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Bonnet chimes in

Graham Bonnet was interviewed for Metal Mythos AfterShock, and while the bulk of 1-hour long conversation was devoted to Alcatrazz, it started with discussion of Rainbow and possibility of Blackmore returning to hard rock.

Graham’s bottom line: “I would not be surprised if nothing happens.”

He further elaborated his stance to Classic Rock:

The last time I had any communication with Ritchie about this was several years ago, when the subject of Rainbow reforming last came up. At the time, I thought there was just one man for the job – and that’s Ronnie James Dio. Sadly, his death in 2010 put paid to that idea.

I remember talking to Joe Lynn Turner back then. He insisted he was the logical choice for the band. But to most fans, it was always about Ronnie.

Joe still talks openly about being the only man for the job. However, I reckon he’s making a fool of himself by going on and on like this.

People can fantasise all they want about the Down To Earth five reuniting. But Cozy Powell is dead, and I can’t honestly see Roger Glover giving up Deep Purple for that. Nor, for the matter, would Don Airey.

If I were Ritchie, and determined to revive Rainbow, I’d find the best young talent out there and go for a fresh, new approach.

Ask yourself, what would be bigger? A Rainbow reunion with me or Joe, or Purple with Ian and Ritchie?

Before getting any speculations started, remember that Blackmore never mentioned any sort of reunion, be it with Rainbow or Purple. All he was talking about, whether seriously or not, was a few shows next June, playing Purple and Rainbow tunes with unspecified people. Gillan, on his part, just last year reiterated that although they have buried the proverbial hatchet, never the twain shall meet again.

Under the Neon

Demon's Eye Under the Neon artwork

Demon’s Eye started as a Purple cover band back in 1998, and progressively graduated into playing their own music. They are releasing a second album of original material — called Under the Neon — in September. This is again a collaboration with Doogie White, who did vocals on the album. Their previous effort The Stranger Within came out in 2011 and was very Rainbow-esque, to the point that truly your characterized is as sounding like a follow up to Stranger in Us All. Well, if the first preview track is any indication, the band has definitely matured, and while the influences are unmistakably there, this is a very solid original effort. It would not find itself out of place on any family tree album.

Judge for yourself:

Lineup:
Doogie White – Vocals
Mark Zyk – Guitars
Gert-Jan Naus – Organ & Keyboards
Andree Schneider – Drums
Maik Keller – Bass

Track listing:

  1. Epic
  2. Road to Glory
  3. Closer to Heaven
  4. Five Knuckle Shuffle
  5. Welcome to my World
  6. Finest Moment
  7. Fallen Angel
  8. Master of Destiny
  9. Dancing on Air
  10. Blood Red Sky
  11. The Messenger

Total Time: 53:04

Produced by:
Andree Schneider

The album is due out on September 18 and can be preordered from the band’s website.

Demon’s Eye featuring Doogie White on Tour:

02nd Oct. 2015 D-Siegburg, Kubana
03rd Oct. 2015 D-Siegen, Lyz
04th Oct. 2015 NL-Limburg, Asta Theater
09th Oct. 2015 D- Soest, Alter Schlachthof
10th Oct. 2015 D-Bensheim, Musiktheater Rex
11th Oct. 2015 D-Karlsruhe, Festhalle Durlach
15th Oct. 2015 D-Wilhelmshaven, Pumpwerk
16th Oct. 2015 D-Dortmund, Musiktheater Piano
17th Oct. 2015 D-Isernhagen, Blues Garage

Withdrawn, temperamental and intense

A vintage interview with Ritchie Blackmore has appeared recently in Ultimate Guitar. The backstory as told by Jim Esposito, the interviewer, is kinda interesting in itself. Just mentally replace 1974 with 1973 as from the sound if it the interview was taken on or around June 17, 1973, when the band was playing at the Palm Beach International raceway in Florida:

As a rock journalist Deep Purple was always one of “my groups.” Freelancing through this era every time the band came through town I talked my way backstage with my notebook and cassette recorder for an interview and a story. Like every other writer I got on best with Roger Glover and Jon Lord, who were the most out-going. Drummer Ian Paice was very quiet, and vocalist Ian Gillan was usually with a girl.

Ritchie Blackmore was withdrawn, temperamental and intense. I tried talking to him, but he was not a good interview – two word answers, obviously an imposition.

Circa 1974 Deep Purple was playing at the West Palm Beach Fairgrounds. Meeting up with the band at their hotel to ride to the gig in their limos, I was surprised when Ritchie motioned me over, told me to ride with him, he’d give me an interview. Guess he felt like talking.

I had no idea the interview I’d be getting. A blockbuster. Basically I broke the story about Deep Purple replacing Roger Glover and Ian Gillan with Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale.

To this day I’ve never read an interview where Blackmore was more forthcoming. I used quotes from this discussion for a story in Circus Magazine on the band’s shakeup, but the transcription of the entire interview has been in my files ever since.

In other words, the interview is a real gem, taken at the critical point in band’s history. Ritchie swings from winding the reader up:

Sometimes Jon doesn’t even walk on and we start without him ’cause he’s p-ssed off. He walks off a lot.

We usually beat up the manager about once a week.

