In 1970 the band was involved in an automobile accident which claimed the life of Nick Pantas, whom the band decided not to replace. After recovering from his injuries, Doug Thaler quit the band, and was replaced by Micky Lee Soule. (Upon leaving in 1972, Thaler moved to New York and got a job as a booking agent — Elf was one of the bands he booked. In 1983, he became co-manager of Mötley Crüe. Present day he works at Metropolitan Talent as an artist manager, working with artists such as Art Garfunkel, Bruce Hornsby & Ratdog).
Cover of Elf's debut self-titled album was produced by Deep Purple members Roger Glover and Ian Paice, who happened to see Elf auditioning in 1972. For the next few years, the band enjoyed mild success as an opening act for Deep Purple.
Dio both sang and played the bass guitar until, in 1973, bass player Craig Gruber was asked to join. The same year saw Feinstein quit the band, to be replaced by Steve Edwards. Feinstein formed a band called The Rods, which met with a moderate amount of success, touring with groups such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as well as Metallica, before finally retiring from the music industry. He would not return to the music scene until 2004, when his band, Feinstein, released the album Third Wish on the Magic Circle Music label.
In 1974, Dio was asked by Glover to sing on his solo album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Dio's rich, soulful voice gained the attention of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who had just left Deep Purple and was looking for musicians for his first solo album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. He decided to use Elf for this album, and the band Rainbow was thus formed, with Blackmore replacing Edwards. After they finished recording the album, however, Driscoll, Gruber, and Soule were replaced by Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carey, who played with Dio and Blackmore during the subsequent tour. In early 1975 percussionist Mark Nauseef joined Elf, but the group disbanded shortly afterwards
for the Slime singer's project see ELF.
Blanche
Elf Lyrics
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Too many rainy days
It's been found you can't get brown
Rain go away
[First four lines repeated 2 times]
Rainy days, rainy days
[Last two lines repeated 8 times]
The song "Blanche" by Elf opens with the lamentations of the singer about the rainy days. He expresses his frustration with the constant downpour that inhibits him from achieving his desired tan. The lyrics "Too many rainy days, It's been found you can't get brown" imply that he wants a warm tan and that the excessive precipitation is robbing him of his opportunity to do so. The singer's use of the phrase "Rain go away" further emphasizes his distaste for the weather and his desire for sunny days.
The repetition of the first four lines twice underscores his frustration. It provides a sense of how the rain is hindering his plans and making him feel like his goals are out of his reach. The repetition of the phrase "rainy days, rainy days, too many rainy days" reinforces this idea and the singer's sense of disappointment.
In the end, the lyrics convey a sense of dissatisfaction with how life is turning out, but with a subtle hope that things will change for the better. Overall, "Blanche" conveys the universal experience of frustration with life's circumstances and a desire for things to improve.
Line by Line Meaning
Rainy days, rainy days
Days of sadness, melancholy, and low spirits
Too many rainy days
An overwhelming and excessive amount of difficult times
It's been found you can't get brown
No matter how hard you try, you can't escape the dreary and depressing weather
Rain go away
A plea for relief from the unwanted and oppressive rainfall
[First four lines repeated 2 times]
Continued repetition of the theme of rainy and gloomy days
Rainy days, rainy days
A reminder of the persistent and unrelenting nature of the bad times
Too many rainy days
The persistent sense of being overwhelmed by adversity
[Last two lines repeated 8 times]
A final plea for the rain to go away, encapsulating the central message of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICKY LEE SOULE, RONNIE DIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind