{{Redirect|Gates of Babylon|the ancient Babylonian gate|Ishtar Gate}}{{for|the Kraljevski Apartman album|Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (Kraljevski Apartman album)}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | type = studio | artist = Rainbow | cover = Rainbow-longliverocknroll1.jpg | alt = | released = 14 April 1978<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Deep Purple Family | edition = 2nd | publisher = Wymer Publishing | year = 2016 | pages = 234 | isbn = 978-1-908724-42-7}}</ref> | recorded = May–July and December 1977 | studio = The Strawberry Studio,<br>Château d'Hérouville, France | genre = *Hard rock *heavy metal<ref>{{cite web|last=Prato|first=Greg|date=23 April 2020|title=WENDY DIO Says RONNIE Never Spoke To RITCHIE BLACKMORE Again After Getting Fired From RAINBOW|url=http://bravewords.com/features/wendy-dio-says-ronnie-never-spoke-to-ritchie-blackmore-again-after-getting-fired-from-rainbow|access-date=5 October 2020|website=Brave Words}}</ref> | length = 39:48 | label = Polydor | producer = Martin Birch | prev_title = Rising | prev_year = 1976 | next_title = Down to Earth | next_year = 1979 | misc = {{Singles | name = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | type = studio | single1 = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | single1date = 24 March 1978<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1978/Music-Week-1978-03-25.pdf|title=Music Week|page=88}}</ref> | single2 = L.A. Connection | single2date = 15 September 1978<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1978/Music-Week-1978-09-16.pdf|title=Music Week|page=41}}</ref> }} }}
'''''Long Live Rock 'n' Roll''''' is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Rainbow, released on 14 April 1978 and the last to feature original lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
==Background== Recording of the album commenced in April 1977, at a studio in Château d'Hérouville, France, featuring Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio and Cozy Powell. Keyboards were initially played on a session basis by former Rainbow keyboardist Tony Carey, while bass guitar was initially played by Mark Clarke.<ref name="Music Legends">{{cite web |publisher=Music Legends| url=http://musiclegends.ca/interviews/tony-carey-interview/|title=Tony Carey Interview| access-date=28 May 2013|date=1 June 2010|last=Saulnier|first=Jason}}</ref> Clarke was soon dismissed, however, and the bass guitar was recorded by Blackmore himself. By July 1977 seven tracks that ended on the album were in demo form. Recording was suspended, while the band recruited bassist Bob Daisley and keyboardist David Stone and thereafter commenced extensive touring of Europe in the summer and autumn of 1977. A return to the Château d'Hérouville studio in December saw the band finish the album and also yielded a final track, "Gates of Babylon".
Although Daisley and Stone are listed on the album credits for their contributions, they joined the band partway through the recording sessions and only appear on three and four songs, respectively. Stone wrote parts of "Gates of Babylon", the middle 8 section during the guitar solo. He was paid for the work, but not credited on the album.<ref>Jerry Bloom, The Long Live Rock and Roll Story, ISBN 9780955754227</ref>
==Artwork== The original vinyl release was in a gatefold-sleeve cover illustrated by Debbie Hall, with a lyric-sheet insert. The crowd picture is actually from a Rush concert, with the wording on the banner the fans were holding replaced by the Rainbow album title and the visible Rush T-shirts airbrushed to black.<ref>[http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/references/RainbowUsesRushPhoto-ClassicRockSep&Nov2002.jpg Classic Rock magazine, September 2002]</ref>
Original copies of the single "L.A. Connection" were issued on red vinyl and featured aspects of the previous studio album's cover picture on the B-side's label.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ritchieblackmoresrainbow.wordpress.com/l-a-connection/ | title=L.A. Connection | date=17 July 2012 }}</ref>
==Release and reception== {{Album ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic" >{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/long-live-rock-n-roll-mw0000191415 | title = Rainbow Long Live Rock 'n' Roll review | access-date = 2013-12-05 | last = Ginsberg | first = Geoff | publisher = AllMusic }}</ref> |rev2 = ''Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' |rev2Score = 9/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book |last=Popoff |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies |publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing |location=Burlington, Ontario, Canada |date=October 2003 |page=227 |isbn=978-1894959025}}</ref> |rev3 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' |rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |year=2011 |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Omnibus Press |page=3960|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|edition=5th}}</ref> |rev4 = ''MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide'' |rev4score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1996 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=552}}</ref> |rev5 = ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'' |rev5score = {{rating|1|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Morris |first1=Teri |title=The Rolling Stone Record Guide |editor-last=Marsh |editor-first=Dave |editor-link=Dave Marsh |editor2-last=Swenson |editor2-first=John |location=New York City |publisher=Random House |year=1979 |page=35 |isbn=0-394-73535-8 |url= https://archive.org/details/rollingstonereco00mars/page/n15/mode/2up }}</ref> }} Geoff Ginsberg of AllMusic wrote that ''Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'' "would turn out to be the last great album Rainbow would ever make, although they did enjoy a great deal of chart success in the post-Dio era."<ref name="allmusic" />
The album, among other Rainbow releases, is often cited as a strong influence on formation of the power metal genre, especially on its fantasy-themed lyrics and aesthetics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/metal_evolution/episode.jhtml?episodeID=181795|title=Metal Evolution, Episode 110: Power metal |last=Dunn |first=Sam |publisher=VH1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920101210/http://www.vh1.com/shows/metal_evolution/episode.jhtml?episodeID=181795 |archive-date=20 September 2015 |access-date=2 June 2019}}</ref>
== Reissues== *''Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'' was remastered on CD for the US market in April 1999, with the European version following later. The US version had a matte booklet/insert, which matched the original vinyl sleeve for all markets, whereas the European issue was the standard glossy type. *''Long Live Rock 'n' Roll Story'', an album and a book about the making of the LP was released in June 2009 in the "Rock Landmarks" series. The inlay story was written by Jerry Bloom, author of ''Black Knight'', a Ritchie Blackmore's biography. *On 12 April 2012 a picture disc album version of ''Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'' was released in the US as part of Record Store Day 2012. *A deluxe edition version was released on 13 November in Europe, featuring rough mixes of the album tracks from July 1977 except "Gates of Babylon", which was written later.
==Track listing== {{tracklist | headline = Side one | all_writing = Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio, except where noted | all_lyrics = Ronnie James Dio | title1 = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | length1 = 4:24 | title2 = Lady of the Lake | length2 = 3:39 | title3 = L.A. Connection | length3 = 5:02 | title4 = Gates of Babylon | length4 = 6:49 }} {{tracklist | headline = Side two | title5 = Kill the King | writer5 = Blackmore, Dio, Cozy Powell | length5 = 4:29 | title6 = The Shed (Subtle) | writer6 = Blackmore, Dio, Powell | length6 = 4:47 | title7 = Sensitive to Light | length7 = 3:07 | title8 = Rainbow Eyes | length8 = 7:31 }}
* Track 3 - Many vinyl copies label the song's length as 3:35. ===2012 Deluxe Edition=== Disc one contains the original album with no bonus tracks. {{tracklist | headline = Disc two | extra_column = Original source | title1 = Lady of the Lake | extra1 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length1 = 3:50 | title2 = Sensitive to Light | extra2 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length2 = 3:03 | title3 = L.A. Connection | extra3 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length3 = 5:33 | title4 = Kill the King | extra4 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length4 = 4:27 | title5 = The Shed (Subtle) | extra5 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length5 = 3:36 | title6 = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | extra6 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length6 = 4:19 | title7 = Rainbow Eyes | extra7 = Rough mix, 4 July 1977 | length7 = 6:55 | title8 = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | extra8 = Shepperton Film Studios rehearsal, August 1977 | length8 = 6:56 | title9 = Kill the King | extra9 = Shepperton Film Studios rehearsal, August 1977 | length9 = 4:42 | title10 = Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | extra10 = Live on the Don Kirschner Show, May 1978 | length10 = 3:31 | title11 = L.A. Connection | extra11 = Live on the Don Kirschner Show, May 1978 | length11 = 5:10 | title12 = Gates of Babylon | extra12 = Live on the Don Kirschner Show, May 1978 | length12 = 6:35 | title13 = L.A. Connection | extra13 = Outtake from the Don Kirschner Show, May 1978 | length13 = 5:11 | title14 = Gates of Babylon | extra14 = Outtake from the Don Kirschner Show, May 1978 | length14 = 6:43 | total_length = 70:31 }}
* Track 7 - "Rainbow Eyes" is an early version. Tracks 10–14 are pre-recorded with live vocal by Dio.
