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Managing subliminal touches

Ian Gillan; photo © Jim Rakete; image courtesy of kayos ProductionsLooks like the PR gates have opened and the promotional flood for the new album is upon us.

Ian Gillan gave an interview to the Ultimate Classic Rock:

How did you arrive at ‘Hell To Pay’ as the first single from this album?

Well believe me, it wasn’t my choice. We haven’t got a clue about what should be focused on or anything else. There were two tracks I think, that they wanted to select, probably the start of the record label debating. I guess that half of them wanted a slow one and half of them wanted a rock song, so ‘Hell To Pay’ was their choice.

I think we’re shooting a video in Berlin in a couple of weeks for another song entirely, a song called ‘Vincent Price,’ as far as I know. So I think this is just a taster, this single and they work for me, but I wouldn’t know where to start.

Read more in Ultimate Classic Rock.

Gillan also spoke to Rhode Island radio station 94HJY:

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov and Blabermouth for the info.



13 Comments to “Managing subliminal touches”:

  1. 1
    Scott Haskin says:

    RT @highwaystarcom: Managing subliminal touches – http://t.co/9H9K3R2jvA

  2. 2
    MacGregor says:

    Did Gillan mention blues, jazz, classical & SOUL even! Sheeesh, Soul, a week or two ago the rave I mentioned was rap from Ezrin re; Floyd. Then someone mentioned disco re; Floyd, now Gillan says soul re; Purple. It’s ROCK god damn it, ok we let in a little blues, classical, jazz & folk! But NOT rap, disco or soul! I am livid, let me at him! They should have got me to produce the album, it would be a classic ROCK album, forget all this other, whatever it is!
    Seriously though, it looks like the US of A is not on the horizon as yet regarding immediate touring. It’s sort of ironic though his comments regarding the ‘classic rock bands’ & peoples expectations regarding the hits etc! When they recently toured Oz a few months ago, it was all MK2, well 98% of it! Weird how he says that & that is almost all of their set list, years gone by as well! Oh well, not to worry!

  3. 3
    MacGregor says:

    Talking of Iommi in this interview, I see the new Sabbath album has only 8 tracks on it & comes in at app 60 minutes or so! I love lengthy compositions, as long as they maintain a decent melody & the changes enhance the song structure! Meaning, not having changes for the sake of having changes, the shift in tempo or melody has to compliment the previous piece & even if & when returning to a previous piece of music, in the same song! Sounds progressive! There are a few lengthy tracks on this new Purple album also hopefully.
    Sabotage had some lengthy tracks on it, it is the only Sabbath album that explores that territory seriously, this new album has me buzzing, only 9 days to go until Brisbane & apparently they will be playing a new track or two in the setlist! Hooray!

  4. 4
    LRT says:

    @Mac Gregor you’re so easily riled over what are nothing more than textures and flavors. Ain’t no soul music on it whatsoever, and nothing wrong with soul but it’s not for Purple. You might rank on that but whatever, try a little flexibility or something, lol. Just because something isn’t for you doesn’t mean its dukes are up at you. To think of you as a producer is funny, they don’t just twiddle knobs, in Ezrin’s case, so much more. And now you’re going after the producer and haven’t heard the album, more comedy, man. But a laugh is better than nothing I suppose. Prepare to eat sock, and be happy you’re wrong. This will shred your ears for years to come. Those emphatically expecting less at this point are just negative people with an axe to grind. Talking monster balls this album has, a decade long wingspan, easily! Speaking of “marionettes,” the muppetry reflects upon you. I thin think the Sabs will need a few red bulls to even keep up. But interesting I’m sure their album is, of you want to prod. I am aware you’re mostly responding to Gillan’s comments, but you make mountains out of molehill’s in the process. If I had your attitude I wouldn’t be buying something I’m already convinced is bogus!

  5. 5
    LRT says:

    Btw, he didn’t even mention “soul” in the context of the album, it was a general comment concerning the band.(eyes roll)

  6. 6
    Chip says:

    Good interview but I had to laugh a little at the end when he said they didn’t just play a best of set anymore. That was kind of funny based on how little Morse era stuff gets played live these days.

  7. 7
    Tommy H. says:

    @ MacGregor:

    When I look at the track list of their latest live offering (“Deep Purple with Orchestra – Live in Montreux 2011”) we got Hush from Mk I, 14 songs from Mk II and only three songs from the Morse era albums. Like you I don’t see the problem with US audiences when they mostly play their best of stuff anyway, apart from minor changes. Even now if they added a few songs from “Now What?!” to the set list, they will still play enough songs from the past to please the audience I guess.

