FYI Music News reports that Bob Ezrin has sold his music publishing and “other rights” to a New York headquartered company called Primary Wave Music Publishing. Being a very hands on producer, alongside with production credits he got songwriting credits on many albums he has worked on. His resume includes producing and co-writing Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare, Kiss’ Destroyer, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Andrea Bocelli’s Sí, all charted at number one (presumabley, in the US). This, of course, also includes the last two (hopefully, three) Deep Purple albums. It is not immediately clear what “other rights” are also included in the deal, but it is quite possible that producer of his stature can negotiate royalties instead of a fixed fee.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

Whitesnake have new dates for their Japanese tour, rescheduled from October 2019 to March 2020. The new dates are booked from March 9 to 20th. Old tickets are still valid, except for Fukuoka (change of venue) and Toyota City (change of venue as well, and moved to Nagoya proper), both of which have to be returned for refund and new ones purchased. As for the rest of the dates, refunds will be issued on request, but are not mandatory.

Tickets for rescheduled dates go on sale December 7, 2019. Full details in our calendar.

Thanks to Akemi Ono for the info.

Deep Purple live at Fox Theatre (Detroit, USA 2019-10-15)

After last nights performance I can’t help wondering (perhaps hoping) if there maybe yet another leg of this long goodbye tour. The energy , the quality of the show all around was among the top performances I’ve seen from these gentleman! One moment at the end of Perfect Strangers, the band silhouetted by back lighting, Ian with arms outstretched , it felt timeless. Neither young nor old, just pure joy in the music. Space ‘truckin was another highlight as they waved the crowd to “Come on!” With smiles on the whole band. The entire show was filled with great moments. Don and Roger gave incredible solos, Paicey drove space truckin into an intensely amazing place, Steve’s solos were alternately fun and beautiful, Ian having a great time and when they did “Sometimes I feel like Screaming “ , well I was a bit emotional don’t mind saying. Thanks gents, for all the decades of music and great shows! Who knows? Maybe one more goodbye?

review by Victor

Another book from Wymer — Ian Gillan: A Visual Biography — is due out on December 6, 2019. It is a limited edition 128-page photo book in a slipcase, and comes with a set of prints.

Promo blurb:

Without doubt Ian Gillan has proven to be one of the greatest and most enduring rock singers of all time. From his early career in sixties pop band Episode Six, through to Deep Purple, as well as a brief period with Black Sabbath, he has continued to surprise and delight millions of fans around the world.

Forays into unchartered territory, such as his role in the original Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as a variety of solo projects, including the jazz inspired Ian Gillan Band have proven that time and again, Ian Gillan is more than just the lead singer with Deep Purple.

This publication plots his career from the early sixties through to the present day in a visual timeline that charts his extraordinary and colourful career. Digging deep into the archives we have managed to pull together a vast array of photos and imagery, much of which has never been seen before. This includes many previously unpublished photos from his days with Episode Six and beyond. Off stage and backstage photos from his early career, through to Deep Purple and his solo projects are all included, alongside on stage photos capturing Ian doing what he does best.

A Visual Biography also includes many rare items of memorabilia, including a full itinerary from the Ian Gillan Band’s 1977 Japanese tour, plus posters and cuttings that help to document over fifty years as one of rock’s most iconic frontmen.

What: Ian Gillan: A Visual Biography
When: December 6, 2019
Where: Wymer Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-912782-30-7
Format: hardback, 297 x 210 mm, 128pp
Price: £59.99 + S&H

The book can be ordered directly from the publisher.

Connecticut paper Republican-American has a review of the Deep Purple show at the Mohegan Sun Arena on October 9:

Deep Purple is on its “Long Goodbye” tour, wrapping up a career that has seen many personnel incarnations, spin-offs, and imitators over its five decades-plus career.

And the Purple will be missed by the rock music universe because it unintentionally provided a template that a generation of bands that followed. The group also provided a reminder of the creativity that can be harvested from crushing volume, crunching guitar riffs, pounding drums, and soaring vocals.

It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see groups like Deep Purple again. With no disrespect to the new generation of rockers, in today’s music industry climate, most groups are lucky to get three albums out before the labels say farewell or the fans migrate onto another trend.

Continue reading on Republican-American.

Thanks to Yvonne for the info.

Great show, phenomenal sound…

Pura Vida~

Carlton A. Morris R.

