Rainbow – On Stage 12" Vinyl LP Album

- When Dio and Blackmore turned a concert hall into hard-rock scripture

Album Front Cover Photo of Rainbow – On Stage Visit: https://vinyl-records.nl/

I still remember the first time I dropped the needle on “Rainbow – On Stage” and realized this wasn’t just another live record trying to behave itself. This thing roars. Recorded during the Rising tour and released in 1977, it catches Rainbow at that brief, volatile moment when Ronnie James Dio was singing like a prophet with a microphone and Ritchie Blackmore was playing guitar as if melody itself might try to escape. The performances stretch, bend, and occasionally glare back at the audience, with Martin Birch keeping the chaos sharp and physical instead of polite. It’s the sound of a band proving, night after night, that fantasy, volume, and discipline could coexist on the same stage.

Table of Contents

"Rainbow – On Stage" (1977) Album Description:

Smoke, sweat, and stage-light heat still cling to this one. “Rainbow – On Stage” isn’t a “best-of-live-moments” souvenir trying to behave—this is a double-LP document of a band in full mythical meltdown mode, with Ronnie James Dio preaching like the ceiling might crack and Ritchie Blackmore playing guitar like melody is a dangerous animal that needs handling gloves.

The Hook

Chaos gets turned into craft here. Recorded during the Rising tour and released in 1977, the set captures Rainbow at that brief, volatile moment where fantasy, volume, and discipline all decided to share the same stage without calling security.

The Era

1977 sits in that perfect late-’70s overlap: hard rock getting heavier, heavy metal getting clearer, and live albums becoming proof-of-life instead of background merch. Big halls, bigger rigs, and crowds showing up to be converted—because the culture was done with polite entertainment and wanted something that felt physical, like it could leave a mark.

The Genesis

A tour band doesn’t “arrive,” it survives—night after night, cables everywhere, tempers simmering, and the same songs getting stretched until they either snap or evolve. Rainbow sounds like a unit that learned how to hold a dramatic, high-wire act steady: Dio’s voice throwing story into the rafters while Blackmore keeps the whole machine sharp enough to cut.

The Wax

Needle hits the groove and the room instantly gets bigger. Side One comes out swinging with “Kill The King”, all urgency and teeth, then slides into the long, restless flow of “Man on the Silver Mountain” stitched into “Blues” and “Starstruck” like the band’s daring you to keep up.

Space opens up on “Catch the Rainbow”, where the drama isn’t in speed, it’s in tension—quiet parts that feel like the crowd holding its breath, and louder parts that land like a curtain drop. Later sides go deep with “Mistreated” and the gloriously unbothered time-warp of “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves”, before “Still I Am Sad” drags the lights down into something darker and heavier. None of it feels “performed for the record.” Everything feels performed for the room.

Credit where it’s due: Martin Birch keeps the sound sharp and physical instead of polite. The mix doesn’t sanitize the live grit—it frames it, like a good photographer who knows the sweat is part of the truth.

The Peer Review

Same-year live giants exist, sure, but this one plays a different game:

  • KISS – Alive II (1977): bigger party, more spectacle; Rainbow feels more like hard-rock scripture than confetti warfare.
  • Status Quo – Live! (1977): relentless boogie engine; Rainbow leans into drama, dynamics, and that fantasy-theater edge.
  • Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus (1978): a masterclass in groove and warmth; Rainbow is colder steel, brighter flame.
The Friction

A “brief, volatile moment” doesn’t happen by accident. Everything about these performances suggests a band riding controlled tension: songs stretched, tempos flexed, and arrangements allowed to breathe just enough to feel dangerous without falling apart. That push-pull—discipline versus daring—is the real electricity living under the notes.

The Legacy

Collectors keep this one close because it’s more than audio—it’s a whole artifact. The gatefold presentation, the original custom inner sleeves packed with live and tour-life photos, and the West German Polydor/Oyster identity make it feel like a preserved slice of road-worn history, not just “a live album.”

Personal footnote from the trenches: first copy came home with me right when it hit, then got traded to a friend like that was a normal thing to do with a record this good. A replacement copy had to be found later (because regret has a soundtrack), and by the early 1990s the CD version joined the shelf too—because sometimes the same storm deserves multiple containers.

Plenty of records live on shelves. This one lives rent-free in the brain—because it sounds like a band proving, in real time, that myth can be loud, tight, and absolutely human.

