David Coverdale has appeared on BBC Breakfast show yesterday, May 15, to promote Whitesnake’s UK tour (which starts in Belfast today):

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info and to Ania Rock for uploading the video.

Steve Morse spoke to Something Else! Reviews about the new album and the late Jon Lord:

NICK DERISO: Over the years, you became very close with (late co-founding keyboardist) Jon Lord. It must have meant a lot to you to have been a part of his final album, the very long-awaited studio version of Concerto for Group and Orchestra.

STEVE MORSE: The original concept was not to have us involved with it, so that it wouldn’t be diluted — and wouldn’t give people any expectations that it would sound like Deep Purple. So, it was a big deal. I’m one of Jon’s biggest fans. I connected with him very intensely, especially on our first album (together, 1996′s) Purpendicular. He just had this certain something; he could hear things that no one else could. When everyone else was saying ‘nah, that’s not working,’ Jon could say: ‘Wait a second. Let’s just twist it this way, and look again.’ So, it was a big deal that Jon asked me. Originally, when he did the concerto with Deep Purple live, that was sort of hurriedly done — though Jon had spent a lot of time writing it. The second time we did it, when I was in the band, it was still with Deep Purple. This was his first chance to do his own recording without being associated with Deep Purple, and from what I understand he didn’t really intend to ask me to do it. He just got used to the way that I played some of the sections. He was describing to the guitarist maybe in too much detail, trying to get them to recreate the way that I did it. I guess it just got easier to ask me.

Read more in Something Else!

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

The new album has been out for a while now, the dust seems to be settling down, and it’s time for another poll here at The Highway Star.

We tried to put together a variety of the most often expressed opinions of the album, and you can always post your opinion in free form in the comments.

The poll closes at 23:59 UTC on Tuesday, May 21. You need Javascript and cookies enabled to vote.

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A longish (and thus interesting) interview with Ian Paice was done by Italian Radio Lombardia’s show Linea Rock some time in April and is now available for viewing:

Thanks to Yvonne Osthausen for the info.

Frontiers Records has announced digital release of the first single from the new Blackmore’s Night album Dancer And The Moon. The track is called The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over the Sea):

[It is] based on an old folk Czech melody which Candice and I thought were very melodic and haunting. We adapted and arranged to suit more of a rock structure. We also played it as a ballad as it was originally intended. We asked several of our Czech friends what it was called but they couldn’t tell us, so it remains a mystery.

The single can be downloaded now from iTunes or Amazon and streamed via Spotify and Deezer.

Listen to the sample of The Moon Is Shining courtesy of Frontiers Records.

Dancer and the Moon will be released on June 11 in the US and June 14 in Europe in the following formats:

• regular CD
• deluxe edition: digipak, including bonus DVD featuring a 40-minute “making-of” documentary and acoustic versions of The Spinner’s Tale, Somewhere Over The Sea/Moon Was Shining, The Ashgrove and Queen For A Day
• “super deluxe” limited edition (2,000 copies): all of the above, packaged in a polyston frame with the cover artwork printed on canvas and including a black tote bag with Blackmore’s Night artwork, four Blackmore’s Night pins, and a certificate of authenticity


Thanks to BraveWords and Blabbermouth for the info.

The 1970 BBC radio session of Deep Purple performing Grabsplatter and Black Night has been rebroadcasted on BBC Radio 6 Music Live Hour in the wee hours of Sunday, May 12. The show will available for listening online for a week now. Should you be inclined to skip PJ Harvey and T.Rex directly to Purple, their contribution starts at around 47:20.

Thanks to Alexander Draper for the info.

Italian tribute band Forever Deep has put out an album of original material with Ian Paice and Don Airey guesting on several tracks:

1. The Star of my Secret Arts
2. The Wish (feat. Paice & Airey)
3. Never
4. My Loneliness (feat. Airey)
5. Without your Love (feat. Paice)
6. Do I Belong
7. Marosh (feat. Paice)
8. Purple Fury

The album is available for purchase on iTunes and via the band’s website.

Thanks to Simone Bistaffa for the info (and sorry it slipped through the cracks first time around).

Behind the music documentary which was recently shown on VH1 in the US has been posted on Youtube. Act fast before Powers That Be^(tm) take it down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNid240VutI
All in all, I must say it’s rather well done, considering the enormity of the task of covering the 45-year history of the band in 45 minutes. Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice, Simper, Hughes, Coverdale, Derek Lawrence, Michael Bradford, Joe Satriani, and Lars Ulrich were interviewed for the film, with some interview footage from archives (obviously, in case of Jon Lord).

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

The promotional video for Vincent Price was shot at the Berlin Dungeon. Check out pictures of the shoot in Berliner Morgenpost and on Facebook.

Hmm, I wonder if they’ve run into Blackmore there…

Thanks to Peter and Yvonne Osthausen for the info.

This list is being continuously updated. Progress of the album in charts around the world is neatly summarized here.

The first week of Now what?! out in the wild is over and the first official chart positions accounting for both online and offline sales are in.

