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2 inches at the twelfth fret

Ultimate Guitar publishes if not a terribly original, but pretty well researched piece on Blackmore’s Stratocasters, both the ones to be smashed and the ones to be carefully kept under lock and key. Ritchie Blackmore had two moods: smashing Stratocasters onstage and obsessing over how a Strat neck feels. They might seem like total opposites, […]

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Sixty years on stage

German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine was going to print a review of the Deep Purple gig, but in the view of the tour being postponed until further notice, opted for a piece that is a tribute to the band we all love. Truly yours website gets a name check. On Saturday, I was supposed to be […]

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Coverdale’s top 20 British albums

In 2022 Classic Rock magazine published a list of David Coverdale’s 20 favourite British albums ever. For certain definitions of Britishness. Some are pretty obvious choices, while others can raise an eyebrow. Here it is for your idle amusement

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It was successful

An update from Ian Gillan was posted today, November 7, 2026: Dear friends, I had a procedure yesterday which was successful. I now have to rest, in order to make a complete recovery and ensure that I’m as fit as can be before getting back to work. Thanks everybody for your patience and understanding. I […]

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The Safety Dance

And to round up our Blackmore news for today, here are a couple of clips posted by his YT channel.

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She’s a bad girl

Rainbow Finyl Vinyl will be reissued on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. This anniversary set appears to be remastered, and with new liner notes by Martin Popoff with input from Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner. Track listing is the same as the original though. The album will be available on 180g coloured double […]

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Once again, fires burn at midnight

Not all is doom and gloom in the family regarding the touring aspects of life. Blackmore’s Night has announced six shows in March 2027, all within manageable driving distance from the Blackmores’ abode: a couple of dates in New Jersey, a couple in Long Island, one in Connecticut, and one in upstate NY. Once again, […]

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Party in Simon’s Pants

DopeYEAH talk publishes an addendum to the interview with Simon McBride that they did earlier this year. Here Simon plays 5 of his favourite riffs, with a discussion to follow each one. Caveat: the host actually does most of the talking.

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Too young for rock’n’roll

David Rosenthal spoke to VRP Rocks about his years with Rainbow, from the audition to the dissolution.

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Postponed until further notice

The following message from Ian Gillan was posted today, November 2, 2026: Dear Friends, Thank you for all the good wishes and support over the last few days, it means the world. I had a medical problem whilst in Leipzig which required urgent attention at the hospital. I was hoping that I would get the […]

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Wizard Stealing the Show

Many of us complain that the band’s performances over the years have become less improvisational and more predictable. Here’s an outsider view of the show in Oslo on October 28, 2026. It starts from I’ve never really considered Deep Purple one of my favourite bands. I own several of their albums, but even their biggest […]

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Medical emergency affects German dates

This was just posted on Deep Purple’s official socials. We wish Ian a speedy recovery! With great disappointment, Deep Purple must announce that they are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at the QI Arena (Leipzig) and tomorrow evening at the Sporthalle (Hamburg). This comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, […]

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It doesn’t matter if you like the song

Ritchie Blackmore Official channel posts this contemporary news report from around the time Slaves and Masters album was released.

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Norwegian soup

The Norway Rock magazine publishes interviews with Roger Glover and Don Airey. They were taken around the time Splat! was released, and being posted now online on the occasion of band finally reaching the country in a Splat! tour proper. Roger Glover speaks (mostly) about the new album: – Who is the “Arrogant Boy?” – […]

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Exhilarating sense of controlled chaos

Louder Sound publishes online a Classic Rock feature on Fireball that appeared in print in the Deep Purple special issue of the magazine that came out in August 2026. Fireball is often treated as the awkward middle child of the Deep Purple Mark II catalogue, sandwiched between the twin classics In Rock and Machine Head. […]

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Watching the grass grow

Tony Iommi is doing interviews promoting his new solo album From the Dark, and Planet Rock asked him about the Born Again remix saga. Said saga has been going on since 2021, and his answers didn’t shed much light on the progress (he basically said pretty much the same in 2024). Yes, there is a […]

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Goin’ metaphysical

The record company has dropped on us another promo video for Splat!. It is for the title track of the album

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Handpicked, no less

Ian Gillan is scheduled to appear on British TV channel NOW Rock this Sunday, October 18, 2026, between 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM. Perhaps that either won’t happen in person, or his bits will be pre-recorded, as he will be busy travelling from Milan to Barcelona at the time, but that’s just a guess. The […]

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Windows up, or down?

Episode 4 of Phil Aston’s interview with Ritchie Blackmore, wherein the latter talks about the exciting drive home from Jones Beach.

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Eight days later

Glenn Hughes shared an update on his health woes on October 14, 2026, via Instagram: Now home after an eight day stay, and a 10 hour open heart surgery, operation, at UCLA, Ronald Reagan, Medical Center. Gratitude beyond.

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