Rainbow (rock band) steered Deep Purple through a significant personnel change, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover being replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. However, the new members were keen to add new musical styles and Blackmore found his request to record the Steve Hammond-penned "Black Sheep of the Family" with "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" turned down by the band. He decided to record the song with Dio instead, using Dio's band Elf as additional musicians. He enjoyed the results, and a full album, billed as "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" was recorded between February and March 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. The
David Coverdale Your Loving", which reached No. 13 on the British charts and No. 53 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. "Ready an' Willing" was followed up by the even more successful "Come an' Get It" in 1981. During 1982 Coverdale took some time off to look after his sick daughter and decided to put Whitesnake on hold. When David Coverdale returned to music he reformed the band, which thereafter recorded the album "Saints & Sinners". In 1982, according to British heavy metal magazine "Kerrang!", Coverdale was considered for the vocalist position with Black Sabbath following the departure of Ronnie James Dio.