Elf is the first album by Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio

Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

's blues rock band called Elf

Elf (band)

Elf was a rock band founded in 1967 by the late singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David Feinstein . The band was originally called The Electric Elves, but was shortened to The Elves and finally Elf in mid-1970...

. It was released in 1972. In this album, Dio is listed by his birth name Ronald Padavona. He later explained in an interview in 1994 that he was already using Dio as his stage name years before this album, but he used his birth name on this album as a tribute to his parents so that they could see their family name on an album at least once.

After this album, Steve Edwards replaced David Feinstein on guitar, and Craig Gruber

Craig Gruber

Craig Gruber is an American rock bass player, best known as the original bassist in Rainbow. Along with the other members of Rainbow, except guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, he had played in the band Elf, consisting of vocalist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, drummer Gary Driscoll and...

 took over bass duties, leaving Ronnie James Dio solely as the lead singer. This future lineup, minus Edwards, became the first incarnation of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Note: On the cassette version of the album, Side One features the last five tracks, while Side Two plays the first four. Also, on the case insert and on the cassette itself, "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" is written as "Sixteen Century Greensleeves"....

 when guitarist Ritchie Blackmore

Ritchie Blackmore

Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...

 formed it after leaving Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

.

Track listing

All Songs Written By Gary Driscoll, Mickey Lee Soule, David Feinstein & Ronald Padavona

1. "Hoochie Koochie Lady" – 5:32
2. "First Avenue" – 4:23
3. "Never More" – 3:50
4. "I'm Coming Back For You" – 3:27
5. "Sit Down Honey (Everything Will Be Alright)" – 3:48
6. "Dixie Lee Junction" – 5:09
7. "Love Me Like A Woman" – 3:47
8. "Gambler, Gambler" – 4:26

Personnel

• Ronald Padavona (later Ronnie James Dio) – vocals, bass
• David Feinstein - guitar
• Mickey Lee Soule - piano
• Gary Driscoll
  Gary Driscoll
  Gary Driscoll was an American R&B style rock drummer who performed in a number of successful bands from the 1960s until his violent death in June 1987....
  
  - drums