The Fade Out

Cardboard closes, sleeve slides back in, and the room stays a little louder than it was before.

Album Key Details: Genre, Label, Format & Release Info

Music Genre:

British 70s Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

Label & Catalognr:

Polydor Oyster – Cat#: 2929 041 (2929041)

Album Packaging

Gatefold (FOC) album cover design.

This album includes the original custom inner sleeves with photos of Rainbow Live On Stage.

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Double LP Gramophone Record
Total Weight: 420g

Release Details:

Release Date: 1977

Release Country: Made in Germany

Production & Recording Information:

Producers:
  • Martin Birch – Producer, Sound Engineer

    I first noticed Martin Birch on those early Iron Maiden sleeves—the ones with the typography that felt like a threat. At twelve, I didn’t care about "production value"; I just liked that the guitars didn't sound like mud. He was the man behind the sound mixer, the one who made the snare snap like a dry branch in a cold forest. He was "The Headmaster," and we were all just students of his high-voltage curriculum.

    Birch didn’t just record noise; he organized aggression. By 1972, he was already wrangling the messy brilliance of Deep Purple’s Machine Head, turning Ian Gillan’s banshee wails into something that didn't just clip the tape but lived inside it. In 1980, he pulled off the ultimate renovation, giving Black Sabbath a much-needed shower and a new spine. Heaven and Hell shouldn't have worked, but Martin polished that Birmingham sludge into something operatic and gleaming. It was a pivot that felt like fate, mostly because he refused to let the mid-range get lazy.

    Then came the long, obsessive stretch with Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1992. It was a twelve-year marriage to the fader. From the moment Killers (EMC 3357, for those who care) hit the shelves, the sound was physical. He knew how to let Steve Harris’s bass clatter like a machine gun without drowning out the melody—a sonic miracle that still feels fresh. You can almost smell the ozone and the dust on the Marshall stacks when the needle drops on The Number of the Beast. He stayed until Fear of the Dark, then simply walked away. No victory lap, no bloated memoir. He preferred the hum of the desk to the noise of the crowd, leaving us with nothing but the records and a slight sense of abandonment. But then, when you’ve already captured lightning on tape for twenty years, why bother hanging around for the rain?

    Martin Birch Wiki
Album Cover Design & Artwork:
  • Bruce Payne – Direction

    Bruce Payne was Rainbow’s steady hand offstage: an artist manager and longtime Deep Purple/Rainbow manager via Thames Talent Ltd., steering careers and projects while the amps did the talking.

  • Fin Costello – Art Direction, Photography

    Fin Costello is the guy behind the lens who made loud bands look even louder—caught mid-stride, mid-sweat, mid-myth. I always pay extra attention when his photos are printed on album covers and inner sleeves.

    Fin Costello hit my radar the way the best photographers do: not with a signature, but with a feeling. You’re staring at a sleeve and suddenly you can hear the room. Hot lights. Hair stuck to foreheads. That thin layer of sweat that says the set is only halfway done.

    He comes out of late-1960s London photojournalism—learn the craft fast, get close, don’t ask the moment to repeat itself. And when the rock caravan starts dragging its cables across Europe, he’s already in the right place. Deep Purple (1972–1975) looks like volume you could measure with a broken window. Rainbow (1975–1977) looks sharper, richer, a little more dangerous in the fantasy costume. Then Ozzy Osbourne (1980–1983) arrives like a headline that won’t calm down.

    The thing I like is that Costello doesn’t “capture legends.” He catches people working. There’s a difference. Legends pose. Working musicians forget you’re there—until the flash reminds them, and even then he’s already moved on.

  • Ken Anderson – Design
Photography:
  • Fin Costello
  • Dieter "Didi" Zill – Photography

    Dieter "Didi" Zill is one of those names I associate with sleeves that feel like they still have warm stage lights trapped in the ink.

    Dieter "Didi" Zill first made noise before he ever started freezing it—back in 1965 he was out front with Didi & his ABC Boys on "Beat from Berlin" (German Beatles-flavored beat music), and in 1968 he pops up again with The Batmen for a Batman-craze single. By the 1970s he’s cutting his own singles and an LP under his name, and by 1969 he’s at Bravo, camera in hand, turning dressing rooms, airports, and backstages into evidence. I’ve always liked that double-life: musician first, then photographer—so when he shoots bands like Deep Purple and the wider hard-rock circus, he isn’t just watching the show, he understands the machinery behind it.

    Dieter "Didi" Zill Wiki

  • Watal Asanuma
  • Watanabe

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Line-up:
  • Ronnie James Dio – Vocals

    I always loved how he could turn a one-word hook into scripture, then grin and hit you again.

    Ronnie James Dio, the pocket-sized volcano whose voice could turn a pub into a cathedral, and whose phrasing hit like a boxer's jab. I watched him climb from Ronnie Dio and the Prophets (1961-1967) and the hard-touring Elf (1967-1975) into Rainbow (1975-1979), where he helped bottle that mix of medieval melody and street-fight hard rock. He rebooted Black Sabbath in two spells-1979-1982 and 1991-1992-then ran his own ship with Dio (1982-1991; 1993-2010), delivering anthems like "Holy Diver" without ever sounding cute. Late in the game he returned with the Sabbath lineup as Heaven & Hell (2006-2010), still singing on stage like the lights might go out mid-chorus.

    Ronnie James Dio Wiki
  • Ritchie Blackmore – Guitarist, Songwriter

    The guy who made the guitar sound both medieval and radioactive, often in the same solo.

    Ritchie Blackmore is the sort of name I see on a sleeve and instantly expect sparks: born Richard Hugh Blackmore (1945), he’s an English guitarist who helped hard-rock riffing grow teeth and then politely refused to stop. His era-stamps are basically whole chapters of rock history: Deep Purple (1968–1975, 1984–1993), where the riffs got louder, sharper, and more dramatic; Rainbow (1975–1984, 1993–1997), where he leaned into melody and fantasy like it was a weapon; and Blackmore’s Night (1997–present), where the electric storm calms down into Renaissance-folk textures without losing that unmistakable Blackmore touch. I love that arc: from amp-stacks and arena thunder to lutes-and-candles vibes, like he just swapped dragons for different dragons.

    "Blackmore Signature Strats" I’ve spent too many nights chasing that Blackmore chime. Fender’s Artist Series Strat is a love letter to his ‘70s obsession—Olympic White with a graduated scalloped rosewood board that makes your fingers feel like they’re floating. The electronics are pure Ritchie logic: two Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounds for the bite and a dummy middle pickup. It’s a prop, a plastic decoy for us mortals. Then there’s the Fender Japan ST72-145RB. MIJ builds have a surgical precision, keeping the ‘72 vibe alive for the obsessive collector. We hunt these like lost relics, justifying the cost because a standard neck feels one-dimensional by comparison. It’s a specialized tool for a very specific kind of madness. But then, isn't that the whole point?

    Ritchie Blackmore Wiki
  • Jimmy Bain – Bass

    Jimmy Bain is one of those bass players I call “quietly essential”: he doesn’t steal the spotlight, he just makes the whole thing hit harder and feel bigger. His lines have that no-nonsense weight that lets the guitars fly and the vocals preach without the bottom end turning to soup.

    Jimmy Bain, for me, is a perfect example of how a great bassist can be both glue and engine at the same time—solid timing, fat tone, and just enough bite to keep things from getting polite. Timeline-wise, I always track him from Harlot (early 1970s) into Rainbow (1975–1977), then a long stretch with Dio (1982–1989, plus later returns like 1993–1994 and 2004), with plenty of side quests in between—most famously with Riverdogs band (1990–1993). Jimmy Bain Wiki

 
  • Tony Carey – Keyboards

    Carey doesn’t decorate — he expands the room. Suddenly the band sounds bigger than the stage.

    He threads melody and drama into hard rock without tipping into cheese. Rainbow-era Carey is all tension, color, and atmosphere. Tony Carey Wiki

  • Cozy Powell – Drums

    Cozy Powell is the kind of drummer I file under “human avalanche”: big hands, bigger feel, and a groove that hits like a freight train in leather pants.

    Cozy Powell, for me, is the textbook example of “power that still swings”—he can be thunderous without turning stiff, flashy without turning messy, and he always leaves space for the riff to breathe. When I hear him, I hear commitment: the snare cracks, the toms roll like incoming weather, and the whole band suddenly sounds like it got upgraded to arena mode. Timeline-wise, I always map his career in loud chapters—The Jeff Beck Group (1970–1972), Rainbow (1975–1980), Michael Schenker Group (1980–1982), Whitesnake (1982–1985), Emerson, Lake & Powell (1985–1986), Black Sabbath (1988–1991, 1994–1995), and the Brian May Band (1991–1992, 1993–1994, 1998).

