![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse6.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/airey2.jpg)
Literally a family thing
Guitar World has a story how Steve Morse’s faulty pedal lead to his 40 years long collaboration with Ernie Ball:
“The gear stripped out, and there was no way to fix it. So I went looking for a volume pedal, and the Ernie Ball booth was nearby. I saw they had this really cool pedal that’s basically the same one they still sell.
“I said, ‘That looks rugged. It’s everything I need. Can I buy that?’” he continues. “They said, ‘No, that’s a show thing.’ ‘Can I borrow it to do my demo?’ ‘Well, let me ask Ern.’”
It turned out Morse was talking to David Ball, son of Ernie himself. After the random run-in, one thing lead to another, and before long Morse was gigging with Ball’s other two sons, Sherwood and Sterling.
It was a serendipitous start to a powerful partnership, as Morse would later find out.
Steve’s quotes are taken from an interview he gave to Guitar World at the NAMM’2026, which they promise to publish online “in the near future”. Meanwhile, read more of the story in Guitar World.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Sterling Ball was the bass guitarist in the Biff Baby’s All-Star band that Steve Morse toured Australia with, that also had Albert Lee in the lineup. Of course there wasn’t Steve Lukather or EVH at the Australian tour performances. A wonderful concert in a small venue in Brisbane. Gotta love a chicken picking guitar fest. It wasn’t all that though, thankfully. Cheers.
https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-lukather-eddie-van-halen-albert-lee-steve-morse-supergroup
May 28th, 2026 at 02:02I had the industry-standard virtually-unbreakable Ernie Ball VP JR volume pedal.
Instead of a gear, it featured a KEVLAR string as an action mechanism.
I managed to break the kevlar string (had to order a replacement).
I no longer use volume pedals.
Cheers!
May 28th, 2026 at 13:53That man really knows what he does. Everything must be done using his own stuff precisely, otherwise thank you and good night. That’s ruthless.
Btw, revisiting “Country Boy” live video again, it already hits 1,6 million views. For a live jam performance of an old song between two guitarists with duration more than 5 minutes, it’s stunning.
May 28th, 2026 at 14:41Ernie Ball started as a lowly distributor of Leo Fender’s Music Man instruments (founded by Leo after he had left Fender in a huff, he would do the same thing with Music Man a few years later) and some strings, but then acquired the (f)ailing brand and really rejuvenated it. Since then they have been going from strength to strength. They are really good in artist relations too.
I think Steve’s signature model is butt-ugly as guitars go, but a lot of thought sure went in it and it is incredibly versatile, more versatile than most guitarists – except maybe Steve – have use for.
May 28th, 2026 at 17:35@4
NO, the EBMM SM signature guitar is not ugly! It’s just like Steve: dedicated to the music and it does not scream “Look at me – I’m a rock-star” like this one:
https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/uli-jon-roth-sky-guitar
or this one:
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/78/58/a6/7858a6f794ec4fbf57f6b64a494ccd08–les-paul-guitars-black-label-society.jpg
Other guitarists need this one to be versatile:
https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/steve-vai-shows-kylie-olsson-hydra-new-youtube-video/
Steve’s EBMM is based on this one:
https://i2.wp.com/blog.music-man.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Gretchen-Menn-Blog2.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1
and she knows exactly what she wants!!
And when you play your guitar “forever”, it looks like this famous one of a very famous guitarplayer (R.I.P., Rory):
https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitars/electric-guitars/rory-gallaghers-strat-is-heading-to-the-national-museum-ireland-at-long-last
Would you call it ugly because it’s (very) used?
Steve often explained in interviews why his EBMM had to be as it is now:
May 29th, 2026 at 15:10the size: important to carry it with you when you have to fly
the weight: important when you play double gigs with Dixie Dregs and the SMB
perfectly balanced: no problem to practise and play “for hours”
and of course the four pickups: no need to change the guitar when you need another sound (yes, I know he often used the Y2D in DP)
And the reason why its looking very used has been posted here before: “aged by typhoons and sweat”
I just knew I would get Beate to contribute! 😂 You’re easily triggered, my fearless Amorsezon!
