Blackmore’s Night has received 3 nominations for the 2006 New Age Reporter music awards:

• Village Lanterne has been nominated for the Album of the Year 2006
• Winter Carols has been nominated for the Best Holiday album of 2006
• Village Lanterne has been nominated for the Best Vocal album of 2006

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

Joe Lynn Turner and Graham Bonnet are scheduled to appear on a double bill in late May and early June in Japan. Bonnet will front Alcatrazz and JLT’s band will feature guitarist Akira Kajiyama. Kajiyama and Turner recently released their first dually-billed album “Fire without Flame”.

Tourdates:
May 30 – Tokyo – O-East
May 31 – Tokyo – O-East
June 01 – Osaka – Shinsaibashi Club Quattro

JLT’s band lineup:
Joe Lynn Turner – Vocals
Akira Kajiyama – Guitar
Toshio Egawa (GERARD) – Keyboards
Atsushi Hasegawa (GERARD) – Bass
Kenichi Fujimoto (GERARD) – Drums

Acatrazz lineup:
Graham Bonnet – Vocals
Howie Simon – Guitar
Glen Sobel – Drums
Tim Luce – Bass

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

The upcoming Issue 53 of the Renaissance Magazine will have the feature article of Blackmores Night. Look on the news stands in February, or check their web site for availability.

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

This landed today on the editorial floor.

PRESS RELEASE

Edsel Records (through Demon) will be releasing a selection of seven Gillan and Ian Gillan Band albums in March and April. These will comprise of five chart albums, which were originally released between 1979 and 1982, including Glory Road which charted at 3 and Future Shock UK at 2. Together the seven albums feature eight chart singles.
The first batch of Gillan releases hit outlets on 2nd April and include Mr Universe (1979), Glory Road (1980), Future Shock (1981) and Double Trouble (1981). These will be followed on 7th May with Ian’s first solo album Child In Time (Ian Gillan Band, 1976), Live At The Budokan (Ian Gillan Band, 1977) and Magic (Gillan, 1982). All seven albums have been digitally re-mastered by Ray Staff (Bohemian Rhapsody, Physical Graffiti, Corrine Bailey Rae, Deep Purple) and will feature bonus tracks including live recordings, and `b’ sides as well as album out-takes. The deluxe packaging will contain photos, lyrics, memorabilia and some wry observations of the times by Ian Gillan himself.
Gillan says: `It’s about bloody time!’

These albums feature some of Ian’s cohorts including Janick Gers, Bernie Tormé, John McCoy, Colin Towns and Mick Underwood as well as the Gillan classics Sleeping On The Job, No Easy Way, Trouble, Mutually Assured Destruction, New Orleans, No Laughing In Heaven, Nightmare, Restless and Living For The City. There are also fabulous live versions of Deep Purple classics including Child In Time, Smoke On The Water and Woman From Tokyo.

Ian Gillan is rock royalty, and has become an erudite elder statesman of the genre. He was the original Jesus Christ Superstar and – with Deep Purple – he co-wrote and sang Smoke on the Water (one of the most popular songs of all time) among dozens of other hits. He’s always made music for music’s sake, not to appease critics, the industry or anyone else; to quote the man. ‘It’s important to step off the highway sometimes and take the scenic route.’ He has played to tens of millions of fans, and sold over one hundred million records. To this day he approaches writing, recording and touring with the zeal, passion and commitment of an eighteen year old. Currently on tour with Deep Purple – His life is music – listen and enjoy.

FULL TRACKLISTINGS FOR ALL RE-ISSUED ALBUMS

GILLAN

MR UNIVERSE [1979] [Demon cat no: EDSS 1004]
1. Second Sight
2. Secret Of The Dance
3. She Tears Me Down
4. Roller
5. Mr Universe
6. Vengeance [BAT 12 A]
7. Puget Sound
8. Dead Of Night
9. Message In A Bottle
10. Fighting Man
Bonus track:
11. Smoke On The Water [live at Kingsway Studio] [b-side of “Vengeance”, BAT 12]

GLORY ROAD [1980] [Demon cat no: EDSD 2003, 2 CD]
DISC ONE
1. Unchain Your Brain
2. Are You Sure?
3. Time And Again
4. No Easy Way [VS 362 A]
5. Sleeping On The Job [VS 355 A]
6. On The Rocks
7. If You Believe Me
8. Running, White Face, City Boy
9. Nervous
DISC TWO
FOR GILLAN FANS ONLY [originally a free LP in the first 15000 copies of “Glory Road”]
1. Higher And Higher [VS 355 b-side, also on “For Gillan Fans Only”]
2. Your Mother Was Right [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
3. Redwatch [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
4. Abbey Of Thelema [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
5. Trying To Get To You [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
6. Come Tomorrow [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
7. Dragon’s Tongue [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
8. Post Fade Brain Damage [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
9. Egg Timer [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
10. Harry Lime Theme [from “For Gillan Fans Only”]
Bonus tracks:
11. Handles On Her Hips [Virgin single VS 362 b-side]
12. I Might As Well Go Home [Virgin single VS 362 b-side]

