You asked Ian Gillan to join Rainbow around Christmas 1981, didn’t you?
I think I did. I went round his house and knocked on the door. “Ian!” “Fucking hell! Come in!” We were like the best of friends, you know? So I went in and said: “I came round to see if you wanted to join Rainbow?” We started drinking a full bottle of vodka. But before I got halfway through the bottle I was thinking to myself: “I’m not so sure this is a good idea.” By the time we’d finished the vodka I was like [puts his hands together in prayer], “I hope he doesn’t say yes!” So he says: “Rich, I don’t know if I can. I’m going to have to let you know.” “Yeah, okay Ian. Great seeing you again.” Phew! Let’s get out of here!
What made you do it?
I don’t know. I’d just forgotten what he was like. But when I met up with him again I thought: “Oh, it’s all coming back.” But he turned it down, so it lies with him. Had he said yes I would’ve gone: “Oh, shit. Now what am I going to do?”
https://www.loudersound.com/features/ritchi...-lost-interview