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They daren’t become complacent
My Things – Music history for those who are able to read is a music blog dedicated to reprinting articles from old music magazines and papers from the past 50 years or so. And there are quite a few Purple related ones. Take, for example, this report in Sounds, dated March 13, 1976 — from the time in the history of the band that can be simply characterized as a bumpy ride.
Is the new Purple as good as the old?
Geoff Barton joins the band`s 24th tour of America to find out.“This is my twenty-fourth American tour,” remarks Jon Lord, staring abstractly into his steadily diminishing glass of Cognac, “my twenty-fourth.”
Have they all been with Deep Purple?
He nods affirmatively, his empty gaze changing to one of mock despair, and finishes off his drink in one large gulp.
“But, you know,” he continues, “life on the road isn`t that bad any more. In the band`s early days, it was a trifle hectic. Now, eight years on, we can afford to relax a little.”
Indeed. A Deep Purple US tour is, today, a smoothly-organised, well put together affair – lots of long, black limousines which, even in the midst of a queue of similarly tank-like American cars, cause heads to turn.
No soundchecks, the roadies are veterans too, it`s a case of on the stage, off the stage, with a one-and-a-half hour set in between.
There`s even a customised plane, with the name `Deep Purple` emblazoned on its side, to fly you the 200 mile-upwards distances from gig to gig.
Yes, they can afford to relax a little – but they daren`t become complacent.
Continue reading in My Things – Music history for those who are able to read.
(above) Glenn Hughes and Tommy Bolin at a record store signing event in Dallas in February 1976, mentioned in the article.
And remember, there’s more where this came from.
Thanks to Yvonne for the heads up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing