Black Country Communion’s 3rd studio album will be called Afterglow and will be released on October 30, 2012. Pre-ordering will start on September 11 and will be available at BCCommunion.com.
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BBC Radio 4 has aired a programme on fusion of rock and classical music titled Rock ‘n’ Roll in Four Movements. It prominently features Concerto for Group and Orchestra, with all the Big Three keyboard players of the classic rock — Jon Lord, Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson — being interviewed. Jon’s contribution is from his last interview conducted just a week before his death.

The programme was on the air yesterday, August 23, and is available for replay until noon BST, August 30. (BBC’s iPlayer requires Flash plugin.)

Thanks to DPAS and Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

In addition to the Machine Head 40th anniversary box set, EMI will be releasing on October 8 two more anniversary editions, both on vinyl: a remastered Machine Head and remixed In Concert’72. Here’s the rundown.

Machine Head

• Original album, newly remastered in 2012 by Jon Astley;
• audiophile 180gram heavyweight vinyl in a gatefold sleeve reproducing the original cover;
• features a 6 panel lyric sheet;
• package includes bonus 7″ single Never Before / When A Blind Man Cries in a Purple Records house bag.

In Concert’72 Deluxe 2LP Set

• Recorded at the BBC’s Paris Theatre, London on 9th March 1972 (previously available on the second part of In Concert 70/72);
• Double LP set on purple vinyl;
• features a new 2012 mix from the original 8 track tapes with the original set list in its correct order;
• remixed at Abbey Road Studios;
• new artwork and photographs by Barry Plummer taken at the concert itself;
• because of the duration of the concert and issues with sound quality in relation to the length of audio on sides of LPs, the encore Lucille is being issued on the A-side of a 33 1/3 purple vinyl 7” housed in a Purple Records bag;
• single’s B-side features an exclusive to this edition and previously unreleased version of Maybe I’m A Leo recorded during the soundcheck; Simon Robinson describes it as “very rough indeed – with Gillan singing just a few bits (to save his voice)”.

Track list:

Record 1
Side 1

1. Introduction
2. Highway Star
3. Strange Kind of Woman

Side 2

1. Maybe I’m a Leo
2. Smoke On the Water

Record 2
Side 1

1. Never Before
2. Lazy

Side 2

1. Space Truckin’

Bonus 7 Inch

Side 1: Lucille
Side 2: Maybe I’m a Leo (Soundcheck)

The British Music Experience is introducing The Practice Room — “a series of mentoring sessions that allow musicians to learn from professional players and songwriters.” Our own Ian Paice will launch the sessions on September 17 between 7pm and 9pm. Tickets are on sale through the Ticketmaster at £5.75, and that includes admission to the BME on the day.

Thanks to Yvonne Osthausen for the info.

Powers That Be™ have released an electronic press kit for the Re-Machined tribute album
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The Fireworks Magazine features several members of the family in Issue 53 (out now).

In the five page spread, Ritchie and Candice discuss their new DVD A Knight In York, the supernatural, the origins of Blackmore’s Night, some of Ritchie’s favourite practical jokes and, for the first time, reveal the true reason for Rainbow splitting up.

I loved the DVD Ritchie, not only is it a really good show, but I was there in person when you filmed it so it brought back great memories. I thought it was absolutely superb. Was it one of the best shows of the tour?

R: I think it was a good, average show – considering that whenever you make plans to record a show something invariably goes wrong and it turns into a disaster. I was pretty happy with how we played. There were a few mistakes, but that is normal. I was quite pleased with it. The night before, two nights before, we were in the most wonderful castle in Germany but it rained. That was originally where we planned to record it, so we would have the video of the castle, but it’s a good job we changed our minds the week before. We were having problems with the promoter, it started a couple of months before we did a show in Germany. We saw the ticket prices and we said it was too much money for people to pay. We complained about the prices being too high and that led to all sorts of confusion and people getting annoyed, saying it was a typical price. We said we weren’t going to play for that, so in the end things started getting given away at the show like medallions and merchandise. So planning to record there and then having things like that, we said “You know what? We’ll do it in England.”

Also on page 80 of the magazine are interviews with Ian Gillan, who talks about the Who Cares album with Tony Iommi, and a chat with Nick Simper, who talks about Nasty Habits.

Read a longer extract from the Blackmore’s Night interview and learn where to get the printed copy here.

Thanks to James Gaden for the info.

Roger Glover has posted the first studio report covering events that transpired behind the purple curtains between March last year and today:

March 2011 – The quest starts at a mountaintop retreat in the south of Spain – a hidden studio in a house called El Cortijo, ruled by a veteran skin-beater by the name of Trevor Morais. There, as the rain and wind pound on the windows, they capture a couple of handfuls of rough-hewn seeds of songs harnessed from the bittersweet (mostly sweet) fruit of their experience over the preceding five hard-working, post-rapture years, visiting countless corners of the known and unknown world.

Continue reading on RogerGlover.com. And make sure to check the photo gallery.

Polish fans will be celebrating the upcoming 40th anniversary of Made in Japan in style. A special event will be held in Warsaw on August 17 — the whole Made in Japan start to finish, including the encores, will be performed by a local band called Panteon. The event is dedicated to the memory of Jon Lord.

What: Made in Japan 40th anniversary concert
When: August 17, the celebrations will kick off at 18:00 with performance by PGR
Where: Amfiteatr Bemowo, Warsaw
More info: madeinjapan.pl, Facebook

Thanks to Lukas for the info.

Deep Purple (Overseas) and EMI have announced a 40th anniversary box set edition of the Machine Head, to be released on October 8, 2012 (in Europe, presumably). This five discs special edition will be accompanied with illustrated 60 page hardback booklet.

Contents of the box set include:

• CD1: original album 2012 remaster
• CD2: 1997 remix by Roger Glover
• CD3: original album quad SQ mix in stereo (2012 remaster)
• CD4: In Concert ’72 – 2012 remix (recorded live at Paris Theatre, London 9th March 1972)
• CD5: 2012 high resolution remaster and surround mix (DVD)

Booklet features:

• Detailed essays from original bassist Roger Glover and Mojo magazine editor Phil Alexander
• Quotations from Deep Purple fans Mikael Akerfelt, Luke Morley, Sebastian Vettel, Eddie Jordan, Brian Tatler, Janick Gers and Peter Hook.
• An interview with famed photographer Didi Zill, whose photos of the legendary recording sessions in Switzerland illustrate the booklet.

The WhoCares 2CD compilation album will be released in North America on August 28th via Eagle Rock Entertainment. Tony Iommi writes on his website:

Many thanks to everyone who bought the WhoCares single or album, we’ve heard from our buddy in Armenia that construction work on the school will start on August 15th! This is just the beginning so please continue to support us! The album will be available in the US at the end of August, more news at that time.

All proceeds from the release will go towards the construction of a music school in Guymri, Armenia, which was destroyed in 1988 earthquake.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.