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The Gillan Story
Another Martin Popoff’s book — Unchain Your Brain! The Gillan Story — is coming out at the end of August via Wymer Publishing in the UK. It is dedicated exclusively to Gillan the band.
Between 1978 and 1982 Ian Gillan didn’t exactly reinvent himself, like many artists do, in fact the opposite—he returned to his rock ‘n’ roll roots with his revitalised band, simply called Gillan.
Aided by Colin Towns from the previous outfit—the Ian Gillan Band, and joined by the rock solid John McCoy, Gillan started off running where Deep Purple had left off. With a settled line-up that included Mick Underwood and Bernie Tormé, Gillan had numerous hit albums and even singles, with regular appearances on the UK’s leading TV music show Top Of The Pops.
But the usual frictions that dog most bands from time to time led to the departure of the wild and flamboyant Tormé and the introduction of Jannick Gers for the final chapter that culminated with the band’s last show at London’s Wembley Arena.
Having interviewed most of the band members, Martin Popoff takes us on a detailed ride of the five-year journey in a remarkable career.
What: Unchain Your Brain! The Gillan Story
Author: Martin Popoff
When: August 21, 2026
Where: Wymer Publishing
Format: 224 pages softcover, 234mm x 156mm
How much: £18.99
ISBN: 978-1-918419-01-6
If you pre-order, the publisher promises to deliver your copy two months ahead of retail — at the end of June.
Thanks to BraveWords for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
It is obviously for Gillan Fans only.
There is no easy way to say this, but I am sure John will complain about not getting paid.
May 13th, 2026 at 21:12