Louder Sound has a recent (conducted in November 2024) interview with Ian Gillan about his Gillan the band years. Big Ian seems frank, not avoiding unpleasant topics, and does not mince words much.
Gillan the band’s forerunners the Ian Gillan Band had come to an end when keyboard player Colin Towns brought in a song called Fighting Man that was ridiculed by the rest of the group.
The end of the Ian Gillan Band had been coming. Things weren’t right, but it was so difficult because I was working with my heroes. I idolised Gus [bassist Johnny Gustafson, ex-The Merseybeats, Roxy Music] for being so talented. We needed to get back on track, but Ray Fenwick [guitar] and Mark Nauseef [drums] were happy with that jazzier type of rock, though I wanted to play rock’n’roll. Fighting Man was a catalyst. It was a simple song but it had a certain profundity, and when those two took the mickey out of it, that was it for me.
So you sacked yourself from your own band?
Yeah. I just left.
In forming Gillan, Colin Towns had to be there.
Colin was pivotal to it all. Rock’n’roll is good, but you also need a simple platform for virtuosity to shine. Colin kept that gravitas. He added texture and dynamics along with all of those musical elements.
Bernie Tormé was such a great guitarist.
Exactly. We had five guys that played equally well but Bernie was the one that stood out. I had spotted him some time earlier. He was amazing, and I marked him down for the future.
Shaven-headed man-mountain bassist John McCoy was almost a cartoonish character.
John was great. He made a big impact, just what we needed. He offset Bernie on the other side [of the stage].
Another massive (re-)release from Whitesnake — an 8-CD box set of live material, all of which has been previously released separately. Titled Access All Areas: Live, it is lavishly packaged in an imitation travel case, and is slated for release on April 25th, 2025, on Rhino. The material included was previously released in the following sets, all from this century:
We were wrong, and the classic Gillan video bonanza continues unabashedly. In this instalment: frenetic miming to New Orleans at the Top of the Pops, dated March 26th, 1981. Continue Reading »
Elizabeth the opera singer is getting her Dio fix by listening to Man on the Silver Mountain, and rather surprisingly, it is the album version. Continue Reading »
Glenn Hughes’ management has announcedanother leg of his Chosen Years tour — 8 dates in the UK in October 2025. Various presales seem to be already in progress, with general availability slated for March 7th. The powers that be want to steer your money towards the Ticketmaster, however we’ve also included some links to the alternative sources if you’d rather not deal with the cartel.
From the horse’s mouth:
So happy to announce I shall be with you in October for a series of shows. I will be performing songs from my new album coming this August and a selection of my solo catalog songs, in addition to collaborations with other artists, spanning my entire career. It’s always good to return home, to spend some time with you, and see your smiling faces.
In this video, dated December 1979, Ritchie Blackmore makes some noises for a few minutes, eventually settling upon Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Supported by Messrs. Glover, Airey, and Powell. Continue Reading »
Ian Paice has appeared on the dopeYEAH Podcast, interviewed by Rob Cass, and it was a very interesting conversation over an hour long. The blurb reads:
What does it take to be the backbone of one of the greatest rock bands of all time? Ian Paice, the powerhouse drummer of @DeepPurpleOfficial and one of the last original members still rocking the stage, joins us for an unforgettable episode! From setting stages on fire—literally—to working with icons like Paul McCartney and Velvet Underground, Ian shares jaw-dropping stories from over five decades in the music industry. 🎶🔥
In this episode, Ian reveals the untold stories behind Deep Purple’s biggest moments: the chaos of recording Machine Head, why the band broke up and how he got fired from Whitesnake. Plus, he breaks down his legendary drumming style and even teases a new Deep Purple record coming in 2025! 🤯 Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just love rock ‘n’ roll history, this is an episode you can’t miss.
We’ve sat through the whole thing, and can attest it is what it says on the cover. Includes bits of the live performance with the house band. Enjoy!
The takeaway you wouldn’t want to miss (at around 1:00:20):
So, what’s next for Purple?
Well, we’re gonna go back into the studio in a couple of months time and knock out another record. Because we have no serious work to do until the end of this year. You know, everyone needs a break sometimes. […] The record will take us March through probably the end of May. And then we got bits and pieces — [playing] a day here, three days there, around the world. And then we’ll see how it pans out. Everything is being slated towards the end of October and November for everything what you might consider a tour. Then we’ll see what happens after that. But they’re already booking 2026!
A probably final (at least, for a while) instalment in the restored classic Gillan video series. Behold the infamously frenetic version of the rock’n’roll classic LucilleContinue Reading »
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![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/airey2.jpg)
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing