Steve Morse spoke to Innerviews, which resulted in an interview that is as interesting as it is long. Set aside some time and read it in full. Meanwhile here is a morsel to wet your appetite — Steve talking about Bob Ezrin:

This is the third album in a row Bob Ezrin has produced for Deep Purple. You also worked with him on Kansas’ In the Spirit of Things in 1988. What does he bring to the table that serves the band so effectively?

He’s like the designated chairman of the board when it comes to discussions. He throws in his opinion, but it carries a little bit more weight because he’s done so many great albums. He’s also one of the smartest guys you’ll ever meet in terms of memorizing the complicated details of a tune and what you played within it. He can hear all kinds of possibilities in his head. He’s always willing to jump in there and help you if you can’t come up with an idea you like. But in general, we write on our own and then he comes in and says “Here’s what I like. Here’s what I don’t like.” That’s been helpful to us, because it helps improve the arrangements.

Behind the scenes, when the rest of the band isn’t there, Bob seems to really get a lot out of Ian Gillan. One story I love is when Ian and Roger Glover were talking about lyrics and melodies amongst themselves in the rehearsal room, a voice from across the room, 50 feet away, would go “I’m not liking this.” [laughs] Bob would be looking at his iPad or laptop and typing and look up and tell you what he thinks with that big city, no-nonsense voice he has. But it’s serious enough to definitely make them stop and rethink what they’re doing. It’s also simply frank and inoffensive when he does that. He’ll do that to me too when I’m trying to do a line, melody or solo. If it’s too complicated, he’ll say something like “Morse, save it for your solo album. Give me something solid.” [laughs] He’s sort of like the drill sergeant you love.

As for how he’s changed across the three albums, I think he knows what I’m going to do before I do it now. And he wants me to play more like David Gilmour would and less like I would. In other words, he wants something spectacularly melodic and simple. That’s a huge challenge. What ends up happening is I do what I do and to some extent, I do bend to his wishes. He’ll take out a couple or even several solos. He’ll cut out pieces he thinks sound closer to what he’s envisioning. So lately, I end up with solos that are more clean and simple.

It’s a trust thing. I have to trust that his decisions make the song better. In a band in which everybody’s throwing in ideas—and I throw in a lot of ideas—you can’t be right most of the time. People will have their views. It’s more comfortable for me to just play in my style and relax. That’s what I do. But in a band, you have to take the support role most of the time. Everything I do is based around what’s going to fit the song in the eyes of the producer.

There is more in that vein, about the current pandemics, how it affected Steve’s life, music business, and society in general, how he sees his place in the band, his osteoarthritis, the 2018 Dixie Dregs reunion tour, the Flying Colors, how to do mixing in the garage with a toddler crawling around, and many, many other things. Read it all on Innerviews.

Thanks to Anil Prasad for the info.

Roger Glover spoke to Australia’s HEAVY Magazine, talking about the news album, resurgence of vinyl, success, fame, and fortune (and lack thereof).
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Paicey spoke to Forbes about the new album Whoosh. While he may not have said something groundbreaking that had not been said elsewhere, it’s good to see the band getting exposure in mainstream media (and along with CNN and Fox News that makes as mainstream in American media as it can get). But Paicey is being Paicey, and he’s always insightful one way or the other.

It sounds like everything came together pretty quick. What kind of an impact does that have on things?

IP: If you can make a record quickly – and that means getting things caught in three or four takes – it’s generally a good record. Because you haven’t got bored with playing it.

The albums that are a problem are where you just can’t get the backing track and you’ve had to play it fifteen or sixteen times. Which times, you may have gotten it perfect – but it’s no good. It’s lost all its humanity. It’s lost all its inspiration. Everything you’re doing is something you did before. So that act of creation is gone and it’s now recreation. And it just isn’t the same.

When we started working with Bob Ezrin in 2012 – which is amazing, three records ago now – he just took that out of the equation. He just said, “No. Once we’ve done it three or four times, I promise you, I have all the bits I want. We’re gonna move on and we’re gonna keep it exciting and vibrant.” Which is what he’s done. And which we’ve found is so enjoyable. So it’s not unusual to go in the studio for six hours and come out with three backing tracks. That’s how quick it can be. So that’s refreshing.

And it’s fun to record. Because for years it wasn’t fun. For years it was a labor of work – where being on stage is a labor of love. And now it’s all a labor of love. Now it’s something we look forward to. And that is a wonderful feeling.

Rad more at Forbes.com.

Thanks to Yvonne for the info.

