Hi, all, just going through my memorabilia and found this interview from
the Montreal Gazette, November 8th,1972.
" I played congas last night in Quebec City," he explained (the six-
week tour had opened there the night before),"and it still hurts."
The band was hit by hepatitus last year, but this time the body hassles
are centred around Gillan's right hand.
"I've broken it twice in about six places," he said. "I think i'm going
to have it broken and reset after Christmas," Gillan said, wincing at the
prospect.
Ritchie Blackmore had said earlier that playing in French-Canada
didn't appeal to him because of the language barrier, but Gillan said "I'd
never live in America, but Canad's not so bad."
"I just don't like the food in America - bloody syeaks everywhere," he
said. (Food complaints are often heard of Americans in the UK)
Gillan said he'd spend the day after the show in Montreal "to get
some good food before we hit the States." There are over 4000 resturants
here of every description and taste.
"I like to sit down and take my time at a meal - 3 1/2 hours if I
feel like it.
"I just hope people in America don't see this and get mad," the
singer continued, "because I dig the audiences here. They're educated.
" The thing I dislike about America the most?"
"The people are just plain rude. I think I know three people in all
of America that aren't.(Two were friends, one was my Auntie Jane in Tacoma,
Wa.)"
" English people are only arrogant when they're in America - check that,
in Germany ,too.", Gillan said smiling.
Bassist Roger Glover and Blackmore were both looking forward to two
nearly adjacent four-day breaks in the tour. "We're just going to lie in
the sun in Miami," said Glover.
Gillan will head for the bone-dry flatlands of Texas wiht his lady
during that break, "to do some horseback riding, like we do in England."
Deep Purple are touring with John Sebastian, an unlikely pairing that
is obviously intended to draw a wide range of age groups. The predominantly
young Purple audience here even booed the mellow Sebastian on occasion it its
impatience to hear The Heavies.
"We'll play no more than four gigs a week- it's in the contract," said
the grimmed-faced Blackmore.
None of the band's members seem too happy about the recent North
American release of an album called "Purple Passages" which consists
entirely of the pre-Gillan and Glover band.
"Don't think they'll release it in England," said Blackmore, who also
isn't very optimistic about the making of any future group singles."When you
put out a single," the guitarist says, "People put you down. And to make a
hit single the music usually isn't very good."
An album of sessions in Italy and Frankfurt will probably be the next
release here, followed by a live LP culled from Purple's three Japan gigs in
August. That latter album is due out in the UK around December 1, Blackmore
says, followed by the other one sometime later.
On the night that Purple and Sebastian were playing here, a little further
south, Richard Nixon was being re-elected as President of the United States.
Both Sebastian and Purple members felt that the kids in America might
be so down in the next few weeks that the bands will be seeing a lot of glum
faces in the next few weeks.
"American politics offend me deeply," said Gillan.
"The less I know of them, the better."
This by Bill Mann of the Montreal Gazette. Some heavy quotes there!
I was at that show and it was awesome. Elf played there as well.
We took a package bus tour from Ottawa for only $17.00 CDN. Returned at
around 3am, broke, in the pouring rain and had to walk all the way home as
no one would pick us up hitch-hiking, - about 8 miles! I remember it well.
As for John Sebastian, the guy behind me smoke so much weed that poor old
John put him to sleep, and he woke up when the lights came on, clapping,
and asking for Purple....you had to be there.
Take care
Jim Corrigan