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Hughes on Talking Metal

Latest episode of Talking Metal Digital podcast has a lengthy interview with Glenn Hughes. Never being shy of making bold statements, he said that if Burn had not been as successful as it was, Deep Purple’s RnR Hall of Fame induction would never happen. He also mentioned that he is going to the studio in June to record a new solo album.

Listen to the the interview (starts at 11’50” into the podcast and lasts until about 40 minute mark):

Or go there directly (MP3, 110MB) if the above does not work for any reason.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.



51 Comments to “Hughes on Talking Metal”:

  1. 1
    Susan Langdon says:

    BS

  2. 2
    Keith Livingstone says:

    Hmmm…..not so sure about that. Still couldn’t give a toss about RRHOF though.

  3. 3
    Tom Criscuola Sr says:

    They should play at least one song from the mark 3 a nd mark

  4. 4
    Tom Criscuola Sr says:

    Mark 1 also

  5. 5
    Maurice Mans says:

    Strange kind of man, Glenn

  6. 6
    Nick Martinez says:

    if made in japan did`nt happen,that`s the best LP by far,that`s what did it for them and the fans.

  7. 7
    Angelo Pinna says:

    dear glenn you says that you love funky music but you make money from hard rock purple sabbath and company you are lol too much money you earn abaut what the music you dislike sorry my poor engii

  8. 8
    Angelo Pinna says:

    ps sorry poor engish but is use purple period only for money

  9. 9
    Alket Kellici says:

    The ego on this funky soul man.Your inflated ego Glenn is match!! Just hush cause you took Purple out in the 70 s with you funky and drug abuse!

  10. 10
    Stephen James Smith says:

    He may have a point. Purple was going downhill at that time and Burm is an amazing album. I would love to see him alongside “King” Ian.

  11. 11
    Chris Sigman says:

    Easy there killer. Burn is white noise compared to MKII works

  12. 12
    Coronarias says:

    Glenn sounds like a male version of Stevie Nicks. I love lots of both of their work, but I don’t think I’d like to be stuck in a lift with them for very long.

    Ritchie has finally started speaking recently – and sounds (to me) like just the sort of person to be stuck in a lift with. Dry, understated.

    I don’t think either of them would like to be stuck in a lift with the other. How big a stage might be available to the RRHoF?

  13. 13
    Harry Heathman III says:

    Best live album ever with the best Deep Purple lineup, period

  14. 14
    John Madric says:

    The RRHOF is an American institution. DP were never as big here in USA as they were during the Burn era – Fact. Burn is largely regarded as highly as is Machine Head, and just a little back of Made In Japan. And it is a masterful album, tonally lacking compared to earlier works, but powerful with legendary tunes.

    And whilst MH & MIJ had paved the way for the Burn monster that was, Glenn is correct in his assertion that without the influence of Burn, induction might well have escaped the lads. I hope he gets up there and rumbles with the boys!

  15. 15
    John Madric says:

    The RRHOF is an American institution. DP were never as big here in USA as they were during the Burn era – Fact. Burn is largely regarded as highly as is Machine Head, and just a little back of Made In Japan. And it is a masterful album, tonally lacking compared to earlier works, but powerful with legendary tunes.

    And whilst MH & MIJ had paved the way for the Burn monster that was, Glenn is correct in his assertion that without the influence of Burn, induction might well have escaped the lads. I hope he gets up there and rumbles with the boys!

  16. 16
    MacGregor says:

    It is a classic album Burn, one of Purple’s greats indeed! But there is no doubt about the PR machine that is in full throttle in regards to this Hall rubbish! Nothing like a bit of publicity, eh fellas? Bring on the Rainbow gigs, that is all that matters! Cheers.

  17. 17
    scottbuster2000 says:

    The Mark II is why there in there. I’d say Burn and Perfect Strangers were the cherries on top.

  18. 18
    scottbuster2000 says:

    I ask anyone, do they think had Purple broke up with Gillan’s departure they would not be worthy of the Hall?

  19. 19
    JB Stoff says:

    Maybe he should listen again to his whopping and screaming(?) that ruined most live shows IMO, what a set of balls,Burn was a fantastic album but not worthy of the hall…time for an ego check GH

  20. 20
    Scott says:

    Glenn’s a little full of himself isn’t he.

    If it wasn’t for MK II and albums like IN ROCK, FIREBALL, MACHINE HEAD,
    MADE IN JAPAN, and WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE, MK 3 would have not existed. Burn is a good album. But it pails in comparison to anything MK 2 did.

  21. 21
    Ignacio Dinamita says:

    In the year of our Lord 2016, Deep Purple records another album. I wont care about any other issue. Gratitude becomes from us, the fans, and thats all…

  22. 22
    Bill White says:

    It’s actually a valid point because of the HOF focus on the US Market. Cal Jam and Burn really helped DP’s success in the US.

