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Gillan, an anarchistic band

Bernie Torme and Ian Gillan; image courtesy of bernietorme.co.uk

RockPages.gr has an interview that they recently conducted with Bernie Torme. No wonder that a large chunk of it is about his Gillan years:

Your career includes many and very significant collaborations. You are well – known from the period with Gillan. What does Bernie Torme feel for this period among all the other collaborations of his career?

Well…pride! When I joined the Gillan band I was unknown and by the time I left Ian I was a name in the industry. It was definitely a great band to be in. Ian was a fantastic guy to be in a band and I vividly remember our smooth collaboration. Ian never told anyone how to play and what to play. He let complete freedom to the musician and that’s evident to all the Gillan releases. It was an extremely democratic band…possibly quite anarchistic band (laughs)! In the end, there were a lot of arguments about…everything really but all these things belong in the past and I’d be more than happy to have a drink with all the guys from that band…great guys, indeed! I don’t think, though, that we will work professionally again as anyone has moved to different paths.

Read more on RockPages.gr.

Thanks to Yiannis Dolas for the info.



2 Comments to “Gillan, an anarchistic band”:

  1. 1
    Tracy(Zero the Hero)Heyder says:

    Another amazingly humble musician. Hard to imagine how great he remembers his time with Gillan Band as far as the cohesion and work attitude and then how it all went so bad at the end. Also amazing how he doesn’t touch on that at all. His regards toward the Randy Rhoades/Ozzy scenario was heart wrenching in itself. What a shame there is no proper recordings or video of his few gigs with Ozzy. Amazing also the wasted funds Dee Snyder went through. Hard to believe he wasn’t sued for it. Actually he probably was hence the Bankruptcy. The Great American Skate Scam. He should run for President.

    Would love to see a Gillan Band reunion though. They are all still alive and it surely was Gillan’s greatest musical period outside of Purple.

    !Ch-BeerZ?

  2. 2
    Ivica says:

    Ian Gillan Band,or only Gillan, especially with Bernie Torme era
    exciting band, high energy, interesting music solutions,
    two authors’ team
    Colin Towns with one, classics, jazzman and Bernie Torme and John Mc Coy hard rockers with others
    Bernie played guitar Hendrks passion for me, Gillan. the best ex-Purple band offer …. of course the voice of Ian Gillan,, remind of Deep Purple
    His memorable vocal interpretation and groups : “Fighting Man”, If You Believe Me “/ best song /, No Laughing in Haven ‘…
    I watched them at the beginning of four times / with Bernie /, that were perfect concerts full of fierce energy and great playing. Berni was a much better guitarist for the band of Janick Gers
    Playing technique and stage performance
    Too bad what line Torme-Gillan-Mc Coy-Towns-Underwood does a good concert-live album / Reading 81 with “Double Trouble” really bad mix and recording /
    Bernie Torme always remain in the memory of the exciting intro “No Easy Way”

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