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Gillan in Taipei Times

Ian Gillan, One Eye To Morocco promo photo

Ian Gillan spoke to the Taipei Times before the band’s first ever appearance in Taiwan. The first part of the interview is from a telephone conversation and is hardly interesting, while the second was done over email and digs a little deeper than usual:

Taipei Times: When Deep Purple began in the late 1960s, a lot of rock bands were influenced by blues and R ’n’ B. What artists in particular inspired you to sing and make music?

Ian Gillan: I grew up with classical music, jazz (well boogie woogie — my uncle was a pianist) and was a boy soprano in the church choir. Then I was touched by the young Elvis, Little Richard and moved on to Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald, somehow learning to play blues harmonica and absorbing everything from field laments to Delta blues and up the big river to Chicago…

Oh, yeah, about the new album:

TT: What’s next for Deep Purple? Is there a new album in the works?

IG: No idea — we never make plans. 2010 is a busy year on the road — we don’t finish until mid-December, so I guess we’ll take a holiday then see what’s what.

You can start your moaning now 😉

Read more in Taipei Times.

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.



25 Comments to “Gillan in Taipei Times”:

  1. 1
    purpletemple says:

    That’s right! Big moanin’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. 2
    T says:

    “Highway Man”? Song idea for the next album perhaps? 😉

    Gillan says he is interested in flamenco. I also am into flamenco guitarists, who tend to be among the best guitarists overall, having more emotion and energy than most types of music. Ironically, it is Blackmore who is closer to that genre than anything Purple does.

    The article contains yet another Gillan quote taking a swipe at Blackmore. I appreciate the bad blood, but Blackmore hasn’t been in the band since 1993–that’s ancient history. When was the last time Blackmore said something about Gillan? The more a band member criticizes the original banjo player, the more he legitimizes him and confirms Blackmore’s remarkable legacy.

    And finally, we get confirmation that a new album never was in the cards for 2010.

    Don’t get me started.

    Even so, mid-December is a very good time for Deep Purple to record in album in a very odd place…like a closed down hotel, maybe.

  3. 3
    HZ says:

    Which I’ll never understand is why, oh why IG is constantly bashing Ritchie? What’s the purpose? Ritchie never spoke of him. And every night Ritchie’s riffs are there, and youngsters and old-timers still loving them most. Mystery for me.

  4. 4
    ormandy says:

    I’m enjoying the new Asia album too much to care…right now.

  5. 5
    Tommy H. says:

    Ian Gillan himself repeatly stated last year that they’ll go to the studio in february 2010. To me that’s planning. Seems like touring is more important and fun but that’s also okay.

    The last time we waited about as long for a new album was before the Bananas-release, where Jon Lord quit. It feels somehow similar to that now with the exception that it’s not sure if the band is still going in 2011. To me this line-up has the best sound since Ritchie Blackmore has left the band. I hope that they’ll stick together after their holiday and do one last album and tour. The potential is there.

  6. 6
    Nick Soveiko says:

    T and HZ:

    very simple. it’s an interview. he doesn’t ask the questions, he answers them. he answers them the way he feels about the subject.

    blackmore doesn’t give (much) interviews. he never spoke of gillan (ill or otherwise) because he never spoke of anybody.

  7. 7
    HZ says:

    Nick, even Ritchie has done several inteviews, and even several times how IG was great in his youth, and that he disagreed with him musically lately, and that’s it (being asshole by both sides in process of arguing is something “natural”, when it happens though, not 17 years after that). He never said I left them because they are weak and not creative, and I’m giving proof on my previous said opinion by pointing at them playing my riffs constantly for these 17 years, which says that they are left in the past sticking to my creativity. He never said that, he even said that Steve is great. I mean what IG wants – to minimize Ritchie’s legacy? How? By trying to remove all those facts that everyone know – I’m expecting that he’ll say how even guitar riffs are made by him, and organ parts also, I mean, there’s nothing left except this to try.. He’s mistaking, and I’m glad that Ritchie is far from that. He should be like deceased Dio. Dio criticized Ritchie’s eccentric behavior some times, but has praised Ritchie’s creativity. As T said: “The more a band member criticizes the original banjo player, the more he legitimizes him and confirms Blackmore’s remarkable legacy.”