Paicey spoke to Italian Radio Freccia, and boy, did they dig deep! Pondering existential cosmology and infinity. And occasionally speaking about music.
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Ian Gillan was interviewed by German newspaper Lübecker Nachrichten, and some tidbits appeared in reverse translation in an unusual corner of the web: a chess site. And here’s why:

Ian Gillan: I would also suggest that children should be taught to play chess. It’s valuable, for life. You learn to think a step or two ahead, you learn to become more rational, more detached. That’s a huge benefit in any argument.

LN: Are you a good chess player?

Ian Gillan: In school I was a member of the chess club, but I am only averagely gifted. I love the game, it’s great for your mind. I don’t think anyone should run for political office until they’ve proven they’re a member of a chess club. Some of these idiots who are currently in power can’t anticipate anything at all, and that’s why they keep failing.

Translation from German: Johannes Fischer

Thanks to chessbase.com for the tidbit and to Jim Collins for bringing it to your attention.

Michael Schenker will release a new album under the MSG moniker in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast records. It will be called Immortal and feature several members of the extended Purple family.

Ronnie Romero will be the principal vocalist on the album, along with Joe Lynn Turner, Michael Voss (Mad Max), and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) singing on two tracks each. Other notable guests include Simon Philipps and Brian Tichy on drums, Derek Sherinian on keyboards, and Doogie White on additional vocals.

Immortal will feature ten tracks, including the magnum opus “In Search Of The Peace Of Mind”. “I wrote this song when I was 15 years old, it was my first ever written piece of music which I recorded with Scorpions on our first studio album Lonesome Crow in 1970, getting released in 1972 – when I had already left Scorpions to join the British rock band UFO in June of 1972 – when I was 17. We re-recorded this song for my 50th anniversary as a celebration and it turned out to be an epic; with an extra extension at the end of the song, which turned out absolutely fantastic with Simon Phillips on drums, doing his usual amazing stuff.”

The result is a true highlight and features even more surprises: “Gary Barden sings the first verse, continued by Ronnie Romero – and in the end we have Ronnie, Doogie White, and Robin McAuley screaming their heads off, as a tribute to my 50th anniversary. Absolute amazing. Thanks to the guys for doing this!”

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

The August 2020 issue of the Japanese Burrn! magazine (the one that has an extensive feature on Deep Purple’s new album) actually has David Coverdale as the cover story. The 10-page interview inside promotes Whitesnake’s latest release — The Rock Album compilation. Our Japanese correspondent Akemi Ono translated the more interesting tidbits from the article back into English and offered them here for your attention (for which we are extremely grateful).

Burrn! August 2020 Edition

David Coverdale exclusive interview

(10 pages including photographs)
Interviewer: Kaz Hirose, editor

Whitesnake have released The Rock Album, the first part of the Red, White and Blues trilogy. The Rock Album includes songs from Whitesnake and solo studio albums released between 1984 and 2011, as well as one previously unreleased song. All previously released tracks are remixed and remastered.

Burrn!: How did you come up with the idea of the trilogy?

David Coverdale: I have always felt that past releases lacked consistency, except for my vocals. I wanted to find someone like George Martin for the Beatles. Then I met Chris Collier. Chris worked on Flesh & Blood, and we hit it off immediately. I told him about my ambition, and he agreed to take it on. He remixed everything in the catalog that I had ownership to, from Slide it In onwards. With his skills, the past songs all sound like a band with one identity. With the Rock Album, you get a taste of future Whitesnake box sets.

B: Why are you only doing albums after 1984?

DC: I do not have the right to do anything for albums before 1984, as the previous managers have ownership. The contract was terrible. Just last year, I was able to buy my rights for the first 2 solo albums, Whitesnake (1977) and Northwinds (1978). It took many years to do this.

B: The previously unreleased song, Always the Same is wonderful. When did you write it, and with who?

DC: With Joel Hoekstra. I had the basic idea even before Slip of the Tongue (1989). I played it on the piano while recording Flesh and Blood. Joel liked it and worked on it, but it didn’t make it into Flesh and Blood, because the record company did not evaluate it fairly. I am glad that I was able to put in one song from our current band.

B: Tell us about how you remixed, rearranged the songs. How about Still of the Night? The original is from 1987, and it was remastered in 2017.

DC: This completely different from the 2017 remastering. There were many guitar tracks that Keith Olsen (producer) did not use, so Chris and I resurrected them and created a new ending as well. I love it. It’s like the original with a new paint. Looking for Love, Crying in the Rain will go into the next album in the trilogy, The Blues Album.

B: How about Give me All Your Love?

DC: This is a super song that everyone loves during live shows. Keith Olsen (unfortunately deceased) mixed it to suit FM radios, for bands like Foreigner, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, but the flashy keyboard really did not work well with me. If it were up to Jon Lord and me, we would have not done it like Keith. It was very 80’s with a lot of echo on the keyboards and snare drums and the guitars as well. In the new album, you can hear Jon Sykes’ guitar very clearly.

