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The nuts and bolts
This one is for the sound geeks among us. Deep Purple were profiled in the February 2012 issue of the Total Production International magazine. They have interviewed FOH engineer Gert Sanner at the Birmingham’s LG arena last year during the orchestral tour. Gert talks about pitfalls and challenges of working with an orchestra and his approach to miking the drum kit:
The orchestra is taking the place of Steve [Morse] or Don [Airey] at times, if you like, so I have to move things about a little bit more than normal. For the second song in the set, Hard Loving Man, which is normally guitar-heavy, the orchestra is now the main focus, but the guitar still plays the part that it previously did, so I find myself having to force the guitar down a bit.
Read more in TPI Magazine.
Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
The last statement in the article should raise some eyebrows from the ‘negative attitude club’….
” Airey (whose son Mike also tours with the band as his keyboard technician, working from a Soundcraft Si Compact console) said it’s been a memorable experience having the orchestra on stage. “The orchestra added a dimension to Deep Purple and their music that no one really dreamed existed,” he stated. “To the extent that this tour became the band’s most successful since their reformation in 1985.” ”
TPi
Cheers
April 15th, 2012 at 04:50Always felt that Hardloving Man was organ heavy : )
April 15th, 2012 at 21:21Airey (whose son Mike also tours with the band as his keyboard technician, working from a Soundcraft Si Compact console) said it’s been a memorable experience having the orchestra on stage. “The orchestra added a dimension to Deep Purple and their music that no one really dreamed existed,” he stated. “To the extent that this tour became the band’s most successful since their reformation in 1985.”
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………….
April 15th, 2012 at 21:25Three founding members? Yeah right! One founding member would be correct. Seriously, Purple have done this years before, 1969 & again in 1999. They were one of the first to do it & many other artists have ventured into that realm as well, some memorable & some best forgotten!
April 17th, 2012 at 11:22With technology always improving, it should sound better (the mix between orchestra & band that is) & certain venues are great sounding theses days as well, so that also plays its part. The last line in this article could be taken in a number of ways & is one persons view on history. Successful in what way? Musically, financially, crowd attendances or simply enjoying themselves perhaps?
I had better clarify that the band hasn’t toured before with an orchestra, to my recent memory that is, but have performed with an orchestra in a live concert situation before this recent tour! Back to the last line or the second last line in that article……. According to the article, “The orchestra added a dimension to Deep Purple and their music that no one really dreamed existed,” he stated.
April 17th, 2012 at 11:42Strange comment that one, Purple’s music or at least some of it, has always sounded orchestral to me & other fans I know. I suppose we all hear different things at different times.
Ofcourse that piece of text would get up the noses of people, Tracy.
Hyped up texts, resembling that of the irrealistic and offending content of a tourprogramme sometimes.
I often reached the front of the stage and read the programme as soon as I could.
Often dissappointment because it was all bogus.
Often no respectful reference in those texts as well towards the former incarnations of the band that build the base on which the current line up was working.
That pissed me off, man I felt screwed at the beginning of the show!!!
Stick that lies in a place where the sun is not shining and give us a real beautiful programme with honour to those who deserve it.
Btw, this kinda experience does not happen all the time ofcourse.
April 18th, 2012 at 09:24PP and MacGregor…
Sorry it is so hard for you to give credit for what is due to giving it all to what was. The band is doing well, and the orchestra being added was a nice touch and became a special time for the band. I saw it live. It worked. VERY WELL. Also, yes technically there is only 1 founding member left, but in my opinion, just like those whom say Purple ain’t Purple without Blackmore, I say the same about Gillan and Glover. The ‘Founding Members’ did 3 albums. Their only hits came from 2 Cover songs. Russ Ballard’s ‘Hush’ and Neil Diamond’s ‘Kentucky Woman’. It wasn’t until Gillan and Glover came on board that the band finally ‘wrote their own hits’ and stopped being a ‘cover’s band. So in MY eyes, that’s when Purple became Purple. MK1 was just a continuation of ‘Roundabout’ and should have maintained that title until MK2 came about. MK2 is where they finally evolved into the real Deep Purple with no more cover tunes, which was the model for all the MKs to follow. The Concerto should have been the ‘introduction to DEEP PURPLE’ and ‘In Rock’ should have been the first official Deep Purple studio album.
