Ronnie James

Dio

The Early Years

Long before becoming the voice of heavy metal, Ronnie James Dio was the voice of . . .

Ronnie Dio and the Prophets (CDR bootleg)

DISC ONE
Ronnie & the Redcaps (1957-1959)
1. "Lover" (2:49)
2. "Conquest" (2:34)
3. "An Angel is Missing" (2:33)
4. "What'd I Say" (2:18)
Ronnie & the Prophets (1961-1967)
5. "The Ooh Poo Pah Doo" (2:09)
6. "Love Pains" (1:45)
7. "Swingin' Street" (1:59)
8. "Gonna Make It Alone" (2:18)
9. "Mr Misery" (2:45)
10. "Our Year" (2:37)
11. "Love Potion #9" (1:58)
12. "Say Your Mine Again" (1:57)
13. "Where You Gonna Run To Girl" (2:22)
14. "Smiling by Day (Crying by Night)" (2:21)
15. "Dear Darlin' (I Won' Be Coming Home)" (2:04)
16. Walking Alone" (2:28)
17. "The Way of Love" (2:32)
18. "Walking in Different Circles" (2:15)
19. "10 Days to Brenda" (2:02)
20. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (2:36)
DISC TWO
Ronnie Dio at Dominos, Cortland, NY 2/24/1963
1. "Follow Me" (1:52)
2. "Blue Days, Blue Nights" (2:11)
3. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (3:51)
4. "Red Top" (2:16)
5. "An Angel is Missing" (2:30)
6. "Irresistible You" (2:20)
7. "I Told You So" (2:28)
8. "Everybody's Got a Dance to Do But Me" (3:13)
9. "Don't Take Your Love From Me" (3:43)
10. "Johnny Blue" (2:15)
11. "Great Balls of Fire" (2:06)
12. "Love Pains" (1:52)
The Electric Elves (1967)
13. "Hey Look Me Over" (2:05)
14. "It Pays To Advertise" (2:43)
The Elves (1969-1970)
15. "Walking in Different Circles" (2:31)
16. "She's Not the Same" (2:27)
17. "Amber Velvet" (2:52)
18. "West Virginia" (2:29)

It's hard to believe that Ronnie James Dio, the voice of heavy metal in the 80's and 90's got his beginning playing 50's and 60's pop rock. Hearing Ronnie's signature voice over songs like "The Ooh Poo Pah Doo" and "Love Potion #9" makes me smile as it's just really amusing. I mean I thought it was funny hearing Dio sing those hippie anthems in the early 70's. In anycase, I can't say that this type of music is really my thing, but as a Dio fan it's an interesting collector's item. I'm not sure how rare this material is, or if it has ever been officially released, but the cdr collection I have is still a pretty nice set that even includes some early photos of young Ronnie. Gotta love them flattop hair-doos and sweater vests. Ha Ha! Like I said, who would have imagined that Ronnie would eventually be the mighty dragon slayer of the big arenas in the 80's? Humble beginnings for a legend.

The Elves The Elves - Live at the Beacon (CDR bootleg)

1. "The Scramblers" (4:10)
2. "Driftin'" (8:15)
3. "Aqualung" (6:38)
4. "36 Year Old Lady" (7:12)
5. "Mountain Venus" (4:04)
6. "Simple Sister" (5:33)
7. "The Rape of Andre Lucia" (18:20)
BONUS TRACKS
8. "Hoochie Koochie Lady [Elf] (4:50)
9. "Rocking Chair Rock 'n' Roll Blues [Elf] (6:49)
10. "This Bud's For You" [Dio Budweiser commercial] (:58)

An early live recording of the Elves shortly before they became known as Elf. Killer sound quality for such an old show. Unfortunately the exact date of the show is no where to be found on the inserts, so if anyone has anymore info on this show, I'd be grateful. The two live bonus tracks were both recorded under the Elf name. The tenth track is extremely funny. It's a beer commercial for Budweiser, sung by Ronnie (or an excellent sound alike), set to the tune of "Rainbow in the Dark."

Related Collections:
DIO
Elf | Rainbow | Black Sabbath | Tributes | Kerry Livgren

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