I’ll never do a solo LP because whoever I work for has got to be a team. I could never call a band the Ritchie Blackmore Group because I just wouldn’t take that responsibility.

…to being extremely candid:

Did anybody ever agree with you that the band was stagnating?

Nobody’s ever said they’re stagnating. That’s the type of thing they’ll never say to you. But if you’re sharp enough, and you want to keep on as a successful band, you realize it yourself. When you’re stagnating in whatever you’re doing you can tell. There were certain people in the group that were saying: “Listen, we’re stagnating a bit.” And then other people in the group were going: “What do you suggest then? With the lineup we’ve got, and the members we’re not limited, but we’ve played as much as we can put out as the five people we are now.” That is why, now, there’s going to be a change. Deep Purple isn’t going to break up. It’ll be three certain members staying together. There’ll be two new members, and it’ll still be call Deep Purple.

Read on in Ultimate Guitar.

Thanks to Yvonne for the info.

Signed Guitar Auction

A guitar signed by Deep Purple (at the Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow), Whitesnake, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai amongst others is being auctioned in aid of British charity Rockin for Tots help to raise funds for Simpsons Special Care Babies, which is a registered charity (SC002013). These funds will help with the purchase of a travel incubator for the Neo Natal Unit in the New Royal Infirmary Of Edinburgh., a charity in Scotland raising funds for specialised equipment for local children’s hospitals.
guitar
You can view the auction here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EPIPHONE-LES-PAUL-STUDIO-SIGNED-BY-DEEP-PURPLE-WHITESNAKE-VAI-SATRIANI-AND-MORE-/181833043759?&_trksid=p2056016.m2516.l5255

Happy birthday, Big Ian

Best wishes to our favourite singer. Many happy returns, and take good care of yourself!

Thanks to Igor Gruden for the video (via deeppurpleos)

Guitars, amps, cabinets, pedals, and picks

Steve Morse takes you on an extensive video tour of his rig: the Musicman #1, the Y2D, Engl heads and cabinets, and TC Electronics pedals. On a side note, the video also reveals that the glove he’s been wearing recently on his right hand helps him to control inflammation from arthritis.

Thanks to Premier Guitar for the video.

Hughes & Aldrich in Peru

It’s a busy summer for the Purple family. As Deep Purple and Whitesnake are trawling the North America, at times almost crossing paths, Glenn Hughes and Doug Aldrich have headed down south. Here’s an excerpt of their performance in Lima, Peru. Bear in mind that it’s a power trio covering songs that were written for a 5-piece band, so some parts ought to be missing.

Thanks to despiadado777 and marko666arze for the video and to Yvonne for bringing it to your attention.

The Road of Golden Dust

Jerry Bloom, The Road of Golden Dust cover; image courtesy of Wymer Publishing

Wymer is preparing for publication a new book by Jerry Bloom — The Road of Golden Dust. The press blurb reads:

A comprehensive story of Deep Purple’s golden years 1968-76, which saw the band come from nowhere to have a top 4 US hit with it’s debut single. Within two years the band was in the throes of potential dissolvement
when the record company went into liquidation.

Fortunately, focussing on their homeland in Britain they relaunched their career with the groundbreaking In Rock LP in 1970 – the platform that ensured by 1973 Deep Purple was the biggest selling album artists in America.

Band break-ups and in-fighting continually rocked the boat before finally calling it a day in 1976 after a brief UK tour. The Road Of Golden Dust documents the ups and downs, drawing on the author’s interviews with various band and road crew members including founding members Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and Nick Simper, as well as interviews with Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, roadie Ian Hansford, tour manager Colin Hart plus co-operation from the management company Deep Purple (Overseas) Ltd, that all help to unveil some new stories that help to explain the whys and wherefores that shaped one of Britain’s greatest and most influential rock bands of all time.

Title: The Road of Golden Dust (The Deep Purple Story 1968-76)
Author: Jerry Bloom
ISBN: 978-1-908724-23-6
Format: Paperback, 216 x 138 mm, 224pp
Publication date: October 26, 2015

We hope to review the book some time before the publication date.

Thanks to Gary Hibbert and Cameron Hons for the info.

Perfect Strangers from the Rising Sun

Another promo clip from the upcoming …To The Rising Sun (In Tokyo) video release. This time it’s Perfect Strangers:

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.

The Talented Mr. Blackmore

Ritchie Blackmore, House of Blues Chicago, Oct 17 2009; photo: Nick Soveiko CC-BY-NC-SA

A retrospective video documentary on Ritchie Blackmore is being prepared for release by Eagle Rock. Titled Uneasy Rider — The Talented Mr. Blackmore, this release will consist of an hour and a half documentary proper, plus 43 minutes of additional interviews. The interviews include the man himself, Steve Lukather, Brian May, Joe Satriani, Gene Simmons, Steve Vai, Lars Ulrich, David Coverdale, Phil Collen, Ian Anderson, Malcolm Dome, Martin Birch, Chris Welch, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, Chris Charlesworth, Jim Ladd, Graham Bonnet, Joe Lynn Turner, and Pat Regan. Release date is penciled in for October 30 (at least, in the UK). The video has been approved by the British Board of Film Classification for DVD, Blu-ray and digital platforms.

Thanks to Darker Than Blue and Daniel Falaschi for the heads up and BBFC for additional info.

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