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Putting the deep back into Deep Purple
Bob Ezrin gave a keynote interview on Saturday, March 23, at the Canadian Music Week in Toronto and told the story of how he got to be the producer of Now what?!:
I wasn’t really thrilled with the idea because I didn’t want to be pegged as ‘the guy who does old people,’ so I said, ‘No.’
I got convinced to go see them here at Massey Hall here in Toronto and 15 minutes into the show, they went into this big long fully prog jam.
Steve Morse stood up and played Rock God and played the most amazing guitar I’ve ever heard and then Don Airey filled it with these huge keyboards and then the drums and the bass and everything came in and the whole audience went nuts and then I realized we never see that anymore.
That used to be a staple at every concert you went to when I was a kid. The only people doing that are like Dave Matthews and jam bands but that’s all like hey-yo (toke sound) but this is all like YEAHHH, this was rock power.
I said, ‘If you want to be a contemporary rock band and be relevant give up, forget it, it ain’t gonna happen and I’m not the right guy to produce it. No one will pay this record on radio; no one will care about it in the contemporary business, but I you want to make THAT record – if you want to make that unashamed musically brilliant record, I’m in,’ and they did.
It was Roger Glover one of the great bass players of all time, he said, ‘We want to put the ‘deep’ back into Deep Purple.’ And I said, ‘You’re on. Let’s go.’
Thanks to Noisecreep for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I’M EXCITED EVERY MINUTE I REALIZE, THE WHOLE DAY, ABOUT COMING OUT A NEW DEEP PURPLE ALBUM, IT LITERALLY KEEPS ME ALIVE !!!!!!!
March 27th, 2013 at 20:51I’m getting real excited in my pants, “PURPLE POWER” to the people.
March 27th, 2013 at 21:45Brilliant!!
March 27th, 2013 at 22:1115 minutes into the show?
March 27th, 2013 at 23:09Strange Kinda Woman?
I know I’ve ranted about this before – The Historians/Journalists have it all wrong!
Back in the day (those Hippies & Rockers shook their hair to the same tunes) – When something musical was referred to as ‘HEAVY’ it meant you had to really listen to get the most out of it, or it took you places you didn’t expect to go. Sometimes it was lyrically Philosophical or political, other times it wasn’t musically ‘easy on the ear’ – so, it was a ‘HEAVY’ (No mention of Metal then) deal!
Purps Straddled the line between Heavy & Hard Rock & it would be great to hear them there once more!
If Roger calls it DEEP then DEEP it is!!!
You heard it hear last!
Deep Rock
March 27th, 2013 at 23:11Deep Metal
Deep Deep you can drive my car (Sorry, got carried away)
Bring it on!!!
sounds to me like they picked the right man for the job in Ezrin……….?!?!
let’s All put the deep back in Deep ?urp!e..”You’re on. Lets go’
and how about some US (or North American) tour dates so we can make plans
You’re on. Lets go
March 28th, 2013 at 01:00You know, I was already excited about this new album. Especially after hearing All The Time in the World and Hell to Pay on the net.
Reading this? Wow. I’m beyond words. We knuckled and bedraggled fans that have defended and promoted this amazing band throughout the lineup changes, radio silence, and changes in fashion. We have met an independant Producer of quite some caliber that f’ing gets it. Get’s us. Get’s the band.
Nobody gonna take my car, baby!
March 28th, 2013 at 01:35Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
March 28th, 2013 at 01:46not much from this short interview,nothing revealing,beside the fact that the album is supposed to be awesome !
March 28th, 2013 at 04:57To us old Alice Cooper fans he is known as Boogaloo Bob , to US Deep Purple fans I hope he is known as the REJUVENATOR.
March 28th, 2013 at 10:53Can’t wait for Now What?!
Rather have the ‘black’ back in………….
March 28th, 2013 at 12:09Comparing Purple with Dave Mathews Band? That’s like comparing German Beer with Kool-Aid.
March 28th, 2013 at 12:38Looks like my excitement regarding Ezrin being involved was warranted. I knew he would take the reigns serious and induce some good steering and direction. Since Purple themselves don’t seem to get too involved in the business, production, promotion, etc., they need a good director. Looks like they finally found one. Hey, better late than never. This will at least help them go out with a bang if this is the last hurrah. I hope they stay with Ezrin and the positive vibe they get from their present work inspires them to continue with a follow up. Hey BOB, bring them to NASHVILLE during the US portion of the tour….PLEASE!!
Go DEE? ?urp!e Go
CheerZ?!
March 28th, 2013 at 14:21@1 at least I’m not the only one ! lol Me and my wife are humming the “All the time in the world “in the house !
March 28th, 2013 at 17:47Slide on you Mothers ?!
March 28th, 2013 at 18:09El 26 de Abril no llega mas!!!! Estoy mas que emocionado esperando el disco del año.
Vamos PURPLE, Carajo!!!!!!
Argentina los espera
March 28th, 2013 at 22:55I just purchased All The Time In The World on iTunes! I can’t wait for the whole album, 1 more month to go. I think Bob Ezrin was a very good choice. The sound quality on All The Time In The World and Hell to Pay is very good, no distortion like on the Bananas & ROTD albums.
March 28th, 2013 at 23:19Everything I’ve heard so far is on a par with Purpendicular. I like Purpendicular better than Abandon, Bananas or Rapture of the Deep. My hopes are high for Now What!?
March 29th, 2013 at 01:30I think I have seen it before. All the great talks abouth the next album. And then nothing happens. Same “well it’s ok, but it’s out of your system after a few playings”.
March 29th, 2013 at 10:42I have the feeling that this time it might be different, and now I cant wait. I just hope and pray for that this will also be a Purple sounding album, where the Purple sound created +/- 40 years ago are still a part of it. Well Blackmores sound WAS Deep Purple for many, but less can do these years.
Bring it on!
Happy Easter Purple freaks out there 🙂
I think I might first listen to it from the vinyl.
March 29th, 2013 at 16:23The band have revealed that the album will feature eleven songs.[1]
March 29th, 2013 at 19:35No. Title Length
1. “A Simple Song” 4:39
2. “Weirdistan” 4:14
3. “Out of Hand” 6:10
4. “Hell to Pay” 5:11
5. “Body Line” 4:26
6. “Above and Beyond” 5:30
7. “Blood from a Stone” 5:18
8. “Uncommon Man” 7:00
9. “Après Vous” 5:26
10. “All the Time in the World” 4:21
11. “Vincent Price” 4:46
12. “It’ll Be Me” (bonus track in some territories) 3:03
ATTITW is great, HTP might be overkill on the organ solo, but his amount of presence the album will either justify that or not.
March 30th, 2013 at 02:41al @21,
That info was already posted here at the shortcut below:
http://www.thehighwaystar.com/news/2013/03/15/now-what-track-list-and-artwork/
CheerZ?!
March 30th, 2013 at 04:11@11
I find amazing how many people are against DP changing, but when it comes to set-lists the very same people complain about it not changing enough. Wired can’t really get my head around that.
March 30th, 2013 at 08:18To me a new album is all about new music. It would be pretty sad if they would not develop in 40 years. Why do I want another IN ROCK? I already have one thank you very much.
I went to see a RB Show last year, he is still a great player but I think he has lost his ROCK SOUL. Rumour also has it that he is not a very nice Person and that there is plenty of reason to believe that there would be no DP anymore if Ritchie had it his way.
So I recommend two things. Embrace the new album for what it is. A well produced recording of five amazing musicians who really wanted to do it.
If you want to listen to the old deep purple, go to amazon and buy it. There is plenty.
I have preordered mine under the pretext that I support real musicians who do real LIVE concerts and record in real studios with music they have written. That these guys happen to be Deep Purple is just a Bonus.
Unlike all the crap that comes out of TV talent shows and bedroom recording studios these days.
Funny how the marketing machinery works and how it finally adapts to the new virtual distribution and conversation channels.
I can understand the anticipation and the eagerness amongst fans. I will cerainly buy it. But I will remain skeptical until I’ve listened to it (which will be in full and not in stupid snippets in the net).
I don’t know how many times I’ve read that this new album is the best album since … and certainly much better than the last album and how much the band has gone back to their roots. If you read the booklets of the anniversary editions, this kind of marketing talk started back in 1972 when they promoted machine head.
Apart from the obvious business pressure behind it, there’s possibly no other way of talking about it if you have just been part of recording it. I think musicians are always doing the best album they’re capable of at this particular point in time, but if they can’t convince themselves that this is IN FACT VERY GOOD and RELEVANT there is no point in releasing it at all, especially under the business circumstances of today. If your inspiration only lasts for 2 or 3 songs you might as well publish them on a one-off basis on the web.
So of course, after spending so many months on it, they are committed to it, even if their minds might change quite quickly a few months down the line.
I think we’ll get the by now familiar mix of a few burners (like Silver Tongue or Ted), a few okahaay songs, some nicesounding but rather redundant boogie and blues rockers and a handful from the most irritating category: Songs with the potential for an absolute classic, starting with a great riff, a great rhythm, whatever, but then spoiled by a stupid transition, a stupid chorus or uninspired soloing (Wrong Man, Junkyard Blues …).
March 30th, 2013 at 14:45I get it: Zeno’s “Toytus” is a Gillanism referencing Zeno’s Paradox of Achilles and the Tortoise. Now I can get some sleep!
