DANCER AND THE MOON is BLACKMORE’S NIGHT’s 8th original studio album, with each disc topping the European and American Billboard's New Age charts.
Formed in 1997 by Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore, the two began working together first in Ritchie's previous group Rainbow, when Candice co-wrote a number of songs, most notably "Ariel" and "Black Masquerade" for Rainbow's 1996 album, STRANGER IN US ALL The following year, the two formed Blackmore's Night, and after seven studio albums, two live DVD/CDs and one holiday release, the group's latest album, DANCER AND THE MOON follows the band's eclectic/jam/folk rock/new age/neo-Celtic/neo-Medieval/progressive rock/chamber pop/world beat styling.
Take your pick from the songwriting team of Candice and Ritchie: the acoustic "Somewhere Over the Sea (The Moon Is Shining), the rocking track "The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea)," which you can dance to, along with the title track "Dancer and the Moon," the nature-inspired "The Last Leaf" and the Russian-influenced "Troika."
Blackmore's Night own their versions of classic rock chestnuts: Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," Uriah Heep's "Lady In Black,” and "The Temple of the King" that Ritchie and the late Ronnie James Dio collaborated on originally for their band Rainbow. The album is made complete with its inspiring instrumentals, including the waltzy "Galliard" and the Deep Purple-esque "Carry On… Jon," that Ritchie wrote as a heartfelt tribute to his former band mate, the late Jon Lord.
DANCER AND THE MOON is a distinctive album, that is both melodic, rhythmic, and full of classic influences led by the dynamic and signature alto vocals of Candice Night and the phenomenal fret work of Ritchie Blackmore.
DANCER AND THE MOON continues to establish the band that has been growing its following steadily in the jam, pagan/wiccan scene, new age, folk and progressive worlds, as well as the classic rock community.
Candice says, "We find that the DANCER AND THE MOON is visually and emotionally representative of how we feel about our music. We have always had a very strong pull to the mystery of the Moon.
Her magic, her power, her legend... She affects us so deeply that we have named many CDs after her and she is almost always represented in our songs. The dancer gives herself completely, unabashedly and whole heartedly moved by the intensity of the music she feels within her soul."