Difficult to Cure
Difficult to Cure is the fifth studio album by Rainbow, released in February 1981 on Polydor. It follows Down to Earth in the band's run of records, and it arrived with two new faces: drummer Bobby Rondinelli, stepping in after Cozy Powell's departure, and vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who replaced Graham Bonnet following the tour for the previous album.
The record continues Rainbow's move towards a more commercial sound, a direction that fits with Ritchie Blackmore's admiration at the time for Foreigner. If you like your hard rock with a polished, radio-friendly edge, this is where the band leans furthest that way. It also proved a success at home, reaching number three on the UK Albums Chart, the highest position of any Rainbow album. It's a good place to hear the band in transition, with a fresh line-up and a new set of ambitions.
Difficult to Cure: tracklist, credits and charts
9 tracks · 41:32Tracklist
- 1I SurrenderRuss Ballard4:04
- 2Spotlight KidRitchie Blackmore and Roger Glover4:54
- 3No ReleaseAirey, Blackmore, Glover5:28
- 4MagicBrian Moran4:06
- 5Vielleicht das nächste Mal (Maybe Next Time)Don Airey and Ritchie Blackmore3:19
- 6Can’t Happen HereRitchie Blackmore and Roger Glover4:55
- 7Freedom FighterBlackmore, Glover, Turner4:19
- 8Midtown Tunnel VisionBlackmore, Glover, Turner4:32
- 9Difficult to Cure[traditional]5:56
- Produced by
- Roger Glover
- Recorded at
- Sweet Silence Studios (Copenhagen, Denmark), Kingdom Sound Studios, Long Island, New York
- Recorded
- November 1980
- Engineered by
- Flemming Rasmussen
- Label
- Polydor
- Length
- 41:32
Line-up
- Don Airey · keyboard
- Ritchie Blackmore · guitar
- Roger Glover · bass guitar
- Bob Rondinelli · drums (drum set)
- Joe Lynn Turner · lead vocals
Singles
- “I Surrender”
- “Can't Happen Here” · 12 June 1981
- “Magic” · 1981 (Japan)
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1981 | 3 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1981 | 50 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1981 | 1 |
| Swedish Albums · 1981 | 9 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1981 | 12 |
| German Albums · 1981 | 13 |
| Dutch Albums · 1981 | 14 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1981 | 17 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1981 | 77 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Finland | Gold |
| Japan · 1981 | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 1981 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 9 February
Every year →
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Full discography →
The best of 1981
All of 1981 →
More on Polydor
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1981-02-09 vs 1981-02-03 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1981 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 9 February 1981 | |
| Wikidata | 3 February 1981 |
16 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Polydor | 042280001827 | other |
| — | DE | Polydor | 042280001827 | other |
| — | DE | Polydor | 042280001827 | other |
| 1981 | JP | Polydor | original | |
| 1981 | FR | Polydor | original | |
| 1981 | DE | Polydor | original | |
| 1985 | JP | Polydor | other | |
| 1 May 1990 | JP | Polydor | 4988005063892 | other |
| 25 May 1999 | XE | Polydor | 731454736527 | other |
| 27 December 2001 | JP | Polydor | 4988005292216 | other |
| 24 September 2008 | JP | Polydor | 4988005525413 | other |
| 18 January 2012 | JP | Polydor | 4988005688941 | other |
| 18 December 2013 | JP | Polydor | 4988005798558 | other |
| 18 December 2013 | JP | Polydor | 4988005798404 | other |
| 31 January 2020 | XW | Polydor | 00602508689307 | other |
| — | — | Polydor | 731454736527 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |