A “yes or no” interview with the band. Except Steve, who gets to talk more than the rest of them combined.
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Paicey and Roger promoting the new album on a radio station WXKR, broadcasting out of Ohio, USA. The boys are in a great mood, and there are few, if any, cringe moments from the host:
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Roger Glover pays tribute to the late Chuck Berry, who passed away on March 18 at the age of 90:

I have said often enough that the entire edifice that is rock’n’roll is held up by the twin pillars of Little Richard and Chuck Berry. Little Richard for his searing voice and superb band and Chuck for his scattershot lyrics and iconic guitar style. And most importantly, they wrote the songs.

Naturally, I’m saddened by Chuck Berry’s passing. The world turns and heroes are gone. The first album I bought with the first money I earned was Chuck Berry’s first album. Every band on the planet has learned and played his songs. Immortal songs. Living music.

RG

Glenn Hughes is announced as a special guest for the upcoming in late May / early June The Music of Cream tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Music of Cream is basically a Cream cover band with a twist or three — it consists of Ginger Baker’s son Kofi, Jack Bruce’s son Malcolm, and Eric Clapton’s nephew Will Jones.

Full details and ticket info in our calendar.

Thanks to Yvonne for the info.

earMusic/Edel will continue the series of Jon Lord reissues with the release of “Windows” on April 28, 2017.

The reissue was remastered by Rob Cass at Abbey Road Studios, using the original stereo tracks and will be released as a Digipak featuring a new artwork. A reissue of “Sarabande” will follow later this year.

I have just got home from watching “Deep Purple: From Here To inFinite” which premiered in Düsseldorf, Germany tonight. German radio/television WDR waited in front of the auditorium’s entrance for Ian Paice and Roger Glover to arrive and sign memorabilia for the fans. The auditorium itself was filled quite well although there were a couple of seats left. The movie was started with a still picture showing all band members in their polar outfits requesting the audience to not record the movie nor the three songs that were played afterwards.

In probably 90 minutes, the film highlighted some scenes of how the album was created. Starting with the last gig of the last world tour in London in 2015, traveling to Nashville were the songs were constructed in a rehearsal studio before going to the record studio which was located on the other side of the Nashville. Finally, the vocals were recorded in Toronto with only Ian Gillan and Roger Glover present. In between this overall story arc, the film explained how Steve and later on Don joined Deep Purple, that they were the best choice and what influence they had. Even Joe Satriani who replaced Blackmore when he quit the band in Japan was featured. In all the film was quite interesting and it shed a light to some of the new music allowing at least me to get a better feel of it. But above all there is one really sad thing that I would like to point out: I learned that Steve suffers from osteoarthritis in his hand which makes it painful for him to play guitar the way he played for years and which forces him to find a new technique. And that he wished to be “the last guitar player of Deep Purple”.

The worst moment of the whole evening was the time, when the three songs (All I Got Is You, The Surprising, Birds of Prey) were to be played. Not because of the music, which was really great, but because of the people that noticed that Ian and Roger had sneaked into the auditorium and went there to get some signatures. After the first song, the host had to interrupt the presentation and asked the people to get back to their seats. Having said that, let me come back to the songs: All I Got Is You which has already been released as video and single features a phrase from Ian Paice: “You have got me. But all I got is you”. The Surprising was at once my absolute favorite, maybe because Ian Gillan’s voice is left “pure”.

After applause from the crowd, a brief question and answer session took place. Most questions were to be expected and did not cause any new information for people who visit The Highwaystar regularly: “Is this really your last tour?”, “What is your favorite song of the album?”, “Who are your influences / Which drummer do you admire the most?”, “Time for bedlam is really dark, do you fell this way?”, “How can band today get famous?”…

Finally, the audience queued up to get some signatures and after leaving the auditorium there were free posters showing the cover of the new album.

Now, I can hardly wait to experience the whole album.

Review by Timo Teichert

Roger Glover and Ian Paice did several phone-in appearances on American classic rock radio in the morning of this Thursday, March 16th. They appeared (that we know of) on The Morning Buzz show that is on the air in New Hampshire on The Frank Show that airs on KLPX in Tucson, Arizona, and on KQ Morning Show in Minnesota.

Thanks to Nigel Young for the info and the clip.

Several interviews with Roger Glover have appeared in the Irish press.

He spoke to The Irish News, waxing more philosophic than poetic.

On Time For Bedlam:

It was going to be a song about insane institution of some kind, and then Ian and I talked about the thought of being locked away, not for something you did but for an opinion that differs from the government.

And not just locked away – you’re gone, forever. That’s happened, that’s happened in real life, not in ours fortunately.