    Cozy Powell Wiki

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Kill The King
  2. Man on the Silver Mountain
  3. Blues
  4. Starstruck
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Catch the Rainbow
Video: Rainbow - Man On The Silver Mountain (From "Live In Munich 1977)
Tracklisting Side Three:
  1. Mistreated
Tracklisting Side Four:
  1. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
  2. Still I Am Sad
Video: Rainbow - Still I'm Sad. (Live in Munich 1977)

Disclaimer: Track durations shown are approximate and may vary slightly between different country editions or reissues. Variations can result from alternate masterings, pressing plant differences, or regional production adjustments.

Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of Rainbow – On Stage 2LP showing a wide concert stage framed by a glowing rainbow arch, the band performing under red lighting, with bold gothic Rainbow logo at the top and Polydor/Oyster branding along the bottom edge

This is the front cover of “Rainbow – On Stage,” the original 2LP live album, and it wastes zero time telling you what kind of spectacle you’re dealing with. Dominating the center is a wide concert photograph taken from a distance, showing the full Rainbow stage framed by a massive illuminated rainbow arch. The arch glows in clear, saturated bands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, forming a perfect half-circle that acts like a proscenium around the band. Everything beneath it is drenched in deep red stage lighting, giving the scene a hot, almost furnace-like intensity.

The band appears small but deliberate at center stage: Ronnie James Dio stands at the front, spotlighted, with Ritchie Blackmore off to one side, guitar slung low, and the rest of the lineup spread evenly across the width. The crowd is visible as a dense, dark mass at the bottom edge, hands raised, heads packed tight—this is a real hall, not a posed photo. Above the stage, the word Rainbow is physically mounted in individual colored letters, echoing the rainbow arch itself. It’s branding baked directly into the live set.

At the very top of the sleeve, the band name Rainbow is printed in large, red Gothic-style lettering, centered and commanding. On both the left and right corners sit black rectangular boxes with white handwritten-style text reading On Stage, creating symmetry and framing the title. Along both vertical edges runs repeating text reading World Tour in alternating pastel colors, a subtle but clever border detail that reinforces the live, global scope of the album without crowding the main image.

Along the bottom edge, small but important label details appear: the Oyster logo on the left and the Polydor logo on the right, printed cleanly against the dark background. The overall layout balances drama and restraint—no clutter, no hype copy, just a single powerful image and confident typography. As a collector, this sleeve matters because it captures Rainbow at peak theatrical scale, documents the actual stage production, and translates that experience directly onto cardboard. No gimmicks. Just volume, light, and intent.

Photo One of Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of Rainbow – On Stage 2LP showing full tracklisting by side, extensive world tour crew credits, Rainbow stage equipment list, and repeating World Tour border text around a clean white layout

This is the back cover of “Rainbow – On Stage,” and it’s a full-on information slab, the kind of sleeve that rewards standing close and reading every inch. The background is clean white, deliberately neutral, letting typography and structure do the heavy lifting. Running around all four edges is the repeating WORLD TOUR text, stacked tightly in alternating pastel colors—yellow, pink, blue, and green—forming a continuous border that frames the entire sleeve like a printed chant. It immediately reinforces that this album is documentation, not fantasy artwork.

Dead center is the complete tracklisting, broken down clearly by Side One through Side Four, each heading printed in a decorative blue script. Song titles are stacked vertically with composer credits beneath, followed by precise total running times per side. This layout is practical and no-nonsense: easy to scan, easy to verify, perfect for a collector checking pressings or confirming completeness without guesswork.

To the left column sits a dense block of tour and crew acknowledgements. Road crew, lighting crew, sound teams, and country-by-country support are listed with names and roles, turning the sleeve into a rolled-up tour program. This isn’t filler—it’s historical data. Names, regions, and responsibilities are locked to the moment, which matters if you care about how these tours were actually executed night after night.

The right column is pure gear-head territory: a detailed inventory of Rainbow equipment. Power amps, speaker cabinets, mixer models, keyboards, drum kits, effects, pedal units, and even riser measurements are spelled out line by line. This is catnip for collectors and musicians alike, because it documents the physical reality behind the sound. No mythology, no mystery—just hardware and logistics.