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-1g07fhe-qVK9Y8CNPuBQtCHortbN7AbWYA&s
I’m not much into Fender- and Fender-derived shapes (which the Music Man guitars are), sorry. My favorite guitar or bass shape (together with the Rickenbacker 4001/4003 is the (very Art Deco’ish) Gibson Firebird/Thunderbird:
https://media.goldminemag.com/bqmzphjcpp/uploads/2021/12/10/johnnywinter_mobile-homepage-copyrighted.jpg
https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GettyImages-1073306686.jpg?w=1000
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Lob8wP0gwXVwymb9ZLQH2Q–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/guitar_world_625/ad5099894759ad360a7d776d0df84909
https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/jackie.jpg?resize=404%2C600
https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/jimmy-bain-fin-costello-jpg.2545587/
https://www.flyguitars.com/graphics/martinturner5.jpg
https://www.metal-archives.com/images/7/8/6/0/78607_artist.jpg?3929
https://preview.redd.it/roger-glover-with-rainbow-difficult-to-cure-tour-may-8-1981-v0-fvsabzdpvvqe1.jpeg?auto=webp&s=d9825aa36874f3ec5f4365ccd0e8a63fb8d7d171
Actually designed in the early 60s by a then already retired Detroit auto designer named Ray(mond) Dietrich
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS-ZiDrYtQiClX7LI0FMXdGXb9cz8tS-9lREA&s
better known for car designs like this:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/1929_Packard_DeLuxe_Eight_%28model_645%29_Dietrich_Dual-Cowl_Phaeton%2C_front_left_%28Hershey_2019%29.jpg
https://www.rmw.lv/uploads/img/car_models/large/1006_custom_twelve_3068_stationary_coupe_by_dietrich_1.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/1934_Packard_Eight_1101_Convertible_Sedan_05.jpg/1280px-1934_Packard_Eight_1101_Convertible_Sedan_05.jpg
PS: Re the “Sky Guitar” of our good countryman Uli Jon Roth, you are unjust, Karin: Much like Steve’s creation (btw, I have absolutely no issues with it being worn down by his playing), this is a guitar made to Uli’s exacting specifications, featuring inter alia extended range for ultra-high notes otherwise reserved for a violin (that is why it has no lower cutaway) and a few other tricks:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IpqK6CjP3RM
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YiJMilySdos
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IpZnpD_B8WU
May 29th, 2026 at 23:03I love Steve’s signature guitar – I just wish i could play it!
As a lap steel player, I can’t play double cut style guitars because that second horn gets in the way of access the higher frets on the neck when you play a guitar on your lap! I wish they made a single cut version, I’d buy it for sure!
May 30th, 2026 at 00:54@6
May 30th, 2026 at 08:06„PS: Re the “Sky Guitar” of our good countryman Uli Jon Roth, you are unjust, Karin: „
Is it the heat here in Germany(we always had 30 degrees in the last days here in the southwest), Uwe , or are two women in this place here are too much for you?😉
I know the sky-guitar is specially designed for Uli, but for me it’s the design that has „too much of everything“. And I thought you were thinking of designs in your #4.
No doubt about it, Uli Jon Roth is one of the consummate guitar virtuosos in ‘rock’. That European connection again. Is Steve Morse the only American guitarist that has that? That ‘classical’ crossover of sorts. The ‘Celtic’ feel also. Cheers.
May 30th, 2026 at 12:07Oops, my PS about Uli‘s Sky Guitar was of course directed at Morse-ita Beate and not Gillanista Karin. I really have to work more at holding all these wimmin here apart, but I’m easily overwhelmed … 🤗
PS: I detect no elegance in the design of Steve‘s signature model, it is a mere functional tool. The Gibson Firebird guitar otoh oozes elegance like an evening gown from a 30s Hollywood movie, no doubt due to Ray Dietrich‘s Art Deco origins.
May 30th, 2026 at 15:32@10
Don’t worry Uwe, I knew you weren’t thinking of me 😊
How I know, you ask?
May 30th, 2026 at 20:34Well, 1) no mention of any witch…
2) no mocking about IG….
I have been thinking of an alternative counterpart for Uwe’s alternative spelling of women, of which he possesses a certain fondness. In the spirit of quality and outright fairness, I propose the follow spellings for our male counterparts (perhaps that should be mole counterpunts? I cannot decide if we are underground rodents or a traditional Mexican sauce with that spelling… Personally, I go with the first, because the second will murder me stone dead because I am in fact deathly allergic to chocolate, but that in fact may make me an undud mole mun!) on the forum:
Man = mun
Men = muns (now I am thinking of muns’ buns, Maple Michelle strikes again!)
Fellas = foollas
Guys = ga – dammit. Here I Go Again…. (does his best Coverdale scream)
Dude/Dudes = dud/duds
Buddy = boot – for not god’s sake Michelle, controll yersolf….
I gess thut maykes oos a bunch uf foollas ond duds leeveeng een Munsterville.
….porhops nut ma beyst wurk, butt (Scheizer! I deed eet agayn (nein! nein! nein Michelle!) Eye leeve eet foor thee fooroom tu voot un! Yey, Deemockcrazy!
May 31st, 2026 at 09:52I hope everyone was aware that my spelling of “wimmin” is a nod of appreciation towards Karin’s favorite singer timeless lyrical insight in No Laughing in Heaven:
“… and foolin’ around with lots of women … no, NOT swimmin’, wimmin, wiiihiiiminnn!”
As usual, I am innocent. 😇
May 31st, 2026 at 14:39@13
Uwe I really don’t think I am the only one in the whole world who prefer Ian Gillan as the vocalist of Deep Purple!