  8. 8
    andre sihotang says:

    Yeah, Gillan as usual…
    Smashed Blackmore’s presence in DP, his stand-still reason of not to criticize this modern music, always showing an enthusiasm and happiness when talking about DP’s live performances, and ‘to the point’ answers type with no spoke of confusing or out-of-context words. Still he’s one of my living legend..

    But I am really dissapointed that they won’t make a new music this year. Since it becomes more apparent that their days are going to be over in next few years, I still have no idea why they do not have any intend to produce new music, and choose to go for a long tour. So many fans expect their new music. At least I’m still hoping they will put some new songs from GIllan’s solo, or from Morse’s solo, and also from Airey. Sure it will put lots of bright refreshing lights to their live concerts.

    I’m just hoping Deep Purple brand name will still exist until many years. I think the idea of Gillan and Glover (maybe Paicey) standing as ‘house of representative’ and choosing their succesors is not bad, since Deep Purple were also went through so many personal changes. It will be fantastic to me as a young big fan to see a new album made by ‘new’ Deep Purple, and I wish it will continue the legacy of Deep Purple’s music. Well, right now I can only imagine for this… But it is too hurt for me to see the end of my most favourite group, so that’s the way I’m hoping..

  9. 9
    Tommy H. says:

    # 6: It’s remarkable that till today Gillan can’t let it go. It’s been more than 16 years. He’ll have his personal reasons and I respect that but this is nothing new, in fact it’s a pretty lame thing to go over it again and again in interviews.

    Regarding Blackmore: Since 1997 he’s recorded seven studio albums – more than one every two years. Maybe Gillan should think about that from time to time.

  10. 10
    George says:

    Oooh MY goooooooodddd!!!
    Still NO plans for album 🙁

    I’m kind of scared. not because they’re not going to record new album, but, because I think something isn’t OK in the band.

    The biggest gap between Purple studio albums was from Abandon till Bananas – 5 years! The reason was that Lord didn’t feel comfortable with the band and he wanted to leave. Then Airey came, band became fresher and DP recorded 2 albums in 3 years.
    Now, 5 years has gone since Rapture of the Deep and at least another 1 year (2010 – 2011 maybe?) has to go. It means, we will have new DP album in 2011… or maybe, NEVER???

  11. 11
    Rascal says:

    Not sure its actually RB bashing, is it?

    Isnt it actually the truth?

  12. 12
    kraatzy says:

    Dear fans-friends…

    IG said …
    “People were getting fed up with it.
    So, long gone.
    And the day he (R.B.) left, the rain stopped and the sun came out.
    And everything’s been fine ever since.”

    For him, he is right. Now, he is the “boss”.

    But the other side of the medal is for us fans:
    Only extremely rarely new recordings with / from D.P.

    Hey Big Ian … I know, you dont like this, but look to Ritchie.
    How many CDs he had published and how rarely D.P./you spoiled us with new songs ????

    And if it is true, what he had said in Taipee, there are no plans for 2011 and a new CD !!!! 🙁

    These are very disappointing news (or what is the contrary for the word “NEWS” ? BADs ??? )

    *LLRnR*

    wthout cheers 🙁

    -kraatzy-

  13. 13
    Nick Soveiko says:

    HZ@7:

    > He never said I left them because they are weak and not creative

    to be completely fair, he said that at least on one occasion. and that it was candice who opened his eyes on how dysfunctional the band has become. that’s why he left.

    > I mean what IG wants – to minimize Ritchie’s legacy?

    no. he’s answering a question during an interview.