==Personnel== Credits taken from album liner notes. ;Rainbow *Ritchie Blackmore – guitars, bass on tracks 1–3, 6 (also bass on rough mix tracks 1–6, 2012 Deluxe Edition) *Ronnie James Dio – vocals *Cozy Powell – drums *Bob Daisley – bass on tracks 4–5 and 7 *David Stone – keyboards on tracks 4–6, piano outro on track 3 *Tony Carey – keyboards on tracks 1–2 and 8
;Additional musicians *Rainer Pietsch – scoring and conducting on "Gates of Babylon" and "Rainbow Eyes" *Bavarian String Ensemble – strings on "Gates of Babylon" *Rudi Risavy – flute on "Rainbow Eyes" *Max Hecker – recorder on "Rainbow Eyes" "'Rainbow Eyes' String Quartet": *Ferenc Kiss – first violin, concert master *Nico Nicolic – second violin *Ottmar Machan – viola *Karl Heinz Feit – cello
;Production *Martin Birch – producer and engineer *Max Hecker – classical instruments recording engineer *Bruce Payne – direction *Recorded at The Strawberry Studio at Château d'Hérouville, France, May–July and December 1977
==Singles== * 1978 – "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll / Sensitive to Light" * 1978 – "L.A. Connection / Lady of the Lake" These two singles were also re-released in the UK in July 1981. "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" was also used for many years as a jingle by the British radio DJ Alan Freeman.
== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! Chart (1977) ! Peak<br/>position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=AUS>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | align="center"| 43 |- {{Album chart|Canada|94|chartid=4598b|artist=Rainbow|album=Long Live Rock 'n' Roll |rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |- {{Album chart|Netherlands|11|artist=Rainbow|album=Long Live Rock 'n' Roll |rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5 | page= 166 | language= fi}}</ref> | align="center"| 14 |- {{Album chart|Germany|26|id=21040|artist=Rainbow|album=Long Live Rock 'n' Roll |rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |- !scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref> | align="center"| 9 |- {{Album chart|Norway|12|artist=Rainbow|album=Long Live Rock 'n' Roll |rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |- {{Album chart|Sweden|18|artist=Rainbow|album=Long Live Rock 'n' Roll |rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|7|date=19780430|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|89|artist=Rainbow|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! Chart (2012) ! Peak<br/>position |- {{Album chart|UKRock|27|date=20121111|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 17, 2023}} |}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! Chart (2013) ! Peak<br/>position |- ! scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/183038/ranking/cd_album/ | script-title=ja:レインボー レインボーのアルバム売り上げランキング | access-date = 2013-12-03 | publisher = Oricon | language = ja}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|72 |}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! scope="col"| Chart (2025) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Greek Albums (IFPI)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.gr/charts_en.html|title=Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 40/2025|publisher=IFPI Greece|access-date=October 8, 2025|lang=el|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251008054730/https://www.ifpi.gr/charts_el.html|archive-date=October 8, 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref> | 43 |}
==Certifications== {{certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1978|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|certyear=1978|artist=Rainbow|title=Long Live Rock 'n' Roll|id=3966-513-2|access-date=4 February 2021}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
== Accolades == {|class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Publication ! Country ! Accolade ! Year ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- | ''Record Collector'' | United Kingdom | "Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century"<ref>{{cite journal | title = Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century. | journal = Record Collector | date = January 2000 | issue = 245| url = http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/recordcollector.htm#21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060216032143/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/recordcollector.htm#21 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 16 February 2006 | access-date = 2013-12-06}}</ref> | 2000 | No order |- | ''Classic Rock'' | United Kingdom | "The 100 Greatest Rock Albums of All Times"{{CN|date=December 2023}} | 2001 | 29 |- | ''Rock Hard'' | Germany | "Top 300 Albums"{{CN|date=December 2023}} | 2001 | 105 |}
==Notes== {{reflist|1|group=nb}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Rainbow (rock band)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Live Rock 'n' Roll}} Category:1978 albums Category:Rainbow (rock band) albums Category:Albums produced by Martin Birch Category:Polydor Records albums