If you now and then take a look see at Ian’s Facebook page, you will find not just dozens of die hard fans, but hundreds and hundreds 😊
Compared to them I am just a comma! ☺️😉
And I completely understand your use of the ‘wimmin’ word! Ian said it first, you are quoting the great man 😊
May 31st, 2026 at 18:08(Psst: and I am not offended 🤣)
Oh Uwe, I got the reference straight away. I’m just being silly and having some fun… I too am also completely innocent 😉
June 1st, 2026 at 03:17Gillan and Coverdale are so vastly different as singers, I see little point in comparing them.
IG is a maverick, unorthodox, more cerebral and less accommodating to public expectations. He’s more like a writer.
DC has perfected the art of making the banal seem heartfelt, he could sing the telephone book and still sound emotional and alluring. ‘Unorthodox’ is to him a four letter word, however, he views his audience as always wanting more of the same (and indeed most of them do), delivered with his brand of stylized emotional outpouring. He’s more like an actor.
If you give Ian a simple chord progression he will more often than not grace it with a vocal melody that makes the end product more interesting, but also less immediately digestible. Now if you confront David with a more complicated chord progression, you can rely on the fact that he will find a way to put a conventional vocal melody on it that makes it more marketable.
I don’t think that DC ever had to worry about attracting less (especially) wimmin followers than IG, I’ve even heard of female fans who for a long time ignored the IGB part of Ian’s artistic oeuvre, would you believe, liebe Karin 🥰? I‘d go as far as that in America or UK, DC easily outranks IG in followership. The man has a talent to get the fairer sex purring in contentment.
https://youtu.be/bPCoBNRvE2o
Of course your own tastes might lead you to entirely different conclusions.
June 1st, 2026 at 13:35We should form a band and call it “Unexcused Innocents”.
June 1st, 2026 at 15:41@16 Uwe
regarding IG and his appeal to women, just take a look at the comment section here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu_BPML6-qI
It is like the party of 1000 Karins
June 1st, 2026 at 20:01Yeah, Karin has lots of competition! Viele Füchse sind des Hasen Tod …
June 1st, 2026 at 20:32@16
I didn’t ask you to compare them, did I? 😊
I simply asked you which you prefer ☺️
“I’ve even heard of female fans who for a long time ignored the IGB part of Ian’s artistic oeuvre, would you believe, liebe Karin 🥰?”
– 😁 yes I believe that!
But instead of mocking me, you should actually think: “woah that Danish woman is actually something else! She isn’t so stuck in her own opinions that she cannot be moved, she has such a flexible mind even though she turns 60 next year…that she is still living and breathing!”
Right?
Right!
And the fact that I didn’t like IGB for so many years, not before I was forced to take a proper listen (yeah because of that drumstick Uwe!) also speak about a woman not being a ‘brain dead fan’ who loved everything Ian does, just because it is Ian!
Another example: I LOVE ‘Child in Time’ very much, but Ian’s voice wasn’t fit to sing that tune when he did it at the ‘Hell or High Water’-tour. That he shouldn’t have done…
And I do prefer Ian as the singer…
David was a brilliant singer in his own right, but only one guy had what it took to carry the Mark ll (and the later Marks he is a part of) through.
In my humble opinion…..
And thanks to Manic Miner’s post (@18) where he links to that little vid of Ian, please read the comments… they are not mine, and I’m not part of the worshipping of a nice bloke. I like his voice. As I like this guy:
https://youtu.be/_6hXpnLxSuY?is=m9zFOzXxcPZokatC
(Jimmy Jörgensen, Sort Sol)
and this:
https://youtu.be/a5kwyHjL7ZU?is=9nDvd6PQ66uaV9bi
and this also:
https://youtu.be/wz_LUxlf0bs?is=BAcY72My92zx7P7R
and ohhh my, this:
https://youtu.be/TDGvmM1qAVg?is=q4Y2psVk2gnUJnQf
And this man here:
https://youtu.be/Q_RKCP9XvzQ?is=QafFJ6L9NrlYNIka
(PS that is! AG is also ok, but PS is my favourite)
And him:
https://youtu.be/dhZUsNJ-LQU?is=EX-GaiSBuu24__D2
Plus this:
https://youtu.be/lcsOURZOp7g?is=6nsi0ztmECywpwGc
And this guy with the naughty smile:
https://youtu.be/3f2g4RMfhS0?is=P4JNZDupfIdDM2cw
Plus a lot of others, but yeah Ian is – for me – the good choice for Purpke!
June 2nd, 2026 at 03:57Would Ian be the perfect singer for AC/DC – 😝no!
For Oasis – no no no
For any other band? I don’t know. But in Purple he is very nice 😊
@18
Have to disappoint you there dear MM, I’m not participating in the comment section 😊
And I’m too exhausted to once again explain why… has sumfin to do with his voice ☺️😉
June 2nd, 2026 at 04:00#20 Karin:
here BigIan was very handsome, but to tell the truth in 1984 all the Purples were charming and strangely had a Perfect (Strangers) look!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfizqEFXYAIlLVE.jpg
another fascinating and very talented singer and incredibile showman:
https://youtu.be/zilmYuinQm0?is=Z4ZLNFMb1IndSIgU
here instead we have a Power/Speed metal band with one of the 3 best Power singers on the planet!
