There is Ian Gillan competition running at the Jukebox. First prize will be a copy of the new DVD “Highway Star — A Journey in Rock” and a complete set of the re-released Gillan albums. Two runners-up will receive the DVD. The competition closes on March 30, 2006 at 23:59 GMT.

Thanks to the Jukebox for the info.

Ian Gillan gave an interview in the biggest Israeli internet site YNET. The inteview can be found here (in hebrew), but the audio part is in English. If you don’t get audio on the above page, try here or here.

Thanks to Eyal Ortal for the info.

Update from David Coverdale on the new Whitesnake album:

I am thrilled, erect nipples an’ all, with the new songs [for the upcoming Whitesnake album, tentatively titled ‘Good to be Bad’] and very excited to be presenting them to [the fans] later this year. SPV’s wishlist is for an October release, so we’re not having to pressure ourselves with too extreme a deadline. God willing, those days be gone. As far as touring, it appears this will also be late summer, as the ENTIRE WORLD is out there on the road thro’ the summer, doing their very best to seduce y’all. My U.S. agent told me that every single amphitheatre in every major city in the States has a ‘name’ act headlining every night of the week this season… So unless any significant touring opportunity presents itself I think we’ll concentrate on making a cracking record that will make us all proud…

I was talking with Doug [Aldrich] recently that I was thinking that some of the new songs could use some of Glenn’s [Hughes] extraordinary singing, but, just a thought at this time. I haven’t discussed anything with him. We shall have to see how that goes, so please don’t be holding me to anything. Glenn and I were in touch recently, with him telling me about his tour in Russia. He tells me there is great interest in a DEEP PURPLE Mk. 3 reunion over there.

We must add here that the wild rumours circulating on the internet regarding Glenn Hughes mentioning in Russia Mk.3 reunion as already happening this year, have been, to put it mildly, highly unsubstantiated. Frankly, I can’t see it happening in the foreseen future.

In other news, one of the new Whitesnake songs “Ready to Rock” that was released on “Live… In the Shadow of the Blues” has been posted at SPV Records web site (Real Media format). Also, the 20th anniversary reissue of the hairspray era 1987 album will feature a bonus DVD and will be released April 27, 2007. You can buy it in our shop.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net and www.deep-purple.ru for the info.

Deep Purple’s song “Smoke On The Water” is being used at the end of a commercial in the USA for the automobile “Dodge Avenger“:

Thanks to Tracy Heyder and Gary Poronovich for the information.

Photo: S. Belyakov, www.sbelyakov.ru.

Joe Lynn Turner gave an extensive interview to The Right To Rock guys and they’ve posted online as an MP3 podcast.

Listen to the podcast.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

German TV channel ARD Digital will be repeating the “Vicky Leandros – Ich Bin” show from 1970 this Saturday, March 17 at 15:50. Deep Purple were guests of this show back in 1970 and here you can see a clip of them miming to Speed King:

Thanks to Dirk Dommermuth for the info.

The Riddles in Rhyme is a Blackmore’s Night fanlisting project. Started on September 2nd, 2003 it now includes listings for 224 fans in many different countries. Check it out.

Jim and Jena Kelly (from Unites States) are starting a new fanzine called Black Knight. It is intended as a quarterly publication that will feature news, reviews, articles and interviews about Blackmores Night. Their publication will be a bit different than others, as it will also include Renaissance / Medieval material as well. They feel it blends well with the Blackmores Night theme. Their premier issue will be out this spring. They have also started a brand new fan forum.

We wish them the best of luck in their endeavours.

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

Steve has posted a very emotional issue of the regular “notes from the road” column on his web site. He talks about his father passing away, death of Brad Delp of Boston fame and his son Kevin jamming with Rod Morgenstein.

Read the notes from the road.

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

On a side note, Boston were very big commercially in the United States and are scheduled to headline over Deep Purple at the Rock Fest 2007 in Cadott, Wisconsin on July 19.

Jon Lord live at Bradford St.George’s Hall, Sep 9, 2002. Photo: Jim Corrigan

Charlotte Wilson (Paul Mann’s wife) did an interview with Jon Lord and Paul Mann for the programme Upbeat on Radio New Zealand. The interview in six parts covers:

• Jon discusses rock and classical music
• Jon on why he left Deep Purple
• Jon talks about resurrecting the Concerto
• Paul Mann talks about Jon’s music
• Jon talks about Boom Of The Tingling Strings
• Jon talks about Disguises

and is posted in streaming MP3 on DPAS web site

Thanks to DPAS for the info.

Joe Lynn Turner’s web site posted a studio report on his new “Second Hand Life” solo album. In the track-by-track comments there are some interesting bits giving insight into Purple connections of the album:

Second Hand Life

This is a song that came out of the Deep Purple sessions with Jim Peterik in Roger Glover’s studio. Jim was brought in to commercialize the band in the same way that Def Leppard and Aerosmith were reviving themselves at the time. Peterik is an amazing writer, as witnessed by his hit band Survivor. Just as an aside, the title was inspired by this booklet that writer/producer Desmond Child gave me when he was living in a commune here in the States. The song talks about how most people live a second hand life that sets out to please our parents, so we often never become ourselves. We end up trying to be what society and parents want us to be so we really are never free to be ourselves!!! It’s as if our lives are being passed down like an old pair of shoes. This song rebels against this concept as if to say “cut the strings…be who you want to be.” A very strong statement!

Stroke of Midnight

This was written for Deep Purple, complete with Blackmore’s great riffs. We recorded this song when I was in the band working on the follow up to “Slaves and Masters.” Purple re-did it as “One Man’s Meat.” I have Ritchie’s blessing do it the way we did it originally and my version is pretty close. It centers around a classic bluesy riff and lyrically is about a dancer who leads two lives—a private life and a life on stage as every man’s fantasy. There’s a real person underneath that image people see and we want to know who she really is! Jim Peterik is also credited as songwriter.

Cruel

We nearly did this song when I was with Deep Purple. It was written many years ago when touring with the JLT band.

Thanks to www.joelynnturner.com for the info.