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The ?! extras

now_what_extras 2022 artwork

There’s a new digital release of various bits and ends from the Now What?! sessions. It is called Extras: The NOW What?! B-Sides And Bonus Songs and can be ordered via this link.

Says the band:

The idea of this compilation started after sharing previously released ‘rare tracks’ on a private playlist. We believe it is a very interesting listen for all the fans that like to go deeper into the bands production process.

The record company supplied a blurb describing contents of the compilation as follows:

  1. Hell To Pay (Radio Edit): This edit was the first single released before the album came out. It was available as CD-Single and 7”, together with All The Time in The World. A great rock song, played live nearly every night during the NOW What?! and inFinite tours.
  2. It’ll Be Me: This cover version of a Jerry Lee Lewis classic was added as bonus track on many editions of the NOW What?! CD. Compared to other songs on this compilation it will be an easy one to find on physical formats.
  3. All The Time in the World (Radio Mix Edit): This version was a mix that became ready before the full album was finished. It is a little shorter than the album version and it features extra percussions and less guitar. The song obtained some radio airplay in various countries, paving the way for the album’s success. Listening back to it, we still believe that it is a Purple classic, and was played live occasionally during the NOW What?! tour. This version was released as B-Side on the Hell To Pay CD single and 7” vinyl.
  4. First Sign Of Madness: This studio song did not make it to the final album but it is a fantastic rock track; previously included on the Gold Edition of NOW What?! as well as the Vincent Price single on CD-Maxi and 7”.
  5. + 6. Uncommon Man & Above and Beyond – instrumentals: These two songs were inspired by the late, great Jon Lord, who sadly passed away during the recording of the album. While the lyrics are a very important part of both songs, these instrumental versions show the beauty and the finesse of the instrumental parts.
  6. + 8. Après Vous and Hell To Pay – instrumentals: Previously released only as digital downloads and B-Side of the Out of Hand 10” Vinyl single. The vinyl 10” is not an easy one to find and the songs are available to stream for the first time.
  7. Green Onions / Hush (Live in Gaevle): This great live version was mixed specifically to be released as B-Side of the Above and Beyond CD-single (also available as purple 7” vinyl, with a different B-Side). It shows the joy and energy that the band brought to the NOW What?! tour and gives a taste of the atmosphere on-stage and in the audience.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.



26 Comments to “The ?! extras”:

  1. 1
    Gregster says:

    Sounds great to me, thanks guys !!!

  2. 2
    mike whiteley says:

    I would sure like to have a CD of all the bonus songs and rarities from the Morse era albums.
    I can do without instrumental bed tracks, though.

  3. 3
    mike whiteley says:

    All Time In The World……”A Purple Classic” ????
    There’s some heavy duty record company hype for you !! It’s the only song I regularly skip on Now What.
    It didn’t last very long on tour, either.,,( I mean, “….was played live occasionally….” ).

  4. 4
    Blue Boy says:

    What about a physical release on vinyl and cd format?

    Deep Purple needs a CODA or PAST MASTERS like album release.

  5. 5
    Ivica says:

    An exciting musical trilogy DP in the 21st century
    Whoosh?!, Infinte, Now What?!…… missing ? … “Live album” (only the trilogy)

  6. 6
    Uwe Hornung says:

    I’m expecting the Honorable Highway Star Board to arrange for a commemorative CD release for all of us readers here, no less!

  7. 7
    Pieter van der Velde Wzn says:

    If the CD release will be reality, I’ll run to my local record shop Concerto Amsterdam.

  8. 8
    AndreA says:

    I hate digital bitch format.
    I would have a cd..

  9. 9
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Shall we start a crowdfunding here?! ; – )

    OTOH, Roger has bad experiences with crowdfunding, the 1975 live performance of Butterfly Ball did not attract enough attention for a CD/Bluray release a few years ago – ALL OF YOU HERE SHOULD FEEL GUILTY FOR NOT SIGNING UP !!!

    All good things come to those who wait: Knowing edel, it will only be a matter of time until some deluxe tour version of a previous album is released alongside a couple of gigs that will feature this as its bonus CD.

  10. 10
    Max says:

    @ Mike:

    In fact All the Time in the World is the only song from Now What I still listen to … 😉
    For me it is one of Purple’s best songs. Especially the lyrics are ace IMHO.
    It is beautifully crafted, a timeless (sic) classic.

    Cheers.

  11. 11
    Andy says:

    @ Blue Boy: I agree, some of their best songs never made it to an album.

  12. 12
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Yup, I like it too when Purple does lyric-heavy ballads as opposed to just the riff music that made them famous. This is another one:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbX5hDb8lEw

    Lovely harmonica and extended Jon Lord solo.

  13. 13
    mike whiteley says:

    @ 10 – It’s cool that the song connects with you, Max.