  23. 23
    Lucien Deprijck says:

    Hughes only played on BURN, didn’t contribute to writing songs. That’s why the record is that great …

  24. 24
    Tom says:

    Sorry Glenn … was that your knees you had replaced or your brain?

  25. 25
    mondrian says:

    If they´d quit after Made In Japan they would´ve been in long time ago.

  26. 26
    Mr T says:

    But maybe he meant that he and Coverdale wouldn´t be inducted without Burn and not entire Deep Purple? Otherwise he has no idea what´s he talking about.

  27. 27
    Jouko Juntunen says:

    Actually he did write on it, but for contractual reasons his name is not on the credits.

  28. 28
    Alan says:

    MacGregor @15. I agree, June 25th at the NEC will eclipse anything the current touring line up of Purple can do.

  29. 29
    uwe hornung says:

    If I may quote the great late Jon Lord: To him, Purple’s worst album was always the unhappy WDTWA (which I think is too critical, I like the songs on that album), not Burn, not Stormbringer and not even CTTB (which he has qualified as “not a Purple album, but a good album in its own right”).

    Mk III gave Purple a new, if fleeting lease of life. As hard rock became more unfashionable post-1975 even Mk II would have suffered had they continued post-WDTWA. And if you can’t hear how Burn was brimming with life after Mk II in its nadir had become a little lame, you must be deaf.

    You want to know my favourite three 70ies Purple albums? MH, Burn and CTTB – in that order. I find all those “Mk x was better than Mk y”-disputes redundant, every line up had its charms, that is part of DP’s beauty.

  30. 30
    Tommy H. says:

    I would say that Deep Purple’s most successful year was 1973. When I remember correctly they had both Smoke On The Water (Made In Japan live version) and Woman From Tokyo in the Billboard Charts, and a Guiness Book world record entry for playing the loudest show at 117 dB (which later on was topped by The Who). Sadly, in the US Deep Purple are just known for Smoke On The Water. Mark III was riding the wave of success for which Mark II was responsible. Burn really is a phenomenal album, one of their three best studio efforts. The title song itself is, as an album opener, on par with Speed King and Highway Star. But I really wouldn’t go that far to state that without the Burn album and tour they wouldn’t have been as successful as they were. I think they would still be inducted if they had split forever after the split of Mark II in June of 1973.

    I sometimes wonder if Who Do We Think We Are had never happened as such and instead we had an album with songs from it and Burn, played by Mark II. Not that I don’t like Mark III but it would have been interesting how those songs would have sounded.

  31. 31
    RB says:

    If it’s not JLT it’s Glenn mouthing off!Purple were certainly hugely successful during the Mk 3 era, but if not for the creative peak of Mark 2 then Burn wouldn’t have been enough to propel them to world class status.

  32. 32
    Jean says:

    I am a little surprised, too. This Glenn Hughes guy seems to try, again, to get some recognition and gain some audience with a little help from others’ success…
    Although he is totally right, imho, about RB. But still, I can understand the decision of the line-up of these days.
    I don’t think that GH did anything really interesting, vocally, on the MK3 albums. At least NOTHING to compare with child in time, speed king, highway star, space truckin or woman from Tokyo. Coverdale did, though.

    And he wasn’t part of DP at all when they wrote their biggest hit (by far, even if it’s probably not the favorite of the fans)…

    But yeah… Why is he in and not the first bass player?

  33. 33
    Patrick Carpenter says:

    What about Machine Head and Deep Purple in rock? They didn’t need his ass to be successful. So full of himself

  34. 34
    FrankWby says:

    Please, dear people! Don’t fight? Deep Purple MK2 did stop Mr Ian Gillan and Mr Roger Glover were kicked out,did not that happen?If there had not been Mr David Coverdale and Mr Glen Hughes available then the story would have been at the end.There was no DP until the Mark 3.The Burn came,and the California Jam and the new huge succes in the USA. And Whitesnake had the meaning for the late great Jon Lord and the talented Mr Ian Paice to keep going on together in the same beat until another Mr Richie Blackmore was ready again for another Deep Purple period.This all is a great adventure.And not only history! The Deep Purple is alive and great and plays well! Let’s be happy!

