Recording of Jon Lord’s Durham Concerto is scheduled for a CD release on January 28, 2008 on Avie Records.

Track list:

Part 1: Morning

1. The Cathedral at Dawn 11:31
2. Durham Awakes 8:25

Part 2: Afternoon

3. The Road from Lindisfarne 7:18
4. From Prebends Bridge 8:27

Part 3: Evening

5. Rags & Galas 8:25
6. Durham Nocturne 12:11

Performed by:
Matthew Barley, Cello
Jon Lord, Hammond organ
Ruth Palmer, Violin
Kathryn Tickell, Northumbrian Pipes
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Mischa Damev
Leader: Thelma Handy

Thanks to JonLord.org for the info.

Some things are happening at the DeepPurple.org: there’s a new installment of Q&A with Steve Morse and they are asking fans to send memorabilia for a fan scrapbook they’re compiling:

DeepPurple.org is compiling a fan scrap book and we need your help! We want you to submit a page to be included in the scrap book.

Get together all of your Deep Purple memories- ticket stubs, photos of the band, newspaper clippings, and- most importantly- pictures of you, the fans! We’ll then put together the best pages to be included in the scrap book, which we will present to the band.

Not only that, but the person who submits the coolest page for the scrap book will win an autographed photo of the band!

UPDATE (Dec 13, 2007): See our retraction on this story.

Don Airey will be taking keyboard duties on the upcoming UK tour of Michael Schenker Group. He will be joined by Gary Barden on vocals, Simon Philips on drums and Neil Murray on bass. The tour is said to start January 10 and “stretch as far as March”.

Check our tour dates listing for the dates available so far.

Glenn Hughes’ name was at one point linked to this tour, but he vehemently denied his participation:

The rumour about me joining Up with Michael is bizarre… I got an email from a fellow in Germany a couple days ago askin’ if I was interested in makin’ a record with Schenker. I never responded about the MSG project as I have been in the studio makin’ my new album. At this time I am only interested in my style of music, something which is so very close 2 my heart and Soul.

Thanks to michaelschenkerhimself.com and Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

Polish TV channel Planete will be showing a program called “Gwiazda autostrady” (Highway Star) about Ian Gillan tomorrow, December 8 at 20:45.

Thanks to Joasia Ostrowiecka for the info.

Just as 2007 tours wrap up and musicians take a well deserved break, news started trickling in about plans for the next year. It looks like Deep Purple will be undertaking another one of the annual summer tours of Germany (2007 was the first year since, well, time immemorial, when the band didn’t play in Germany).

One of the most prominent European rock festivals — Sweden Rock Festival — has just announced it’s 2008 lineup, which includes Whitesnake and Joe Satriani. Tickets will go on sale January 1. The festival will be held June 4-7 2008 in Sölvesborg.

Check our tour dates listing for the latest details and ticket info as we receive it.

Thanks to Roger Gasser and Blabbermouth.net for the info.

In the latest issue of Notes from the road Steve Morse explains why one day he’ll be referring to the present as the good old days, how he copes with being on the road and his favourite — perils of international travel.

Read all about it on stevemorse.com.

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

Classic Deep Purple tune Highway Star is featured in the soundtrack for a new video game called Rock Band. U.S. cable channel VH1 Classic is currently running a 5 part special in promotion of the game (the special itself is called “Rock Band Countdown”). Each segment is based on the Top 10 in each category: Drummer, Bassist, Guitarist, Frontman and Rock Band. Ian Paice was given 4th place in the Drummer category, while Ritchie Blackmore was placed at number 6 in the Guitar field.

Rock Band was released in the United States on November 20 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game will be available in Canada on December 17, 2007, and in Europe in early 2008.

Thanks to Tracy Heyder for the info.

Glenn Hughes has issued the following statement regarding Kevin DuBrow’s (Quiet Riot singer) death:

We are all grieving.

Kevin and I were brothers. We spoke daily, and I mean on the phone, not e-mail.

The Kevin that I knew was a beautiful human being. He was kind, giving, nurturing. And generous. He would stay at my L.A. home when he was in town.

I never saw Kevin loaded. He respected my sobriety. He always spoke how about the change of my lifestyle, and how he also wanted to change his.

The last conversation I had with him 10 days ago was about this subject; he said he had to make some life changes. I was so happy and elated to hear this.

Gabi and I spoke to him last on Friday, November 16. He wanted to know if I could pick him up at LAX. On the 23rd, the day of a party at my house. Then there was nothing, no communication. Zero. Come Thanksgiving I knew something was strange. At the house, Kevin’s room was prepared as always, with his fave candies next to the bed. He always requests them when he stays. I thought, he’s gonna come jumping through the door any minute and demand to play the winner of the pool game between Chad Smith and myself.

As the party ended, Gabi and I spoke of his absence. She was very upset. All along, I felt something seriously wrong. Come Sunday morning, I couldn’t take it anymore and called Lark Williams, Kev’s ex-girlfriend. She was in San Francisco. I asked her if she knew a paramedic who could go over to Kev’s house and investigate. Dana, the medic, got in the house only to find my sweet brother at peace.

I am completely shellshocked. We were planning to go to Hawaii for some relaxation in the New Year.

For those of you that didn’t know him, he was a true, true friend.

l’m gonna miss our dinners at the Palm in Beverly Hills. I’m gonna miss his loud voice bellowing through my house. I’m gonna miss those oh-so-corny jokes. We all will miss him.

Sleep well, brother. Your legacy is in good hands with me.

Your loving brother, Glenn.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

According to Billboard.com (their braindead site doesn’t allow deep links) Rapture Of The Deep peaked in 2005 at #43 on the Independent Albums chart. It may look like small peanuts, but this is the first time since 1993 that the band has even registered on the Billboard charts radar.

The full listing (or whatever is available of it for open access) is as follows:

Here’s a little peek into what could have been going on in some heads during those jams at the Hanwell Community Centre in 1969.

Little Richard performing Good Golly Miss Molly, recorded for UK TV in 1963. It’s not unthinkable that an 18 year old Gillan was in the audience: Continue Reading »