The Armenian music school saga nears its successful completion. After WhoCares project had donated money for the school reconstruction, the donation was tripled by another charity and Armenian government, with Millbank Music from Canada donating on top of that more than $20,000 worth of music instruments to the school in memory of Jon Lord. The Azat Shirinyan Octet School of Music opening is now scheduled for September with Ian Gillan as a guest of honour. The school was completely destroyed by an earthquake in December 1988.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.

Roger Glover chats with Vintage Rock about Now what?! from his home in Switzerland (this was done probably before the album was released):

This is your fifth record with Steve Morse and your third with Don Airey and I have to say, these two guys really come to the fore. With Don Airey, it’s like you let an animal out of the cage and he’s channeling Jon Lord. I mean, where did that come from? It sounds like he’s really come into his own.

I think he has, especially on this record. He’s found his mark; he’s found his place. He’s had a great career working with many, many people and been in a few bands, but never in a band like this. I think he really enjoys it and he feels privileged to be in it. He was a huge fan of Jon’s all his life and he’s very reverent towards Jon and has a great deal of respect. But Don has to be Don. An organ is an organ. It sounds like a Hammond organ. It doesn’t sound like anything else. But it’s all in the playing. He couldn’t ever replace Jon, but he has to be himself. And he, himself, is a completely different player and there’s a whole different sensibility about him, which is right. But I think he’s confident enough now to really shine with it. And I think he does on this record.

There’s this idea that’s floating around that all of the living members, past and present, of Deep Purple should get together and perform the ultimate Deep Purple concert. I actually talked to Ian Gillan about this a few years ago and he told me someone in Russia had proposed that idea. Do you have any opinion about that either way?

Yes, I do. First of all, impossible. Second of all, improbable. And third of all, why the hell? (laughs). We’re here now; we do what we do now. Fans live in the past, I understand that. I’m a fan myself. I love some old recordings. My first encounter with Little Feat, for example, changed my life. I’ll always love that. But you can’t expect Little Feat to be that now, because they can’t. They’re different people.

Read more in Vintage Rock.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.

Steve Morse remembers Jon Lord:

Music Radar has an interview with Roger Glover presented in the form of a monologue. Interestingly enough, Now what?! gets a fairly brief mention, with the bulk dedicated to Roger’s illustrious career with Purple, solo, Rainbow, as a songwriter, and as a producer.

We’re not very good at planning things to be honest. We’re a democratic band and it’s difficult to get an agreement going. After [2005 album] Raptures of the Deep, which came out eight years ago…the thing is we tour all the tour whether we have an album out or not, so it wasn’t the Rapture of the Deep tour, it was just another tour.

Doing an album didn’t really surface until three or four years after that one. We couldn’t figure out where, when, who with or even if to do a new album, because albums aren’t what they used to be, they used to be real signposts, but then maybe this album is another signpost. Albums seem to be old fashioned though, but then again we’ve never been in fashion.

Continue reading on Music Radar

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

“Somebody tell me why I’m talking to myself, I never listen to a word I sing, nor does anyone else.”

The opening lines of First Sign of Madness set the tone for a straight forward rock’n’roll track complete with boogie piano.

This Deep Purple song is available exclusively to German fans as a download from Media Markt’s website – either for free with a voucher from NOW What?! purchased at one of their stores, or for €0.99. They do however only accept German credit cards…

The track itself is a bit of up-tempo fun, possibly a little more light hearted than the rest of NOW What?! – and thus works wonderfully as a bonus feature.

More than just a throw away jam session, it features intense breaks, a storming piano solo from Don Airey and one of Steve Morse’s signature guitar solos.

“Rambling on again, no one’s listening, all in all again, don’t believe a single word,” sings Ian Gillan in the chorus.

Word from earMUSIC is that the track will surely be made available outside Germany in some shape or form – details will be revealed soon.

If in Germany, download/buy First Sign of Madness here.

Now what?! is featured in the latest podcast of German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle lifestyle show Euromaxx. It is rather bizzare to see the band covered in a show that features such things as luxury real estate on Mallorca, a Bouroullec retrospective in Paris, and eating raw cuisine. They also offer a free CD signed by Roger Glover and Ian Gillan at the end of the segment if you get in touch before May 10. Watch it on dw.de: in English and in German.

Thanks to Yvonne Osthausen for the info.

The issue of Metal Hammer that went on sale in late March has a two page spread featuring Ian Paice interviewed by Matt Oliver of Jettback. If you have any further details, please leave a comment. Back issues can be ordered from the publisher, we just need to figure out which one it is 😉

Thanks to Yvonne Osthausen and London Hand Therapy for the info.

