The Harrod Rocks event which we reported earilier has been cancelled.

Parody circulated on the Internet: faces of some Russian politicians plastered over an imaginary LP cover.

Apparently Deep Purple plays an important role in the bizzare world of Russian politics. President Vladimir Putin is supposed to step down after his second term expires in 2008. It was reported earlier that the two presidential hopefuls in the elections, current first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and minister of defence Sergei Ivanov were spotted in the audience and mingling backstage at the DP show in Moscow in October 2006.

Now an English language newspaper St.Petersburg Times reports

Vladislav Surkov, the deputy head of presidential administration and and the Kremlin’s ideologist, and Dmitry Medvedev, the first deputy prime minister often seen as President Vladimir Putin’s preyemnik, or successor, revealed they are both fans of Deep Purple, according to Vedomosti newspaper.

Meeting around 20 activists from pro-Kremlin youth organizations such as Nashi and Rossiya Molodaya late last month, Surkov was reported as saying about Medvedev and himself: “We are think alike on most subjects, the only difference in terms… We both like Deep Purple, but he likes ‘Kentucky Woman’ better while I like ‘Lazy.’”

It remains to be seen whether the next Russian president will indeed be a Deep Purple fan or the candidates are just trying to score some points with the electorate due to the legendary status that the band enjoys in Russia.

A new hall in Serbian city of Dimitrovgrad will be called the Glenn Hughes Music Hall. Glenn will inaugurate the hall with a concert he’ll play there on may 9th.

We congratulate Glenn and Dimitrovgrad’s officials for their commendable taste in music. However Joanna, sitting next to me, couldn’t help herself but to quote Spinal Tap appearing on The Simpsons:

“Yeah, and we’re really big now in Bulgaria, and that other “aria.”
“Hungaria.”
“Right, Hungaria.”

Thanks to GHPG.net and Daniel Begtsson for the info.

British newspaper Express & Star have published an interview with Ian Gillan in it’s online edition. Among other things, Ian said that the band is heading off to the studio by the end of this year.

Read the full interview here.

 
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.