The Sunflower Jam has announced that their annual even will be held on September 24 and 25 in London. This time they are scaling down a bit by moving the Jam from the Royal Albert Hall back to Porchester Hall. The evening of September 24th will be a dining event with charity auction and some unspecified entertainment, while the 25th is promised be “a good ol’ fashioned rock and roll gig”. Lineup is to be announced, but we presume that at least Ian Paice have to be there, seeing that the whole thing is organized by Mrs. Paice.

Tickets are already on sale, and they don’t come cheap: £250 for a standard ticket and £500 for VIP treatment. Yes, this is for charity, but we are of the opinion that these prices are quite stiff.

While surfing around on Facebook today, I ran across a picture of a wonderful old Mellotron Mk.II. According to the poster, Streetly Electronics, a British firm specializing in Mellotrons, this instrument was used by Jon on the Book of Taliesyn album.

One comment on the photo mentions that you can hear the Mellotron at about 1:34 into the song Anthem.

The ever prolific Martin Popoff has published another family tree book — Sail Away: Whitesnake’s Fantastic Voyage. The back cover blurb reads:

In Sail Away: Whitesnake’s Fantastic Voyage-the first ever full biography of the band-top music writer Martin Popoff tells the tale of rock legend David Coverdale, from his Deep Purple roots to the two distinct incarnations of his mega-popular creation.

Whitesnake began life as a UK-based blues rock outfit, until the lad from England’s chilly east coast transported the act to America’s sunny west coast in search of fame, fortune, big videos and even bigger hair. Coverdale found them all, and 1987’s self-titled album went eight times platinum in the US alone before the band’s bright star waned in the face of grimy grunge.

In this book-his 45th-Popoff conducted 30 interviews of major characters, including Coverdale himself, to piece together the band’s roller-coaster history. He follows their story through the hirings and firings, the splits and reunions and the image changes which have enabled Coverdale, through his Whitesnake vehicle, to position himself firmly within the pantheon of hard rock greats.

If you’ve rocked out to anthems like “Here I Go Again,” “Fool For Your Loving,” “Still Of The Night” or “Slow An’ Easy,” this is essential reading.

Like many of Martin’s books, this one is also based on numerous interviews that he conducted over the years with David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray, Micky Moody, Adrian Vandenberg, Steve Vai, John Kalodner, Doug Aldrich, Keith Olsen, Ian Paice and many others

The book has been published by a UK publisher Soundcheck Books, so our British readers might be able to procure it locally with SRP of £14.99.

This side of the pond, it might be easier to order directly from the author, with his prices including shipping being:
US orders: $33.00 US funds
International orders (airmail): $43.00 US funds
Canadian orders: $36.00 Cdn. funds

Mail payment (personal check in US funds, cash, or INTERNATIONAL money order), to Martin. Paypal also accepted.

Glenn Hughes has posted an update on his Facebook page explaining the reasons for California Breed demise and outlining his future plans:

Good morning ..
On June 2 Jason left California Breed.
We had just gone on sale with tickets for the USA and Europe tours . I felt it necessary to commit to these shows, as we had recorded an album and we needed to play and promote our work.
Joey C came in and played drums,and helped us out on tour , and I am supremely grateful for this .
What I couldn’t commit to was a second album. Cali Breed was Jason Andrew and myself , and there was no way moving forward without all 3 original members.
Over the past 4 decades I have built a very loving and loyal fan base, where I know most of you , through touring , signing autographs for all , or on social networks, where I see your photographs or avatar , and answer you, in whatever you wish to ask or share with me .
Those of you who have met me , or know me , know that I deeply care about LIFE…
I am currently working on 3 projects , 2 musical & one movie …I will give more details as I move forward .
This is a loving … And safe Place smile emoticon
The Canvas of my LIFE is vast …and I go …where my spirit.. Leads me ..
Big love to all my fans, friends and GOLDEN ones across our Planet …
In my world LOVE is the answer .. Remember this

Thanks to Cameron Hons for the info.

Jerry Bloom of More Black Than Purple fame will be publishing his new book Deep Purple: A Matter of Fact on May 4 via Wymer Publishing. If his Blackmore’s biography is anything to go by, this is the one to look forward to.

Press release reads:

DEEP PURPLE A MATTER OF FACT is the perfect companion to Deep Purple’s music. Full of bizarre, obscure and amazing facts that have surrounded the band throughout its career of over forty years. If you have ever had disagreements with fellow fans about various facts or want to test the biggest fan on just how good their Deep Purple knowledge is, then this is the book for you.

• How did Ian Paice and Rod Evans end up supporting Deep Purple?
• Why did Ritchie Blackmore’s country and western guitar playing save him from a beating?
• Why did Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler review a Purple gig?
• Who first recorded versions of several Deep Purple songs, complete with an orchestra?
• Did Deep Purple’s explosive performance at Plumpton really prevent Yes from performing?
• Who did Deep Purple sue for selling bootlegs?
• Which big rock star did the band get in a spat with at Knebworth?
• Why did the Bee Gees receive Purple’s lifetime achievement award?
• What was Deep Purple’s involvement with a film about a sixteenth century naval explorer that never got produced?
• Why were some of Deep Purple’s recent gigs illegal?

The answers to all these questions, and many more amazing facts are revealed in this captivating book, which includes a foreword by tennis legend and Purple fan Pat Cash. Based on interviews with band and road crew members, contemporary press articles, and drawing on management files, A Matter Of Fact helps to clarify the truth behind several stories. It also dispels some untruths once and for all, as well a few previously un-revealed new stories that will appeal to even the most diehard fans.

Jerry Bloom does an amazing job of collecting a collage of information and stories of the band members when they were in and out of their various bands before, during and after Purple. The stories will keep any Deep Purple fan enthralled. As anyone in showbiz will tell you there’s always a whole lot more going on than it appears. This book is not just about the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle but an insight in to the tough day to day grind of a group of amazingly talented artists all with differing personalities.

Pat Cash

The book will be available from Amazon in North America and UK, and all other major retailers.

Title: DEEP PURPLE A MATTER OF FACT
Author: Jerry Bloom
ISBN: 978-1-908724-06-9
Pages: 194
Price: £14.99
Publication date: 4 May 2015

It can also be ordered directly from the publisher’s own web store. All orders from that site will include a free colour booklet of previously unpublished Deep Purple photos (while stocks last).

Cover artwork for the upcoming Long Beach 1971 has been released to the media, together with the accompanying press release:

Welcome to Long Beach 1971, the latest album in earMUSIC’s Deep Purple reissue series that, over the last two years, has seen the release of rare live material from the band, including “Paris 1975”, “Copenhagen 1972”, “Stockholm 1970” and “Graz 1975”. Spanning over 70 minutes of music, “Long Beach 1971” has been remastered in 2014 and is going to be eleased on 2 March 2015 on earMUSIC.

Recorded at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, on July 30, 1971, it was broadcast on radio (KUSC 91.5 FM), a showcase for a support performance to Rod Stewart and The Faces. An official release for a concert that has long been considered a landmark for the band, the set featured tracks (“Speed King” and “Child In Time”) from their fourth studio album, June 1970’s “In Rock”. This was a transitional release for the Mk II version of the band – guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, frontman Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, organ/keyboard player Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice –, being their first hard rock affair as well as their commercial breakthrough as the third leading über-rock band of the day along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Completing the set that day were a considerably extended version of “Mandrake Root” from their July 1968 debut album “Shades Of Deep Purple”, and “Strange Kind Of Woman”.

Opening with an 11-minute long “Speed King”, the show actually starts off like a climax, with a frenzy of organ and batter of guitar and drums, before segueing into a fast and furious riff and some classic caterwauls from Ian Gillan. Next up is “Strange Kind Of Woman”. The piledriving central motif is a classic combination of rhythm and riff, the band hitting a bluesy, even funky, groove. Following is an impressive version of the Deep Purple classic “Child in Time”: it is 20 minutes of heavy action from Blackmore. If you’re not too exhausted by that, there is time for one more, and it’s a good – not to mention long – one: “Mandrake Root”, a 27-minute extrapolation of the debut album track and concert standby.

Tracklist: 1. Speed King / 2. Strange Kind Of Woman / 3. Child In Time / 4. Mandrake Root

All in all, the frenzy, powerful show is leaving the audience staggered, and not a little dazed, as they head towards the exit, into the warm California night, wondering what the hell just happened. Deep Purple live just happened.

Thanks to Chris Hewlett for the info.

A radio station KYGT from Idaho Springs, Colorado, will be airing The Life & Music Of Tommy Bolin on Friday, February 6th, from 9:00 am to noon MST. It will be a 2+ hour commercial free radio documentary featuring interviews from Glenn Hughes, Kenny Passarelli (Barnstorm, Elton John band), Stanley Sheldon (bass player on Teaser and Frampton Comes Alive!), and Tommy’s brother Johnnie Bolin.

KYGT broadcasts locally on 102.7 FM and online “for fellow earthlings” via Streema and Tunein.

Thanks to Trace Keane for the info.

A Glenn Hughes’ interview will be on the air this Sunday on the Rock City Radio Show Berlin. The interview is from November 23 when California Breed played in Berlin. The presentation of the show is in German, but Glenn is not overvoiced. The part with Glenn is about 45 minutes long (including music).

The show will be on the air on Sunday, January 18, between 17:00 and 18:00 CET. The show can be listened online and worldwide at alex-berlin.de. Check that page for other ways to listen as well.

[Update Jan 22] The show is now available for listening on Soundcloud:

Thanks to Jens for the info.

French-German TV channel Arte will be airung a new documentary called Hauptsache laut (Essentially Loud) this Saturday, January 17 at 22:00 CET, repeated on Saturday, January 24 at 1:55 CET. The documentary focuses on how the rock music became the loud music. A number of very loud luminaries have been interviewed for the film, including the lead singer for The Loudest Band in the World^TM — one Ian Gillan, along with Dave Davies of The Kinks, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Suzi Quatro.

Thanks to Claus Dornhard for the info.

And just as some of our readers have predicted, California Breed is no more. Less than a year after the project was revealed to the world. The band has announced today via Twitter:

We are no more… another thing we couldn’t keep together.

and on Facebook:

The band is over. What a logo though, right?

Thanks to Classic Rock for the info.