June 2nd, 2026 at 14:06https://youtu.be/WUR4o51JFXQ?is=InFlBqPQrl-j96PA
For the record, liebe Karin:
Woah, that Danish woman IS actually something else! 😉
And while your opinions (as valid as anybody else’s here) are often communicated with a certain – how is that female affliction called again? – emotional fervor, I have never viewed you as “brain-dead”. Anybody who ‘sees’ music in colors must on the contrary have quite a bit going on there. And yes, you do revisit your opinions, which is a fine trait.
Now get back into the kitchen! 🤣
For me IG is THE DP SINGER for a variety of reasons. But not to the exclusion of all the other people who have lent their pipes to Purple over the years. I can enjoy Shades of, Taliesyn, “April”, Burn, Stormbringer, CTTB and even the much derided Slaves & Masters just fine and would not want any of them missing from Purple’s history. I could do without TBRO though, raspberry of an album it is (with IG being the least responsible culprit I hasten to add). It’s main merit is the reintroduction of Ian into the band, thereby laying the ground for Ritchie’s departure who had – for all his contributions in the years before – become a destructive force for the band.
June 2nd, 2026 at 14:57Fla76, I like ‘Hunting High And Low’ by these other Scandinavians better! 🤗
https://youtu.be/s6VaeFCxta8
And I’m in good company, on a US tour in the mid 80s Judas Priest mastermind Glenn Tipton was asked what his current favorite album was, and in an unguarded moment he truthfully admitted: “I listen to A-ha on my Walkman all day, I just love their melodies!”
Geoff Tate is a brilliant singer and there was a time when Queensrÿche were untouchable. I think Empire (the album) is an unsung classic, even more so than Operation Mindcrime.
June 3rd, 2026 at 00:51@23
“Now get back into the kitchen! 🤣”
– 😁 yes thank you!
“For me IG is THE DP SINGER for a variety of reasons”
– so many other people think like that 😊
I have friends who also like Purple, in a more moderate level compared to me! And I asked some of the them: who is the right singer for Deep Purple, and all of them were puzzled: “have there been other singers?” they asked.
And that is the point I guess, for all other people than us die hard fans, the other splendid singers may not excist.. (ok it was a very little survey..but they are people who know a lot about Purple thanks to me and my purple heart 💜 and no I have not brainwashed them at all ☺️😉)
“But not to the exclusion of all the other people who have lent their pipes to Purple over the years.”
– sigh…. I don’t either….!
Actually I’ve listened a lot to Mark l the late weeks, and yeah Rod Evan’s voice was so nice, and gentle even. But could he have carried Purple through the more heavy rocking years? No I honestly don’t think he could.
Could DC? Yeah, much more than RE.
GH I don’t know enough about, but for what I’ve heard, GH’s voice is nice, and he fitted perfectly with DC, and of course I know about his solo-work. But someone in here, you maybe?, said that GH had sung ‘Burn’ alone, and that was not a good choice for his voice alone.. however DC sang it so lovely alone with a little help from his bassist:
https://youtu.be/REMeBo7n40A?is=4FwiwiHakkXvSmzO
Funny thing: this has become my favourite song with Whitesnake, doing it live I mean 😊
“I could do without TBRO though, raspberry of an album it is (with IG being the least responsible culprit I hasten to add)”
– oh ok, well I really love ‘the Battle rages on’. In my head it is strong, powerful and Ian is singing very very nice ☺️
This is beautiful 😍
https://youtu.be/Wk3MtaUFg7A?is=ufmYqd4yoD0XRliF
Oh and this:
https://youtu.be/J9Q-jQ8COPc?is=Qti43-gFXtY4wKZw
Well to be honest, I like all of the songs. ‘Anya’ touched my heart very much, sadly still so relevant 😞
June 3rd, 2026 at 05:18Liebe Karin, when it comes to TBRO my countyman cannot help but put it down. And when it does not come to TBRO he’s sure to bring it up … A bit like with … think Rising.
So of course I have to make myself be heard with more or less repeating my thoughts of it in a very short way: It’s a great album.
As for GH: I have seen him live doing his Purple-Years-show more than once and I have to say I enjoyed it big time. He can sing almost anything I believe… and he sure did reach notes DC can only dream of for the best part of the last 35 years. Still, why GH insisted on singing Mistreated, DC’s signiture tune, escapes me. And I could have done without SOTW or HS. But those songs from Burn, Stormbringer and CTTB were a treat.