It’s a disturbing world we live in.

One of the songs on the album is Get Me Out Of Here. I don’t want to know what’s going on, I just want to escape. That was the feeling I wanted to get across. You can’t run away from it, and it’s a scary future.

The bad times are there for a reason. You learn far more from failure than you do from success. It’s tough to take sometimes, but that’s how you learn.

With my children, they’re upset if they can’t get their way. It’s good to get upset, you’ll learn not to eventually.

Read more in The Irish News.

Independent.ie has a shorter blurb attributed to the Press Association (might be the same source as the interview above).

Belfast Telegraph published his answer to a question he’s not asked too often: what are the 3 songs he wishes he had written:

Thanks to Nigel Young for the info.

Two more events showing the documentary about making of the new album inFinite. Showing in Italy will be attended by Ian Paice and Roger Glover, who will do a Q&A session afterwards, while Cardiff event will be attended by the filmmaker Craig Hooper.

What: Deep Purple: From Here to Infinity
USW journalism lecturer Craig Hooper will show his documentary about the recording of Deep Purple’s new album, and take part in a Q&A.
When: Friday, 17 March 2017, 18:00 – 21:00 GMT
Where: University of South Wales, Cardiff Campus
86-88 Adam Street
Cardiff
CF24 2FN
Tickets: free admission, but prior registration is required

What: DEEP PURPLE From Here to Infinity with Ian Paice and Roger Glover
When: Tuesday, 28 March 2017, 20:15 to 23:30 CEST
Where: Santeria Social Club
Viale Toscana 31
20136 Milano
Italy
Tickets: free admission

Thanks to Nigel Young for the info.

Greg Smith, the bass player for the 1990s incarnation of Rainbow, was interviewed for Eternal Terror webzine out in Norway. Much of the interview revolved around Rainbow proper and Over the Rainbow project, as well as Greg’s work with Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, and his stint on Broadway with Billy Joel’s musical Movin’ Out.

“Stranger in Us All” by Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow happens to be one of my all-time favorite albums. How do you feel about that album nowadays? Do you think it has stood the test of time well?

Thanks. I’m glad it’s one of your favorites! I certainly do think it’s stood the test of time. I think back fondly of the time doing pre-production and of the actual recording. It was the last time I did an album “old school”, meaning everyone together in the studio hashing out the tunes from beginning to end then recording it. I was in the studio from January 1995 to April 1995. Ritchie was mostly a pleasure to be around as were the rest of the band. We had many laughs, drank much wine and beer, and became very close. Doogie recently gave me some audio tapes of some of the jamming we did at the studio as well as a recording of the first time I came down to play with the band in September1994. Priceless stuff!

There are so many legendary tales and stories involving pranks and jokes played by Ritchie floating around. I was wondering if you were ever a victim of one of those or if you outsmarted him or simply steered clear of him?

By the time I joined Rainbow, I had already played with Alice Cooper, so Ritchie thought of me as a professional. I never let him know I was a fan. I had already toured and recorded with his ex-bandmates Joe Lynn Turner, Dave Rosenthal, and Chuck Burgi. I’d heard all their stories, so I was prepared for his potential pranks! He tried pranking me once when I first started with the band in pre-production. He rented a mansion in the Hudson Valley that we rehearsed at. He put his dirty soccer clothes in my pillowcase. I just thought it was a bumpy pillow. I didn’t smell any body odor or sweat. He asked me the next morning how I slept. I told him I slept great. Another time he put this huge industrial vacuum cleaner in my room. I thought the cleaners had left it or something. Turns out he had it on a remote control. About 4:30 AM he clicks it on from his room. He’d thought he’d be able to play that prank on me all night. I just unplugged it from the wall. His remote no longer worked. Again, he asked me how I’d slept. I again told him great! He wasn’t getting a rise out of me so he then moved on to easier prey!

Coincidentally, Greg’s attitude towards making living as a musician is exactly the same as another bass player that from time to time gets coverage here on THS — Roger Glover:

You have been recording and performing music for quite a few years now, so I was wondering; is it ever not fun to be a working musician? Where do you find the inspiration to keep going?

The inspiration for me is I still love it as much as I did when I was a teenager. I always tell people that when I’m on tour, I get paid for the long days of travel and for being away from my family. The playing is free! The only time it was ever “not fun” was the very, very short amount of time I played in a wedding band. It was depressing. You’d be treated like crap by waiters and kitchen staff. Not at all fun. That felt like work and I never want playing to FEEL like work.

Read more in Eternal Terror.

Thanks to Jens Nepper for the info.