Cheers
April 19th, 2012 at 04:48Purplepriest,
April 19th, 2012 at 15:58Just so you understand! This is not from a Tour programme. This was from a Magazine for Sound Engineers. The way you class a Tour as successful or not could also mean how consistent the results over a Six week Tour were. In that particular Magazine that was the reference.
It was also not the first Orchestra Tour. It was the third one to be precise. There was a US one, a european Summer one and the last one which went through the UK.
As the Orchestra and Soundequipment changed between those three Tours it was important to state that technically it was the most successful Tour.
The clue is that this was not a music magazine but a Technical Magazine for professionals of the industry.
So none of the stuff in that magazine was relevant to any of those people who read on this website.
If you ever went to a heavy Rock concert with an Orchestra you would understand that the past Orchestra Tour with Purple was technically of a very high Standard. That you don’t like it or don’t understand it does not make you a competent judge about matters discussed in the above Article.
But please feel free to discuss Loudspeaker and Soundmixing technology with me. I am here to help.
Tracey, The ‘original 3 members; comment was a sting at the journalist who wrote that rave, as was a lot of the rest of my rant & getting basic fact correct before publishing isn’t hard, maybe it should have said “3 original members of the classic MK11 lineup”, or something similar! I though it could have also mentioned that Purple had played with orchestra’s before etc, call me mr picky, but that article was sort of misleading in some ways. Not to worry, it isn’t a big deal, I just felt like commenting on it.
April 21st, 2012 at 23:53Joe South wrote the song ‘Hush’ that Deep Purple covered. Interesting that after the original MK1 lineup, other incarnations have continued to play that song live over next the umpteen years! Purple sort of made it their own in some respects, or at least made it popular & it was a starting point to a great band.
Yes, the “original” DP MK 1 did a few covers indeed, too many in my book, (River Deep Mountain High) was a good version though, but a lot of artists over the years tend to start off in that sort of way! If they are paying tribute to the song with respect or simply cashing in (trying for instant recognition) is debatable. But in my book, the early Deep Purple sowed the seed in their original music they wrote, for so many ideas that followed when Gillan & Glover joined the band! Especially the guitar/organ riffing thing along with Paice’s drumming style. Without MK1, MK11 would never had existed! Gillan & Glover were what Blackmore was looking for, harder songwriters (and a harder vocalist also) to beef it up a little. The recent orchestra tour was good in that it was different to just the band flogging the dead horse tour thing, but also as I said earlier, Purple’s music, or some of it at least has always had the classical/orchestra thing to it! So it was due perhaps? Yes did the orchestra tour in 2001 & that was overdue also, some bands have the classical feel & some don’t, I wish Tull had done it years back as well! Regards.
1 I went twice to see DP in The Royal Albert Hall in 1999.
2 I saw them with an orchestra in Rotterdam in 2000.
3. I did NOT say you are a tourprogramme. I said your texts RESEMBLED a hyped up tour programme.
I thought English was your own language. Not?
4 Are you implying that everyone here on board can bugger off when they are not a musician themselves?
5 If you d have taken notice over the years you d have known that the PERFECT STRANGERS tour was the biggest tour in the USA, after Bruce Springsteen.
Are you suggesting they topped those numbers with the short(…) and recent Orchestral Tour?
Cheers.
Mark
April 22nd, 2012 at 00:05Gert, we were wondering what the most successful tour comment was about, musically it “would” be the most successful playing with an orchestra. But that cannot compare to a successful tour in a rock band format, musically, enjoying themselves or even financially! Two different entities indeed & I was curious as to the article’s ‘successful’ comment! Maybe PP was also, it isn’t a big deal!
April 22nd, 2012 at 00:18But the next comment you stated is, in my book worth replying to!
[As the Orchestra and Soundequipment changed between those three Tours it was important to state that technically it was the most successful Tour.
The clue is that this was not a music magazine but a Technical Magazine for professionals of the industry.
So none of the stuff in that magazine was relevant to any of those people who read on this website.
If you ever went to a heavy Rock concert with an Orchestra you would understand that the past Orchestra Tour with Purple was technically of a very high Standard. That you don’t like it or don’t understand it does not make you a competent judge about matters discussed in the above Article].
The ‘stuff’ in the article can be relevant to people who read on this website, it depends on who those people are & what their understanding of the comments relate to!
As to the ‘no liking or not understanding’ comment, it is irrelevant making a comment like that. What, other people don’t understand the article who are not involved in sound production etc? So therefore shouldn’t be commenting about the article?