June 3rd, 2026 at 10:35To casual listeners who know what Purple is and know the Mk II hits, but otherwise don’t really study the liner notes of albums, Ian Gillan is indeed also the songer of Hush and of Burn, I’ve experienced that so many times (Edith didn’t know the difference either until we got together). They act surprised when you tell them that there was a Rod Evans before Big Ian and a DC/GH tandem after him. And when you play King of Dreams to them, they don’t even recognize it as Purple but assume it’s Foreigner or Bad Company. 🤗 It’s not like they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between Big Ian’s and DC’s voices, but they focus on the guitar & organ wall of sound when listening to DP, and as long as that is reassuringly there, a song is filed away as “Deep Purple, the band with Ian Gillan as a singer”.
June 3rd, 2026 at 11:37And there is one other thing: More so than Rod Evans, DC, GH and JoLT, Ian Gillan truly IDENTIFIES as being the singer of Deep Purple, it’s part of his DNA. To Rod Evans DP was a 60s episode in his life, to Glenn and David a period of 70s debauchery which eventually led them both to America, DC identifies with WS more, for Glenn Trapeze will eternally be his first love. To Joe Lynn Turner, his stint with DP is a mere appendix to his initial rise with Rainbow. Ian Gillan’s life is, however, intertwined with DP in so many ways. What he has done with IGB, GILLAN, Black Sabbath and on various solo ventures is in comparison to his imprint on Purple (and conversely Purple’s imprint on him) only side notes in his career.
PS: Did btw anybody know here that Big Ian was at Jon’s funeral and even sang there? That is another thing I learned from Martin Popoff’s bio.
June 3rd, 2026 at 11:55@ Karin
Why do you keep “justifying” yourself?
Don’t! You obviously love the music and the man as an artist!
And that is a beautiful thing 🙂
YES, Ian is the face of DP, the definitive frontman, the recognized personality, the singer on at least three of the bands greatest albums (IR, MH, MiJ … add Fireball, PS and/or _|_ to taste), the driver who logged the most miles on the bus, etc, etc, etc.
On the “female” allure department, unlike David, who captivates women by being sexy, charming and naughty, Ian seems to just naturally do it by being a very good looking man, a simple “tell it like it is” guy. A “one of the guys” / “real man” type charm.
So, no contest there.
There is however, a large amount of people (me included) who prefer the “Burn” era, which although brief, it made a tremendous artistic impact and provided the seeds of what would later became Whitesnake (a band scorned by many but also loved by millions – again me included).
And remember dear lady, you don’t choose who or what you love…it chooses YOU 🙂
All the best,
June 3rd, 2026 at 13:16J.-
#24 Uwe:
aside from the fact that that A-ha song feels a bit like the passing of time… I deliberately subjected the male-power singer to the judgment of a female rocker who is madly in love with BigIan,
not to a male lawyer with a past between peep shows and priests, to whom I would submit the divine Stevie Nicks, Dolores O’Riordan, Anneke van Giersbergen and Tarja Turunen!!
It was to introduce Miss Karin to two other different and recognizable ways of being on stage!
June 3rd, 2026 at 13:47#26 Max:
I think Glenn sings Mistreated for 3 reasons: It’s a masterpiece, he loves singing it, and he knows that the fans would like to hear it.
#28 Uwe:
Interesting news, I’m not surprised that Ian went to Jon’s funeral, and maybe other members of the group went too.
It is noteworthy that he sang, and what you report highlights the reserve that our heroes have for their private life, especially when linked to emotions.
June 3rd, 2026 at 20:13I think I dislike TBRO because it sounds unhappy and through gritted teeth. I find that disturbing. When Ian’s return was announced, I knew there was something afoot – Ritchie would not give in so easily and I had seen how much he had enjoyed playing with Joe Lynn Turner. Those were not good omens and TBRO did nothing to alleviate my concerns. You can’t “outvote” Ritchie without ousting him, he doesn’t submit to democracy.
Re wimmin in rock (or should that be “wimmin in Röcken”?), Fla76, I like Ms Robin Beck!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC3YxUwFCd4
https://youtu.be/Bh6-L98l6eE
https://youtu.be/dIaVbipL0ow
AOR nirvana! 🥰
I never scorned WS, I thought GILLAN was the most outlandish and challenging of the split groups (ignoring IGB for a minute), but WS certainly had the warmest feelgood sound and overall groove, certainly above the punkish-abrasive GILLAN and at the same time less stiff than Rainbow. But once Marsden, Murray & Paice left, the band became more hollow with every new release. WS proceeded to become larger and larger than life, but lost substance over it. I became estranged from their music (which as Hair Metal AOR goes, wasn’t awful and found its audience).
June 3rd, 2026 at 20:57@26
Lieber Max,
Well, of course he is entitled to his own opinion 😊
I remember an interesting interview with Jon Lord, where he said (slightly rewritten..)
“We made the album TBRO, and oh how the battle raged on [between Ian and Ritchie]”
Maybe I can find it, wait a sec…
While searching, I found this, from this nice page:
“K: By playing most of the time in the organ’s lower or middle range, are you deliberately obscuring the voicings?
– Exactly. I hate bright primary colors in Purple’s music. There aren’t many of the from me; it’s a darker side.