B: I think Here I Go Again is wonderful, with the vocals more in the foreground.

DC: Christopher Collier is a Whitesnake fan, and he can hear all the layered sounds, what is in the foreground, and what is in the back. He also works very quickly. For the vocals, the original take was used. This song includes Jon playing the grand piano beautifully, although you could barely hear it in the original.

B: What is the thought behind starting from Still of the Night and ending with Forevermore in this album?

DC: I always keep the same setup as live shows, like starting with 2 hard rock songs, then take a breather with Love Ain’t No Stranger, then then go back to work…. This is The Rock Album, after all. The most moving parts of the album are the Here I Go Again, Judgment Day, Always the Same, Forevermore. But each song, not only these, has a sudden explosion into epic rock.

B: Please give us a message to our readers.

DC: 2023 would be 50 years since Burn was recorded. I am praying that vaccines are created and people can live without fear. I am praying that I can keep healthy and do a farewell tour. Thank you for caring for us for the past 40, 50 years!!

The article also includes a special survey:

Tell us your 5 top David Coverdale songs

Kaz Hirose (Burrn! editor)

1. Don’t Fade Away
2. We Wish You Well
3. Soldier of Fortune
4. Take Me for a Little While
5. Slow An’ Easy

Danny Vaughn, Tyketto

1. Whisper a Prayer for the Dying
2. Crying in the Rain
3. Slow an’ Easy
4. Judgment Day
5. Sweet Talker

Leo Leoni, Gotthard

1. Soldier of Fortune
2. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City
3. Don’t Break My Heart Again
4. Crying in the Rain
5. Take Me for a Little While

Michael Erlandsson, Autumn’s Child

1. Burn
2. Give Me All Your Love
3. Still of the Night
4. Love Ain’t No Stranger
5. Give Me More Time

Ronnie Romero, Rainbow

1. Sailing Ships
2. Stormbringer
3. Burn
4. Ready An’ Willing
5. Soldier of Fortune

Dino Jelusick, Dirty Shirley

1. Mistreated
2. Sailing Ships
3. Slip of the Tongue
4. Does Anybody Know What Time it is?
5. Peace Lovin’ Man

Toby Hitchcock, Pride of Lions

1. Fool for Your Loving
2. Here I Go Again
3. Is This Love
4. The Last Note of Freedom
5. Still of the Night

The Dead Daisies have announced their 2021 headlining tour of Europe. It is billed as Get Out Of The House Tour and scheduled for February/March next year. Many of the dates are the ones that have been moved from summer 2020 (the club dates, where Daisies were supposed to be headlining). Some more dates have been added. Support on all gigs except Scandinavian ones will be Those Damn Crows. There will be another European tour in the summer, with rescheduled dates from the Judas Priest and Foreigner tours, where Daisies do the support slots. Press blurb hints of more dates to come, in the US, Canada, Australia and South America.

Full details in our calendar.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

David Coverdale has just tweeted the sad news:

It is with a very heavy heart I’ve just had verified my very dear friend & producer Martin Birch has passed away…Martin was a huge part of my life…helping me from the first time we met through until Slide It In…Mt thoughts & prayers to his family, friends & fans…💔💔 pic.twitter.com/J4UyDiG9zR

— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) August 9, 2020

Roger Glover spoke to the Den of Geek, which resulted in a rather interesting album overview and interview about band democracy, extinctions, the evils of producing Barbie Benton, the virtues of singing in the rain, and many other things.

Whoosh! is a timeless timepiece. It doesn’t carry the quantized perfection of 2020 music. The songs are as long as they need to be, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band gives in to what their late, great keyboardist Jon Lord called Deep Purple’s “musical restlessness.”

It’s been 48 years since “Smoke on the Water” was recorded by the Mark II, classic lineup of Ritchie Blackmore, Gillan, Lord, Glover, and Ian Paice. And the current Mark VIII lineup is still pushing musical boundaries.

On the song “What the What,” Ian sings you’re “celebrating the fact that you’re still alive.” Was that the vibe of the band when you got together for this album?

Well, in a way. When we arrived in Nashville to start working on the record, we had a sort of rehearsal studio there and Bob Ezrin came to see us. It was a Saturday, and he said, “Welcome to Nashville, great to be back, I’d like to invite you all for dinner on Monday night.”

“What’s this for?” we said.

He said, “Well, just to celebrate the fact that we’re together again, and we’re still alive.”

And I said, “Well you better make it Sunday then.”

​But I suppose in a way there’s an element of time in the album because it’s 50 years it’s been going. And who knows how long it will go on? So time is definitely an element in the album, and always has been in most albums, actually.

Continue reading on Den of Geek.

Thanks to Jim Collins for the info.