March 30th, 2013 at 14:51I can’t wait to hear the full album since my son was part of the backing vocals on ‘Hell to Pay’
March 31st, 2013 at 05:14Lets hope the 8 year wait is worth it.
March 31st, 2013 at 09:44Waiting for another Perfect Strangers/In Rock style cd & another uforgertable gig in gig in Cesaria/ Tel Aviv !
March 31st, 2013 at 10:41Keep on rocking .
Putting the “deep” back into “Deep Purple” is what we fans have been saying all along.
Unfortunately, the “deep” in “Deep Purple” was primarily Ritchie Blackmore. No-one can argue against the fact the it was he more than anyone else who pointed the direction, had the vision, and produced the greatest amount of ideas. To this day, the show is primarily a setlist from the halcyon days of Mark II Purple.
That said, the current line-up is capable–but up to this point has not been creating to–it vast potential. Just look at the list of musicians involved. What DP has lacked since Lord’s departure–and especially since Blackmore’s–is direction. The past two albums have been a hodge-podge of ideas that lack cohesion and sound more like a solo project than the mother band. Purpendicular was the exception.
The hope is that this outside producer understands that problem and grabbed the bull by the horns.
March 31st, 2013 at 14:59@23 care to explain it some more dude? hat is Zeno ?
March 31st, 2013 at 20:33@26 we ve been saying this all along.Enough with stupid comparisons,different times,different sounds !
@22 you re absolutely right,
I Hope this one does it right,production,style wise !
* 22 Crazy
I’m with you – no Snippets, no preview, just wait for the CD to blast out of speakers (It might be a ‘Headphone’ Album). After a minimum of 5 listens, I’ll start to form an opinion – unless it has me Jigging around the room on an involuntary level!
Took 5 listens to get Mistreated, shortly after that I thought I wrote it, that’s how effectively these harder to like songs can get under your skin. Others are No-one Came, No no no, Watching the sky (Albert Hall version is best) etc. Now I’d rather listen to these than Strange Woman etc.
March 31st, 2013 at 23:13As Joe Perry would say Let the Music Do the Talking or everything else is AS IS as Van Halen would say.
April 1st, 2013 at 04:27Cray Horst and T.
Could not have it said any better.
April 1st, 2013 at 09:21Can someone please explain to me, what the difference is in listening to a sample of a song, or the complete song in today’s techno world, to the old days of listening to a new song on a little transistor radio in your bedroom late at night, in great anticipation of new music from your favourite artist? It makes no difference at all, if people want to listen before the ‘full album’ is released, good luck to them! I know for myself and many others, hearing new music, song by song over an extended period of time on your favourite radio station as a youngster, was very exciting indeed! It fuelled the desire, the passion, the impatience even, of wanting the full deal. I also know what the wait can be for not hearing anything at all, & that is exciting also, as we have experienced that as well, each to their own!
April 1st, 2013 at 12:09On another note regarding the ‘putting the Deep back into Purple” rave. If the Deep has not been there, or has been missing or drifting away a little perhaps over the years, what could have we could the band then? Mauve Purple, no not really, Lilac Purple, hmmmmm, no not that either! What about Lavender Purple? No, there not ‘deep’ enough! We surely hope it hasn’t been ‘shallow’ Purple, or ‘light’ Purple. or ‘crimson’ Purple! Sheesh, I am getting confused with all these not so “deep’ Purple colours! Cheers!
My recent comment regarding the sound bytes etc, was sort of meant for the ‘Sound Samples of What Now’ section in regards to Crazy Horst comments. I know what he means, but I myself cannot resist the temptation of a sneak preview or what ever you want to call it!
April 1st, 2013 at 12:25As I said in the previous posting, all those years ago as a youngster, with a little crappy transistor radio in the bedroom late at night, & whammo, the new Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow song Man On A Silver Mountain was played! That riff sounded huge, massive even & that was on crappy equipment & was exactly what my ears were craving after the devastating news earlier, that he had quit Purple. I had to wait a little longer before the album was available, but just hearing that song on the radio a few more times following the first time, kept me going in some ways, if you know what I mean!
Of course back then we had no way of knowing what was currently going down in the rock music world until months later! Well at least for me that was the way it was, living in rural outback Australia!
Bob is amazing and I am truly more excited for this album than any that has been before. I just know it’s going to be epic.
April 1st, 2013 at 16:48#27
I hope that your vision and very exact statement is also coming ‘deep’through and get penetratet at this site.
You are honnest and calm as usual in your writing, giving pro and contra their chances.
I couldn’t write better down what so many fans are feeling and thinking.
Just want to say thanks for a true, uninfluenced critic and advice and I hope that many ears will be more alert and open after reading your comment ,which is after all from our well experienced DP-coinnoisseur at THS:)
Also Gorgeous Easter all fans and cheers 😀
April 1st, 2013 at 17:24T said it best. Hope it works.
April 1st, 2013 at 20:18G’day Macgregor @36! I know the feeling.I remember hiding the only radio our family possessed under my pillow as a 14 yr old waiting hours (pretending to be asleep) for Barry Bissel’s album show late on a sunday night.He was previewing the new live album from Deep Purple,Made in Japan! And I remember Man on the Silver mountain being played on 5KA every afternoon straight after the 4 o’clock news.They were the days! Will never forget the afternnoon I knocked off work went striaght to the record store and bought the first Rainbow album and Come Taste the Band before heading off that same night to see Deep Purple at Memorial Drive.Driving down Salisbury highway to the show when “Comin’ Home” came on the radio.Me and my mates went nuts! Here we are 40+ yrs later and still going nuts for the new DP album! Ha! and my old man used to say it’s all just a fad let’s see where they are in 5 yrs! …Woohoo in your face pops!!!
April 2nd, 2013 at 10:36I was and always will be a great admirer of the Dio led incarnations of Rainbow and I also was very passionate about the Down To Earth period.
I never aw Rainbow ith Dio live, maybe that would have made a difference, I dont know.
Anyway, when I enterd this very little bedroom of a co rainbow fan at his partents house he had this transsitor on , Radio 1 from England.
It crackled like hell, but oh the joy to hear I Surrender!!!!
Guess you folks did not see that coming : )
April 2nd, 2013 at 11:51How can you sell more than a few hundred tickets in each town without playing the hits, once you have them? Marketing, not rocket science! Like it or not, deal with facts rather than pretend they don’t exist.
April 2nd, 2013 at 17:28…and, direction can be everything, when chosen wisely. They have been rubbed by what is already shaping up to be the right decision there, apparently due to Ezrin’s composition involvement, among whatever else I’m sure his hands are on. If only they sat down a long time ago and thought about kicking the management into such gear, hhmm… it bugs me when people work for other people yet tend to run them shotty, as if it’s the other way around. Complacency takes over, big time!
April 2nd, 2013 at 17:33mitch5501 @ 40 – I was listening to 3XY in Melbourne back in the ‘old’ days, as it had a decent signal to pick up from the NSW Riverina area, app 300 miles north. A decent rock station, as 5KA sounds like it was also, 3XY ceased to exist in the early 90’s from what I read the other day. I also read about 5KA’s Barry Bissel’s show after your comments. Those were the days eh? Mind you, having the net these days isn’t too bad either, in fact it is great in many ways. Cheers.
April 9th, 2013 at 22:43Purple are Deep due to the dynamics of the music. One could state that there has been a certain amount of ‘Deepness’ missing from their last two offerings. As much as I liked ‘Bananas and ROTD’, I will admit the thing missing was the ‘umph’. Bananas was a little too cheesy and ROTD was somewhat tired sounding. I believe this album will bring back the ‘umph’. Um?h ?ur?!e.
Ch-BeerZ?!
April 11th, 2013 at 16:59hey – heres a cure to put the deep back in purple. get ritchie back, lock him into a room with these guys and dont let them out til an album emerges {with all respect due to steve} – jon is gone – bummer cant change that. destroy blackmores acoustic guitars, strap a strat back on im and let er rip – need some kick ass purple again!
April 29th, 2013 at 03:18Now What ?! can simply be added to the list In Rock, Fireball and Machine Head. What a sound and what a songs. I feel like I’m in the Seventies again. One of the first LP’s I ever bought was 24 Carat Purple when I was a 13-year old… But coming back to Now What?! : you have to listen to this one without thinking this is not Mark II. Steve Morse is different than Richie, yes, but here he does a great job. Also Don Airey does a great job to replace Jon Lord, all with great respect to the master he even does some same tricks.
May 10th, 2013 at 06:19Yep, the album is just suprisingly great! It sounds fresh and full of power, musicianship is just extraordinary and Don & Steve have never sounded so interdependent or rather interrelated before! Ian Gillan has finally found the range best suitable for his battered but still very distinct and emotional voice… Paice & Glover are groovy as always!
May 17th, 2013 at 15:29I saw them live in Krasnodar (Russia) last October and enjoyed every moment of the show, anyway I couldn’t even imagine that their next album would be that good! Not good, excellent! Keep on rockin’, guys! We really love you!
~~Thank You, Bob Ezrin!!~~~~~~
Yourself and Deep Purple, have done a Very Fine Job. As a Fan, I thank you, again and again. DP Rocks…Always!!
Love and Peace….Susy. :-*
September 13th, 2013 at 23:32