Ronnie James Dio would have turned 80 on July 10. Among the greatest heavy metal singers of all time, Dio‘s career spanned five decades, touched millions of fans and pioneered his signature “devil horns”, one of the most popular hand gestures in the world. Dio also provided vocals and lyrics for some of the most iconic rock albums of all time with BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOWbefore founding his own group DIO as a metal force with their debut in 1983 “Holy Diver”.
“Holy Diver” was a certified platinum hit and one of the late singer-songwriter’s most groundbreaking achievements. Rhinoceros revisits this epic metal moment on “Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition”available July 8 as a four-CD box set ($59.98) and digitally.
The collection comes with two versions of “Holy Diver”. The first is a new mix of the album made by Joe Barresi (TOOL, STONE AGE QUEENS, NOOSE). He used the original analog tapes to remix the album’s nine tracks. The second is a new remastered version of the original 1983 mix. The Super Deluxe Edition also features never-before-seen performances and live samples, as well as a selection of rarities from the era.
Barresiis the new mix of “Holy Diver” The title track is available today digitally as a preview of the new album. Check it out below.
Besides, Barresiis the new blend of “Holy Diver” will be released the same day as a two-LP set on 180-gram vinyl ($34.98). It includes the original nine tracks, plus the 1983 B-side version of “Evil Eyes” as a bonus track. Side four features an engraving of the legendary demon murry which adorns the iconic album cover. The vinyl is housed in a gatefold sleeve that shows recently commissioned artwork by longtime artist DIO. Marc Sasso. The same artwork is also used for the four-CD Super Deluxe Edition.
Critically acclaimed and a commercial success, “Holy Diver” contributed two timeless classics to the heavy metal canon – “Rainbow in the Dark” and its title track. The album also charted at No. 16 on rolling stonecurrent list of the “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”.
After the departure BLACK SABBATH at the beginning of 1982, Dio began composing songs that would eventually appear on the album. After writing both “Holy Diver” and “Don’t talk to strangers”, Dio then brought together an amazing group of musicians, two familiar faces and a new recruit, with drummer Vinny Appice (Dioit is BLACK SABBATH teammate), bassist/keyboardist Jimmy Bain (Dioit is RAINBOW teammate) and guitarist Viviane Campbell join him in recording “Holy Diver” album.
In the illustrated notes accompanying the Super Deluxe Edition, the music journalist Mick Wall shares the story of the making of the album, including the making of its crown jewel, “Rainbow in the Dark”.
He writes: “Lyrically, it was Ronnie James Dio at its poetic best…Musically, “Rainbow in the Dark” was also the band’s first real collaboration. The inspiration for the monster guitar riff came from something Long live wrote when he was 16. Vinny added its distinctive battle cry beat, and jimmy added the finishing touch with the infectiously simple keyboard pattern.” The song was completed in 10 minutes, he adds.
“Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition” goes beyond the original album with an unreleased recording of the quartet performing live in 1983 at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California during the “Holy Diver” to visit. Wyn Davis mixed recording of the concert, which features live versions of songs by “Holy Diver” (“Rise and Scream” and “Rainbow in the Dark”),RAINBOW classics (“The Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Star”),and SABBATH staples (“Children of the Sea” and “Heaven and Hell”).
The Super Deluxe Edition also revisits the “Holy Diver” recording sessions to experience previously unreleased excerpts from multiple album cuts, including previously unreleased excerpts for “Invisible”, “Right in the heart” and a version of “Rainbow in the Dark” which features an alternative guitar solo. There is also an early version of “Evil Eyes”a song that would resurface on DIOthe 1984 follow-up album, “Last in Line”. A selection of rarities completes the new collection with single mono and 7″ stereo mounts for “Rainbow in the Dark” and a version of “Evil Eyes” released in 1983 as the B-side of “Holy Diver”.
“Holy Diver: Super Deluxe Edition” List of CD tracks:
CD1: Holy Diver (2022 Joe Barresi Mix) *
CD2: Holy Diver (Remastered 2022)
01. Get up and shout
02. holy diver
03. Gypsy
04. caught in the middle
05. Don’t talk to strangers
06. straight through the heart
07. Invisible
08. Rainbow in the dark
09. shame at night
CD3: Live at Selland Arena, Fresno, CA, 1983
01. Introduction *
02. Get up and shout *
03. straight through the heart *
04. shame at night *
05. children of the sea *
06. holy diver *
07. heaven and hell – including guitar solo *
08. Rainbow in the dark *
09. Man on the mountain of money *
ten. Stuck *
11. Man on the mountain of money – to resume *
12. Don’t talk to strangers *
CD4: extracts, singles and B-sides
Unreleased tracks 1 to 7
01. evil eyes – Remix by Wyn Davis*
02. Don’t talk to strangers – Take 1 (Joe Barresi mix)*
03. Invisible – Take 1 (Joe Barresi mix)*
04. Invisible – Take 3 (Joe Barresi mix)*
05. Rainbow in the dark – Alternate guitar solo version (Joe Barresi mix)*
06. straight through the heart – Take 2 (Joe Barresi mix)*
07. straight through the heart – Take 3 (Joe Barresi mix)*
08. Rainbow in the dark – Mono 7″ mounting
09. evil eyes – 1983 edition. B-side of “Holy Diver”
ten. Rainbow in the dark – 7″ stereo mounting
* unreleased
“Holy Diver: 2022 Joe Barresi Mix” 2-LP Clear Vinyl Track Listing:
LP1: first side
01. Get up and shout
02. holy diver
03. Gypsy
04. caught in the middle
LP1: Side Two
01. Don’t talk to strangers
02. straight through the heart
03. Invisible
LP2: first side
01. Rainbow in the dark
02. shame at night
bonus track
03. evil eyes – 1983 edition. B-side of “Holy Diver”
LP2: Side 2
Engraving