K: Yet often your solos begin on a very high, bright note.
-That’s my burst of sunlight. I know I do that a lot; sometimes I have to stop myself. It’s a device, but it’s a good one. If nothing else, it grabs people’s attention.“
– wonder if Jon Lord also saw colours in his head😊
But that interview… wait a sec more ☺️
(After a long long time where I ought to be sleeping!)….Sorry, cannot find it, oh that was a bit annoying. But I promise you it’s true, Jon Lord did say that making the TBRO album, the fights between the vocalist and the guitarist continued.
And what would I say with that?
Well, to me this album contains that tension between them. Not that they don’t behave on the tunes being recorded, but I remember there were some debate about how Ritchie wasn’t happy with Ian etc.
Which of course made me listen even closer 😊
Yes, I remember you mentioned GH on FaceBook. Even posted some pics from a concert.
June 4th, 2026 at 06:05I don’t know why I’m not more into him, the way he played the bass on Burn was very good. But maybe I just lost track of him 😊
I liked his funky way, even though when it’s Purple we’re talking about, I do prefer REAL rock (and let the funky stuff be with f.i Extreme ☺️)
@29
Julio, I wasn’t aware that I did that 😁
But I guess you’re right…
When I explain anything in Danish – well to people who understand Danish, it’s somewhat easier. But every time I’m trying to explain anything in English, I often feel misunderstood!
“And remember dear lady, you don’t choose who or what you love…it chooses YOU 🙂”
– man you speak the truth there!
I wanna link to this formidable Danish band, former pure punk, later on more mellow, but give this voice a listen:
https://youtu.be/yoXE031j8d0?is=Ythn6I_j9JBH4-cK
The band is Sort Sol (in English: Black Sun, former band name: Sods) the singer is Steen Jörgensen…to me he is the definition of cool 😃
Sorry for the bad recording, but the music is so pretty 😊
Feels hypnotic to me 😵💫
😁
And this:
https://youtu.be/5mq6Sf6ySJg?is=-BL_4iS3E4cWVvh1
Well, I have tried to imagine how Steen would sound in Purple, but then my brain’s on fire 🤣
I really don’t think that would be a match made in heaven.
I like bands, singers who are a bit quirky.
June 4th, 2026 at 06:29Well, do Purple fit that? – some might ask. No, to me they are PURE rock’n’roll
But I really like the sweetness combined with a few drops of poison, as Sort Sol are all about 😃
@30
“It was to introduce Miss Karin to two other different and recognizable ways of being on stage!”
June 4th, 2026 at 09:28– well thank you very much Fla76! ☺️
@ 32 “I think I dislike TBRO because it sounds unhappy and through gritted teeth. I find that disturbing.” Only because you read and heard about the shenanigans Uwe. If you were not privy to any of that, the chances that you would think like that of the music, would be vastly different no doubt. Regarding Ian Gillan and Ritchie, well that was obvious back in 1984 wasn’t it? Anyone who ‘knew’ their personalty differences and attitude to each other was also thinking, ‘how long is this going to last’. So as we know, it then happened again. Three strikes and Ritchie is out and on his bike. Cheers.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:04@34
“I like bands, singers who are a bit quirky.”
I totally did NOT see that coming! 😁😃🙏🏻
“The band is Sort Sol (in English: Black Sun, former band name: Sods) the singer is Steen Jörgensen…to me he is the definition of cool 😃”
I liked them!
Thanks again Mrs. K 🙂
(Plus, you can’t go wrong with choir, Moog, Mellotron and lap steel, not to mention Uwe-approved Firebird guitar!)
Best regards, J.-
June 4th, 2026 at 14:26@37
“I totally did NOT see that coming! 😁😃🙏🏻”
You didn’t? Or are you making a little bit fun of me? 😄
Well, most importantly: do you like the voice of Steen J?
And since we’re talking about former punk bands, take a listen to them when they were named Sods. Sorry for the real bad recording:
https://youtu.be/S4B_lRmP-fc?is=UizRwbq3WKPp9S9G
I have linked to this British punk band before, that will not prevent me for doing it again:
https://youtu.be/02D2T3wGCYg?is=4IpbyDRO4eBAQfkq
Ok, when it arrived at the music scene it was so ugly and in-your-face, and to me it was a wonderful change from all the hippie stuff we had going on in Denmark.
You know: people sitting in a circle and when anyone asked what time it was, the answer was: what time do you like it to be 🤣
Ok, kindness towards other people is my drive, but it has to be honest and something you can say about punk is that indeed it was honest in all it’s “ugliness”
It was a needed showdown towards all the niceties.
I guess young people need to make a statement towards the establishment. And I guess the rap culture can be seen as a part of that. And I’m sorry to say this: I don’t like rap in any way, so the young people have been successful 😁
June 4th, 2026 at 15:56(Or grunge 😝) (or heavy-, death- and trash-metal…) (or fusion-jazz, except for IGB! 😃)
“Only because you read and heard about the shenanigans Uwe.”
