Gibson.com has issued the following report from Michael Wright:

One of the great hard rock bands of the late ’70s/early ’80s, RAINBOW evolved over the course of its initial run (1975-1984) from a heavy sword-and-sorcery sound (helmed by RONNIE JAMES DIO) to a lighter, more commercial enterprise attuned to early ’80s FM playlists (with the Lou Gramm-esque JOE LYNN TURNER on vocals). Somewhere in between was an album called Down To Earth, which managed to dial up much of the hard rock fury of the Dio years, but with the dead-on pop sensibilities of the band’s later albums.

For Down To Earth, bandleader and axe-man extraordinaire RITCHIE BLACKMORE tapped GRAHAM BONNET to take the mic. With Bonnet’s stentorian vox, Blackmore’s fiery fretwork, monster drummer Cozy Powell, veteran keyboardist Don Airey and Ritchie’s old DEEP PURPLE mate Roger Glover on bass (and co-producer), the group created some of the best tracks in Rainbow’s long and winding history, including the singles 'All Night Long' and the Russ Ballard-penned 'Since You’ve Been Gone'.

Now Universal Music has announced a deluxe expanded version of Down To Earth, with non-album B-sides 'Bad Girl' and the atmospheric instrumental 'Weiss Heim', as well as a second disc of studio outtakes and alternate versions, which lend much-appreciated context to the finished album.

It has also been reported that Universal will soon announce a release date for a similar deluxe edition for the album many consider to be the band’s masterpiece, Rainbow Rising.

Down To Earth: Deluxe Expanded Edition traclisting:

Disc 1:

'All Night Long'

'Eyes Of The World'

'No Time To Lose'

'Makin' Love'

'Since You Been Gone'

'Love's No Friend'

'Danger Zone'

'Lost In Hollywood'

Bonus Tracks:

'Bad Girl' (7' Single B-Side)

'Weiss Heim' (7' Single B-Side)

Disc 2:

'All Night Long' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Eyes Of The World' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Spark Don't Mean A Fire'

'Makin' Love' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Since You Been Gone' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Ain't A Lot Of Love In The Heart Of Me'

'Danger Zone' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Lost In Hollywood' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Bad Girls' (Instrumental Outtake)

'Ain't A Lot Of Love In The Heart Of Me' (Alternative Outtake – Take 2 with mixed down vocal)

'Eyes Of The World' (Instrumental Outtake Take 2)

'All Night Long' (Cozy Powell Mix)

Further details to follow.