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An unexpected bonus
An update to the charity auction that ends tomorrow, March 7: Ian throws in a seat next himself on stage at a Deep Purple gig of your choice. Continue Reading »
Live from the Badger and Pussycat
Ritchie Blackmore was in a talkative mood, allegedly, after partaking at his in-house pub. Continue Reading »
Catastrophe after catastrophe
Classic Rock History has a feature on Machine Head based on an interview with Roger Glover:
In retrospect, Deep Purple’s 1972 record, Machine Head, reads as an iconic proto-metal masterpiece. Given that its track listing boasts classic cuts like “Lazy,” “Highway Star,” and the forever-loved FM radio staple, “Smoke on the Water,” that’s no surprise.
It’s been 52 years since Machine Head dropped, but for Deep Purple’s bassist, Roger Glover, who was there through it all, it’s still fresh in his mind. “I don’t quite know how to put this,” Glover says. “There are so many stories attached to it [Machine Head]. The actual story of Machine Head is catastrophe after catastrophe.
Continue reading in Classic Rock History.
BCC V is coming
Release date for the Black Country Communion’s fifth studio album V is set for June 14, 2024. A track from the album, called Stay Free, has been posted for your listening pleasure Continue Reading »
Three out of four
Watch a drummer from a different style and different generation listen to Fireball for the first time and play through with his own parts. The drummer in question is Tosh Peterson, who is 22, have been a touring musician since he was 16, and played with a bunch of bands most of us never heard of. Ah, and from the looks of it, he is a Keith Moon disciple.
There be cobras
Last year’s December visit to India has certainly renewed the interest in the band in that country’s press. Just witness the string of interviews promoting Machine Head 2024 remix. Here is another one, with Ian Paice. Continue Reading »
Break a leg, Frank
The much touted video for the remix of Smoke on the Water has arrived. Continue Reading »
It’s for the kids
Ian Paice is auctioning for charity one of his drum kits. In this video, he explains what exactly is being auctioned, how it sounds, and where the money will go. Continue Reading »
So they went and wrote the lyrics
Paicey talks about the legacy of Machine Head to promote the upcoming remix of the album. Continue Reading »
Arigato means thank you
Here’s Pete Makowski’s feature on Rainbow December’76 tour of Japan, originally published on January 29, 1977, in the Sounds. It is a rather long read, but well worth it.
“RADIES AND GENTLEMEN PLESENTING: TONEE CALEE, DIMMY BAIN, COSEE POW, LONNIE DAMES DIO, LITCHIE BRACKMORE… LAINBOW!!!!!” (me first Nippon gig).
The audience looked pretty ordinary until the band made their entrance. Then some kind of Jekyll and Hyde transformation occured and they became a seething mass of hysteria. Y’see, they like their rock hard ‘n’ heavy over here. (Kiss, Aerosmith, acts of that chrome plated genre are among the top attraction. Blackmore has an almost legendary status in Japan, Deep Purple having been one of the first heavy metal bands to break over there.
This was the first time I had seen Rainbow since Hammersmith and they sure sounded tighter… well looser… well, like a band. Their bombastic interpretation of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, with added ingredients, kicked off the show and after that, like a meteor let loose in outer space, nothing could stop them.
‘Kill For The King’ which followed has developed into something more than an exercise in loosening up collective limbs. ‘Mistreated’, really showed the progress made. Dio’s stunning vocal range sounded more confident, the backing was more solid. As Blackmore burst into spontaneous free form runs, Cozy’s drums clung on tightly to every single note.
For me it was a good introduction to the tour, culminating with an encore featuring Mr B’s guitar mutilation with an added bonus of amp and cabinets thrown over the side. This, as it turned out, was not an act of ecstatic joy. Blackmore was pissed off with the sound.
Continue reading in My Things – Music history for those who are able to read.
Many thanks to Geir Myklebust for digitizing and republishing this piece of history.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing