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A cake with lots of icing
While in New York, Steve Morse spoke to Joe Bosso of Music Radar with the extensive interview now appearing on their web site:
The band is currently working on a new record. How far along are you with things?
We’ve got the music pretty mapped out for the majority of the recording. The goal on this album isn’t to stretch out to new heights; it’s more about revisiting the roots – riff-oriented blues rock. Heavy stuff, you know?
I know you said the band encouraged you to be yourself on stage, but when writing with the group, is the atmosphere the same?
No, writing for Deep Purple is much different than playing with them on stage, and it’s very different from writing for a Steve Morse solo album. I think it’s good for musicians to understand the particular situation they’re in and what’s expected of them. The band wants me to come up with lots of ideas, the vast majority of which never get used.
My way of doing that has been a bit of a shotgun approach: I just hit them with tons of ideas and see what really sticks. One thing I like to do – and I’ve encouraged the rest of the guys to do this, too – is to only bring in snippets of things, not finished tunes, because people might only like this bit or that bit. They might not like an entire song. Giving them sections is a cool way for everybody to contribute and truly make a song ‘Deep Purple.’
Read more in Music Radar. There’s lots more and it’s interesting stuff.
Thanks to BraveWords for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Santa,I’ll have one of each Ta!
June 27th, 2011 at 20:44steve’s idea’s of sniplets of new stuff is quite right
June 27th, 2011 at 21:17Playing Smoke ‘properly’ -ha ha, and it can also be done on just one string, don’t ask me… ask Gary Moore that one! I can see the negatores flooding in here already… just remember, Steve has always ‘understood’ -you, unless of course you’re just a-holes to begin with, then he really understands. 🙂 Now I’ll pop in Made In Japan to round out my Purple for the day, the best of both worlds is where it’s at! Thanks so much for this btw, credit from me always goes where credit is do.
June 27th, 2011 at 23:29Second to None. A league of his own….
Peace,
Ted
June 28th, 2011 at 03:01Riff orientated and heavy…..booooooh yeah!!!!!!! bring it on!!
June 28th, 2011 at 04:34You can’t not love Steve. He’s great person, and remarkable guitarist, and I think that Ritchie praised him even more. Still I also think that DP with Morse isn’t true DP, and I prefer Steve’s solo work as expression of his abilities and talent.
June 28th, 2011 at 06:06what a guy!!!!
June 28th, 2011 at 08:38long live Steve and DP.
Cheers.
Aha – I see: it’s so easy to play. It’s the Guitar!! 🙂
June 28th, 2011 at 08:51I prefer the ‘Purpendicular’ approach…new ideas, new heights…not the same old “revisiting the roots”…’classic rock’ is what Deep purple hate to be said about them but it seems to be just what they are doing…sad.
June 28th, 2011 at 13:25Well,
If I had one minute criticism (And I mean miniscule), of the Steve Morse era – it would be the leaning away from the Blackmorian ‘Blues based’ Rock riffs so much a trade mark of the 2nd, 3rd & 5th incarnations of DP – However as Steve has proved on more than one occasion, he’s very capable of bringing this kind of groove to the band.
I guess if the guy had emulated the early style too much, there would have been soooooooo many comments about imitation & lack of Freshness about the band. I guess in a modern context, this returning to Heavy Rock roots would be Fresh, yes very fresh indeed!
Hey, who am I to tell or ask DP about their unique style of songwriting??? BUT, I would plead with the guys to bring back those Earth shattering Dynamics that were the trade mark of our most treasured band on the planet – (I don’t think any modern producer would sanction a single fading note on Hammond being bludgeoned to death by the crescendo of the whole band in full flight. Shame.)
Nuff said
June 28th, 2011 at 15:20Quite an in depth interview. I can see the “Holy Chair” spinning around like a small tornado, drilling a huge hole in the floor, drilling the “Priest down to the bowels of hell after he reads this interview in its entirety.
My favorite part was this question and answer…..
Question:
Tell me something, have you ever had any contact with Ritchie Blackmore? Has he commented on your playing?
Answer:
“I’ve had no contact with him, but he has made some comments which I thought were remarkably…restrained. He’s certainly had perfect opportunities to say whatever he wants, negative or otherwise. I realize I could be one giant target for him. And not just Ritchie, but for many, many fans out there. There’s still lots of people who want the band to be the original guys. I understand all of that.