Along the bottom edge, the legal and production credits are printed in small, orderly type. Production, publishing, copyright notices, and manufacturing details are all present, including label marks and licensing symbols. This is the kind of back cover that treats the album as a serious artifact, not just a souvenir. It reads like a ledger of motion, labor, and sound—exactly what a live double LP should feel like in the hands.

Transcript of bottom lines (as printed):
© 1977 DP (OVERSEAS) LIMITED
Aus dem Hause Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH · Hohe Bleichen 14–16 · 2000 Hamburg 36

Photo of left inside page of Gatefold Cover
Left inside gatefold of Rainbow – On Stage 2LP showing angled live performance photos of Ronnie James Dio and Tony Carey under red and yellow stage lighting, with black background, rainbow light beams, and partial Rainbow logo typography

This image shows the left inside panel of the gatefold cover for “Rainbow – On Stage,” and it immediately feels more kinetic than the outer sleeve. The background is deep black, functioning like a night sky, with diagonal beams of colored stage light cutting across it from left to right. The lighting shifts from red to orange to yellow, mimicking the Rainbow stage arch without showing it directly. The effect is motion-focused, as if the lights are still sweeping the venue.

Anchoring the layout are two tilted, white-bordered live photographs, deliberately skewed rather than squared up. On the left, Ronnie James Dio is captured mid-performance, body twisted, one leg lifted, microphone in hand. His curly hair fans out under hot red lighting, and his light-colored stage outfit stands out sharply against the dark background. The pose isn’t polished; it’s physical and urgent. Beneath the photo, his name is printed clearly: Ronnie James Dio.

To the right sits a second angled photo of Tony Carey behind his keyboards. He’s partially framed by equipment, hands at work, with the stage set visible behind him. The lighting here leans warmer—yellows and ambers—giving contrast to Dio’s red-drenched shot. Carey’s name is printed beneath his image, reinforcing that this panel is about documenting roles, not just atmosphere.

At the top right corner, part of the Rainbow – On Stage title typography is visible, cropped by the fold, reminding you this is a gatefold meant to be read as a spread, not a standalone image. The overall design balances chaos and control: live energy contained within a strict graphic layout. For a collector, this panel matters because it freezes the band in action, names them clearly, and preserves the visual language of the tour—lighting, posture, gear, and attitude—right where it belongs: inside the sleeve.

High resolution photo of right inside page of of the gatefold cover,
Right inside gatefold of Rainbow – On Stage 2LP showing live performance photos of Cozy Powell on drums, Jimmy Bain on bass, and Ritchie Blackmore on guitar under multicolored stage lighting with black background and partial Rainbow logo

This image captures the right inside panel of the gatefold cover for “Rainbow – On Stage,” and it mirrors the left panel while shifting focus to the rest of the band. The background remains deep black, acting like a blackout curtain, while diagonal beams of stage light cut across the surface from lower left to upper right. The colors transition from yellow and red into cooler blues, visually echoing the Rainbow stage concept without spelling it out.

Three white-bordered, angled live photographs are arranged across the panel, each slightly tilted to suggest motion rather than symmetry. On the left sits Cozy Powell behind his drum kit, arms raised mid-strike. The cymbals and toms catch the stage light, and the photo freezes that split second where power and timing meet. His name is printed beneath the image, grounding the action in documentation rather than myth.

In the center, Jimmy Bain is shown playing bass, body leaning into the instrument, hair loose, mouth open as if counting or shouting along. The bass neck cuts diagonally through the frame, reinforcing the restless, forward motion of the performance. Stage lighting here is warmer, giving his figure a bright edge against the darkness.

On the right, Ritchie Blackmore appears mid-step with his Stratocaster, cable trailing across the stage floor. His posture is controlled but charged, fingers poised, the guitar angled outward as if addressing the room. Equipment is visible near his feet, reminding the viewer this is a working stage, not a posed shoot. At the top edge, part of the Rainbow – On Stage typography is cropped by the fold, reinforcing that this image is meant to be read as part of a full gatefold spread.

From a collector’s angle, this panel completes the band portrait started on the opposite side. Every musician is named, every role visually confirmed, and the lighting, instruments, and stance lock the era in place. This isn’t decoration—it’s evidence of how Rainbow looked, moved, and occupied space onstage during this tour.