  14. 14
    stoffer says:

    Would I like new music from DP?? sure who wouldn’t, but if its not in the cards right now quit crying about it let it go, they will get to it some day…..BTW Blackmores Night has put out what 7 CD’s, if Ritchie were rockin’ I’d be happy but its garbage (IMO) so they might as well put out 20 they all sound alike to me

  15. 15
    T says:

    Nick

    As someone who has had some experience in journalism, I know full well that the comments we read in an article come from questions posed by the journalist. My objection is to HOW Gillan *decides* to respond to certain questions regarding Blackmore.

    These responses usually come in one of two types: Blackmore is not acknowledged for his unquestionable contribution to Deep Purple–such as Gillan’s obvious avoidance of giving Blackmore credit for “Smoke on the Water” in a recent Herald Sun interview–or he’s an ogre with a wart on his nose and who lives under a bridge.

    It is very clear that Blackmore has gotten past their creative and personal differences while Gillan has not–despite the gap of many, many years.

  16. 16
    Crimson Ghost says:

    I can’t beleieve it, some people obviously weren’t reading in 95, 96 and 97 all the tripe Blackmore said about Ian that got published in the press, Guitar Magazines to be exact. You want to talk about facts “HZ”, check this “factual” noise out… it started with Gillan, he has spoken ill of him and it should be noted he blamed him for his leaving DP but once again contradicted that later and finally ended in 97 with him saying “it was a business decision, I found it hard to deal with a manager who gets 33% of our eranings from the golf courses of the world.” (just another person in the picture CANDICE TOLD HIM NOT TO TRUST?! Ha ha ha, since then we can call him “Domestic Blackmore?”) “I did the Deep Purple reunion for the money, there, I said it, I feel better now.” (whatever Ritchie, in 94 you said you all did it because Ian was having money problems and needed to make some, ha ha ha… that was in an hour long filmed interview, no more or less contradicting than Ian)

    So he starts with Ian and ends with Bruce and then all of this crap starts, coinciding a little later with some releases Ritchie sued them for, the Bootleg Boxed Sets which he had every right to do… however he wanted to sue for the Anniversary Editions but stood to profit from their sales for years on end to come so it wasn’t a good idea.(obvious fact) And that’s when he made it so that they couldn’t release merchandise with him on it without clearing it first so he could approve or not approve and at the same time rightfully track their sales and know what’s what, which is what the T-shirt thing happened because of, they erased him from it to protect themselves from another lawsuit because it was his own bloody fault, pretty funny really, since he uttered blasphemy about it, what was he thinking? But he gets the victim treatment becuse people once again aren’t following, and that’s one subject the fans are wrong about and should know the truth about, so there you have it. Not to be confused with the other lawsuit it took him years to win, to gain access to the books to see what he was or wasn’t getting in royalties. That’s when all the big mud slinging really started, it could very well be that is one of a few underlying problems and there is always one last man standing in anything like this so it goes on until then, foolish as it is! Ritchie has sued them twice and won, it’s obviously a little personal by now, ya think? Wouldn’t it be with just about anyone by then? And of course the remark about him not saying anything because he doesn’t do interviews, he’s just always been very very selective about it. Even so he still never took much advantage of his opportunities to set much straight in the process. Instead saying all kinds of drunken contradictive babble to everyone from Mary Turner to Pete Makowsk! He’s done many an interview, in fact I have one hell of a lot of them on record and tapes and documents, and I wonder just how many feature him completely sober. Again, still not as many interviews as the average artist but also hardly ever anymore revealing than a foot in the mouth, just like Gillan. In fact they’re so alike when it comes to press it isn’t even funny. The proverbial word in this thread is “dig” why don’t you… if I mentioned a few details nobody knew, well now you do. I quoted nothing here that was not published between four Guitar Mags from 95 to 97, and the rest was publicized on the internet for all to follow.

    People act about it just like they do toward each other, and that helps prolong the nonsense all the more, pretty silly really, although I’m doing it too, I just use it as a point here and don’t care one way or another, it’s not worth caring about because there is no winner, it’s a lost friggen cause to begin with but I guess it’s easy to buy into and fingerpoint in one direction for some. Two knuckleheads, two directions people, to think one is to blame would be as naive as it gets. I see no better man or artist between the two, never have and never will, but as you can see I do see what gets published and don’t mind using it for refection, contrary to opinion… but this is a topic for the facts because it regards inflammatory factors that need to be fundamentally understood, rather than mocked all the time by leaping to conclusions about ONE of them.