It is only relevant to people that earn their living by doing sound at Live |Concerts. For them successfull means something totally different then to you guys. No English is not my first Language and it is not relevant who doesnt understand the article. Its is however relevant who does understand it!
April 23rd, 2012 at 21:33And that is clearly not here. I shall remain silent as you guys can not accept that this Article was not for you.
Appearantly the article should not have been “printed” here.
I wonder…….How long is this man working for the DP entourage?
April 23rd, 2012 at 22:11Since Don stepped in or longer?
You are two people who didn’t manage to read that article correct. That doesn’t stop us from linking to anything. The other mass of people who have clicked through here managed to take the article for what it was. Which, as Gert has pointed out, is that it is an article for the sound community. No one from the band or management has conspired to write something in that article to hype the band or the tour. Yes, the journalist probably had limited knowledge of the band (regarding how many founding members for example) but the intended audience for that article isn’t hardcore DP fans, it is people in the audio industry.
We might think the world revolves around Deep Purple and that the rest of the world should know everything about the band and their family relations but for most of the inhabitants of this planet, there are other interests. And as a sound engineer myself, I read plenty of articles like this all the time about band I know nothing about or care very little about, but I’m still interested in their technical approach to a live show. Especially when the tour is different, like touring with an orchestra. It may seem “everyone” is doing that these days but the majority of live rock shows are not with an orchestra and incorporating an orchestra with a loud rock band, and in less than ideal venues, presents various problems that has to be solved. If you go through such a tour without any major problem, that might prove to be the most successful tour ever for a band, and that has nothing to do with monetary gains or how many people saw the band when another guitar player was in the band.
April 24th, 2012 at 09:06Thanks Svante (the ref) Axbacke for clearing that up and setting it straight. I must admit again that I am once again surprised at how knit picky, arguemental and pinheaded some are here regarding the level of bickering that comes from a simple quote and offering. There are many threads here that go into subjects that I actually don’t have any interest in, but to others it is very relevant. It is evident here that ‘some’ feel the site should pertain to subjects only what ‘they’ relate to, or find relative to their connection with the band and music (such as even who should be in the band)…..sheeeeesh!!!!
Also MacGregor, I obviously made a name mistake with HUSH and Ballard. I am totally aware of the Joe South origination and for some reason when writing my jargon I had a slight brain fart and typed the wrong name in. No biggie but correction noted. Thanks. As for the MK1-MK2 issue, yes obviously due to history, MK1 had to come before MK2. Just as Roundabout came before MK1. Without either, neither would exist most likely. My point was that MK1 did 3 albums whereby all 3 used cover tunes throughout. Not just their first album which many artists do when breaking out, but all 3. Once MK2 came to be, they stopped doing covers and did only their material. The experiment was over….they became DEEP PURPLE. I guess the name ‘Shades of Deep Purple’ was perfect for their first album name. MK2 wiped out any of those ‘shades’ and solidified the brand.
Cheers
April 24th, 2012 at 11:40Well said Svante (and Gert), it’s almost like some people *cough* purple priest *cough* have an agenda and pick for faults in everything DP. I don’t understand what pleasure they derive from spending so much time on a Deep Purple website when they seemingly don’t like the band anymore (they’re not going to get any news other than that regarding current lineup and projects that ex members now concern themselves with (Ritchie and John won’t be coming back, let it go!)) and have nothing positive or productive to add.
April 24th, 2012 at 14:18Well, that makes three of us that took this article wayyyyyyyyyyyy too serious : )
April 24th, 2012 at 20:52So much fordistorting the truth and knit picking and……..
I often try to think about what should be the songs placed ona BEST OF cd by MK I.
I never come to a solution with it.
In the end I always play the whole shebang they made in one row.
Opinion time again, MK 1 best ongs easily outshine most material they made since 1998.
Start with April, inbetween classics like Mandrake Root and The Adress, Wring That Neck, Lalena, Anthem, and so on and end it with Hush, Blind, Chasing Shadows, and so on.
Dismissing the so called covers leaves enough great original songs.
Writing off MK as just some jurking and messing around~
April 26th, 2012 at 11:48COME ON!!!!
Quote:
Well, that makes three of us that took this article wayyyyyyyyyyyy too serious : ) Quote end.
I hope you exclude me from those three, as I can’t take any of this serious!
April 29th, 2012 at 21:55