyes are the only visible part of their faces. The central figure stands slightly ahead of the others, facing the viewer directly while slowly pulling a yellow rubber glove over his right hand. His stance is deliberate and slightly menacing, giving off a mix of clinical detachment and theatrical drama.
The lighting is stark and casts subtle shadows on their garments and background, emphasizing the sterile yet unsettling aesthetic. The background fades to a pale gray, allowing the figures to dominate the composition. The band name Rainbow is printed in red in the top left corner, and the album title Difficult to Cure appears in the top right, both in a serif font. In the lower right are the Polydor logo and a stylized image of the Mercury man (indicating distribution). The entire image walks the line between parody and unease—perfectly matching the album’s ironic title.
Back cover of Rainbow's 1981 LP "Difficult to Cure", German pressing. The photograph is taken from a low, almost patient-like perspective, as if the viewer is lying on an operating table. Four medical personnel loom overhead under a bright rectangular operating lamp: three male surgeons in dark green scrubs and one female nurse in crisp white attire, all wearing white surgical masks. The expressions behind their eyes range from neutral to slightly ominous, enhancing the eerie atmosphere.
The central figure again appears to be the same lead surgeon from the front cover, this time facing slightly downward toward the viewer. A nurse stands just left of center in a white dress and cap, the only bright element in the image aside from the harsh overhead light. The entire scene is cast in a reddish-brown ambient tone, giving the image a claustrophobic, theatrical quality.
Bright red text—track listings and credits—is printed across the chest and torso area of the central surgeon’s gown, laid out as if scribbled directly onto the fabric. The Polydor logo and catalogue number appear again in the lower right corner. The dramatic angle and ominous lighting continue the satirical “medical procedure” theme of the album’s title, blending dark humor with a touch of the absurd.
Insert image from Rainbow's 1981 LP "Difficult to Cure", German edition. This stark black-and-white photograph shows a neatly arranged set of vintage surgical instruments placed atop a sterile-looking tiled surface. The tools—some instantly recognizable, others vaguely medieval—include various types of forceps, spreaders, a speculum, and two large metal syringes with piston grips. They are arranged carefully on a white cloth, giving the whole scene an oddly ceremonial tone.
To the left, a large, unused rubber glove lies next to its packaging, labeled with the number “8” and a circular medical symbol. In the lower right corner sits a kidney-shaped surgical tray with faint residue inside, reinforcing the medical theme. Stainless steel trays, containers, and lids frame the scene on all sides. Despite the clinical subject matter, the artistic lighting and monochrome contrast lend the image an almost surreal, dystopian quality—fitting seamlessly into the album’s satirical take on surgery and the idea of being “difficult to cure.”
Insert sleeve of Rainbow's 1981 LP "Difficult to Cure", German pressing. This full-page layout features the printed lyrics for the album’s songs in black type, arranged in five vertical columns over a white background. The text is punctuated by ominous illustrations of surgical tools, reinforcing the album’s bizarre medical theme.
In the lower left corner lies a carefully staged composition of a glove, gauze, and surgical scissors resting in a shallow tray, while a large syringe—filled and poised—sits horizontally across the first column. In the top right corner, a speculum looms, partially cropped, with another set of forceps encroaching from the lower right. The stark, clinical visual tone is accentuated by the high contrast black-and-white presentation, mimicking the sterile coldness of an operating room.
The layout is meticulous and efficient, much like medical documentation, yet it serves a satirical artistic function—juxtaposing themes of bodily intrusion and pop rock bravado. A small illustration of a thermometer appears near the bottom center, sealing the unsettling fusion of medicine and metal that defines this album’s aesthetic.
Side A of the vinyl LP "Difficult to Cure" by Rainbow, German pressing released on the Polydor label in 1981. The image shows the classic 12-inch black vinyl record resting on a flat light-gray background. The center label is a bright red-orange with black text, bordered by a circular legal disclaimer in German around the outer edge.
At the top of the label is the iconic Polydor logo in bold red and black print, followed by the band name RAINBOW in all caps. Below that is the catalog number 2391 506 along with the GEMA rights society logo and the text “Made in West Germany.” The album title Difficult To Cure is printed prominently in the lower section, along with the track listing for Side A, writing credits, and copyright information.
The record itself shows light grooves that reflect ambient lighting, adding a subtle shimmer across the surface. The circular format and bold coloring of the label contrast dramatically with the dark vinyl, making this a classic and unmistakable artifact from Rainbow’s early 1980s era.
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