  35. 35
    Ron says:

    The MKIII revisionists are near psychotic especially regarding the band’s US LEGACY. MKIII lived off the work of MKII – that’s a fact! Now I will offer proof, Machine Head 2x platinum, MIJ platinum, Smoke on the Water #4 billboard single ( and Gold), and Purple was crowned biggest selling band in USA in 1973 by Billboard. That’s all MKII. Not to mention Perfect Stranger at Platinum in USA in 85. Further, although frequently stated otherwise here, Purple were absolutely huge in the USA which resulted in enormous record sales. The stadium tour and headlining CALJAM was directly due to the impact of MKII. Purple were peaking when MKII broke up. MKIII never came close to the greatness achieved by MKII. I’m a fan of both but Purple, the management, the record companies and promoters all made the 100% right call during the reunion era going with MKII OVER III.

    Burn was a strong effort no doubt but it did not achieve the iconic status of Machine Head or Made in Japan.

  36. 36
    Joe c Long Island ny says:

    Still trying to figure out how Glenn Hughes has become the spokesperson for deep purple.

  37. 37
    adel says:

    I just can’t understand when a well established individual artist is not brave enough to cut ties with the past. I urge ever one to listen to black country communion material. It’s amazing and way better than all the DP mark 3 shit. He has enough rich material for amazing 2 hours live concert. So he should stuck the finger up to DP past and hold his head up high.

  38. 38
    Alan says:

    Coronarias @12

    Whilst not trapped in a lift with him I did have the pleasure of talking to Ritchie for a couple of hours back in 1983 on the Rainbow Bent out of shape tour. As you suggest he is dry and understated. A fascinating man to talk to and quite quiet and low key off stage. At least he was that night.

  39. 39
    Jeff Summers says:

    @ Ron 35 very well said and completely accurate ?

  40. 40
    RB says:

    I agree with Ron. As Roger said in an interview: in ’73 Purple did six American tours, plus further tours of the UK, Europe and Japan; they worked so hard that they became the biggest band in the world, playing to more people and selling more units than any other act, including Zeppelin and Presley. The success was all there when David and Glenn joined. Silly Glenn.

  41. 41
    MacGregor says:

    Hughes & his PR tactics as usual & ego no doubt, or is it pride, who cares? Who gives a toss, Purple broke in the US with MK 1 & Hush. Let’s split some hairs, who or what MK gave the band the biggest or greatest recognition in the US? Mk2 certainly had the songs & reputation. But would have anyone known who they were if not for Hush? Some may say that, does it mean anything? Each band gets whatever recognition at the time, from what they put in. Is it fair or deserving? What about MK 4, did that version ride on the back of previous incarnations? And on into Purple’s history we go, & that never repeats.
    Isn’t Hughes on record saying that he was not ever a MK2 ‘fan’ so to speak? Of course he would say what he said. It is predictable!
    It’s only rock ‘n roll, but I like it! Well most of it anyway! Cheers.

  42. 42
    Theo says:

    @37 I don’t understand that a band of established musicians aren’t brave enough to cut ties with the past.
    They have enough material to do shows with their own material, plus a couple of greatest hits (Smoke, Woman, Black Night). No they keep playing songs that were created with a certain guitarist that they don’t want to know.

    I wasn’t a Glenn Hughes fan in DP (live), but he has enough material (even before he joined DP) that show his talents.
    Nowadays he is by far the best DP singer. The only thing I dislike is when he has to show off how great his voice is.

  43. 43
    uwe hornung says:

    @ Lucien 23 – you’re jumping to conclusions from the original credits of Burn (the album). Glenn Hughes did contribute songwriting to Burn (and you hear that if you know how he writes), he was just uncredited at the time due to contractual obligations he still had back from his Trapeze/Threshold days. The Burn remaster corrected that and he is now credited on most tracks.

    I’m amazed how Glenn’s contribution is always belittled, when in fact he had a huge influence on how within Mk 3

    – the vocals sounded, not just his own, but the idiosyncratic harmony vocals of him and DC which in my book have never been bettered by any other band with a dual lead vocalist concept,

    – Ian Paice played – Glenn’s funk influence made Paice play funkier and edgier too, Little Ian has admitted as much, he had to ‘fight harder’ to get himself noticed with Glenn as opposed to Roger who played a lot less edgy (if technically not inferior) and set fewer counterpoints to Ian’s drumming,

    – Glenn’s bass playing groove left a prominent mark on the music (one of the reasons why Ritchie wanted him in the band, he had been looking for a more Andy Fraser type bass player just as he had wanted Paul Rodgers to join DP for a more Free-akin sound)

    – Glenn’s (co-)songwriting put a stamp on the music.

    None of this is supposed to take anything away from Mk II’s pivotal importance to the overall Purple legend, but there is no necessity to put down Mk III either. And Mk II did not go out on In Rock, MH or MIJ, they went out on WDWTWA, which had met a lukewarm critical and commercial response (though I like it), and an extremely unhappy and disenchanted final tour, while most critics and fans agreed that Burn sounded like a band reborn.