I know that is your pet theory, ole Tasmanian hermit, but it presupposes that people don’t hear the emotion of musicians through their playing. I politely disagree. Allow me to elaborate:
When TBRO first came out in (at least for me) pre-internet days, there was little or no information on how Purple felt about it. The music mags were kind of bemused: “Ok, so Gillan is back in the fold, surprise, and Turner out, what else is new?” I remember playing the album at home, sure it was great to hear Ian sing again, but I immediately noticed that something grated. I was taken aback by the negative ferocity of The Battle Rages On (the track), Mk II’s albums had mostly started with upbeat songs [Speed King, Fireball, Highway Star, Woman From Tokyo, Knocking At Your Back Door (I mean irrespective of your own, errm, general position on the matter, at least ONE of the involved participants of the afore described activity tends to have fun)], but the song TBRO sounded mean and negative, even more so than the likewise enraged Bad Attitude on THOBL. That created the setting for the rest of the album which to me simply didn’t sound happy, content or reassured, it all sounded forced together.
And at that point, all I knew was that Ritchie had seemed utmost relaxed and happy with Joe on stage during the S&M tour and that Gillan’s solo career had been floundering badly with the Toolbox tour reaching an all time nadir in terms of audience attendances. He was fast going broke again.
Ritchie leaving the band in a huff mid-tour did not surprise me, I had seen two gigs, Frankfurt (very good) and Mannheim (awful) and Mannheim had left me with the impression that this reunion was not gonna last much longer, you should have seen Blackmore scowling disdainfully at Gillan on stage, totally without respect, and Gillan’s provocative “Look, I don’t give a flying flamingo what you think about me! humoring of his nemesis.
I stand by it, for all its flaws and derailing of the traditional Purple sound, I prefer Slaves & Masters greatly to TBRO. TBRO does not sound like five young men angry at the world (= In Rock), but like five middle-aged men angry and disappointed with each other. Thoroughly unpleasant. Like inviting a married couple that meanwhile hates each other to a dinner.
June 4th, 2026 at 16:17“… not to mention Uwe-approved Firebird guitar!“
How you spoil me J! You ole Latin lover charmer … 🥰
That Sort Sol number sounds effing beautiful btw. Have to get a CD from them.
June 4th, 2026 at 16:25@ 36\\
one of my favs remains WDWTWA
For decades its is some kinda consensus it sucks
Well, not to me.
And TBRO contains at least 4 great songs that I still remember.
June 4th, 2026 at 16:58@40
I am SHOCKED you don’t already have a cd with Sort Sol 😁
June 4th, 2026 at 19:38WDWTWA I always liked for its variety, and it is a much less emotionally desolate album than TBRO. WDWTWA had less of a Blackmore dominance and while many people think that that always spells the end of Purple, I don‘t agree: Less Ritchie can sometimes be a good thing, some of his finest work is off-the-cuff supporting other people. That is why I prefer his improvisational and lighthearted brilliance on the solo of Hold On to his stern mannerisms on Stargazer.
I hasten to add: Anybody is free to prefer Stargazer of course! If playing the mixolydian mode note for note in ascending fashion at the end of a solo (in quarter notes for added emotional impact!) leaves you breathless,
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QPeYkHhjaaY
then who would I be to belittle it? 😇 I‘m not that type of guy at all. 😈
June 4th, 2026 at 21:47That’s because you only revealed it to that driftin’ South American, tango-hips-a-swayin’, second-rate-Antonio-Banderas, Karin, but never to me! Don‘t think I didn‘t notice!
https://youtu.be/qqDHdU9JDQY
Scorpios often have bouts of raging jealousy. Our genetic predisposition for it sits right alongside our serial killer gene! 🤣
June 4th, 2026 at 22:02LED to his 40-year long collaboration… Not “lead to his 40 years long collaboration…”
June 4th, 2026 at 23:53@38
“You didn’t? Or are you making a little bit fun of me? 😄”
Making fun, of course! 😀
“Well, most importantly: do you like the voice of Steen J?”
I think he is good, but I much prefer Dan Byrne type singers!
I fired up Amazon Music in the car and put Sort Sol while driving around.
Very eclectic band! Lots of different styles and also covers ranging from “Love is all around” to “Black Sabbath”.
Very garage rock at times, and very atmospheric at others!
I have never been a punk rocker I’m afraid, more a typical metal/prog kinda guy.
By the way, the one Scandinavian song I can’t get out of my head (no Kylie, not you!) is “Dom Andra” by a Swedish band called KENT…yet another band I just only “discovered”…
To be continued…
@40
Haha funny guy! 😄
Cheers, J.-
June 5th, 2026 at 02:41@44
“That’s because you only revealed it to that driftin’ South American, tango-hips-a-swayin’, second-rate-Antonio-Banderas, Karin, but never to me! Don‘t think I didn‘t notice!”