Rainbow – On Stage custom inner sleeve photo with a solid red background and a centered, white-bordered live stage shot showing the band performing under a large rainbow arch and red concert lighting

This is Photo #1 of the custom inner sleeve for “Rainbow – On Stage,” and the design is wonderfully blunt: a big, saturated red field that fills the entire square, with one live concert photo mounted in the center like a framed exhibit. That red isn’t a subtle tint either—it’s loud, uniform, and collector-friendly because it makes scuffs, ring-wear, and corner stress easier to spot in real life. A faint arc line near the top looks like a light reflection or a gentle crease line in the photo capture, the kind of thing that matters when checking condition.

The central photograph is landscape-oriented and bordered by a thin white frame, giving it that “printed and placed” look rather than a full-bleed image. Inside the frame, the stage scene is classic Rainbow theater: a massive illuminated rainbow arch spans the top of the stage like a glowing half-circle. The lighting is mostly deep red, with small spotlights visible overhead, making the whole performance area feel hot and intense. The band members appear as smaller figures across the stage—one person at center-front with an arm raised, another on the right holding a light-colored electric guitar, and additional players spread left and mid-stage. The crowd is visible as a dark band at the bottom edge of the photo, grounding it as a real live shot, not a studio setup.

Above the performers, the word Rainbow is visible on the stage backdrop, arched and bright, acting like built-in branding inside the concert scene itself. Speaker cabinets and stage equipment stack up behind the performers, and the drum kit sits centered toward the back. The whole inner-sleeve layout feels intentional and practical: one strong image, lots of breathing room, and color choices that scream late-’70s live-album confidence. This is exactly the kind of inner sleeve that makes an album feel like an artifact, not just packaging—simple, bold, and easy to verify when comparing pressings and completeness.

Rainbow – On Stage custom inner sleeve photo showing a red background with a centered black panel containing a grid of small black-and-white candid tour photographs documenting band members, crew, travel moments, and backstage life

This is Photo #2 of the custom inner sleeve for “Rainbow – On Stage,” and it flips the perspective completely—from stage spectacle to life in between the noise. The background is the same bold, uninterrupted red used across the inner sleeves, but this time the center is occupied by a large black rectangular panel bordered in white. Inside that panel sits a tight grid of small, black-and-white photographs arranged with military precision. No tilt, no chaos—just documentation.

Each small photo captures candid moments from the tour: band members sitting, standing, laughing, waiting, eating, reading, signing, traveling, and killing time. Some shots feel like hotel rooms, others like dressing rooms, trains, streets, or backstage corridors. Faces appear close to the camera, sometimes blurred, sometimes sharply lit, often unguarded. The scale is important here—these images are deliberately small, forcing the viewer to lean in, to study expressions and context instead of being hit with spectacle.

The black-and-white choice strips everything down to contrast and texture. Hair, jackets, denim, instruments, paper, cups, tables—nothing glam, nothing staged. A few photos clearly show equipment cases and mixing desks, while others focus on people interacting casually, arms around shoulders, hands in pockets, cigarettes and coffee cups doing overtime. This isn’t hero worship; it’s routine.

In the top left corner of the red field, the catalog number 2929 042 is printed discreetly, a small but critical collector detail that helps identify the inner sleeve as part of the original German 2LP set. For a vinyl collector, this sleeve matters because it documents the human logistics of a major tour—proof that behind the rainbow arch and volume, there was constant motion, waiting, and work. It’s a quiet counterweight to the live shots, and it completes the story.

Rainbow – On Stage custom inner sleeve photo showing a red background with a centered black panel containing five color candid snapshots, including seated band members, a person on a phone in a room, and a person holding a white dog

This is Photo #3 of the custom inner sleeve for “Rainbow – On Stage,” and the layout keeps the same collector-friendly formula: a solid, saturated red background with a centered black rectangular photo panel bordered in white. The red field is clean and uniform, acting like a loud frame that makes the insert feel intentional and easy to authenticate. The black panel sits horizontally across the middle, leaving generous red margins on all sides, which is exactly the kind of design that shows handling wear and edge rubbing clearly when you’ve got the real sleeve in your hands.

Inside the black panel are five separate color photographs, each boxed with a thin white border. The arrangement feels like a casual scrapbook, but it’s still structured: two vertical photos on the left, one small horizontal photo in the center, and two vertical photos stacked on the right. These are not stage shots—these are quiet “between the gigs” moments, the tour downtime that usually never makes it onto official packaging.