• Germany: #1 first week, #5 second, #12 third, #22 fourth, #27 fifth, #32 sixth, #37 seventh, #46 eighth, #54 ninth, #58 tenth, #63 eleventh, #73 twelfth, #71 thirteen, #79 fourteen, #77 fifteen, #89 sixteen, #62 (week of Dec 13, Gold Edition).
  • Independent albums: #4 in April (up to May 3), #1 in May (May 3-30)
• Austria: #1 first week, #12 second, #23 third, #32 fourth, #59 fifth, #54 sixth
• Czech Republic: #1 first week, #5 second, #8 third, #14 fourth, #20 fifth, #17 sixth, #17 seventh, #23 eighth, #29 ninth, none — tenth, #46 eleventh, #43 twelfth, #46 thirteen, #34 fourteen, #13 fifteen, #3 seventeen (week of Aug 28), #36 eighteen, #45 nineteen
• Switzerland: #2 first week, #10 second, #11 third, #23 fourth, #38 fifth, #46 sixth, #51 seventh, #62 eighth, #54 ninth, #88 tenth, #83 eleventh, #47 twelfth, #54 thirteen, #76 (reentry on week ending Dec 15, 2013, following release of the Gold Edition)
• Norway: #4 first week, #1 second, #2 third, #6 fourth, #13 fifth, #22 sixth, #23 seventh, #34 eigth, #38 (reentry week of Aug 23)
• Poland: #5 first week, #5 second, #8 third, #11 fourth, #14 fifth, #21 sixth, #13 seventh, #14 eighth, #23 ninth, #35 tenth, #41 eleventh, #38 twelfth, #39 thirteen
• Sweden: #7 first week, #13 second, #16 third, #20 fourth, #22 fifth, #37 sixth, #28 seventh, #21 eighth, #26 ninth, #48 tenth, #59 eleventh, #51 twelfth
• Hungary: #7 first week, #8 second, #12 third, #33 fourth, #21 fifth, #27 sixth, #38 eighth, #29 (week of Aug 20th)
• Finland: #8 first week, #13 second, #23 third, #21 fourth, #23 fifth, #32 sixth, #29 seventh, #34 eighth, #48 ninth, none tenth, #44 eleventh, #46 (week of Aug 29)
• Worldwide: #11, first week, #27 second, #40 third
• Netherlands: #12 first week, #48 second, #58 third, #74 fourth
• Italy: #12 first week, #18 second, #26 third, #25 fourth, #33 fifth, #66 sixth, #80 seventh, #72 eighth, #77 ninth, #95 tenth, #92 eleventh, #91 thirteen
• UK:
  • Albums Top 100: #19 first week, #69 second, #81 third, #95 fourth
  • Rock & Metal Albums: #1 first week, #4 second, #3 third, #7 fourth, #14 fifth, #18 sixth, #16 seventh, #21 eighth, #33 ninth
  • Record Store Albums: #5 first week, #17 second, #24 third, #32 fourth
  • Scottish Albums chart: #13 first week
• Spain: #19 first week, #30 second week
• France: #23 first week, #57 second, #84 third, #135 fourth, #171 fifth, #195 sixth, #162 seventh
  • Physical sales: #19 first week, #44 second, #68 third, #113 fourth, #115 fifth, #136 sixth, #118 seventh, #163 eighth, #188 ninth
• Greece: #20 first week, #21 second, #13 third, #36 fourth, #28 fifth, #43 sixth, #64 seventh
• Denmark: #26 first week, #18 second, #36 third
• Belgium:
  • Flemish chart: #33 first week, #37 second, #50 third, #67 fourth, #59 fifth, #77 sixth, #81 seventh, #112 eighth, #111 ninth, #170 tenth, #156 eleventh, #162 twelfth, #149 thirteen, #199 week ending Jan 11 2014
  • French chart: #36 first week, #14 second, #34 third, #30 fourth, #34 fifth, #48 sixth, #37 seventh, #53 eighth, #63 ninth, #74 tenth, #78 eleventh, #99 twelfth, #77 thirteen, #88 fourteen, #106 (week of Sep 14), #136 (week of Sep 21), #198 (week of Sep 29), #189 (week of Dec 7), #105 (week of Dec 14)
• Japan (released May 22): #50 first week (1,404 est. sales)
  • International albums: #15 first week
• Ireland: #87
• USA: #115 first week, not in Top 200 second week, #110 third
  • Hard Rock Albums: #8 first week, #20 second, #7 third

The actual sales numbers are a bit difficult to come by. One source provides weekly global sales with numbers appearing to be not cumulative, therefore missing data for the critical first few days after the release:

• May 3: ??? (between 0 and 20,000)
• May 10: 51,000
• May 17: 30,000
• May 24: 25,000

Total confirmed sales: 106,000.

Assuming exponential decay in sales, first week (April 26 to May 2) numbers can be estimated at 85 to 90 thousand, with 160-170 thousand cumulative for the first three weeks.

Another source gives slightly different numbers:

• April 28: #40, 19,100
• May 5: #8, 76,200
• May 12: #20, 37,300
• May 19: #34, 27,400
• May 26: #46, 20,000

Total confirmed sales: 180,000.

If you have any confirmed chart positions, please post in the comments, preferably with a prooflink.

Thanks to Ke79, Daniel Bengtsson, Andrey Gusenkov, Bjørn Sund, Mike Eriksson, Ron, laski, Nigel Young, ron, joroz, Giuseppe, Akis, alessandro, Joerg, Apollo, micke, and many, many others for the info.

Special thanks to Esteban, joroz and Nigel Young for continuing updates.