With all the anticipation and excitement about the impending release of the new album Now What?! by the current version of Deep Purple, we can’t forget that there are still other members of the Purple family out there making and playing great music.

On Monday April 22nd, 2013 Glenn Hughes treated us to some Purple several times during a two hour performance at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia. First he ran through a half hour acoustic set including Coast to Coast (Trapeze), Faithless (Black Country Communion), Nights in White Satin (from the F.U.N.K. album), Crossfire (BCC), Imperfection (F.U.N.K.), and Cold (BCC). Glenn’s voice was strong and clear, and his acoustic guitar playing was highly impressive as well.

Then came the electric set starting off with Muscle & Blood (Hughes/Thrall), and next, a great rendition of Might Just Take Your Life (from Deep Purple’s Burn). In between songs Glenn told a story about how the National Enquirer had erroneously mixed him up with the other Glenn Hughes of the Village People, when reporting on the death of the latter. The article was accompanied by a photograph of Purple Glenn himself and wrote how he had been buried in his favourite leather chaps! Glenn added that for a year he did not receive any royalty cheques owing to the confusion about his “death”!

On with the show, Glenn played Medusa (Trapeze), and next up was Sail Away (from DP Burn).
Introducing the next song, Glenn paid tribute to the great Jon Lord and described how Jon was a mentor and father figure to him, and the reason that Glenn joined Deep Purple. And not only that, Jon was an amazing musician. Glenn says he thinks of Jon every day, and is so grateful that he himself is still breathing on the right side of the grass. At that moment Danish guitarist Soren Andersen ripped into a Blackmoresque guitar extravaganza that culminated in the unmistakable riff of Mistreated. Glenn’s voice was clear and powerful in all the ranges he sang of that Purple classic.

Following on was Can’t Stop the Flood (from Building the Machine) which got everyone’s head bobbing.
Introducing the next song, Glenn again spoke of Jon Lord and mentioned David Coverdale. To that he added “Ritchie Blackmore is truly one of the greatest guitar players ever”. Next he said “Long Live Ian Paice!”, and God Bless Tommy Bolin. Glenn told us that Purple played the next song here (Melbourne) at Sunbury in 1975, and launched into Getting Tighter (from Come Taste the Band). Extended jamming then took us through Dance to the Rock and Roll, a drum solo, an amazing bass solo by Glenn, and a reprise into Getting Tighter.

Barely stopping for breath, Glenn shouted out “I am a messenger!” which heralded in Black Country, from BCC’s first album. After an outstanding performance by the band on that last official song of the set, Glenn bid us a good night. The crowded shouted and stamped for more.
After a few minutes we were rewarded with an encore of Soul Mover, the title track of Glenn’s album from 2005. And then the grand finale, Deep Purple’s Burn – the heat was up full blast for that song.
Then it was all over, Glenn thanked everyone for their support over the years and promised to return next year.

I hope that Glenn does keep writing and playing. He is a massively talented musician, very adept on acoustic guitar, hugely funky and rocky on bass, and heavenly of voice. For a man of 61 years to be able to sing with such power and to hit the notes he does, is absolutely astounding.
Deep Purple Mark III and IV will never play again, but their spirit lives on. Long Live Glenn Hughes!

with thanks to Gary Halverson for this review.

Roger Glover chats with Martin Popoff about musical blitzkriegs, styles, sonics, prolific players, dull strings, abrasive admirals, leaping out, and being easy to get along with:

DEEP PURPLE’s first platter in eight years, NOW What?!, began life on the internet with a light advance track called ‘All The Time In The World’, one that had the mighty Purple eaters of the world bickering with stomachs grumbling.

You’d have to ask the record company that. Yeah, it wouldn’t have been my choice. But then again, ‘Smoke On The Water’ wasn’t my choice either. I know nothing about that. I know nothing about the selling of music. They felt, I guess, that ‘All The Time In The World’ would get play on the softer stations, the Radio 2s of the world, or… I don’t know; I don’t know what their plan was. They’re a great company and they really believe in this record and I can’t remember… I thought to myself, how did they come to that decision? And I can only think that they had a meeting of all the staff and said, ‘Right, what are your feelings?’ I have no idea. I thought at first, you know, that’s not a good thing to put out. But then I thought, it’s certainly going to make the album much more of a blitzkrieg when it does come out.

Read more on BraveWords.

Ian Paice will be inteviewed on French Metal XS show on May 2 during a Deep Purple special (presumably timed to promote Now what!?). Metal XS is part of L’Enorme TV network. If you know the details, e.g. what time it’s on the air, please leave a comment below. The show should be available for replay at www.metalxs.com afterwards.

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.