    The main problem is that the request for Purple to come to the US is close to non-existent. There are many other bigger bands (not musically but in terms of popularity) and the market seems to be quite saturated.

  8. 8
    Average Joe Blow says:

    Having read this Ian Gillan interview and the preceding one from Roger Glover regarding touring the United States, regarding the view point that t only people who show up to their concerts are in in the same age demographic, in my my opinion is incorrect. Roger Glover mentioned the Grateful Dead as an example. Through many years as a touring unit with a consistant schedule of a Spring, followed by a Summer, then Fall ending with an annual West Coast New Years run, without even releasing albums, ultimately kept them frm becoming a nostalgia act. There are a lot of music fans here in the states who support bands that take an independant path without support from the industry insiders.

    Granted, in the short term, Deep Purple probably won’t sell out a 15,000 to 20,000 seat theatre/arena tour in the US, but at the same time, there are alot of younger people who appreciate music as an art, as opposed to it being fashionable, as was the case in the ’80s and ’90s. I think if they were to get into the fesival circuit in the states, like Bonnaroo and similar annual festivals, they could easily get the boost they deserve to at least play decent sizable theatres in the US.

    I’m a longtime fan from the US who owns all of Deep Purple’s albums, but never had the pleasure to see them live and who doesn’t fit into either demographic of being a teenager/early 20 something or the geriatric age. There are a lot more of us than they realise, who would gladly see them at multiple tour stops,buy their albums and support the cause. Independant artists are what truly drives the music industry in the United States. Bands who are there just to be fashionable have a limited self life. Bands who play music for the passion, regardless if it’s in front of a crowd of 50,000 verses 1,500,who play for whose who appreciate what they do, and why they do it, will be supporters for life.

    I believe that the music scene in the states is fertile ground right now for younger music fans who appreciate real music performed by real musicians with the passion perform to d inspire a crowd. As a musician myself, I see younger and younger kids who are phenominally talented musicians who, more so than in anytime in my lifetime, crave for bands like Deep Purple.

    In my opinion, Roger Glover and Ian Gillian underestimate the power of their legacy in the US. Now is the perfect time for Now What?! I personally can’t wait to get the new album and subsequent live albums/DVDs.

  9. 9
    Finn says:

    I dont understand this:
    ” But getting on and just playing ‘Smoke On The Water,’ ‘Highway Star’ and ‘Perfect Strangers’ every night is something we left behind about 20 years ago in terms of that being it. That’s kind of rock and roll cabaret in my book and I don’t think the band could survive on that kind of exhaust, really.”
    That is what they have been doing the last 20 years. How many NEW songs are in the program for the last 20 years? 3 maybe 4. The rest is Blackmore tuners.

    Now I look forward to a STRONG new album. Cant wait 🙂

  10. 10
    MacGregor says:

    LRT @ 4 – It was a joke, well, me taking the piss in a silly way, didn’t you read the next paragraph, I started with, ‘seriously though’!
    You were correct with the ‘comedy’ line though! However ‘prepare to eat sock & be happy your wrong’ What trype is this?
    ‘This will shred your ears for years to come’? The Sabbath gig next week in Brisbane hopefully will do that!
    Talk about ‘hook, line & sinker’!
    What is the ‘bogus’ comment about? I was commenting on Gillan’s interview snippets regarding the ‘classic rock set list’ scenario!
    As I said, they just toured here in Oz last Feb with a (98%) MK2 set list, why? If that is what Gillan actually said in the interview, it makes you wonder why they toured here, it is a long way to travel to Australia to play the ‘classic rock’ concert half a dozen times.
    I would have thought they would have previewed a few new songs, but we new in advance that wasn’t going to happen. Or, wait until after the new album is released, then tour? Opinions only, it means very little!

  11. 11
    purplepriest1965 says:

    8

    Like your words.

    Hopefully they read your post.

  12. 12
    Brad DeMoranville says:

    Deep Purple doesn’t set up its own tours I don’t think. Promoters put tours together and then offer the package to the band, I think.

    If no U.S. promoter is calling Purple’s people and inviting them (Gillan’s word) to play the U.S., they simply are not going to do so.

  13. 13
    Fitz says:

    Interviewer is inane.

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