Deep Purple are a British hard rock band originally from Hertford. Formed in March 1968, the group originally included vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice ("Mark I"). In mid-1969, Evans and Simper were replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover ("Mark II"). After four years, Gillan and Glover departed in 1973, and were replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes ("Mark III"). Tommy Bolin replaced Blackmore in 1975 ("Mark IV"), with this lineup continuing until Deep Purple broke up in July 1976. The group re-formed in April 1984 with the "Mark II" lineup of Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan and Glover. The current lineup, dubbed "Mark IX", features Paice, Gillan, Glover, guitarist Simon McBride and keyboardist Don Airey.
Deep Purple were formed under the name Roundabout in March 1968 by vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. [1] Lord and Simper had previously played together with The Flower Pot Men, and Simper had earlier worked briefly with Blackmore; [2] Evans and Paice were brought in from The Maze, whom Blackmore had seen performing. [1] The group soon changed their name to Deep Purple, after the song of the same name by Nino Tempo & April Stevens. [3] Deep Purple quickly recorded their first album Shades of Deep Purple , which was issued in July 1968. [4] After The Book of Taliesyn and Deep Purple , Blackmore, Lord and Paice made the decision in May 1969 to dismiss Evans and Simper, wanting to pursue a heavier direction that they deemed the pair unsuitable for. [5]
By the time the original lineup, subsequently dubbed "Mark I", played their last show on 4 July 1969, new vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover had already been recruited from Episode Six. [6] During its four-year tenure, the "Mark II" lineup established itself as the most commercially and critically acclaimed of the group's history, releasing the studio albums Deep Purple in Rock , Fireball , Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are , in addition to the live albums Concerto for Group and Orchestra and Made in Japan . [7] However, following increasing tensions and exhaustion, in October 1972 Gillan informed the rest of the band that he would be leaving after the remaining tour dates were completed. [8] Glover followed the singer later in providing his resignation, believing that Blackmore wanted him to leave. [5] The final show of the tour took place on 29 June 1973 in Osaka, Japan, after which Gillan and Glover both left and "Mark II" came to an end. [9] [10]
On 14 July 1973, it was announced in Melody Maker magazine that Glenn Hughes of Trapeze had replaced Glover on bass. [11] Paul Rodgers, who had been a member of Free until their recent breakup, was initially offered the role of frontman, but he declined to focus on the formation of Bad Company. [12] The position vacated by Gillan was later taken by David Coverdale, who auditioned in the summer and was unveiled as Deep Purple's new vocalist on 23 September 1973. [13] After "Mark III" released Burn and Stormbringer , the creatively frustrated Blackmore recorded a self-titled debut album by a new project dubbed Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (later shortened to just Rainbow) in early 1975. [14] This ultimately led to his departure from Deep Purple, which was officially announced on 21 June 1975. [15] Despite Blackmore's core creative role in the band, Deep Purple continued with the addition of former James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin. [16] After just one album, Come Taste the Band , "Mark IV" played their final show on 15 March 1976, before breaking up officially on 19 July. [17] Bolin died of a heroin overdose that December. [18]
After eight years of inactivity, on 27 April 1984 it was announced that the "Mark II" lineup of Deep Purple were set to return for a worldwide tour and a new album. [19] The reunion of Gillan, Blackmore, Glover, Lord and Paice lasted for five years and spawned two studio albums, Perfect Strangers and The House of Blue Light . [7] By the middle of 1989, however, Gillan had left the group for a second time, with the other members firing him due to creative and personal differences. [20] After auditioning and rehearsing with numerous potential replacements for the vocalist, the band eventually enlisted Joe Lynn Turner, who had previously worked with Blackmore and Glover in Rainbow, to take Gillan's place in December 1989. [21] This "Mark V" lineup recorded just one album, Slaves and Masters , which was released in 1990 and promoted on tour throughout 1991. [7]
In August 1992, despite having started work on the band's next album, Turner was suddenly dismissed from Deep Purple. [22] Gillan subsequently returned for a third stint as lead vocalist, as management wanted the classic "Mark II" lineup back together for a planned 25th anniversary tour, and the band issued The Battle Rages On... in 1993. [23] [24] Blackmore was unhappy with Gillan's return and Turner's firing, however, which led to renewed and increasing tensions between the pair on the subsequent touring cycle. [25] The guitarist played his final show with Deep Purple on 17 November 1993. [26] After briefly considering disbanding, the band added Joe Satriani in Blackmore's place for a string of pre-arranged tour dates, including shows in Japan and Europe starting in December. [27] This "Mark VI" arrangement was only temporary, however, with the guitarist returning to his solo career at the end of the run in July 1994. [27]