FUTURE SHOCK [1981] [Demon cat no: EDSS 1005]
1. Future Shock
2. Night Ride Out Of Phoenix
3. The Ballad Of The Lusitania Express
4. No Laughing In Heaven [VS 425 A]
5. Sacre Bleu
6. New Orleans [VS 406 A]
7. Bite The Bullet
8. If I Sing Softly
9. Don’t Want The Truth
10. For Your Dreams
Bonus tracks:
1. .Trouble [Virgin single VS 377 a-side]
2. .Your Sister’s On My List [Virgin single VS 377 b-side]
3. .Mutually Assured Destruction [Virgin single VSK 103 a-side]
4. .The Maelstrom [Virgin single VSK 103 b-side]
5. .Take A Hold Of Yourself [Virgin single VS 406 b-side]
6. .One For The Road [Virgin single VS 425 b-side]
7. .Bad News [Virgin single VS 425 b-side]
8. Lucille [Virgin single VS 425 b-side]
9. Spanish Guitar [Lyntone LYN 10599, free with “Flexipop” mag, Dec 1981]

DOUBLE TROUBLE [1981] [Demon cat no: EDSD 2004, 2 CD]
DISC ONE [Studio]
1. I’ll Rip Your Spine Out
2. Restless [VS 465 A]
3. Men Of War
4. Sunbeam
5. Nightmare [VS 441 A]
6. Hadely Bop Bop
7. Life Goes On
8. Born To Kill
DISC TWO [Live]
1. No Laughing In Heaven [Reading Festival 29.8.81]
2. No Easy Way [Reading Festival 29.8.81]
3. Trouble [Reading Festival 29.8.81]
4. Mutually Assured Destruction [Reading Festival 29.8.81]
5. If You Believe Me [Rainbow 4.3.81]
6. New Orleans [Reading Festival 29.8.81]
Bonus tracks:
7. Bite The Bullet [Reading Festival 29.8.81] [Virgin single VS 441 b-side]
8. On The Rocks [Reading Festival 29.8.81] [Virgin single VS 441 b-side]
9. Mr. Universe [Reading festival 22.8.80] [Virgin single VS377/C1]
10. Vengeance [Reading festival 22.8.80] [Virgin single VS377/C2]
11. Smoke On The Water [Reading festival 22.8.80] [Virgin single VS377/D]
{these used to be bonus tracks on Mr Universe CD}

MAGIC [1982] [Demon cat no: EDSS 1005]
1. What’s The Matter
2. Caught In A Trap
3. Long Gone [VS 537 A]
4. Driving Me Wild
5. Bluesy Blue Sea
6. Living A Lie
7. Demon Driver
8. You’re So Right
9. Living For The City [VS 519 A]
10. Demon Driver (reprise)
Bonus tracks:
1. Breaking Chains [Virgin single VS 519 b-side]
2. Purple Sky [Virgin pic disc single VSY 519 b-side]
3. Fiji [Virgin single VS 537 b-side]
4. Helter Skelter [album outtake]
5. Smokestack Lightning [album outtake]
6. South Africa [Virgin single VS 1088 a-side]
7. John [Virgin single VS 1088 b-side]
8. South Africa [ext. version] [Virgin 12″ single VST 1088 a-side]

IAN GILLAN BAND

CHILD IN TIME [1976] [Demon cat no: EDSS 1002]
1. Lay Me Down
2. You Make Me Feel So Good
3. Shame
4. My Baby Loves Me
5. Down The Road
6. Child In Time
7. Let It Slide

LIVE AT THE BUDOKAN [Japan 1977; UK 1983] [Demon cat no: EDSS 1003]
1. Clear Air Turbulence
2. My Baby Loves Me
3. Scarabus
4. Money Lender
5. Twin Exhausted
6. Over The Hill
7. Child In Time
8. Smoke On The Water
9. Mercury High
10. Woman From Tokyo

Thanks to Jim Collins for the info.

UPDATE: This event has been cancelled.

On Sunday, February 18, as part of the Harrods Rock event in London, an attempt will be made to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most guitarists playing together at the same time. Harrods is trying to recruit 2000 guitar players to perform nothing else, but the most famous Smoke On The Water. Previous record was set back in 1994, when 1322 people played simultaneously in Vancouver, Canada. All participants will get a commemorative plectrum and T-shirt, the chance to win an electric guitar and other spot prizes of the day.