Deep Purple live at Pechanga Theater (Temecula, USA 2019-09-06)

I am so disappointed to be checking the website every day and not see any concert reviews! I saw them opening night in Riverside at the Fox theater, which was a fantastic venue and a great concert. My brother and I saw them up at Pechanga a few nights later and I have to say that the band was even better that night!! Yes, basically the same songs, a few more ad-libs to the otherwise same old Gillan quotes, “You’re sending out some good vibes” which we have heard at every concert for the past 10 years..but, it’s Deep Purple..My Guys.. I have been following them since they opened for Cream on their farewell tour. So if I have indeed seen them for the last time, the Pechanga concert was a hell of a way to remember them…

review by Annette

Ginger Baker has passed away on October 6. That night in Portland, Maine, Deep Purple paid a tribute to him with replacing the usual Green Onions intro to Hush with an impromptu piece of Sunshine of Your Love.
Continue Reading »

The ever prolific Martin Popoff has published another Rainbow book — Sensitive to Light: The Rainbow Story. He promises this to be a “major overhaul” of his out-of-print 2005 title English Castle Magic:

• 50% longer, at 120,000 words and 318 pages in 6″ x 9″ format
• two colour sections of photos (no pictures in the old one)
• new interviews [we presume as in “not included in the previous book” — ed.] with Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Roger Glover, Jimmy Bain, Tony Carey, Graham Bonnet, Craig Gruber, Cozy Powell and more
• major overhaul in writing and analysis
• reissues and live output covered in more detail
• up to date with the Ronnie Romero lineup live shows and new songs

Promo blurb to follow:

The Man in Black!

His name is Ritchie Blackmore and his reputation is legion. But is it warranted? Find out now, as we look at the man’s career as reigning lord over the constantly evolving consortium of monster talents known as Rainbow.

Ronnie James Dio, Craig Gruber, Jimmy Bain, Tony Carey, Joe Lynn Turner, Graham Bonnet, Roger Glover, Bobby Rondinelli, Bob Daisley, Jimmy Bain, Doogie White and of course Ritchie himself. they all get their say through pages and pages of previously unpublished interview footage, on what makes the Man in Black tick, his pranks, his sly hirings and swift firings.

And of course, there’s the music. From the raw and fiery Dio years, through the criminally under-rated Down to Earth album, the smooth crooning Joe Lynn Turner era and into one final somewhat forgotten record fronted by Doogie White, it’s all examined here, track by track, fascinating tale by trick.

And let’s not forget, Rainbow is the band that wrote “Man on the Silver Mountain,” “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves,” “Stargazer,” “A Light in the Black,” “Tarot Woman,” “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Gates Of Babylon,” “All Night Long,” “Eyes of the World,” “Spotlight Kid,” “Can’t Happen Here,” “Stone Cold,” “Street of Dreams,” “Can’t Let You Go” and “Hunting Humans,” and this is the book you should read to find out why!

Price including shipping:

US orders: $37.00 US funds

Int’l orders (all books go air): $40.00 US funds

Canadian orders: $39.00 Cdn. funds

Ask me if you’d like a PayPal invoice (please indicate what country you are in), or just do yer usual and direct funds to martinp@inforamp.net.

Sweet postage savings to be had for multiple orders (or two of pretty much anything-long story, ask me!), especially for US orders. Or mail payment (personal check in US funds, cash, or INTERNATIONAL money order), to: Martin Popoff, P.O. Box 65208, 358 Danforth Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4K 2Z2.

Email me at martinp@inforamp.net with any further questions, and see www.martinpopoff.com for descriptions, cover art and ordering info for my other available 45 or so books.

Antihero magazine has an in depth interview with Glenn Hughes, where he offers his opinion on a variety of things, ranging from the loudest band today to the state of the music industry, to deeply personal matters like dealing with the death of his mum.

ANTIHERO: What was your best and worst experience from the Deep Purple era?

Glenn Hughes: There were so many beautiful insights into that band. We were a band that extended songs – Jon and Ritchie were such outstanding players – and I fell in love with that aspect of it. There were a lot of shows I can remember that were off the charts and just incredible! Things like Madison Square Garden, or the Chicago Amphitheatre, the Long Beach Arena in LA and of course Wembley Arena with Tommy Bolin. There’s been a lot of great stuff, but I don’t debate after a show whether it was good or bad, I’m always onto the next show, so I never really think too much about what I’ve done and I don’t analyse things too much.

Read more in Antihero.

Thanks to Yvonne for the info.