Ronnie James Dio, 67, died in Houston, Texas on May 16 shortly before 8 am of stomach cancer.

Ronald James Padavona (his real name) born in Portsmouth 10 July 1942, only son of an Italian family, and began his career in Elf, a blues rock band, which he had helped found in 1967. Ritchie Blackmore in 1975, just released by Deep Purple, Rainbow definitely wanted him because of extraordinary voice, but was released after only four albums. Dio continued his career in Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell LP). In 1983 he founded his own band with which recorded until 2006, while continuing with the Heaven and Hell (ie Black Sabbath without Ozzy and Billy Ward and Vinnie Appice but with Dio in their place).
The album that most of all Dio is known in the beginning of his career is certainly the onset of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, a group whose vinyl records have been available in various formats for years.

The first LP released in the UK is a spectacular laminated cover with beautiful black and white photos including full page inside. This is the one Ritchie Blackmore had made by one of the most renowned rock photographers of all time, Fin Costello and was used in many of the international editions of this debut in 45 rpm vinyl records.

The first UK edition of this vinyl is easily recognized by 1) label (Oyster – EMI Records Ltd) 2) number catalog (OYA 2001 – 062 96 787 OC) 3) matrix numbers etched in the trail off of their sides (KENDUN A B OYA OYA A-1U/KENDUN 2001 2001 B-1U) 4) written on the back cover “File under POPULAR: Pop Groups” and the British took care of printing the edition, Garrod & Lofthouse.
And then in the inner sleeve that is white on one side, the classic signs that were on the inner “anonymous” EMI on how to take care of vinyl records and notes on the same label.

Among the various editions of USA there is the one that stands out, Rainbow written in orange instead of red. Then the number of completely different catalog (6049 PD) and the label Polydor is the classic red instead of the Oyster. This may be the very first U.S. edition, an interesting variant … for a collector of the Rainbow albums. I seen Dio in a couple of live Black Sabbath concerts and can only say he was awesome. R.I.P.

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