  17. 17
    purplepriest1965 says:

    Larry……

    Ahem…….

    In true sincerity and with respect……

    I d like to follow you in your try out to educate us……

    Really!

    But you make it very hard sometimes to not lose attention.

    I can distill from the above that are you writing something serious….
    But it gets hard, too often, too NOT misunderstand things.

    1
    Its not always very clear where you quote who

    2 A bit more space inbetween might do wonders combined with shorter sentences.

    Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Ttttttttttttttttttthaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaankkkkkkk
    YOU!!!!!

    Btw, this evening I watched a bootleg video of the Naked Thunder Tour.
    The date says 4.9.1990
    So that should be Tilburg, according to Gillans Gigography.

    I got this VHS through a friend of mine a few days ago.
    He already confessed about his sometimes puzzling habit to forget data.
    That he suffers from Alzheimer Light, he said.
    Kinda funny I thought.

    But……

    He had this tape in his possession and NEVER came to think and tell me!!!!

    Even worse…..
    Well maybe, that is……

    Months ago I gave him an VHS with TV recordings of the Monsters Of Rock Show hosted by the great Mick Wall around the release of HOBL album.
    On the tape interviews with Gillan, some clips, an Interview with David Coverdale….
    And so on….

    This friend of mine was supposed to put it on DVD and NOT throw away the tape but give it back for safety.

    Now he has lost the tape and the copy on DVD does not play on my DVD player.

    Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. 18
    HZ says:

    I was just saying, it was something “natural” 15-17 years ago, being asshole and everything, but not any more. I think IG shouldn’t try in every occasion to minimize RB, for pure reason that we all know – RB is very creative, and his tunes will (both DP and Rainbow) stay forever. I don’t care what they’ve said 17 years ago, both of them, but now? I don’t know, I think that IG can’t let it go. Ritchie is eccentric and everything, but IG, with these kind of interviews, turn out to be small somehow. I don’t like to hear him saying these things, and then go on stage and participating with band in tunes that are created – well guitar parts – by Ritchie, like if he’s the full owner of DP legacy. Which is not correct at all, of course. He doesn’t need that.

  19. 19
    Tommy H. says:

    # 10: Like I said: it’s strange that it’s been more than 5 years now and all of a sudden they changed their plans into having no plans. All we got to deal with is the suspense which should be nothing.

    I’m surely looking forward to a new album but I’m not really complaining that it’s not happening at the moment. To put it correctly I’m rather worried about how things turned out lately and George is worried too according to what he writes above.

    # 14: At least Blackmore is working on something new either someone likes it or not. I mentioned him because the difference in quantity of records speaks in his favour, although in this case it’s pretty though to speak of quality and quantity. If Blackmore returned to Rock it would be different I guess. In other words: it’s like comparing apples and oranges – no question about it.

    # 16: I’m sure that Blackmore isn’t innocent – to put it nicely. I read about the “Machine Head T-Shirts” and the “Bootleg Boxed Set” which without any doubt has fed the fire between them. It’s pretty much like a divorce where the parties fight for everything they once shared and after that someone might assume that they can’t be the best friends anymore. Why should they achieve peace anyway since their musical lives weren’t co-dependent for so many years now. IMHO maybe it would have worked wonders according to personal respect back then if the two beat up each other or at least got into a vehement confrontation in order to get their shit together entirely instead of ignoring each other and drifting apart. It sounds inappropriate and I hate violence but sometimes (rarely indeed) it’s the only way out when everything has been said already. Whatever, it’s too late (for that) I guess.

  20. 20
    Crimson Ghost says:

    @17
    While I’m “educating” you, do I have to teach you English as well? It’s what you get for frequenting an English forum.

