Deep Purple In Profile EMI 7243 4 95635 2 0

A new addition to the Deep Purple discography, a CD providing a 75-minute review of the band's history with comments by various band members and extracts from relevant tracks. I understand that this has been in production for a few years and was originally scheduled for 1998 or 1999 but was delayed along with the Mk1 Remasters.

The interviewees are restricted to the Mk2 line-up [Ritchie's interview being done over the telephone] together with Derek Lawrence and Martin Birch.

Here are some observations on the biography as written and narrated by Mike Hurst:

[Track 1 - 7:20] "they saw dozens including Rod Stewart" - Not at Deeves Hall, they went to one of his gigs to consider him.

[Track 2 - 5:30] "royalties that had been owing for some time were paid in full" - Not sure about this. Warners advanced an amount against royalties in the spring of 1970 but as Tetragrammaton went bust those Mk1 record royalties went largely unpaid.

[Track 3 - 0:50] "1972 ... five US tours" - Six.

[3 - 2:50] "Randy California took his place on several US shows" - Only one, in Quebec, Canada.

[3 - 4:40] "during the recording of Who Do You Think We Are" - Who Do We ...

[3 - 6:40] "On November 3rd in Oklahoma City" - No such gig and I think the incident was during the 1976 tour.

[3 - 12:00] "Melody Maker ads" - I believe the tapes arrived directly in response to the news of Gillan's departure and that no adverts were placed in MM. [Though, if anyone has such an advert, I'd be delighted to see it.]

[3 - 15:20] "America with groups like The Eagles and Emerson Lake and Palmer supporting them" - Only at the California Jam.

[3 - 19:40] "the new album was completed at the Record Plant" - Mixed there but recorded in Munich.

[3 - 19:50] "To promote it the band played ... the Houston Astrodome and the Orange Bowl" - No, these shows predated Stormbringer's release by three or four months.

[3 - 21:50] "had the last 3 concerts of the European spring tour filmed" - Would have been nice, but only audio recordings were made; I don't recall anyone ever suggesting that there is footage of these shows lying around somewhere!

[Track 4 - 10:50] "14 dates were cancelled as Turner departed somewhat acrimoniously" - A misunderstanding, yes US dates were cancelled in 1991 but Turner left the band in 1992.

[4 - 12:10] "69-date World Tour opening in Missouri" - All the 1993 North American dates were cancelled, the tour kicked off in Europe. Indeed, Missouri would have been one of the last North American dates if the tour had gone ahead.

[4 - 13:00] "during the 1994 tour" - 1993.

[4 - 13:10] "Michael Schuler" - Schenker.

[4 - 14:10] "By the end of the year, Mk6" - No, Mk7 [or Mk9]

The design sleeve is very classy; Morse and Turner, missing from the front cover, are included in the brief individual biographies. However the track list on page 8 seems to have suffered out of the delayed release. As, I assume, EMI would want this to tie in to the band's current catalogue, references to some tracks being from Singles A's and B's overlook that in the interim this compilation was deleted - oh why oh why? In addition, some tracks are not from the albums they purport to be:

7. Hallelujah: "30: The Very Best Of" 9. Black Night: "In Rock [Anniversary Edition]" 11. Strange Kind Of Woman: "Fireball [Anniversary Edition]" 15. Space Truckin': "Live In Japan" - the track used was not the Machine Head version 26. Child In Time: "Live In Japan" - the track used was not the 1969 Concerto version 27. Flight Of The Rat: "In Rock [Anniversary Edition]"

Overall, there's an obvious bias to the 1968-76 EMI years, quite understandable as it is an EMI release but it seems odd that a track from Abandon wasn't included.

Naturally, there's nothing new included track-wise though there's a 90-second tape-loop of the Smoke riff played as a background to Roger's recounting of the making of Machine Head.

Overall, a fairly unique item and modestly priced, between £5 and £10. Just a shame that the historical inaccuracies now pass into folklore.

Nigel Young