BLACKMORE'S NIGHT

Mustachioed minstrel Ritchie Blackmore has always been associated in my imagination with Cervantes's Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance — an eternal wanderer and fearless conqueror of windmills. "Beyond The Sunset" is a pause in those eternal wanderings. Ritchie and his muse Candice Night (that rare case where creator and muse are united by a marriage certificate) sit by a campfire on a high hill, admiring the sunset and reminiscing about bygone years, other lands and worlds, laughing about how they first loved, and mourning those forever gone. Among currently active family partnerships in music, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT is arguably the most successful, and with "Beyond The Sunset" we have a kind of synopsis — a best-of collection — the foundation upon which the beautiful continuation of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT will grow. Thus, "Once In A Million Years" — the only new song on the album — serves as the first brick in this grand construction. Its story is quite interesting. According to Candice, they first heard the song that would become "Once In A Million Years" on television, performed by an unknown German singer. Struck by the beauty and emotional depth of the melody, the couple were so keen to cover it that they called every radio and television company that might help them reach the song's rights holders, but to no avail. So they had to brazenly "pinch" the song, changing the lyrics and placing it on a compilation, from which it could be easily removed if needed. Additionally, the album features a new version of "Ghost Of A Rose," along with many other ballads perfectly suited for a candlelit date.