– 🤣🤣🤣
Awww Uwe! Admit it! You read everything in here… and listen to all the links 😁
June 5th, 2026 at 08:30“Our genetic predisposition for it sits right alongside our serial killer gene! 🤣”
– then I’m immensely happy I have Anton, the famous killer doglet to look out for me! 😂
https://youtube.com/shorts/p4hXKgetqYo?is=XxUPqo8VGgcm9u1t
This bloke, I follow him on FaceBook and YouTube! He is very funny indeed 😁
@46
“I think he is good, but I much prefer Dan Byrne type singers!”
– and – cough cough – this guy too, right:
https://youtu.be/zLxLqDPtUcY?is=ZJZMbcuVHWJ1OWya
Tonight at 20 Uhr, the video arrives… at YouTube…
June 5th, 2026 at 10:36@44
“That’s because you only revealed it to that driftin’ South American, tango-hips-a-swayin’, second-rate-Antonio-Banderas”
Brilliant!!! 🤣🤣🤣👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Uwe, I kid you not, I cried the day I found out David Rosenthal and Chuck Burgi had joined Enrique Iglesias’ (Julio’s son) band…a very sad day (they have upgraded to Billy Joel since)
@ Sort Sol
Now hearing Sort Sol I begin to understand why Duran Duran wasn’t exactly Karin’s cup of tea!
@ U2
Liked them up to and including “Unforgettable Fire”.
The messianic and techno-disco phases, no thanks!
We used to cover of “Vertigo”, fun song to play at parties.
@ 48
“Tonight at 20 Uhr, the video arrives… at YouTube…”
And a chat with Roger too, I think?
All the best,
June 5th, 2026 at 12:52Julio (NOT the Spanish crooner)
Vertigo was a good number.
Why not play with Enrique – his reputation treating backing musician’s is better than Ritchie’s! Everybody’s got to make a living after all, 90s Rainbow wasn’t going anywhere, they couldn’t even fill halls in Scandinavia anymore (I saw them play a half empty one in Göteborg).
So you’re Argentinian, Julio, one of those people your sourpussish Chilean neighbors claim that “They walk out of their homes when lightning strikes, thinking that God might want to photograph them!” ? 😂
June 5th, 2026 at 14:57@49
I am happy….. no I am glad….. wait, no, I am ECSTATIC that I make some sense 😄
Duran Duran was about everything that made me feel lesser alive!
Whereas Purple! They live, they breathe, they ooze music and creativity – I love that 🤩
And of course I cannot afford to talk bad about Duran Duran’s members, so I won’t!
But in other words: I prefer a little dirt with sincerity ☺️
So, now I’m done! Sorry to those in here who like Duran Duran 🤓
But yeah, Sort Sol, they seem to have a message they need to deliver, don’t they?
June 5th, 2026 at 15:25Just like Purple always have felt like being having messages in overflow 😊
@50
‘So you’re Argentinian, Julio, one of those people your sourpussish Chilean neighbors claim that “They walk out of their homes when lightning strikes, thinking that God might want to photograph them!” ?’
I am not, Uwe, but the character depiction does apply to them!
However, is nice to have Buenos Aires just a couple hours away by boat, you can enjoy all the good aspects for a while and then get the hell out of there!
Upcoming shows in BA are Iron Maiden, Def Leppard/Extreme, DP, Rush…
Need to find a divorce-dodging way to catch a couple of those!
Off to watch ‘The Hartung Case (Chestnut Man)’ Danish noir on Netflix now…
(Bet the psycho is a Duran Duran fan!)
Have a nice weekend 🙂
June 6th, 2026 at 00:55@52
Julio! Extreme!
May I offer a little marriage advice?
Invite your lady to the concert with Extreme (I guess Deep Purple is already planned 😊) and I am pretty sure she will enjoy it very much!
If she is like most other women she will gladly not participate at the Rush concert 😁 or maybe I’m wrong there, since they have this new girlie drummer!
June 6th, 2026 at 12:11But Karin! So many children were conceived to the sultry rhythms of Rush!!! Any special care institution will confirm the long term effects.
June 6th, 2026 at 21:09@53
“If she is like most other women she will gladly not participate at the Rush concert 😁 or maybe I’m wrong there, since they have this new girlie drummer!”
Hahaha thanks Lady Karin!
I WILL heed your advice 🙂
BTW, have you already thought your questions for Roger tomorrow?
Take care!
June 6th, 2026 at 21:44@55
Do that Julio, and thank me later 😁
Questions for Roger? What? I have no questions for Roger… do I need to? 😃
June 7th, 2026 at 09:49@56
I will, thanks!
Roger: I thought he would be on the YouTube chat for the video premiere, maybe I misunderstood…after all I’m old, haha.
Best!
June 7th, 2026 at 15:57@57
What! I have not heard that….
Dear Admin – do you know anything about that?
Well, being old is not a crime… being mature however 🤣
June 7th, 2026 at 16:19