Blackmore’s management has also announced that at this event they will be giving away Blackmore’s Night CDs (some signed), promotional BN guitar picks, concert tickets for upcoming June shows and some other goodies.

Apply here.

Thanks to the Q Daily and Mike Garrett for the info.

Glenn Hughes will be interviewed on KNAC.com today, Monday, January 29 at 4:00 p.m. PST. There will be a live chat room set up where fans can log in and ask questions directly. More info: http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=5253

He will also appear at a private event at the Hollywood based Musicians Institute. Glenn will play a couple of solo songs, answer some interview style questions about his musical beginnings, collaborations/bands, song writing process and his current work, and answer some questions from the students. This is NOT a clinic, but a chance for Glenn to discuss his success in music and to perform his songs for a young audience of aspiring musicians. This event is free to all Musicians Institute students, and only Musicians Institute students can attend. This is not a public show. It will take place on Thursday, February 15 at 4:00 p.m. PST.

Thanks to Mike Garrett and Blabbermouth.net for the info.

This is Purple Family news in more ways than one.

Roger Glover and Don Airey have been involved with production of Roger’s daughter Gillian solo album. The album is called Red Handed and is planned for release in April. Roger was involved in mixing and commissioned string arrangements, in which Don Airey also took part.

More info:

• Gillian Glover Myspace page
• Message from Roger

In the early 1960s Ritchie Blackmore started out as a session player for Joe Meek’s music productions and performed in several bands. He was member of instrumental combo The Outlaws and backed Heinz (playing on his top ten hit JUST LIKE EDDIE), Screaming Lord Sutch, Glenda Collins and BOZ among others.

It is almost 40 years since Joe Meek died (3rd Feb 1967). A special commemoration night at the National Film Theatre in London will occur on Friday 9th February 6.20PM NFT2.

THE FLIPSIDE is a new initiative at the National Film Theatre. Our mission: to seek out film and TV that is weird, wonderful, offbeat, unseen, outrageous and downright unlikely; from the trashy to the terrific; combining main features with way out extras in search of strange new worlds of cinematic experience. Groovy pop musical with David Hemmings and Steve Marriott. Fab sounds from Heinz, The Outlaws, Jennifer Moss, Gene Vincent and many more. Plus Joe Meek speaks, and live footage of the Honeycombs! Plus rare colour film of Screaming Lord Sutch in his blood-drenched heyday, and The Tornados dressed as robots! Afterwards, in the NFT Café Bar (free admission): DJ Big Beat Kris spins far out Meekian waxings until midnight!

Tickets:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/incinemas/nft/film/7175
http://www.bfi.org.uk/incinemas/nft/film/7176

OTHER LINKS:

• HEINZ BURT, OUTLAWS, LORD SUTCH etc Discography
• HEINZ BURT MySpace site
• THE OUTLAWS, Law & Order (starring Ritchie Blackmore), 1963

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

The Bulgarian city of Kavarna is apparently a stronghold for fans of good old 70’s hardrock. Glenn Hughes will be announced honorary citizen of the town when he is doing a concert there in May. In the same ceremony, a big painting of Hughes on a building downtown will be opened. The city center of Kavarna already has big paintings of Ian Gillan and Ronnie James Dio.

Thanks to Borås Tidning.

Craig Hooper from Coolhead productions has an update on the “Ian Gillan – 40 Years in Rock” DVD. Here are the most interesting bits.

on the release dates:

The DVD should be out in either March or April (prob. March in Europe and April in the UK, due to promo commitments). TV sales are being handled by an agent and it seems we have SKY 1 interested in the UK and 9 other broadcasters around the world.

on the content of the double DVD set:

As for content… you have the main doc which runs at 2h28m (as a filmmaker I would have usually said this is too long but we tested it out on non-DP fans who said it held their interest throughout), and you have the bits we couldn’t fit into the main doc. On disc 2 there’s the Tour documentary, filmed in Russia and the UK, featuring concert footage (12 tracks I think – I can’t remember now) and backstage antics; At Home with the Gillan’s (a very short piece on the Gillan family); a piece called Drinkin’, Smokin’ and Messin’ Around with Wimmin’, which is made up of a few tales of alcohol-driven carousing; and GillanCam, a very funny 29m film distilled from many many hours of recordings from IG’s own camera.

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson and Coolhead Productions for the info.

Update: according to Amazon UK, release date will be April 2 and the title of the DVD is “Ian Gillan – Journey in Rock”. You can preorder through our Amazon Shop.