Blackmore was eventually officially replaced by former Dixie Dregs and Kansas guitarist Steve Morse on August 17, 1994, who debuted with the band at three low-key gigs in November 1994 and was later offered the position permanently. [28] The "Mark VII" lineup remained stable throughout the rest of the decade, releasing two studio albums in Purpendicular and Abandon . [7] In March 2002, it was announced that Lord – a member of every lineup of Deep Purple to date – was set to amicably retire from the group, with Don Airey taking his place. [29] The keyboardist's departure left Paice as the sole remaining constant member of the band. [30] The "Mark VIII" lineup of Gillan, Morse, Glover, Airey and Paice released six studio albums: Bananas in 2003, Rapture of the Deep in 2005, Now What?! in 2013, Infinite in 2017, Whoosh! in 2020 and Turning to Crime in 2021. [31] The lineup remained active until March 2022, when the band announced that Steve Morse would go on a hiatus and be replaced by Simon McBride, [32] who has previously toured with both Ian Gillan and Don Airey. [33] On 23 July 2022, it was announced that Steve Morse had permanently left. [34]
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ian Paice |
|
| all Deep Purple releases | |
Roger Glover |
|
|
| |
Ian Gillan |
|
|
| |
Don Airey | 2002–present | keyboards |
| |
Simon McBride |
|
| =1 (2024) |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jon Lord |
|
|
| |
Ritchie Blackmore |
| guitar |
| |
Rod Evans | 1968–1969 | lead vocals |
| |
Nick Simper |
| |||
Glenn Hughes | 1973–1976 |
|
| |
David Coverdale | lead and backing vocals | |||
Tommy Bolin | 1975–1976 (died 1976) |
|
| |
Joe Lynn Turner | 1989–1992 | lead vocals | Slaves and Masters (1990) | |
Joe Satriani | 1993–1994 | guitar | none | |
Steve Morse |
|
|
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Christopher Cross | 1970 | guitar | On 28 August 1970, Cross briefly filled in for Ritchie Blackmore, as he had a bad flu shot. Together with Cross, the group played a concert in the city of San Antonio at the Jam Factory. [35] [36] [37] [38] | |
Randy California | 1972 (died 1997) | On 6 April 1972, Randy temporarily filled in for Blackmore at a concert in Quebec, as he contracted hepatitis. [39] [40] | ||
Candice Night | 1993 | backing vocals | Night performed backing vocals at select dates on Deep Purple's 1993 tour on the request of Ritchie Blackmore. [41] | |
Nick Fyffe | 2011 | bass | Fyffe filled in for Roger Glover for a series of European dates in 2011. [42] | |
Jordan Rudess | 2020 | keyboards | Rudess filled in for Don Airey for one show in March 2020, while Airey was absent for undisclosed reasons. [43] | |
Adam Wakeman | 2023 | Wakeman filled in for one show while Airey was absent due to an illness. [44] |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beth Hart | 2003 | backing vocals | Bananas (2003) | |
Paul Buckmaster | 2003 (died 2017) | string arrangement and cello | ||
Michael Bradford | 2003 | guitar | ||
Jason Roller | 2012 | acoustic guitar | Now What?! (2013) | |
Eric Darken | percussion | |||
Mike Johnson | steel guitar | |||
David Hamilton | additional keyboards | |||
Students of Nimbus School of Recording Arts | gang vocals | |||
Bob Ezrin |
|
|
| |
Tommy Denander | 2016 | additional guitar | Infinite (2017) | |
Saam Hashemi | 2020 | programming | Whoosh! (2020) | |
Ayana George | backing vocals | |||
Tiffany Palmer | ||||
Nicole Thalia | 2021 | Turning to Crime (2021) | ||
Marsha B. Morrison | ||||
Leo Green |
| |||
Matt Holland | trumpet | |||
Gina Forsyth | fiddle | |||
Bruce Daigrepont | squeeze box | |||
Julian Shank | percussion |
Lineup (period) | Members | Studio albums | Live albums |
---|---|---|---|
Mark I (March 1968 – July 1969) |
|
| |
Mark II (July 1969 – June 1973) |
|
|
|
Mark III (September 1973 – April 1975) |
|
|
|
Mark IV (June 1975 – March 1976) |
|
|
|
Band inactive July 1976 – April 1984 | |||
Mark II (reunion) (April 1984 – December 1989) |
|
|
|
Mark V (December 1989 – August 1992) |
|
| none |
Mark II (second reunion) (August 1992 – November 1993) |
|
|
|
Mark VI (November 1993 – July 1994) |
| none | |
Mark VII (July 1994 – March 2002) |
|
|
|
Mark VIII (March 2002 – March 2022) |
|
|
|
Mark IX (April 2022 – present) |
|
| none |
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". Listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, they have sold over 100 million records worldwide.
John Douglas "Jon" Lord was an English keyboardist and composer. In 1968, Lord co-founded the hard rock band Deep Purple. Lord performed on most of the band's most popular songs; he and drummer Ian Paice were the only continuous members in the band between 1968 and 1976, and also from its revival in 1984 until his retirement in 2002. He also played for the bands Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, the Artwoods, the Flower Pot Men and Santa Barbara Machine Head.
Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1980 on LP. It features the original hits of Deep Purple before their 1984 reunion. Aided by a TV advertising campaign it would become Purple's third UK No. 1 album. In 1984 this compilation additionally was published on CD.
Listen, Learn, Read On is a box set released by the English hard rock band Deep Purple in 2002.
Gillan's Inn is the fourth solo album by Ian Gillan in celebration of his 40 years as a singer. The first release was a DualDisc composed of both a CD and a DVD side. The CD featured re-recorded tracks from all eras of Ian Gillan's singing career. In a recent interview Gillan observed that, despite the number of participants and guest appearances, this was the easiest project he ever put together.
Ian Gillan is an English singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice.
"Space Truckin'" is a song by English hard rock band Deep Purple. It is the seventh and final track on the Machine Head album and its lyrics talk of space travel.
The Anthology is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, containing material by Mks I (1968–1969), II (1969–1973), III (1973–1975) and IV (1975–1976) line-ups. It was released as a double vinyl album and double-cassette, and included a few previously unreleased tracks and mixes. The sleeve-notes were written by Chris Charlesworth, author of Deep Purple – The Illustrated Biography.
Quatermass were a British progressive rock band from London, active between 1969 and 1971. A related band, Quatermass II, was active in the mid-1990s.
30: Very Best of Deep Purple is a 1998 compilation album by English rock band Deep Purple, celebrating 30th anniversary of the band. There are two CD versions of the album, a single CD and a double CD, and a vinyl version, a double LP printed on purple vinyl, with the track listing being identical to the single CD version.
The Deep Purple Singles A's & B's is a compilation album of singles released by the English hard rock band Deep Purple. It was released on vinyl in October 1978. An updated version of the album was issued on CD in 1993 and contains the complete collection of Deep Purple's UK singles, recorded and released from 1968 to 1976 by the Mk I, II, III and IV line-ups of Deep Purple. In 2010 EMI released another double CD compilation album called Singles & E.P. Anthology '68 – '80. It contains all songs as herein plus 15 tracks. The song "Kentucky Woman" is present in the album version, which is 38 seconds longer than the single edit.
Live at Montreux 2006: They All Came Down to Montreux is the first live release by English hard rock band Deep Purple's mk VIII lineup. This concert was recorded in Montreux, during 2006 Rapture of the Deep tour. Besides a DVD release, the concert film has also been released on HD DVD and Blu-ray. The CD includes four tracks from their most recent album Rapture of the Deep and seven tracks originally from the Mk II line up including six from Machine Head. The twelfth track is a Don Airey keyboard solo.
"The Mule" is a song by English hard rock band Deep Purple, and was originally released on their 1971 album Fireball. The song became famous for its live performance, which would always feature a drum solo by Ian Paice.
Around the World Live is a four-DVD box-set by English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in May 2008.
Funky Junction were an Irish rock band formed in 1972 specifically to record a single album of songs made famous by British band Deep Purple, which was released as Funky Junction Play a Tribute to Deep Purple in January 1973. Among the band's lineup were all three members of the early 1970s incarnation of Thin Lizzy.
Deep Purple in Rock is the fourth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 5 June 1970. It was the first studio album recorded by the Mark II line-up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
The Deep Purple European Tour was a year-long successful concert tour by English hard rock band Deep Purple, lasting from July 1969 until June 1970. The band played mostly United Kingdom shows, also covering West Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. It was the first tour to feature the classic Deep Purple line-up: Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. It is considered to be the pre-tour for the In Rock album, as the band mostly played songs from the upcoming album.
Live at Montreux 2011 is a live release by English hard rock band Deep Purple's mk VIII lineup credited as Deep Purple with Orchestra, and performed alongside the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt conducted by Stephen Bentley-Klein. This concert was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 16 July 2011. Besides a 2CD release, the concert film has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray. All formats were released on 7 November 2011 by German label Eagle Rock Entertainment. In 2015 a vinyl collector's edition of the album was released for a Record Store Day.
Mark I & II is a 1973 compilation album by Deep Purple, released by EMI's German subsidiary Electrola. It contains material originally released between 1968 and 1973. This double LP was released after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover had left Deep Purple in June 1973. This compilation was mainly a European release, but was also released in various overseas territories, like Australia and New Zealand.
Live in Verona is a 2014 live album and concert film by English hard rock band Deep Purple's mk VIII lineup credited as Deep Purple with Orchestra, and performed alongside the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt conducted by Stephen Bentley-Klein. It was recorded at the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater originally built in 30 AD, on 18 July 2011. It was released as a Blu-ray and DVD on 21 October 2014 by Eagle Rock Entertainment, and as a CD in Japan on 8 October 2014 by Ward Records.