Ian Gillan’s tour of Australia has been cancelled. On his website Gillan published this message from himself and his management:

We regret to announce that the Australian Ian Gillan tour dates have been cancelled. The main reason for this cancellation is the bullet which remains in Rodney Appleby’s neck from his recent shooting by a crazy neighbor who was trying to kill him. While Rodney is recovering well, and is expected to recover fully, at this point the doctors are advising caution for Rodney because they don’t know what will be required to extract that bullet, or whether its current location will cause other problems.

A video interlude. This is not a reference to the erstwhile practice of humans taking horse tranquilizers called, “Quaaludes.” Shortened to “ludes” as those two-syllable words can really hit the drugged out pretty hard. I think it might be a sedative and hypnotic nonbarbiturate drug C16H14N2O that is habit-forming, but I don’t exactly remember.

Drugs are bad. Don’t do drugs.

Okay, tonight I have a mishmash. An olio. A potpourri, if you will.

I think this is the biggest waste of a doubleneck in history. The drummer is hitting as if his sticks are brittle and irreplaceable. Also, the bird singing looks like JLT.

JLT Bird and the Wasted Doubleneck

Now. Lip-synching on Playboy After Dark. Deep Purple played live when they were on Playboy After Dark. Remember, that song Hush? Much more complex than Iron Butterfly. Somehow Deep Purple played live, didn’t they, then? I’m just asking, that’s all.

Just lip-synching on Playboy After Dark. Good dancing though.

Finally, I’ve been having recurring nightmares about being married to Edgar Winter. His albino looks are fine with me, it’s just he hogs all the instruments. Drummer Chuck Ruff should close his mouth more, but he sure plays drums well. Oh, and that’s Rick Derringer on guitar, not Ron Montrose. Dan Hartman (RIP) is on bass.

The Edgar Winter Group.

So, maybe there will be a Rod Evans update next time.

Ta,

Jo

Ian Gillan will sing a song or two on Jon Lord’s new record.
Thanks to Ian Gillan for the information.

So, there’s an insane cult who practice very bad hygiene, undoubtedly drink too much, and listen to Deep Purple as if it’s, oh, I dunno, Deep Purple or something. One might own the acetate from the original demo of “Shadows,” a MK I outtake. Another might be cataloging every Purple appearance anywhere, ever.

That sort of thing.

These are the Purple Maniacs. Do not confuse Purple Maniacs (might lose a toupee at a modern day DP show) with the similar classification, Blackmorons (might skip any DP show without RB, what’s the point? they might think). Blackmorons, as a rule, have little interest in any music that does not involve Ritchie Blackmore. They hold the opinion that Ritchie Blackmore is and has always been the sine qua non of Deep Purple. Ritchie’s role in Deep Purple’s history, character and catalog is immeasurable, so arguing seems silly. It’s all a matter of degrees with me.

Blackmorons are often equally slavish about Blackmore facts, figures, and history if not more so than Purple Maniacs. They can also be dedicated collectors. Surprisingly, Blackmorons are rarely actual morons, either. Many wash regularly. They love Ritchie, but they wear garlic at his shows. Better safe than sorry.

Purple Maniacs have a designation for people associated with the core band Deep Purple. It is similar to Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but weirder and more secretive. Suffice it to say, John Lennon is closely related to Deep Purple.

George Harrison was friendly with Jon Lord, and George jammed onstage with Deep Purple in Australia in 1984. Ian Paice more recently played for Sir Paul “It’s Cheaper to Keep Her but Screw That” McCartney on the Run Devil Run album and subsequent live appearances.

And Friday was the anniversary of John Lennon’s untimely murder by overweight psychopath Mark David Chapman. I was surfing in Florida, USA, and if the media mentioned it, I missed it. Pity.

Well, this blog is media, or a medium. Technically, when I paste in a link, it becomes media. I have spoken. Long live me.

I hereby tip one to John, on behalf of Purple Maniacs and Blackmorons everywhere. Have a chaser for Tommy Bolin, who died thirty years ago Monday. The space shuttle is going up now here in Florida. The house shakes. The sky lights up. I barely need any of this Oauhu Red Hair sinsimilla skunk weed to make that experience a fun one.

Ta.

Jo

And for those with the requisite bandwidth, I offer these memorial clips:

John Lennon. Imagine, indeed. Not sure who the Hawaiian-looking conga chick is.

Here’s Tommy Bolin with Deep Purple playing Love Child. In case there’s any confusion, Tommy’s the one dressed like Stevie Nicks.

