Rainbow Gets ‘Temple of the King: 1975-1976’ 9-CD Box Set

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Rainbow is being celebrated with an enormous box set, The Temple of the King: 1975 – 1976, the most comprehensive collection of the opening phase of the classic hard rock band’s work to date. The set, coming March 6, 2026, is the first in a series of anthology sets covering the career of legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The 9-CD set, newly mastered by Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham, will be released on March 6, 2026, via Edsel Records. It’s available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

The set spans the band’s first two years and includes their debut album, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, their breakthrough record, Rising, and the extended German concerts that were compiled as part of the double live album On Stage. The final two discs comprise rare recordings, many of which are featured on CD for the first time, including band rehearsals, single edits, and rough mixes.

It’s housed in deluxe 7” packaging with a 24-page booklet featuring memorabilia, photos and sleeve notes by music writer Rich Davenport.

From the Dec. 18 announcement: Rainbow was initially formed as a Blackmore solo project in the early months of 1975, after a Deep Purple tour of the previous year. On that tour, they were supported by the American band Elf. The singer of Elf, Ronnie James Dio, left an impression on the guitarist who asked him to sing on a cover of the song “Black Sheep of the Family.” The sessions went so well that a full album began to take shape, with Blackmore and Dio collaborating on original songs. Blackmore had such foresight in this project, he solely financially funded the work and thus began the mystical musical world of Rainbow. The resulting album, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, was recorded between February and March 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. With Blackmore’s composing prowess and Dio’s mystical lyrics, the band was set to take fans to a new level.

The album’s unusual stylistic blend of hard rock and classical music was partly inspired by Blackmore taking up the cello to help him break free of the confines of conventional guitar chord progressions. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow was a top 15 hit in the U.K. and top 30 in the U.S., and was such a positive experience that in the Summer of 1975, that Blackmore left Deep Purple to commit himself fully to Rainbow.

Recruiting bassist Jimmy Bain, keyboard player Tony Carey and ex-Jeff Beck Group drummer Cozy Powell, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow undertook their first tour. By 1976, the band’s name had been shortened to Rainbow, and a second album, Rising, was recorded once again at Musicland. The LP, with its iconic sleeve of a fist holding a rainbow in a mystical scene, only features six tracks, including two epic compositions on side two, one of which, “Stargazer,” is widely regarded as a Rainbow classic and a landmark in hard rock. The original musical stylings are often touted as the 1st neo-classical metal band. It was the perfect melding of Blackmore’s guitar wizardry and Dio’s soaring powerful vocals.

Taking the album on the road in 1976, the band added Deep Purple’s “Mistreated” to their setlist, and song lengths were stretched to include improvisational sections. The band recorded shows in Germany and Japan, which were edited and compiled as the live album On Stage, released in the summer of 1977. Three of the German shows from Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Nürnberg are being released together for the first time outside of Japan on The Temple Of The King 1975 – 1976.

By the end of 1976, Rainbow had established itself as one of the cornerstones of British rock.

RAINBOW THE TEMPLE OF THE KING 1975 – 1976 TRACK LISTING

CD ONE: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Man On The Silver Mountain
Self Portrait
Black Sheep Of The Family
Catch The Rainbow
Snake Charmer
The Temple Of The King
If You Don’t Like Rock ‘n’ Roll
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Still I’m Sad

CD TWO: Rising
Tarot Woman
Run With The Wolf
Starstruck
Do You Close Your Eyes
Stargazer
A Light In The Black

CD THREE: Live In Köln 1976 – Kölner Sport Halle 25.9.1976 – Part 1
Kill The King
Mistreated
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Catch The Rainbow
Man On The Silver Mountain

CD FOUR: Live In Köln 1976 – Kölner Sport Halle 25.9.1976 – Part 2
Stargazer
Still I’m Sad
Do You Close Your Eyes

CD FIVE: Live in Düsseldorf 1976 – Düsseldorf Philips Halle 27.9.1976 – Part 1
Kill The King
Mistreated
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Catch The Rainbow

CD SIX: Live in Düsseldorf 1976 – Düsseldorf Philips Halle 27.9.1976 – Part 2
Man On The Silver Mountain
Stargazer
Still I’m Sad

CD SEVEN: Live in Nurnberg 1976 – Nurnberg Messezentrum Halle 28.9.1976 – Part 1
Kill The King
Mistreated
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Catch The Rainbow
Man On The Silver Mountain

CD EIGHT: Live in Nurnberg 1976 – Nurnberg Messezentrum Halle 28.9.1976 – Part 2 + Rarities
Stargazer – Live in Nurnberg 1976
Still I’m Sad – Live in Nurnberg 1976
Do You Close Your Eyes – Live in Nurnberg 1976
Getaway (Kill The King) – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*
Mistreated – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*
Catch The Rainbow – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*

CD NINE: Rarities
The Temple Of The King – Bolivian Mono Mix
Man On The Silver Mountain – Mono Edit
Man On The Silver Mountain – Stereo Edit
Tarot Woman – Rough Mix
Run With The Wolf – Rough Mix
Starstruck – Rough Mix
Do You Close Your Eyes – Rough Mix
Stargazer – Rough Mix
A Light In The Black – Rough Mix
Stargazer – Pirate Sound Tour Rehearsal
Starstruck – Mono Edit
Starstruck – Stereo Edit

*Previously unreleased