Issue 49 of the Rock Candy magazine (the one with Black Sabbath’s Sabotage on the cover) has a page-spread interview with Don Airey. It is short, and sweet, and rather interesting. Don reveals that he is fond of travelling on tour buses, and even sometimes forgoes the Purple’s executive jet just to join the roadies on the bus. His most favourite session work is also quite unexpected — it is a series of McDonald’s ads he did in the 1990s — reinterpreting their jingle in the style of Mozart, Prokofiev, Ravel, etc. with a 50-piece orchestra.

The issue can be purchased from the publisher.

Thanks to Reinhard Lackner for the info.

On April 2 this year, Don Airey appeared on the Mick Wall’s LIVE POD podcast to talk about his newly released solo album Pushed To The Edge, among other things.

The other things included a compendium of amusing stories regarding the who-is-who of rock luminaries Don has worked with: queueing at the US embassy, reading a little music, reading a little more music, an unscheduled keyboard solo, underrated bass players, men and mice, planes catching fire, putting up with Dolly, false moustache with glasses. Wait, that’s not all — also, a weekend in Scandinavia, C and B-flat, mortified Ritchie, smell of meat curry, and missing the limousine.

Pour yourself a tasty beverage and enjoy!

Thanks to Anton Glaving for the heads-up.

Drummer Les Binks has passed away at the age of 73. He played on Roger Glover’s Butterfly Ball and Eddie Hardin’s Wizard’s Convention. Later on, he joined Judas Priest on Roger’s recommendation and appeared on two of their albums Stained Class and Killing Machine (a.k.a. Hell Bent For Leather), both released in 1978, and the live album Unleashed in the East (1979).

His last public performance was with Judas Priest at the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the heads-up, and to Uwe for correction of a brainfart.

In this interview with the Classic Album Review podcast, Candice Night tells a story, among others, how Rainbow album Stranger in Us All US release was sabotaged by sheer miscommunication. Continue Reading »

Guitar Player magazine celebrated Ritchie Blackmore’s 80th birthday by reprinting online a 1996 feature, including an extensive interview with him.

This interview originally appeared in the December 1996 issue of Guitar Player under the title “Mistreated: Will Ritchie Blackmore Ever Get His Due?”

Deep inside a German castle, Ritchie Blackmore sits at a long table, dressed in medieval garb and clutching a goblet of mead. A group of minstrels skips into the dining chamber, playing a motley assortment of Renaissance instruments — crumhorns, sackbuts, rackets, regals, and hurdy-gurdies.

Transfixed by the otherworldly music and 16th-century setting, the Rainbow and former Deep Purple guitarist — a legend to thousands of aspiring virtuosos — experiences a sudden epiphany.

“This is what I want to do! I don’t want to be plugged into a Marshall anymore!” he laughs, recalling the event later over a cold Beck’s at a plush Manhattan hotel. “I actually said to them, ‘Do you want a guitar player?’ They said, ‘No, we already have a lute player.’ I was crushed.”

Continue reading in Guitar Player.

In this latest instalment of Tales from the Tavern Ritchie Blackmore discusses the genius of Django Reinhardt and how to get thrown out of a hotel. Continue Reading »

Record Collector magazine has announced a special Deep Purple issue featuring foreword by Opeth’s frontman (and a card-carrying Purple fan) Mikael Åkerfeldt.

Join us on a 57-year odyssey through the chaotic career of Deep Purple, the original British heavy rock band. There will be deaths along the way. There will be arguments and near-fatal pranks. Guitars will be smashed. Amps will explode. Mountains of coke and lakes of wine will be consumed. Members will fall out and make up again at regular intervals… and yes, there will be smoke on water. Add a monster worldwide discography, over 100 rare records and a full rundown of all nine Purps line-ups, and RC Presents DP becomes a riff-packed bookazine to treasure.

The issue is going on sale April 17, 2025, for £9.95 plus shipping, with pre-orders available starting April 14.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

MetalTalk has a positively glowing review of Don Airey’s new album Pushed To The Edge:

For a bloke who is one of the most revered and reliable musicians in the business, Don Airey appears to take it all in his stride. Playing with global heavyweights like Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow and Whitesnake and breathing life into timeless classics like Here I Go Again, Since You Been Gone, I Surrender, and Mr Crowley is just meat and potatoes and another day at the office for the Sunderland A.F.C. fanatic.

And for such a reluctant rock star, he knows how to fire up an album with copious amounts of shock and awe. This thing goes off like an alarm on a Scotsman’s wallet with the straight-to-the-vein rocker Tell Me.

Continue reading in MetalTalk.

This cover of Highway Star was done by a band of siblings from the Philippines, who apparently have become a minor YouTube sensation with a following of reactions, no less. The band is called Missioned Souls and includes ICE (age 11) on the drums, Stacey (12) on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Neisha (14) on lead guitars, Naces (16) on bass and keyboards, with the whole affair produced and engineered by their dad Secan.

That was the studio version, and if you think too much studio trickery was involved, there’s also a live performance:

Thanks to Louder Sound for the heads-up.

Internationally renowned graphic artist and designer Ioannis Vasilopoulos has passed away.

Ioannis was the author of the cover art for Abandon and Rapture of the Deep and graphic designer for Bananas. He also designed numerous other record covers and merchandise for other bands, from Alan Parsons Project to Sepultura.

The following message has been posted on his Facebook page yesterday, April 8, 2025:

We announce with heavy hearts the passing of Ioannis, our beloved artist, husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He has left us for the great beyond. We find comfort in knowing he is reunited with his father, mother, family, and friends.

Ioannis was an internationally renowned artist and designer born in Athens, Greece. Arriving in the US in 1967, he grew up influenced by comic books, animation, fantasy art, and music. Music inspired his admiration of album cover art, specifically of Roger Dean and Storm Thorgerson (Hipgnosis). While he was in college, he created his first record cover and art directed the music video for the group Art in America, an MTV video breakout in 1983. The cover would later be featured in the book ‘1000 Record Covers’ by Michael Ochs. Ioannis’s work was featured in the books “Fade To Black’ with Martin Popoff and “Get the Led Out” written by Denny Somach with a foreword by Carol Miller.

Over the years, he created award-winning campaigns, logos, and art for his clients. These included Universal Music, Sony Music, Starz, IFC Films, EMI, Virgin, and XM Satellite Radio. Ioannis also has designed over 350 record covers and merchandise for groups like Deep Purple, Allman Brothers, Bon Jovi, Uriah Heep, Styx, Blue Oyster Cult, Dream Theater, King Crimson, Bob Weir, Alan Parsons Project, Starship, Yngwie Malmsteen, VoiVod, Biohazard, Sepultura, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fates Warning, Quiet Riot, Johnny Winter, Extreme, Jon Anderson (YES), Michael Bolton, and more.

He had several shows of his works throughout the US and continued selling his artwork worldwide until his passing.

Ioannis is survived by his wife Lisa, daughter Maria, son-in-law Conor, grandchildren Henry and Jack, brother George, sister-in-law Gaylene, niece Sophia, and sister Elizabeth.

The outpouring of love for Ioannis and his work is a great comfort. Ioannis wanted to do so many new things, and as a family, we have been tasked with continuing his work. His energy will live on through his incredible art. His bright smile and child-like excitement live on in his works. Ioannis will undoubtedly be remembered as one of rock’s all-time great artists.