![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse9.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/gillan2.jpg)
Too much band, not enough Smith
Here are a couple of clips with Jon Lord and Ian Paice respectively reviewing in 1970 the contemporary(ish) music. The source of these is the Melody Maker section called Blind Date, where popular musicians were asked to review the singles and records, most of which they never heard before.
Blind Date with Jon Lord (April 1970):
Blind Date with Ian Paice (October 1970):
Thanks to Yesterday’s Papers for posting this, and to Uwe for bringing it to your attention.
PS: raise your hand if you couldn’t help, but imagine the first clip being narrated by Jon himself instead of the impassionate voiceover.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Now that was fun!
The uncredited slo-mo version of Black Night is nice too, very ‘eavy, very ‘umble, bit Heepish!
September 23rd, 2025 at 01:20Have to love the early 70’s, nostalgia indeed. Amusing to see the ‘unholy trinity’ all lumped together in that top 30 albums on the Ian Paice one. Although on the earlier Jon Lord one we didn’t see Deep Purple anywhere. Typical isn’t it, always dragging the chain, waiting for other artists just so they can steal ideas and then bring an album out and then try to take over the charts. And then they attempt to blame Uriah Sheep. Looks like Zeppelin and Sabbath beat them all to it. Even Val Doonican, Andy Williams and Nana Mouskouri charted, but no DP. The poor Purps, oh well, not to worry. Bring out the violin and a few hankies to cry into. Cheers.
September 23rd, 2025 at 07:51Herr MacGregor, the interview with Jon took place two months BEFORE the release of In Rock in the UK, i.e. Jon was interviewed on the back of the Concerto release (which had been released in Dec 1969 and reached a respectable #26, but may well have been out of the UK Charts by April 1970) and his work for Mk I before.
In Rock was yet to come and come it would!
September 23rd, 2025 at 08:22The Concerto spent only one week in the UK charts on release but re-entered for a week at 60 something, shortly after the release of In Rock.
September 23rd, 2025 at 10:11It’s amazing how the Maestro analyzed these records and his colleagues at the organ!
It was clear that Lord was a very demanding musician both for his organ technique and for the organists in the music scene… he had understood that he had to evolve years before, and the meeting with Ritchie “the most demanding and individualistic guitarist I have ever met” greatly stimulated his personal research which was necessary and fundamental for the Purple sound.
Written like this it seems banal, but thinking this way in the 60s/70s meant having a musical mind above average!
I mean, in those years of excitement, creativity and “there’s room in the charts for anyone who wants to play rock or hard rock” thinking about not playing obvious things wasn’t in the heads of most musicians.
then history tells us that it was Purple themselves who many times belittled their importance and their musical research compared to other bands or other musical genres, but I believe that the genesis of Purple and MKII would deserve a biopic, an unprecedented thesis in musicology and rock history!
incredible how Paicey demolishes the drummers of James Gang Atomic rooster, Mountain banal for him, and in the end always appreciates the good old Jazz
September 23rd, 2025 at 13:51@ 5 -good points Fla76. Jon Lord was the real deal as were a few others in other different bands back then. Ian Paice, well the arrogance of youth or just ‘taking the mickey’ as they say in England. Hard to tell, a bit like Ritchie at times, cocky indeed. I take their comments with a grain of salt. Dismissive, yes it sure can be a little bit of that. All things considered though, when put on the spot in an interview etc, it can happen. Cheers.
September 23rd, 2025 at 22:18As a young man, Little Ian was cocky and scoffing as hell. He was a top notch drummer, he knew it and he didn‘t hide it. His comment about Mitch Mitchell‘s opaque time signature intro to Hendrix‘ All Along The Watchtower: It‘s either a mistake or he is a lot better than I think he is! 😂
PS: It was a mistake, i.e. in absence of a recorded cue-in Mitchell had to second-guess where the bars started and then adjust when he got it wrong.
September 24th, 2025 at 15:17