Rodney Appleby who was playing bass on Ian Gillan’s album “Gillan’s Inn” and also was on tour with Ian a few month ago, was shot in the jaw recently, as we reported about a couple a weeks ago. He is currently recovering in his home in Buffalo, USA and he would like to let fans know that he is doing well and is very grateful for their support. Doctors expect him to fully recover in time for the Ian Gillan tour in Australia, which starts January 19, 2007.
Thanks to Classic Rock Revisited and Scoot for the information

The Norwegian singer Jorn Lande (ex. The Snakes, Ark etc) has a new album coming out called “Unlocking The Past” (February 1, 2007). The CD is a cover album and it has several songs which are familiar to Deep Purple fans. He does Perfect Strangers, Burn Rainbow’s “Kill The King” and Whitesnake’s “Fool For Your Loving”. If you are interested of the album, you can find it here…

Benny Holmstrom

Last night in Odense, Denmark, Jon Lord witnessed an impressive performance of his piano concerto ‘Boom of the Tingling Strings’ performed by the Odense Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Mann and featuring Nelson Goerner on piano.

The near-sold out concert was a resounding success with a prolonged standing ovation, for which Jon Lord joined Mann, Goerner and the orchestra onstage. The full programme was the ouverture from Weber’s ‘Bride of the Hunter’ (Jægerbruden), Jon Lord’s ‘Boom of the Tingling Strings’ and Carl Nielsen’s ‘Symphony no. 4′.

After the concert, patrons were invited to a Q&A session in the next-door Carl Nielsen Museum. Here orchestra manager Jesper Lützhøft introduced ‘the Mann and the Lord’ to an attentive crowd of around 60 people. Over glasses of red wine, Lord, Mann and Goerner answered questions about their music.

Paul Mann asked how many Deep Purple fans were in the crowd …

… and remarked how loyal Deep Purple fans and rock in general are compared to fans of classical music. Jon Lord stressed how he doesn’t see his music as either or, as it is his ambition to break down as many musical barriers as possible.

At the end, Jon Lord signed autographs to fans young and older. This lady said how much she had loved the concert – but she’d never heard a Deep Purple record.

Look out for a more detailed report of the Q&A session.

During next week, Paul Mann, Nelson Goerner and the orchestra will record ‘Boom of the Tingling Strings’ and Jon Lord’s ‘Disguises’ for EMI Classics.

Update: Interview with Jon Lord (in Danish).

Rasmus Heide

The new Whitesnake album “Live…in the Shadow of the Blues” (Released November 24) has 4 new studio tracks. One of them is called “Ready To Rock”. Here you can watch the video. The new studio album from Whitesnake has set “Good to be Bad” as the title. It’s planned to be released next summer.
Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the information.

Tonight in Odense, Denmark, Jon Lord witnessed an impressive performance of his piano concerto ‘Boom of the Tingling Strings’ performed by the Odense Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Mann and featuring Nelson Goerner on piano.

The near-sold out concert was a resounding success with a prolonged standing ovation, for which Jon Lord joined Mann, Goerner and the orchestra onstage. The full programme was the ouverture from Weber’s ‘Bride of the Hunter’ (Jægerbruden), Jon Lord’s ‘Boom of the Tingling Strings’ and Carl Nielsen’s ‘Symphony no. 4’.

After the concert, patrons were invited to a Q&A session in the next-door Carl Nielsen Museum. Here orchestra manager Jesper Lützhøft introduced ‘the Mann and the Lord’ to an attentive crowd of around 60 people. Over glasses of red wine, Lord, Mann and Goerner answered questions about their music.

Paul Mann asked how many Deep Purple fans were in the crowd …

… and remarked how loyal Deep Purple fans and rock in general are compared to fans of classical music. Jon Lord stressed how he doesn’t see his music as either or, as it is his ambition to break down as many musical barriers as possible.

At the end, Jon Lord signed autographs to fans young and older. This lady said how much she had loved the concert – but she’d never heard a Deep Purple record.

Look out for a more detailed report of the Q&A session.

During next week, Paul Mann, Nelson Goerner and the orchestra will record ‘Boom of the Tingling Strings’ and Jon Lord’s ‘Disguises’ for EMI Classics.

Update:
Watch tv interview with Jon Lord prior to concerts.

Okay. There is a gap in the Deep Purple story books. There is a deafening silence during Deep Purple documentaries. There is a man who is still the voice of Deep Purple every time he sings “Hush” on classic rock radio in the U.S. and elsewhere (it still gets a lot of play in the States, dunno about elsewhere).

Rod Evans.

[to the tune of “Hush”]:

Rod, Rod
I thought I heard you worked as a doctor
Rod, Rod
You goofed in ’80 but we love you ever after

Where is Rod Evans? I don’t know, and I have been looking for Rod for years. Do you know? If so, get in touch. If you are Rod, and you’re reading this, *please* get in touch. All is forgiven. The 1980 thing was half a lifetime ago.

Come home, Rod Evans. Your public awaits.

If you happen to know where Rod Evans is now, we would love to know. Rod hasn’t said much about his time in Deep Purple or Captain Beyond or Mercy Hospital, and what stories he must have. Ha ha!

If you’re a detective or a spy or anything that involves investigation (but not radiation poisoning), maybe you could use your investigative skills and resources to (legally) find Mr. (Dr.)? Evans.

Give the Deep Purple historians a holiday present. Let’s find Rod Evans. We just want his anecdotes. We’ll have a 1980 moratorium.

Jo