    The US venues that Mk III played in 1974/75 were actually larger than anything Mk II had toured there before. Of course, Mk II had laid the groundwork for that, but it is not like US fans left the stadiums in 1974 halfway through the sets because there was no Ian Gillan and no Roger Glover anymore. If anything, Mk III stopped the commercial decline of DP for a while until the advent of disco and not much later punk changed the musical landscape. And to me, In Rock and Stormbringer do not sound like they are 4 years apart, but at least 10. In Rock opened a new door for Purple, but was still also very much entrenched in late sixties sound fashion, try playing In Rock on an acoustic guitar around a camp fire and you’ll see what I mean. In contrast, the material on Stormbringer has held up brilliantly and does not sound dated at all. Blackmore’s Rainbow debut and even Rising sounded more old-fashioned than Stormbringer did.

  44. 44
    Adel says:

    Theo @42 I could not agree with you more. It’s nice to have people thinking on the same wave length. Plus I would add that the recent purple album by Coverdale of a remake of the DP MK3 songs has created the demise of Whitesnake. Coverdale trapped him self and there is no way to go from here apart from greatest hits album. Rainbow rising!!!!!!

  45. 45
    Scott W says:

    Glenn haters in full force here! I am one who likes all MK’#s lineups. Obviously I have my faves. Another Scott posted:
    “If it wasn’t for MK II and albums like IN ROCK, FIREBALL, MACHINE HEAD,
    MADE IN JAPAN, and WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE, MK 3 would have not existed. Burn is a good album. But it pails in comparison to anything MK 2 did”
    True, but if we never had a MKIII, we might not have the current MK Morse/Airey lineup today playing mostly MKII material. If we never had MKII I guess the band would stop touring today as they would not have enough material to play a full set! Yes, I believe they rely far too much on playing songs from an era when they were under the thumb of a overbearing ego driven guitar player that they now wish to shun and forget about. (insert sarcasm here). Yes Glenn seems to revel in his purple past but minus the Georgia on my Mind caterwalling MKIII was quite exciting. Ritchie, Jon and Paice were kicking ass live. Everyone needs to put the ‘Paris 1975′ cd on and have a re-listen. That band was improvising and driving as well as MKII ever did. Apples and oranges… love ’em all! Looking forward to the new DP album and a setlist (hopefully) that plays AT LEAST 50% Morse era tunes..70% would make me happy!

  46. 46
    Dmillz says:

    I think he meant he and Coverdale wouldn’t have been inducted without Burn. Not the band as a whole. And Come Taste the Band might be the very best purple album today.

  47. 47
    Blackwood Richmore says:

    When I watch the most recent live dvd’s and youtube videos of the Purps, (excluding the ones videoed/filmed at outdoor festivals etc where a lot of other younger bands are on the menu), for the most part, what I see is an older audience… The kids are into other things these days (Huge cough & a big spit). Imagine living in the 1980s & listening to music from the 1940s!. Although, I gotta say that I love the Andrews Sisters & The Glenn Miller Band etc!, so love the Purps in all it’s forms. Age = experience = a better band performance (Mostly).

  48. 48
    Dick Pimple says:

    Never liked Glenn Hughes wailings , even thought he spoiled the Jon Lord memorial concert with his self-ego . MKII Purple is the only one that ultimately matters , with MKI laying all the groundwork . Harsh on everything that followed but Hughes talks nonsense !

  49. 49
    WIZARD says:

    Glenns favorite subject is Glenn!! Although Burn was spectacular, his crazy over the top vocals live, were hard to listen to. Thankfully nobody mixes Coverdale with Glenn, because his vocals and persona were totally in synch with Purples direction at the time! One wish would have been if Coverdale and Ritchie had worked together a little more with Stormbringer. I believe it would have been much stronger! Who cares if the lp had taken six mths longer to make. Glenns funkiness was hard to deal with for me. I would love to Ritchie show up at the RNRHOF ceremony with David. Priceless!!!

  50. 50
    It's All On The One! says:

    Ok, Glenn can be a bit of a self-referential LA pillock now and again, but he’s a great man, who’s completely reformed and faced up to/dealt with his past.
    His voice is in far better condition than Gillan’s or Coverdale’s, as one listen to, say, I Don’t Want To Live That Way Again will prove.
    Black Country Communion and California Breed weren’t great, I admit – just ten-a-penny rock albums.
    It’s the combination of soul, funk and rock that elevates Glenn above the herd.
    He’s been on a rock trip these past few years, but Glenn gave us albums called R.O.C.K and F.U.N.K and one day will give us S.O.U.L
    – it will be called Songs Of Universal Love and will be a timeless masterpiece to match What’s Goin On.
    Glenn Hughes – the supplier of the funk!

  51. 51
    Bo Finn says:

    Can be true.

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