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Commie Fraulien

Another vintage article about Deep Purple, which originally appeared in the New Musical Express on December 12, 1970. It is based on interviews with the two Ians and tells the story of troublemakers in Germany, Aston, Gardner, Dyke and Lieber, Big Ian’s involvement with the Jesus Christ Superstar, and work on the upcoming album that eventually became Fireball.

Commie Fraulien incites ruinous concert riots

Richard Green in Germany with Deep Purple

THERE’S a very mysterious Fraulein X going the rounds of German concert halls that quite a few bands would like to get their hands on at the moment. Deep Purple encountered her and her devious activities twice during the first half of their current German tour when she organised riots of a very frightening nature in Hanover and Heidelburg.

Purple are the latest group to suffer from the deplorable antics of “fans” who want all concerts to be free. At the slightest suggestion of an entrance fee, upwards of a thousand troublemakers gather at the hall and provoke everyone in sight into damaging property.

“They had battering rams in Heidelburg and they were trying to get at the band,” Ian Paice told me when I joined them in Hamburg. “I was really frightened. They had us cornered in the dressing room… if they had got to us I hate to think what would have happened.

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

Thumbs up to Geir Myklebust for the hard work.



9 Comments to “Commie Fraulien”:

  1. 1
    James Steven Gemmell says:

    Sounds like, between the Mark III incident in India and this one in Germany, Purple had a lot of harrowing moments.

  2. 2
    Geir Myklebust says:

    Thank you for posting yet another of my updates on my site. I will continue posting articles with Deep Purple when I find them, not at least because I like the band, but also thanks to the fans here. I always have a spike of readers on my site when something is posted here.

    By the way, I try to be true to the original text when posting on my site. So that`s why it says “Fraulien” in the heading as it said so in the original article. It is no error on my part.

    Be well, dear Purple People… 🙂

  3. 3
    Ivica says:

    Cover the song and it doesn’t mean bad … Among the 40 most listened songs in Deep Purple’s entire career on You Tube are four covers – “Hush” (over( 12.4 million) 1968 and (12.1) 1988 versions) then “Hey Joe” (8.6) “Lalena” (6.1), “Help” (1.5) … the last cover of “Roadhouse Blues” with 168 thousand was performed in seventh place from the album “Infinte 7/10”.

  4. 4
    James Gemmell says:

    Not surprised about “Hush”. That was a Top-5 hit in America. Rod Evans had a magnificent voice within a narrow pop-rock r7ange. It’s sad his career came to a crashing halt the way it did. Ian Gillan was a big fan of the original Purple lineup, before he joined in 1969.

  5. 5
    Uwe Hornung says:

    “By the way, I try to be true to the original text when posting on my site. So that`s why it says “Fraulien” in the heading as it said so in the original article. It is no error on my part.”

    Himmel, in zat cäse I’m reliefffed. Ötherwise I woüld haff sent our jack-booted boyz over for questioning and the usual reprisals. Vvvee haff ze vvvays to make you write right, jawohl!!!

    https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/nazipedia/images/d/df/Kroenen2.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20140518025134

  6. 6
    MacGregor says:

    Reminds me of that hilarious Blackadder line ‘The Teutonic reputation for brutality is well founded, their Operas last 3 to 4 days! Cheers.

  7. 7
    Uwe Hornung says:

    MacGregor, I’ll wagner you into submission!!!

  8. 8
    MacGregor says:

    @ 7 -no please Uwe, anyone but Wagner…….seriously though he gets a fair bit of negative press old Wagner because of the reasons we are familiar with. I have a best of cd & I like it. It is much the same with all the classical composers for me, a best of is enough as I cannot sit through too much classical before becoming restless & then bored. As for Opera I find it hard to enjoy. Just a little is enough. Speaking of composers, last week I stumbled across a Rick Wakeman documentary on Vivaldi which was entertaining. Was he the first ‘rock star’ was the gist of the doco. Good humour also when Rick is involved. Cheers.

  9. 9
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Wagner’s antisemitism was inexcusable. As was how his descendants snuggled up to the Nazis – including his forever unrepentant British-born daughter-in-law Winifred, née Williams, who should have known a darn lot better. That will always leave an ugly stain on his work, and for good reason too.

    I like Mozart’s flourish. He was really one of a kind.

    Rick Wakeman is friggin’ hilarious, love the guy. I would have loved to have heard that joint album he and Jon planned.

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