“But I’m really relieved that he hasn’t said anything harsh about me. The most he ever said, and I’m paraphrasing, is something like, ‘This guy plays very well and does a lot of different things. I’m not sure if he’s right for Deep Purple…’ He said something to that effect. But you know, how can anybody replace Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple? You can’t. All you can do is come in, do what you do and change the band here and there. You can’t be a clone…and you shouldn’t. What Ritchie did has been done. I do what I do. There you go!”
WOW!!! That last sentence says it all. Great interview Steve. You are the consummate professional whom the band chose to take the helm that was abandoned and have done so with great respect and dignity. You didn’t fill the position; you renewed the position and made it Yours as it should be.
I am really looking forward to the next possibly last DEEP PURPLE album. If it is the last, I do believe it will close the chapter proper. If it’s not, I believe it will shut the naysayers up. My only recommendation and I believe is a common opinion here, is that once the Record is released and you tour it, bring back many other MK7/8 tunes. Even some you haven’t played. “Sun Goes Down” long overdue…. Go out making the Present Purple Statement. That would be the correct way to address your accomplishments as a band that has carried on beyond any other line-up. You are the longest running MK. Stand on it. Put it in the forefront….
Long Live Purple,
Cheers
June 28th, 2011 at 15:21Fantastic insight into guitar playing, especially for someone like me who has no musical talent – other than my ears! Whether the DP Morse era is/is not your cup of tea (and it is mine), there’s no denying the man is a genius at his art.
Cheers.
June 28th, 2011 at 17:53Steve is a class act all the way and a top-notch musician too. I saw the first NYC show and he (and band) were terrific. Ritchie wrote some great riffs, but he could learn alot about humility from Steve. The guy is smiling when he hits the stage and he’s still smiling when he’s walking off. So many times Ritchie would pout during an entire performance – with Purple and with Rainbow…as if he was doing us a favor by just showing up.
June 28th, 2011 at 20:32A NEW RECORDING !!! – About time !!
Steve – put those unused ideas into a new Steve Morse Band recording. That’s over due also. And while we’re on the subject, how bout a SMB tour….? Dreggs….?
June 29th, 2011 at 14:44Larry @3 and Tracy @11,
Always great content laid out….
‘Nuff said….
Peace,
Ted
June 30th, 2011 at 14:11Steve Morse – A fine musician with a professional attitude.
June 30th, 2011 at 16:23Mk7 & 8 are absolutely happy chapter in DP life.
June 30th, 2011 at 21:04But I think it is too bad if their next will be the last.
I forecast that Mk9 will be something on the way when Gillan couldn’t sing anymore, rather than break up the great band, it will be too sad.
@17
Surely Andre – If history has taught us anything – it’s as Mr Paice has already commented, You can’t replace the voice of Deep Purple that is Ian Gillan!
Lyrics, attitude & that inimitable phrasing are a higher priority than singing ability – not the case in every Rock band, but true with DP.
Members of DP continuing after ig retires, hmmmmm, maybe, but under a new name surely?
I personally think that Steve Morse would tend back to Rock/Jazz fusion Rock (With Country & Classic elements), if DP ever hang their touring boots up.
If ever there was a preannounced FINAL Farewell tour of DP (Let’s hope not) surely it would have to be Global & last two years with regular appearances with Jon Lord joining the guys one more time.
May I take this opportunity to say the following;
This THS facility is invaluable to the likes of myself & is very much to be praised for intent & content!!!
Also, the Passion plastered all over these pages is commendable & noteworthy in being very focussed on the subject matter, unlike some sites I have visited in the past, where the forum seems to be accounts of how drunk fans got at the last gig or even more obscure, how their Football teams are doing in the FA Cup or what band Logo they had tattooed on their left Buttock! (Never seem to mention the Right one????)
Keep it up!
Who knows, someone may start up an award system for this kind of thing?
THS definitely deserves an award in the formum stakes maybe in the form of a miniature Gold plated guitar that plugs into the Mains socket playing DP riffs whilst emitting scents that remind us of every gig we’ve ever been to (Minus the Urine).
June 30th, 2011 at 23:48