RJ Dio singing in children's cartoon: Butterfly Ball

[Hardrock69]

Here are the details:

While in Elf, Ronnie James Dio and Mickey Lee Soule participated Roger Glover's solo project based on a children's book "The Butterfly Ball". Ronnie James Dio sung three tracks on the album, as well as co-wrote two other tracks for it. The Butterfly Ball project consisted of many different musicians gathered together by Roger Glover. The project ended finally in March 1976, when a full-lenght video of The Butterfly Ball concert from October 16th, 1975 was released. Ronnie James Dio didn't participate it, though - he appeared only on the album and on a number of singles.


Here is the list of participants in the recording of the album:

Ronnie James Dio guest vocals
Roger Glover synthesizer, piano, guitars, bass, percussion, backing vocals
Eddie Hardin piano, organ, synthesizer, backing vocals
Les Binks drums
Ray Fenwick guitars
Mo Foster bass, double bass
Mike Moran piano
Glenn Hughes guest vocals
David Coverdale guest vocals
Helen Chappelle guest vocals
Barry St. John guest vocals
Neil Lancaster guest vocals
John Goodison guest vocals
Mickey Lee Soule guest vocals
Liza Strike guest vocals
Judi Kuhl guest vocals
Jimmy Helms guest vocals
Eddie Hardin guest vocals
Tony Ashton guest vocals
John Gustafson guest vocals
John Lawton guest vocals
Liza Strike backing vocals
Helen Chappelle backing vocals
Barry St. John backing vocals
Judi Kuhl backing vocals
Kay Garner backing vocals
Joanne Williams backing vocals
Ann Odel guest piano
Mike Giles guest drums
Nigel Watson guest saw
Eddie Jobson guest violin
Jack Emblow accordian
Chris Karan tabla
Robin Thompson bassoon


And last but not least, here is one of several youtube videos:

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Here is a clip from the live concert, featuring David Coverdal on vox:

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[bueno bob]

I've got a few of the songs on a burned CD laying around somewhere. I actually enjoy listening to it now and again...Ronnie can make anything worthwhile...

[binnie]

Ha Ha!!

Well, everyone's done stuff they ain't proud of...

[ELVIS]

Panamark posted that first video "Love Is All" a while back, and I followed up with the story after really liking the song and doing some research on the subject...




The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshoper's Feast is a concept album and subsequent live rock opera appearing in 1974 and 1975 respectively, based on the children's book The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper Feast. The album is officially titled the same as this poem, but is more commonly shortened to the Butterfly Ball to distinguish it.

It was originally conceived as a solo vehicle for Jon Lord and to be produced by Roger Glover, but Lord proved too busy with Deep Purple and Glover took up the reins on his own. Using his connections, Glover recruited a large cast of noted rock musicians to perform on it, with a different vocalist for each track. The single Love is All, with vocals from Ronnie James Dio, charted in the UK. The song has been used recently by the Dutch political party CDA in its election ads for the 2006 Dutch General Election.

On October 16th 1975, a one-off performance at the Royal Albert Hall took place. Again it had a star-studded cast of rock musicians, most notably Ian Gillan who was drafted in at the last minute and received a standing ovation on his entrance. He replaced an unavailable Ronnie James Dio who had commitments with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (although Dio did eventually get to perform the song at the Royal Albert Hall in 1999 as the guest of Deep Purple). Gillan had not performed since leaving Deep Purple in 1973. Also notable was the appearance of Vincent Price as narrator.

[ELVIS]

Originally posted by binnie
Ha Ha!!

Well, everyone's done stuff they ain't proud of...

What are you talking about, it's a cult classic !!

The song Love Is All is GRATE !!