Posted by Nick on Thursday, July 11th, 2024,
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For lack of a better word, Simon’s guitar playing is ballsy, the big and hairy type. Ballsier than even Blackmore who always had a certain fencing elegance to him.
And Ezrin is just great as a producer. He could have done wonders to their 80ies albums when Purple basically only settled on a reluctant Roger to do it because they couldn’t agree on anybody else and some of them feared interference.
I just gotta love them. 🤗
I think that what Adele says in the other post about the scenes from Infinite docu, where Mr Bob “schools” Steven like a 7 year old boy during “construction” of “Birda Of Prey” coda, might be about right. Do you tell of the best guitarist in the world what to play and what notes and how? Man, that he swallowed it with grace just shows you his humanity level. But him, any other banjo player would be about fistfight Ezrin, like the character from lyrics of “Sleeping on the Sidewalk” of Queen.
Queen recently sold all their bollox for a cool 1.2 Billion…I’m doubt there’ll be no-one sleeping on the side-walk, or owing a man a million bux a year…It’s them & the road from here.
@ 1- that would depend on your interpretation of the word ‘ballsier’ Uwe. Seriously Blackmore was on fire on In Rock etc etc. ‘Balls’ to the wall riffs & power to boot. McBride playing more rhythmic and a PRS guitar has a lot to do with it also. “And Ezrin is just great as a producer. He could have done wonders to their 80ies albums when Purple basically only settled on a reluctant Roger to do it because they couldn’t agree on anybody else and some of them feared interference”.’ I doubt Blackmore & even Jon Lord would put up with Ezrin & his ‘songwriting’ interpretations Uwe. If you are only talking about ‘production’ & not meddling with MKII songs, maybe your statement has some sway. Cheers.
Gone are the days of the musicians together in the ‘studio’ working things out. Ho hum, such is life! Although the second ‘Getty’ image is of Hughes & Blackmore (on bass) jamming with an American band called Tucky Buzzard in 1974. And lo & behold George Harrison & Ian Paice after the Sydney gig in 1984.. Cheers.
Here is that drum ‘Keith Moon’ behaviour from Ian Paice. And one mighty pissed off drum tech by the look of it! Ok one final image & a classic indeed. Ritchie ‘placing his guitar on his amps’ as it says. An understatement if ever there was one. The poor guitar tech, ha ha ha, what a great photo. Cheers.
I remember that scene and I was so impressed with Morse. There was another scene where Steve finished the session – he was packing his pickup truck and was still telling Ezrin, if you need me to do some more or fix something, just let me know. I was thinking to myself that I chose my role model wisely when I was 16 years old when Steve joined the band. What a work ethos, professionalism and humility. And all along the years he never ceased to impress me. When he got arthritis instead of giving up he completely changed his picking technique. He got rid of 50 years of habits just to be able to play. You could compare it to a track runner who had to learn to walk again and then competed at Olympics. Incredible!
@4: As if Jon’s not exactly vast songwriting input with DP would have ever been impeded by Bob’s recommendations! Knowing Jon’s musicality, he would have likely appreciated Ezrin’s input, especially as Ezrin has a classical background too, he does string arrangements. As regards Ritchie though, you’re probably right. The last strong producer figure Blackers worked with was Joe Meek some sixty years ago.
which was his reply to an angry letter admonishing Little Ian for kicking over his drum kit at the end of a live performance on the television show South Bank Pops from 1970.
Thanks Uwe & yes I should have checked my music history. I did wonder after posting about Tucky Buzzard & even then I didn’t look them up. Lazy. Regarding Paice yes I am well aware of his ‘bloody well boot it’ comment from 50 years ago. It is that I have never seen a photo of anything resembling that, it is not an image that befits his persona one would think. The original studio recording or working things out comment which sparked my flurry of searching, was in regards to how things have changed in the ‘Purple’ studio. Ezrin controlling the band like a school teacher etc. Stop, start etc etc. ‘We don’t need no education’ I thought of as well. Cheers.
I love the “night” sound of PS and S&M created by Roger Glover & Nick Blagona….less so the sound of HOBL and even less so of TBRO which I consider terrible (even if it is truly unique, in my life I have never heard a sound from some other album that is the same)
I think that with Bob the sound of PS would not have been so special, so right for the era, a modern and sparkling sound… paradoxically a sound like the 70s records for Perfect Strangers would not have made any sense .
TBRO’s production sounds friggin’ abrasive – I know how some of you liked exactly that, I hated it. As if someone wanted to get out of the studio real quick before really producing and mastering it properly. I like DP to sound either sleek (Martin Birch) or warm (Bob Ezrin).
And re Bob’s studio demeanor: Judging from those excerpts he is not a hard taskmaster at all, just a diligent coach which is what you expect from a producer – otherwise you just need an engineer. I mean unlike Phil Spector, Bob doesn’t even keep a handgun on the mixing desk to reinforce his recommendations!
I know you will insult me, but I prefer the sound of PS and S&M to the sound of all the production of the last 30 years
I never understood TBRO’s sound, totally different from all the sound you could hear on rock, hard rock and metal records of that period, and totally different from anything in Purple’s discography
TBRO album album sound was definitely trying to ‘compete’ with that grunge movement, with the snare drum sound especially. Otherwise I like the overall sound of the album. It has ‘balls’ so to speak. It has an edge to it. It doesn’t sound like it is smothered & compressed in any way. I watched a Bob Ezrin interview last night, a recent one. He talked about AI for a few minutes. Too much vitriol about Roger Waters though. Politically etc, not musically. Not to worry, everyone has there opinion etc. Cheers.