The left column shows two different indoor scenes: the top-left photo features a person seated in dark clothing (a leather jacket vibe), hands together, with studio or backstage equipment nearby. Below it, another person sits more casually with arms out, a red bag visible near the legs, giving that “waiting around” mood that every tour generates. The center photo is a small horizontal shot of a person seated in a room, leaning toward a telephone, surrounded by everyday clutter—tables, papers, and the kind of hotel-room furniture nobody remembers fondly.

On the right, the top photo shows a seated person in a dark T-shirt with a bold graphic on the chest, legs stretched out, socks visible—pure off-duty posture. Below it, the most striking snapshot: a person holding a fluffy white dog close to their chest, the dog’s fur bright against the darker background. That one photo changes the whole vibe—suddenly the sleeve isn’t just about volume and touring logistics, it’s about the human oddities that happen around the edges of a rock tour.

For a collector, this inner sleeve matters because it documents the band’s world in color, not as glossy promo, but as candid evidence. The clean red-and-black design is consistent across the set, the photo borders are crisp, and the five-image layout is distinctive—useful when verifying you’ve got the correct original custom inner sleeve and not a generic replacement.

Rainbow – On Stage custom inner sleeve photo showing a red background with a centered black panel containing five bordered live-performance photos of Ronnie James Dio, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Carey, Cozy Powell, and Jimmy Bain under concert lighting

This image shows another custom inner sleeve photo from “Rainbow – On Stage,” built around the same bold visual language that runs through the entire package. A solid, high-saturation red background fills the sleeve, with a horizontally centered black rectangular panel outlined by a thin white border. The red is flat and uniform, making surface wear, corner bumps, and ring impressions immediately visible on a physical copy—exactly the kind of sleeve where condition tells its own story.

Inside the black panel sit five color live-performance photographs, each individually framed with a white border. The layout is symmetrical but not rigid: two photos at the top left and top right, two at the bottom left and bottom right, and one vertically oriented photo centered in the middle. This arrangement pulls the eye inward, reinforcing that this sleeve is about the band in motion rather than typography or credits.

The top-left photo captures Ronnie James Dio mid-performance, head tilted back, hands raised toward the microphone, stage lights cutting through darkness around him. Opposite, the top-right image shows Tony Carey surrounded by stacked keyboards, hands on the keys, lit in warm amber and red tones that reflect the late-1970s stage lighting aesthetic.

The bottom-left photo freezes Cozy Powell behind the drum kit, arms raised near the cymbals, sweat and motion implied by the blur of sticks and metal. On the bottom-right, Jimmy Bain plays bass under deep red lighting, body angled forward, hair and instrument catching highlights against the dark stage.

The central vertical image brings it together with Ritchie Blackmore in action, guitar held low, body leaning into the performance, amps and stage monitors visible beneath him. This is not glamour photography—it’s documentation of volume, heat, and physical effort. For collectors, this sleeve matters because it visually confirms the classic Dio-era lineup, the stage setup, and the lighting style of the tour, all presented in a clean, repeatable design that helps authenticate an original inner sleeve versus later replacements.

Close up of record’s label
Close-up of the red Polydor record label for Rainbow’s On Stage, showing Side One details, catalog number 2929 041, Stereo 33 RPM, Made in West Germany, GEMA box, and Oyster logo at the bottom

This image is a tight, straight-on close-up of the Side One record label from “Rainbow – On Stage,” pressed on Polydor for the German market. The label is the classic late-1970s Polydor design: a saturated red background with the black Polydor semicircle logo at the top and the word polydor in white lowercase lettering. Centered beneath it, the band name RAINBOW appears in bold black capitals, immediately readable even with minor spindle wear.

Across the middle runs a horizontal white information bar. On the left sits the GEMA rights box, followed by the text Made in West Germany, a key identifier for collectors tracking original European pressings. On the right side of this bar are the catalog number 2929 041 and STEREO 33, confirming playback speed and format. The spindle hole shows light wear, the kind of honest marking that suggests careful but repeated play rather than abuse.

Below the band name, the album title ON STAGE is printed in black, followed by the Side One track listing. The text is compact but legible, listing “Intro: Over the Rainbow,” “Kill the King,” and the extended medley combining “Man on the Silver Mountain,” “Blues,” and “Starstruck,” with individual timings printed line by line. Songwriting credits are shown in parentheses, with Blackmore/Dio/Powell recurring throughout, and Produced by Martin Birch clearly stated beneath.

