Goldmine’s June 2011 issue is on newsstands now. (Or, subscribe now and get Goldmine delivered right to your door!)

Cover Story: Ritchie Blackmore, From Deep Purple to Blackmore’s Night. Ritchie Blackmore is still proud of his musical past but his hard rock days are over. Now, with lead singer Candice Night, Blackmore is firmly entrenched in a renaissance of enchanting medieval music. Pick up an issue and read about Blackmore’s transformation. Quote from Ritchie Blackmore: “There’s nothing wrong with nostalgia. I like to go and see certain old bands when they reform, or when they come out and tour. But at the same time, I’d hate to be in that band.”

Other features include:
How Deep Purple really feels about their bootlegs. Bassist Roger Glover gives his opinion on bootlegs, and the answer may surprise you. And then Purple guitarist Steve Morse gives us 10 Albums That Changed His Life.

Doobie Brothers keep taking it to the streets. The Doobies are still out there touring and writing music … and loving it. Exclusive interview with the band.

And then over 20 pages of Doo-wop! Frankie Valli, The Spaniels, 20 of the rarest 45s and an article on the holy grail of Doo-wop collectibles: a “Stormy Weather” acetate. And much more!

You can find Goldmine at Barnes & Noble or Borders stores, and/or your local newsstand or record store. Or, you can save a ton of time, gas and money by subscribing to Goldmine now!

Listen in to Goldmine’s Q&A with Candice Night, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist for Blackmore’s Night, the Renaissance folk act fronted by legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.

Secret Voyage is the group’s latest LP, out on SPV Records, and it has that magical blend of ancient melodies and traditional and modern instrumentation that has beguiled so many listeners in recent years.

In this unique Q&A format, we offer up the questions here, followed by a link to click on the podcasted answers from Candice Night. Just click on each link to hear Candice’s answers!

Question 1: Many of the tracks on Secret Voyage explore the folk traditions of countries such as Russia, France, Germany and England. Do you find the lines between the folk music of all those countries are blurred in some ways, or do they all have their own distinct identities?

Answer 1: Click here.

Question 2: Using that as your template, and using Renaissance instruments, it seems the possibilities are endless for Blackmore’s Night?

Answer 2: Click here

Question 3: Is there a particular folk tradition that you are especially fond of, and does Ritchie share that?

Answer 3: Click here

Question 4: "Gilded Cage" has its roots in French folk traditions. That song has a real romantic quality, that unrequited love theme.

Answer 4: Click here

Question 5: "Toast To Tomorrow" has that celebratory Russian drinking song vibe. Is that one based on folk songs from that country that you’ve heard before?

Answer 5: Click here

Question 6: You do two very interesting covers on this record. One is your version of Elvis’ "Can’t Help Falling In Love." Why did you choose to remake that one, and how did you want to approach it?

Answer 6: Click here

Question 7: And then there’s Rainbow’s "Rainbow Eyes," which is really ethereal and sweeping here. And Ritchie’s guitar playing is otherworldly. Were you cautious at all about doing a song that Ritchie had done with another band?

Answer 7: Click here

Question 8: Where did you gain your interest in Renaissance music?

Answer 8: Click here

Question 9: A lot of your lyrics are inspired by nature and fantasy. How much does ancient  literature influence you?

It’s been some week for the legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Candice Night.

The pair has been fronting the renaissance-flavored folk-rock stylings of Blackmore’s Night for over 10 years and just received word that their all-new studio CD, Secret Voyage (SPV), has remained #1 on the Billboard New Age chart for the fourth straight week.
  
“With Blackmore’s Night,” says Blackmore, “we have the creative freedom to play any style of music we want. We can play folk, rock, ballads, instrumentals or tavern songs. I couldn’t do that before.”
   
The ambiance on Secret Voyage is exacted with stunning clarity. Secret Voyage can be digested on many levels. Blackmore solos brilliantly throughout on a number of stringed instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and mandolas. Candice’s voice is ethereal, and she plays a variety of ancient instruments on madrigals, shanties and folk from France, Germany, Russia and England. (The new album also contains an Elvis cover and a Rainbow cover.)
 
Night also appears in the feature film "Pray For Light," slated for early 2009 release.