Secret Voyage is the seventh studio album by the band Blackmore's Night. According to a SPV press release, Secret Voyage is another kaleidoscopic musical journey through time and space, incorporating and rearranging traditional melodies from all over Europe, blending the "old" and contemporary. Secret Voyage consists of twelve new tracks, recorded by Candice Night, Ritchie Blackmore and their Band of Minstrels.

Secret Voyage won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award as the best celtic album. zonemusicreporter.com. Retrieved on 2010-07-31. It was also nominated for NAR awards in two more categories - Best Vocal Album and Best Cover Artwork for a CD.

Secret Voyage peaked at #1 on the Billboard's USA "New Age Albums" Chart for four weeks.

Release history

References

Category:2008 albums

Category:Blackmore's Night albums

Category:SPV/Steamhammer albums

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Artist/Band Information

Blackmore's Night is a Renaissance-themed folk rock duo led by Ritchie Blackmore (acoustic and electric guitar) and Candice Night (lead vocals, lyricist and multi-instrumentalist).

History

Early

The duo originated in 1989 when Candice Night was working at a local New York rock music radio station. She first encountered Ritchie Blackmore, then with Deep Purple, at a football game in which he was playing. The two became romantically involved and discovered that they shared a passionate interest in the Renaissance.

During the reformed Rainbow's recording the album Stranger in Us All in 1995, on which Night contributed backing vocals and some of the lyrics, Blackmore became interested in the idea of bringing Renaissance music to a contemporary audience. Night's personality and singing ability made her the natural choice as frontwoman. In 1997 the pair were ready to launch the duo, the name being a pun of their own names, and which would consist of themselves plus session musicians.

1997 to 2005

Their debut album Shadow of the Moon was a success, particularly in Europe. In subsequent albums, particularly Fires at Midnight, there was an increased incorporation of rock guitar into the music, whilst maintaining a folk rock direction. Over time, Candice Night has increasingly participated instrumentally as well as singing the vocals, and is competent in a wide variety of Renaissance instruments.

The group performs at Renaissance fairs and Renaissance Festivals, as well as in stand-alone concert tours in appropriate venues including 'castle tours' of Europe, where they perform in historic surroundings for an audience dressed largely in period costume. The duo has been successful enough to inspire a number of international tribute bands including: Renaissance Night, the Italian Morning Star and the Midnight.

They have also performed the music for MagiQuest, a live simulation game located internationally.

2006-present

BLACKMORE´S NIGHT.jpgrightthumbLogo based on artwork of their albums

In 2006, Candice Night performed a duet with Andi Deris on Helloween's "Light the Universe", which was released as a single in certain countries and is available on their album Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy, released in the same year.

On June 27, 2008, the duo released its seventh studio album called Secret Voyage, a mix of medieval-sounding tracks and some contemporary ones. In addition to some covers of some traditional folk music (“Locked Within the Crystal Ball" is from the fourteenth century) and some originals, Blackmore’s Night also performed a cover of a Rainbow song (“Rainbow Eyes”) and a cover ("Can't Help Falling in Love").

On October 5, 2008, Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore were married at a Castle on the Hudson after 19 years together. This is the fourth marriage for Blackmore.

Autumn Esmerelda Blackmore was born on May 27, 2010. A new album titled "Autumn Sky" was released soon afterwards.

Discography

Albums:

* Shadow of the Moon (1997)

* Under a Violet Moon (1999)

* Fires at Midnight (2001)

* Ghost of a Rose (2003)

* The Village Lanterne (2006)

* Winter Carols (2006) - Christmas-themed cover album

* Secret Voyage (2008)

* Autumn Sky (2010)

Live albums:

* Past Times with Good Company (2002)

* Paris Moon (2007, bonus disc on Paris Moon DVD)

Compilation albums:

* Minstrels and Ballads (2001)

* The Best of Blackmore's Night (2003)

* Beyond the Sunset: The Romantic Collection (2004)

Live VHS/DVDs:

* Shadow of the Moon (1997)

* Live in Germany '99 (2000)

* Castles and Dreams (2005)

* Paris Moon (2007)

Music videos:

* Shadow Of The Moon (1997)

* No Second Chance (1997)

* The Times They Are A Changin (2001)

* Ghost Of A Rose (2003)

* Way To Mandalay (2003)

* Christmas Eve (2005)

* Once In A Million Years (2005)

* The Village Lanterne (2006)

* Locked Within The Crystal Ball (2008)

* Highland (2010)

Band members

Core members

* Ritchie Blackmore - guitars, mandolin, domra, hurdy gurdy

* Candice Night - vocals, chanter, cornamuse, shawm, rauschpfeife, tambourine

Backing musicians

* Bard David of Larchmont - keyboards

* Squire Malcolm of Lumley (Malcolm Dick) - drums, percussionist

* Gypsy Rose (Elizabeth Cary) - Violin

* Earl Grey of Chamay (Mike Clemente) - Bass, mandolin and rhythm guitar

Former members

* Pat Regan - Early Music Consort various sting instruments (2008)

* Sisters of the Moon: Lady Madeline and Lady Nancy (Madeline and Nancy Posner) - backing vocals

* Lord Marnen of Wolfhurst (Marnen Laibow-Koser) - violin, flute, recorder

* Chris Devine - violin, flute, guitar

* Carmine Giglio - keyboards

* Mike Sorrentino - percussion

* Sir Robert of Normandie (Robert Curiano) - bass, guitars

* Tudor Rose (Tina Chancey) - violin, flute

* Mick Cervino - bassist

* Marci Geller - keyboards & backing vocals

* Adam Forgione

* Alex Alexander

* Jessie Haynes - guitars, recorder & backing vocals

* Lady Rraine (Lorraine Ferro) - harmony vocals

* Baron St James

Notes

* In 1998 "Blackmore's Kingdom" album was released by unknown group of musicians, it contains both Blackmore's Night songs and songs by Steve Tilston. This album is most likely a renamed version of guitarist Greg Joy's album "Celtic Secrets."

Several of the tracks on this CD also seem to imitate renditions of the same songs by the 1960s folk band Pentangle.

References