At the bottom of the label sits the stylized Oyster logo in script, tying the release to Rainbow’s imprint. Around the outer rim runs the German perimeter text about reproduction and performance rights, printed in small white capitals. From a collector’s perspective, this label nails authenticity: correct font weights, correct spacing, and the unmistakable West German Polydor/Oyster combination that separates early originals from later reissues at a glance.

Note: The photos on this page are of the actual album from my collection. Slight differences in color may exist due to flash use and lighting conditions. Images were taken over time with different cameras and can be zoomed in for detail inspection.

Index of RAINBOW with RITCHIE BLACKMORE Vinyl Records and Album Gallery

RAINBOW - Best of Rainbow album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Best of Rainbow

"Rainbow Best of Rainbow" is a compilation album by the British rock band Rainbow, which was released in 1981. It features some of Rainbow's most popular and well-known tracks from their first six studio albums

Best of Rainbow 12" Vinyl LP
RAINBOW - Bent Out of Shape (French & German Releases) album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Bent Out of Shape (French & German Releases)

"Bent Out of Shape," a final studio album pre-Deep Purple reunion, marked a pivotal moment in the band's history. Released on vinyl LP in Germany, it showcased Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover before their return to Deep Purple.

- Bent Out of Shape (1983, France) - Bent Out of Shape (1983, Germany)
RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Difficult to Cure 12" Vinyl LP

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

Difficult to Cure
RAINBOW - Down To Earth album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Down To Earth

"Down To Earth" album is a timeless classic that showcases the band's exceptional talent and musical prowess. With its memorable songs, exceptional performances, and the added visual element of the 12" photo insert/leaflet

Down To Earth 12" Vinyl LP
RAINBOW - Finyl Vinyl album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Finyl Vinyl

"Final Vinyl" is a collection of live recordings and B-sides by Rainbow and was released in 1986, after the band had already ceased to be when Blackmore and Glover were part of the Deep Purple reformation.

Finyl Vinyl 12" Vinyl LP
RAINBOW - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll ( Netherlands, German and West-German Releases ) album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll ( Netherlands, German and West-German Releases )

"Long Live Rock and Roll," released on 9 April 1978, represents a pivotal moment in rock history. The collaboration between Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio produced a groundbreaking album

- Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978, Germany) - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll ( 1978 , Netherlands ) - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978, West-Germany)
Updated RAINBOW - On Stage album front cover vinyl LP album https://vinyl-records.nl

The night Rainbow turned volume, fire, and ego into hard-rock canon

RAINBOW - On Stage

“Rainbow - On Stage” captures the band at peak power in 1977, when hard rock meant long solos, big drama, and zero restraint. Recorded live while “Rising” still ruled the racks, this double LP lets the songs stretch, burn, and roar. Dio dominates the stage, Blackmore lets riffs wander and bite, and the crowd fuels every climax. No studio safety net here—just loud amps, heavy grooves, and pure late-70s arena thunder.

RAINBOW - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

“Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow” sounds like thunder trapped in crystal. It’s a 1975 time capsule where hard rock meets myth, led by Blackmore’s lyrical guitar and Dio’s commanding voice. Tracks like “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Catch the Rainbow” feel born from the same storm—part medieval vision, part amplifier fury. A debut as confident as it is otherworldly.

RAINBOW - Rising (Austria, German and USA Releases) album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Rising (Austria, German and USA Releases) 12" Vinyl LP

"Rising" is the 2nd heavy metal album by Rainbow, released in 1976 . With founder Ritchie Blackmore retaining only Ronnie James Dio from the previous album, Rising has become known as the best album of Rainbow's career

- Rising (1976, Austria) - Rising (1976, Germany) - Rising (1978, USA)
RAINBOW - Straight Between the Eyes (Three International Versions) album front cover vinyl record
RAINBOW - Straight Between the Eyes (Three International Versions)

Released in 1982, Rainbow's "Straight Between the Eyes" is a hard rock album featuring vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. Backed by Ritchie Blackmore's guitar, the album blends strong vocals with melodic hard rock

- Straight Between the Eyes (1982, Germany) - Straight Between the Eyes (1982, Netherlands) - Straight Between the Eyes (1981, UK)