Update (Apr 7): It appears that the show is not a new production, but will be a rebroadcast of the 15th anniversary show aired in 1987. (thanks to Nigel Young for spotting this)

Syndicated US radio show In The Studio is producing a 40th anniversary Machine Head special. Roger Glover and Ian Gillan were interviewed for the show. The program will air during the week starting April 16th on many stations across North America and will be available online from their website for your worldwide listening pleasure.

While the band seem to be taking a rest from active touring and recording, allowing the singer to put his feet up and work on some lyrics, news reaches us of some extra curricula activity on the horizon.

Having just completed two new albums with Crazy horse, it seems that Neil Young is in a mood to rock out once more and has enlisted the help of deep purple, minus Gillan, to be his new backing band for a tour of former Soviet Republics.

“I’d be unable to play these wonderful places by myself” Neil was quoted as saying, “ but because purple have been playing these places for many years now it opens up a whole new horizon for me.”

Once the initial dates are completed the band will return to London to play the part of the house band in a new version of Jesus Christ Superstar currently being put together by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with Lady Gaga playing the part of Christ, originally played by our very own Ian Gillan.

The 2012 edition of the Sunflower Jam will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday, September 16. Apparently Jon Lord’s treatment is proceeding well enough that he is billed to appear there. (And with the whole thing being organized by his sister-in-law, this must come from pretty close to home, so the news are really encouraging).

Other people confirmed so far include Ian Paice, Bruce Dickinson, violinist Nigel Kennedy, and opera singer Alfie Boe. Tickets priced £30 – £130 (plus booking fee) will go on sale through Eventim and the RAH box office soon.

Thanks to Planet Mosh for the info.

On March 21 Ian Paice was playing a gig with the tribute band Purpendicular in Pratteln, Switzerland. The band received a surprise reinforcement as Roger Glover “happened to be in the neighbourhood” and joined them on stage.

Update (Mar 27): Apparently, Roger dropped by unannounced before the gig to say hello and was talked into joining them on stage for a few songs at the beginning of the show. It was only when the lights came on the audience realized who is playing the bass. He stayed to watch the rest of the show from the soundboard area.

Thanks to Purpendicular.eu and Seher Cosgun for the info.

This summer Steve Morse will play in Europe as a part of the G3 tour with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Five dates in late July/early August in Germany, Hungary and Russia have surfaced so far. Full details in our calendar.

Roger Glover will support Hard Rock Cafe’s “Street 2 Sanctuary” campaign to help girls forced to prostitution and their children from the streets of Bombay red light district and place them into the sanctuary and care of the Bombay Teen Challenge. Deep Purple, of course have a history with HRC Venice charity projects as in 2009 they have donated a Music Man guitar signed by all members of the band to the “Imagine There’s No Hunger” raffle, which raised over €5,100.

Glover will appear at the meet and greet with the fans at the Hard Rock Cafe in Venice, Italy, on April 27. The event starts at 9pm. Address: Bacino Orseolo, 1192 (close to St. Mark Square). For more information call +3904152201513 or email venice_salescoordinator@hardrock.com.

The next day, April 28th, he will play a gig with Italian guitar player Tolo Marton at the Cinema Teatro Corso in Venice suburb Mestre-Venezia. Tickets €29 are available online (here and here) or at the venue between 5 and 9 pm. For more information call +393929927983 (English/Italian).

Thanks to Ivano Bosello for the info.

David Coverdale was a guest on US syndicated radio show In The Studio on the occasion of 25th anniversary of the eponymous ’87 album, The conversation meandered far enough to touch his departure from Purple and management problems of the early Whitesnake days. You can listen to it online at In The Studio’s website (requires flash player).

Some time last year he also gave an interview to German TV, where he talks about his connection to that country, says ‘hi’ to his granddaughters, and speaks how the reunion with Bernie Marsden came together. You can watch the interview at rheinraus.com.

Thanks to Blabbermouth and Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

Pearl Drums will launch Ian Paice signature drum kit on April 23, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Machine Head UK release. The kit will feature nine drums, including Masters Premium Legend Maple toms and bass drum, with the signature snare. All drums will feature “unique motif” inside and some will come in sizes unique to Ian’s kit, the same way as Pearl makes them for him, not available anywhere else in the world. As well as a standard front head, the kits will come supplied with a specially designed front bass drum head, which can be fitted to the kit or wall-mounted. Each set will come with a head signed by Paice, dedicated to the individual customer. Every kit will come tuned to Paice’s personal specification as well.

This will be a very limited edition as only 12 kits will be produced. The kits will be unveiled at the Drumwright in UK. The twelve customers who buy one of these sets will also be invited to a private dinner with Paice at The Crooked Billet in Henley-on-Thames, UK.

To get a free ticket to the launch, send an email headed “IP Launch” together with your name and address to enquiries@drumwright.co.uk.

Thanks to Music Instrument Professional and Drumwright for the info.

The Live at Montreux 2011 is about to be released on vinyl by a small label called Night of the Vinyl Dead. The release will be a limited edition, hand numbered to 500 copies, triple purple glitter vinyl in flip top opening cover and inner sleeves (that’s a lot of bells and whistles). The material will be identical to one previously released on CD through Eagle Records.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

Guitar World has a lengty interview with Glenn Hughes, where he talks about everything from his humble beginning as a trombonist in a school orchestra, to Deep Purple, to Black Country Communion, to the late Gary Moore.

Would you say you were the driving force behind Deep Purple’s groovier sound in the mid-’70s?

That’s a great question — but no one put a gun to my head telling me to be me. I mean, if you study those records, like Burn [1974], which was where David Coverdale and I came in, replacing Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, we were brand new, fresh, living in this castle, writing the album. We’re getting along really well, as Ritchie Blackmore does with every new member that comes in -– he’s a great guy. The album was more what you would consider to be rock-focused and Deep Purple-sounding, with its majestic keyboards and Blackmore’s insane guitar playing.

But when Stormbringer [1974] was being written at that same castle, Ritchie didn’t come in with any songs. He came with only one track, one idea. So it was left up to David, John and myself to come up with the goods, if you will. And we started to write things that were groovier, more melodic. I really liked the direction of Stormbringer, but left to my own devices, I’m gonna be — you know — left to my own devices. I think it would’ve been silly for David and me to come into Deep Purple and ape Ian and Roger. It would have been pointless.

Am I the man who killed Deep Purple? I don’t think so. I think every band from that era, even if you look at Led Zeppelin, if you look at their first four albums, they’re extremely different from one another, and I’ve never made the same album twice. There are other artists who I shan’t mention — all good friends of mine — who have this one-dimensional sound, and it really works for them.

For me? I’m not driven by the mighty dollar. I’m driven by the artistic form of writing music that is different from the last album, while still keeping a focus on what the general direction should be. I don’t take responsibility for Blackmore leaving Deep Purple because of the music I was writing. If you look at the annals of Deep Purple, you’ll notice that Blackmore, every second or third album, would like to change the vocalist anyway.

When you listen to those albums, including Come Taste the Band [1975], you’ll notice they’re very much three different albums because, if you’re between 18 and 25, that’s when you’re really growing musically and spiritually, and I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’ve never been a one-dimensional rock artist. I can’t help myself.

Read more in Guitar World.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.