  14. 14
    Rock Voorne says:

    @ 9

    Missed out on that moment, indeed.
    But would it have been a true live DVD /CD/BlueRay WITHOUT all the childish , interpolating hee hee heee, crap?

    Who ever thought to do that way back ruined the movie and ought to be shot!

  15. 15
    Scott W says:

    If I’m not mistaken all of these tracks are on the now what ?! Box set and a classic rock magazine cover mounted cd.

  16. 16
    Stefan says:

    What is the point of this release?

    Almost all of the tracks are already available on CD. When you have the single CDs and gold version of now what, you already own these tracks.

  17. 17
    James Gemmell says:

    @3 It’s a pretty good song, just mellow. Purple plays only an occasional mellow song live because crowds generally come to hear hard rock and get pumped up. Some of their best songs were not considered great “live” tunes, but were quite enjoyable on LPs. Depending on my mood, sometimes it’s cool to just kick back with a ginger ale and listen to the subtle textures of songs like this.

  18. 18
    Adel Faragalla says:

    ‘Now What’ is such a cool album but nothing stands out.
    ‘Rapture of the deep’ is a weaker album but at has the stand out ‘ROTD’ which had a great live feel.
    Peace ✌️

  19. 19
    Svante Axbacke says:

    @16: For those that doesn’t have the singles or Gold edition? Or for those that want them collected on one release?

  20. 20
    mike whiteley says:

    @ 17 James: Don’t get me wrong, I like most of the Morse era ballads.
    Fingers to the Bone has great music & lyrics that tell a story. Haunted has a nice guitar solo.A Touch Away is wonderful & introspective . Clearly Quite Absurd is a stellar piece of work.(Dare I say “A Purple Classic ” ? )
    I like ginger ale ,but All The Time In The World has never been my cup of tea. I recall being shocked when it was released as the advance single for Now What.
    What it all boils down to is……To each his own.

  21. 21
    Adel Faragalla says:

    Mike @20
    Totally agrees with you, ‘All the time in the world’ is not my cup of tea either and I was shocked they released it as a first single from Now What.
    I remember when they played it live on one of the US morning shows and I was saying to myself this is not the way to promote a new album.
    But to be honest Now What is nice album but has no stand outs songs anyway so I guess they had no choice.
    Peace ✌️

  22. 22
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Stefan @16: “What is the point of this release?”

    Uhum, to make money and cater to completists?

    I have nearly all of that stuff too, but it would be handy to have it collected on one CD. I’m generally too lazy to dig out the individual CD singles and slip them in.

  23. 23
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Rock Voorne @14: It would have been enough for me if a proper audio of that live event had been released on CD/streaming – the playing at that one-off gig wasn’t bad. As to the ‘expressive dance’ scenes with people in animal masks, I’ve made my peace with that long ago, it’s 70ies artsy and very Pan’s People (the BBC TV dance troupe known from, inter alia, Top of the Pops), it doesn’t bother me today (it has a nice surrealist vibe) though it apparently made Roger cringe at the time.

    I stumbled on the crowd funding site of a Butterfly Ball live release at the time by accident, it wasn’t well publicised at all. No idea if it was ever mentioned or known here, that might have made a difference.

  24. 24
    Rock Voorne says:

    @ Uwe

    Somehow the childish scenes always bring me back to my Kindergartendays which I ended in 1970.
    1970, unknowing of IN ROCK.

    And falling on my head more than once, trying to ride a bike, landing in a pile of sand at the end of the street because Idid not understand how to step off the thing.
    7 years later we were in a car accident where I broke my nose. At the hospital they fixed ” an older” injury to it. Always thought it mist have happened when I was 5.Or maybe it was the hit I took when on the playground when I was 11?
    Weird.

    I wont go into detail what they managed to miss in 1965 when I was born and ” was checked” to look for missing parts.

  25. 25
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Aaand … you liked DP already before the surgery or only afterwards? We need to get to the bottom of this.

    Those hardy Holländers are true survivors. : – )

  26. 26
    Rock Voorne says:

    Uwe

    I m not sure I m a typical Flying Dutchman. On the contrary I d dare say.

    You made me think about the chronology.

    The final accident with the nose happened the day we went out to celebrate my parents weddingday, it was 18 01 1978 I suppose.

    By then I was a few months into developing my love for music, triggered by a local village disco where they played 2 or 3 tracks from LIVE IN JAPAN.
    That disco was end 77 so…..
    At first I thought very negatively about people ” dancing” to it. For some , still unknown to me, reason we called dancing to classic rock “bluesdancing” .
    In the years ahead it often gave me headaches, not having long hair to show off with.

    Untill my 19th birthday my dad persisted in forcing me to take a haircut.
    Only then he did let go and did not treat me with using the scissors while I was asleep.
    My grandfather persisted later on in offering me a lot of money if I d check in with the barber. To no avail 🙂

    I do recall being hospitalised, being bored and calling my cousin who played some 24 carat stuff for me…..SPEED KING, yeah!

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