#476 - Rainbow - BURNED BY DEEP PURPLE - Bent Out of Shape

Robert John Hadfield dives into the fascinating final chapter of Rainbow through their 1983 album Bent Out of Shape—an album that quietly marked the end of an era, not just for the band, but for an entire branch of the Deep Purple family tree. What looked like “full speed ahead” at the time was actually the beginning of the end, as Richie Blackmore would soon pivot back to Deep Purple for the Perfect Strangers reunion. Along the way, Robert unpacks the constantly shifting identity of Rainbow—arguably one of rock’s most unstable lineups—while tracing its evolution from Ronnie James Dio’s fantasy-driven beginnings to Joe Lynn Turner’s more melodic, commercial era. He also pulls back the curtain on the band’s internal tensions, Blackmore’s relentless pursuit of a hit, and the strange reality that Rainbow’s biggest success came from a song that wasn’t even theirs. But this episode goes even deeper. Robert connects the album to the legendary design firm Hipgnosis and Storm Thorgerson’s transition into his own work—highlighting how Bent Out of Shape sits at the crossroads of both musical and visual history. Add in vintage Hit Parader insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and a killer trivia segment tying Rainbow to Metallica, and this becomes a full-on deep dive into one of rock’s most overlooked turning points. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – “Be honest… you had a ghetto blaster” 0:18 – Rock trivia challenge (Rainbow + Metallica) 1:01 – Hit Parader discovery sparks the story 1:34 – Why Bent Out of Shape was the end 2:05 – “Who is Rainbow?” (lineup chaos explained) 2:29 – Blackmore leaves Deep Purple 3:19 – Ronnie James Dio and the birth of Rainbow 4:08 – The push for commercial success 4:25 – Graham Bonnet era + unexpected hit 4:57 – Joe Lynn Turner joins the band 6:17 – Rainbow’s biggest hits and standout tracks 7:15 – Why this album marks the real ending 7:39 – Hipgnosis and Storm Thorgerson connection 9:08 – “STD” design mystery explained 10:13 – Thorgerson’s legacy beyond the ‘80s 11:06 – Reading the 1983 Hit Parader article 13:26 – The struggle between art vs. hits 16:16 – Recording Bent Out of Shape 17:01 – Songwriting shifts within the band 18:05 – Joe Lynn Turner finding his place 19:50 – Endless lineup changes explained 22:24 – The biggest Rainbow tour ever 23:45 – “No one wants Deep Purple back”… really? 24:00 – Trivia answers revealed 25:38 – Martin Birch and metal production legacy 26:01 – Final thoughts + audience questions 🔥 Hashtags #Rainbow #RitchieBlackmore #DeepPurple #ClassicRock #Metallica #RockHistory #Hipgnosis #StormThorgerson #Audiomover #JoeLynnTurner #RonnieJamesDio