    [space]

    The Tilgurg video isn’t too bad, if you like that tour, that is.(I can’t be bothered with it, his worst solo career moment imo… it’s like watching daft red pants for two hours, lol!)

    T,

    I’ve always just chalked it up to poor press making the best press, don’t hate the player, hate the game. I do my best to make a difference and the feedback I get tells me I’m doing something right. Don’t pry, ask cool questions and you get cool answers, it works for me and tends to direct the reader away from negative thoughts. I’ve seen people interview Ian and when they go to ask a crap question they get all nervous and damn near duck after asking it! This tells them what not to do next time, if there is one. He didn’t offend you or your family or even a friend, he spoke about someone he’s known for decades, someone you may cherish but only really know what you read about them. Taking it personal shows that you don’t understand how press works in the first place, like it or not, it is what it is. Take some of that journalism experience and put him on the spot yourself if you think it’s so easy, I’d like to see where that applied experience gets you, seriously.

    It’s just funny how whenever a word is muttered about Ritchie by Ian, everyone runs to Ritchie’s aid, the person he has the problem with. As if you know both sides to every story he tells… I’m thinking you don’t, but I already showed you in my last post. You can’t just say because you like their music that you know their problems better than they do and one should do any more or less than the other to curb it in the press, and adding that you know your journo doesn’t help because it’s only more talk. I’d rather see some constructive action, it’s not like you don’t have that in you too.

  21. 21
    Crimson Ghost says:

    “Tilburg” sorry about my French, Priest. Perhaps that is why you don’t always understand me, it’s not my first language, lol!

  22. 22
    purplepriest1965 says:

    Larry

    It wasnt my favourite GILLAN era either and felt ashamed taking my then girlfriend to the gig who I had bored to death by talking about my HERO.
    She she said it was the worst gig she ever went too.

    I thought that was a bit too harsh considering her taste in music before she met me but anyway….

    Gilburg is a nice try to make something out of a name.
    Like DC pronounced Zwolle, the place of the gig some years ago, as Swollow.

    Pun intended ofcourse.
    But thats Coverdale for ya.

    As long I dont have to hear those kinda remarks too often its ok.

    I m no stranger, sic…., to loving banality in humor, amongs ahem other things, once in a while and am not shy about it to admit that.

    Awkward moment during the intro to Lucille on the tape from Tilburg is the one on which Gillan tries a bit of fun but the keyboardplayer fails in following him.

    Gillan replied….

    I got fired for that. I got fired for that!!!!

    Dont think my English is that bad, I just like some space.

    So….

    Thanx for trying.

    Mark

    btw. I truly love the Aachen recording. I forgot about the reason the rest of the gig was not out on disc.
    I thought for years it was called SPACE I and II?

    When that title was chosen it puzzled me because it predated Space Trucking in years.

  23. 23
    Purple Tickler says:

    Hi everyone,

    Shame about no new album, because IG mentioned this was on the way at 2 fantastic concerts in Copenhagen and Aarhus. On the other hand when you look at the tour dates, hard to see when they could find time to work on new material.

    Re the RB bashing – sorry I have to agree with #11 I feel the same. RB although a fantastic musician, seems not a very easy guy to have in a band. I have seen clips of RB throwing water on stage at Lord and Gillan etc etc, so it is best to keep these two in seperate city’s I think.

    I cant wait to see the band live at Sønderborg 3 July,
    the current lineup has give me so much pleasure, the skill is amazing and the energy just like the 70’s.

  24. 24
    purplepriest1965 says:

    @ 23

    You saw a video?

  25. 25
    purple tickler says:

    #24 – yes, check out “come hell or high water”, lots of music and interviews.

    Ps. Anyone have any info on the album “live at the Rotterdam Ahoy” ? Seems like a very special project, guest singers etc etc and one of the most aggresive editions of highway Star IMHO. Also what happened to the “live in Zurich” album which was supposed to have come out ? Sorry to go off topic, just curious.

    2 weeks to go to Sønderborg and DP live outdoor concert, cant wait.

    Thks

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