The latest issue (#312) of the Classic Rock magazine has making of Machine Head as the cover story.

How many times does a freak accident change the course of hard rock history? Not all that often, we’d wager. But had a suspended ceiling in a Swiss casino not caught fire, then Deep Purple’s sixth studio album would have been a very different beast altogether.

I’m referring, of course, to Machine Head, and its signature song Smoke On The Water. In the new issue of Classic Rock we discover the inside story on the making of a true classic, in the band’s own words.

Individual issues can be ordered in both digital and dead tree format via MagazinesDirect.

Thanks to Reinhard Lackner for the info.

The Steve Morse Band delivered a solid performance in front of a packed house at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT, on February 26, 2023.
With, obviously, Steve at the helm, the three-piece group’s other two members included Dave LaRue on bass and Van Romaine on drums. Each band member got their time in the sun during an almost two-hour performance in front of 500 appreciative fans.

I am not too familiar with Steve’s material outside of Deep Purple and have not seen many three-piece acts live in the past, but SMB’s performance went down very well and was a true joy to witness. The band was tight and delivered the goods in a truly unique fusion of rock, classical and jazz. Some folks would simply call it rock fusion, but plenty of classical arrangements, harmonies, and scales came across throughout the set.

Our man Steve seemed happy and, as usual, came across as one of the nicest and most grounded individuals in the music business. As others might have reported in the past, he did not wear a hand brace during the performance, which pretty much ran the gamut from relaxed, to intense – and everything else in between. The encore lasted roughly 20 minutes and it was during this time that the audience stood up and remained standing until the end.

LaRue is an absolute monster on bass, and it was clear that he and Steve have a tremendous musical chemistry and work very well together. Romaine played a nice drum solo, and, with his energy and ferocity, he seemed like the right man behind the kit for a power trio. There was no singing at all, and yet the show did not feel repetitive or dragged out.

Around halfway through the set, one of the friends that I went with stated that the piece being played then sounded like a rough version of Ted the Mechanic. I agreed with him. Around three quarters through the set, I stated that the piece being played then sounded like a rough version of Hey Cisco. He agreed. On the ride home we played Purpendicular and felt even stronger in our beliefs that the two pieces that the SMB had played earlier in the evening did indeed sound like the aforementioned tracks from Steve’s first album with DP. As someone not very familiar with Steve’s work outside of DP, I wonder if he played those two pieces to the lads during the making of Purpendicular and they each added something to help turn them into what eventually became Ted the Mechanic and Hey Cisco. No disrespect to the two SMB pieces in question, but if the two tunes from the February 26 show were indeed the basis for each Ted the Mechanic and Hey Cisco, then I would consider the added value by the rest of the gang during the making of Purpendicular as truly immense.

After the show, the band came out in the lobby to chat with the fans and sign merchandise, but we did not stick around for that part. Regardless of whether or not you are into power trios or rock-jazz-classical fusion, I would highly recommend checking out the SMB if they come to a theatre near you. You won’t be disappointed.

“Albania”

Shout out to the fellow purple maniacs Nathan and John at The Deep Purple Podcast. They’ve started in 2019 and now are up to 200+ episodes. Each episode is about 2 hours of Purple-filled banter from the hardcore fans. The latest, #202 is dedicated to the recent shows in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with our humble site getting a name check. Below is the YT version, and there is a variety of audio only options available via their website.

Thanks to Rich for the heads-up.

A branch of the family tree rarely explored — an interview with Shoshana Feinstein, a former Blackmore’s girlfriend, who sang background vocals on the first Rainbow album.

Christopher: How and in what circumstance did you meet Ritchie Blackmore? Would you tell me when and where the story with him begins?

Shoshana Feinstein: I met Richie in the summer of 1972 at an outdoor concert in the Bronx New York.My drummer from Uncas loved Ian Paice and the two of us were die-hard Purple fans so we drove down to NYC to see this outdoor concert. I was standing outside waiting for the band to play. I had black hair down to my waist, a scarf tied around my breasts and a long flowing skirt on. I looked like a very exotic Gypsy. Ritchie came up to me immediately as he was perusing the audience and invited me backstage. That is when it began … our romance. We communicated through the mail and phone calls. When we met, we had an immediate connection, that I was rather surprised about because I considered Ritchie to be a rather dark brooding type of guy (he was) but I must have brought something out in him that was vulnerable and more gentle.

Read more in the Suwałki Blues Festival blog.

Thanks to Andres for the heads-up

A review of the St. Petersburg, FL, gig on February 20, 2023, from the Creative Loafing Tampa Bay e-paper. Forgive them for their ‘Mr Grover, Mr Gillian’ snap of judgment, if you can.

There aren’t a whole lot of bands around who have the tenure, the hard rock royalty, or the status of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted-band Deep Purple still boast; still touring constantly, still pleasing their longtime followers, and still wisely combining their many classic cuts with their newer, impressive compositions, Deep Purple is still going strong and earning every accolade they’re so richly deserving of for being one of the pioneering bands to make hard rock and heavier music a bone fide force for the last 50 years.

Read more in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Thanks to Tobias Janaschke for the info.

Deep Purple live at Steinmetz Hall (Orlando, USA 2023-02-21)

Hi Folks,
Had the pleasure of seeing the band last night in Orlando.
Fantastic show. Set list as has been for the last 6 months or so.
One bad thing about the internet, no surprises because everything
gets posted (my own fault I guess, i dont have to read)
Suggestion to the band, have one or two wild card slots in the set.
That way there is some surprise.

Band was very good, as always. Was very impressed with Simon.
He brought a lot of power and virtuosity to the table.
I was disappointed that Steve did not come out, even though I did read
the post where he said he would not. Would have been nice to see a
little passing of the torch like Jon did with Don.
But the band is in very good hands with Simon.
Brought my 17 yo son and he even enjoyed the extended soloing, which
I did not expect his instant gratification mind to get around.
Don, Roger and little Ian were amazing as always. Nothing else to say
that would not just be repeating others.

Gillan was in fine voice, better than I expected and better than in previous shows that
I have seen. Pushing a little on highway star and space trucking’, which was surprising.
He gave this extended scream on intro to space that showed that he can still hit the notes
and has amazing breath control.

As to the venue. Have seen them before here in Orlando at many different venues and I
have to say that this venue did not suit them. Is a fancy theater that usual shows broadway
musicals. And the crowd acted like they were at a play. Everyone calmly in their seats pretty much
untill the last 3 songs. No one even stood for opener.
Finally, the acoustics were great and the mix was good. But the PA fed back and squealed and dropped
out 3 different times in the show. Twice we ended up only hearing the on stage monitors untill it wass fixed,
missing drums and Ian’s vocal. People in the rest room after were not happy.
I don’t know if the band carries their own PA or if this was an issue caused by interfacing with the theater
sound system, but it put a bit of a damper on things several times.

All in all, a great show. I have seen the band many times, in many different venues and with many different
line ups. This show and line up are a fantastic continuation of the amazing legacy of this band.

I dont know where you are in the world reading this, but highly recommend you catch them if they come by.

review by Harry

Another article from the New Musical Express issue from September 29, 1973. This one unveils the new Deep Purple lineup that became known as Mark III. Continue Reading »

Glenn Hughes will continue his 50th anniversary of Burn tour with 11 dates in the UK in October. The tour starts on October 10 in Holmfirth and wraps up on the 29th at the Manchester Academy. Soren Andersen on guitar, Ash Sheehan on drums, and Bob Fridzema on keyboards will round up the band. Special guest on all UK shows is Canadian band The Damn Truth.

Tickets go on sale February 23, 2023, with presales starting on the 21st.

Check our calendar for full details.

Deep Purple performing Caught in the Act medley and Hush on the Rock Legends Cruise that sailed from Florida last Monday, February 13, 2023 Continue Reading »

A vintage interview with a freshly purplerised (is that a word? it is now!) Glenn Hughes, that originally appeared in New Musical Express on September 29, 1973:

He’s got one of the best voices in modern music and he is also an accomplished bass player – but what did he listen to himself when he was young? What influenced him?
Read on!

Under the Influence

Interview by Tony Stewart

WILSON PICKETT: “In The Midnight Hour”.
At that time I thought it was the best record, and it came out when I first started playing in bands. It’s just the whole feel of the song and his voice, and I took off on that.

JAMES BROWN: “It’s A Man’s World”.
I dug the first things he did, but this was a complete contrast. The first time I heard it, it freaked me out, because it’s a really lovely song with a lot of soul.

BOOKER T. AND THE MGS: “Hip Hugger”.
This kind of music I like. I’ve always admired Booker T, and this is the first thing of his I loved. And I especially like the guitar, which is really simple. I just enjoy the simplicity of instruments, like the simple bass riff and drumming here. Actually there’s hardly anything there at all. It’s so laid back — which at the time was great.

Continue reading in My Things – Music history for those who are able to read.

Thanks to Geir Myklebust for the hard work on putting these online.

Bonus: