Cheat sheet for the illustrious 1968 birth year of the legendary rock band
With a five-decade existence, DEEP Purple is the epitome of a “band otai,” or pioneering or veteran band. With the exception of the Rolling Stones, very few bands can claim to have lasted this long and to still sell out tours at a time when the majority of their contemporaries have either passed away or are in nursing homes.
Since 1968, Deep Purple has continued to operate, and last month, they dropped a highly regarded album =1.
Here are a few noteworthy tidbits about a true heavyweight in the heavy rock genre.
Unholy trio
The works of three British bands—Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple—are frequently cited by the music press and by many fans as the foundation of hard rock or heavy metal.
Deep Purple is the band behind one of rock’s most recognizable hits, Smoke On The Water, which lends credence to the notion. When guitar stores forbid patrons and aspiring guitar gods from playing the famous song’s opening power riff inside, you know you’ve made it!
modeled like automobiles
Deep Purple’s lineup has undergone multiple alterations. Every lineup is designated with a “Mk,” akin to vintage British automobile models. The band has been classified as MkI–IV because of its four notable line-ups.
The aforementioned anthem has made the MkII lineup the most well-known, and it has also been the most economically successful, with albums like In Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), and Machine Head (1972) having a big influence on album charts when they first came out.
rocky trees
Some rock fans may be familiar with “rock trees,” which are charts that illustrate how performers switch bands. This was made clear in a scene from Jack Black’s comedy School of Rock where different musicians were described as “branching out.” Deep Purple was heavily involved in this trend, as evidenced by the several lineup changes that saw former Rainbow members Joe Lynn Turner, Ian Gillan, and David Coverdale (of Whitesnake) take the mic.
Famously, Ritchie Blackmore, the master axeslinger, formed Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio and later, Turner on vocals, while Gillan joined Black Sabbath for the disastrous Born Again album. Later, Dio would lead Sabbath, and Turner would sing lead vocals on Deep Purple’s Slaves and Masters.
Members of Whitesnake, Rainbow, and Deep Purple appeared to be nearly interchangeable over time. It’s so complicated that there’s a special Wiki page for former Deep Purple members!
Live Beast
Gillan, who is the current vocalist, has stressed Deep Purlpe were primarily an instrumental outfit with extended jams honed on stage. Its live prowess is highlighted by the sheer number of “in concert” recordings in its discography. There are just too many to mention but choice picks include Made in Japan (1972) and Nobody’s Perfect (1988).
Deep Purple has played on these shores numerous times, most notably when it played at the F1 post-race gig in 2014. It has also played shows at the Shah Alam Stadium in 1999 as well as in Genting Highlands in 2010, underlining the band’s popularity in these parts.
Montreux reenacment
Its most famous song Smoke On the Water recounts in detail the fire that consumed the venue at a Frank Zappa and Mothers of Invention gig in Montreux, Switzerland, where Deep Purple were supposed to record its new album.
That moment of fabled rock history was brought to vivid life earlier this year when Deep Purple was invited top perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Floating on a barge, the band struck up the famous power chords to a spectacular mix of fireworks, pyrotechnics and video display (clips can be viewed on Youtube).
Album #23
For a band with such a long career, it will feature its fair share of hits and misses. Albums worth checking out include Who Do We Think We Are (1973) and Perfect Strangers (1984), both featuring Gillan on lead vocals.
Choice picks for the Coverdale-fronted MkIII include Burn (1973) and Stormbringer (1974).
Its latest album =1 is the band’s 23rd studio album and has garnered a lot of positive buzz from the rock press and made significant headway in European rock album charts.
Does it live up to the band’s incredible legacy? See below for theSun’s review of =1.