Perfect Strangers was to me a state of the art production for 1984 in technical terms, but somewhat unremarkable, nothing spectacular. But it sounded better than any Rainbow, Gillan or Whitesnake album before as production values go. It would have been interesting to hear what Martin Birch would have done with it who was at the time already Iron Maiden’s go-to-producer.
S&M otoh sounded great to my ears, it had warm, organic sonics, not so squeaky-clean as the JoLT era Rainbow albums. I understand how that album fell through with many people because of the music (personally, I think there are weaker other DP albums through the ages, SHADES OF, TBRO and ROTD come to mind)), but the production can’t really be faulted. TBRO sounded painfully angular in comparison.
I never thought about it that way, but you’re right, Herr MacGregor, TBRO sounded grungy. Maybe that is why I don’t care for it, I prefer the sound of a Loverboy album to a Nirvana recording any day. Not a huge garage fan, even In Rock sounds a bit too garage for me if truth be told.
TBRO production is more to what I think DP at that time should sound like. S&M was recorded nicely but it sounds too neat or smooth or something. Not hard enough might be a better way to put it. Maybe because JLT was there, the attempt at a replication of the early 80’s Rainbow sound came into view, I don’t know. THOBL whilst not great at least comes across a tad punchier in it’s sound as does PS. Purpendicular sounds good, nice & powerful & clear etc. When I turn the volume up for a hard rock band, I like to experience that power, for the music to jump out at me with gusto. When I hear a muffled, compressed sort of sound I do wonder. As I have often said, it can sound like the speakers are smothered by a mattress or something, cue Sabbath’s Born Again album. Cheers.
![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan1.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/glover.jpg)
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
For lack of a better word, Simon’s guitar playing is ballsy, the big and hairy type. Ballsier than even Blackmore who always had a certain fencing elegance to him.
And Ezrin is just great as a producer. He could have done wonders to their 80ies albums when Purple basically only settled on a reluctant Roger to do it because they couldn’t agree on anybody else and some of them feared interference.
July 11th, 2024 at 19:09I just gotta love them. 🤗
July 11th, 2024 at 19:48I think that what Adele says in the other post about the scenes from Infinite docu, where Mr Bob “schools” Steven like a 7 year old boy during “construction” of “Birda Of Prey” coda, might be about right. Do you tell of the best guitarist in the world what to play and what notes and how? Man, that he swallowed it with grace just shows you his humanity level. But him, any other banjo player would be about fistfight Ezrin, like the character from lyrics of “Sleeping on the Sidewalk” of Queen.
Yo,
@2…
Queen recently sold all their bollox for a cool 1.2 Billion…I’m doubt there’ll be no-one sleeping on the side-walk, or owing a man a million bux a year…It’s them & the road from here.
Peace !
July 12th, 2024 at 00:21@ 1- that would depend on your interpretation of the word ‘ballsier’ Uwe. Seriously Blackmore was on fire on In Rock etc etc. ‘Balls’ to the wall riffs & power to boot. McBride playing more rhythmic and a PRS guitar has a lot to do with it also. “And Ezrin is just great as a producer. He could have done wonders to their 80ies albums when Purple basically only settled on a reluctant Roger to do it because they couldn’t agree on anybody else and some of them feared interference”.’ I doubt Blackmore & even Jon Lord would put up with Ezrin & his ‘songwriting’ interpretations Uwe. If you are only talking about ‘production’ & not meddling with MKII songs, maybe your statement has some sway. Cheers.
July 12th, 2024 at 02:07Yes! finally someone who sees things for what they are
July 12th, 2024 at 05:41Gone are the days of the musicians together in the ‘studio’ working things out. Ho hum, such is life! Although the second ‘Getty’ image is of Hughes & Blackmore (on bass) jamming with an American band called Tucky Buzzard in 1974. And lo & behold George Harrison & Ian Paice after the Sydney gig in 1984.. Cheers.
https://x.com/crockpics/status/1670548189139591169
https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/ian-paice-ritchie-blackmore-and-roger-glover-of-british-news-photo/150031745?adppopup=true
https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/1st-november-guitarist-ritchie-blackmore-and-bass-player-news-photo/159955798?adppopup=true
https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/ian-paice-of-deep-purple-in-a-limousine-with-george-news-photo/168652006?adppopup=true
July 12th, 2024 at 06:27Ian Paice I am appalled at your behaviour.
https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/5th-december-view-of-the-stage-at-the-international-news-photo/167920882?adppopup=true
July 12th, 2024 at 06:30Here is that drum ‘Keith Moon’ behaviour from Ian Paice. And one mighty pissed off drum tech by the look of it! Ok one final image & a classic indeed. Ritchie ‘placing his guitar on his amps’ as it says. An understatement if ever there was one. The poor guitar tech, ha ha ha, what a great photo. Cheers.
https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/5th-december-view-of-the-stage-at-the-international-news-photo/167920881?adppopup=true
https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/1st-december-ritchie-blackmore-from-deep-purple-places-his-news-photo/164302130?adppopup=true
July 12th, 2024 at 07:01@Thorsun
I remember that scene and I was so impressed with Morse. There was another scene where Steve finished the session – he was packing his pickup truck and was still telling Ezrin, if you need me to do some more or fix something, just let me know. I was thinking to myself that I chose my role model wisely when I was 16 years old when Steve joined the band. What a work ethos, professionalism and humility. And all along the years he never ceased to impress me. When he got arthritis instead of giving up he completely changed his picking technique. He got rid of 50 years of habits just to be able to play. You could compare it to a track runner who had to learn to walk again and then competed at Olympics. Incredible!
July 12th, 2024 at 09:20“Burst of posting activity”-MacG:
@4: As if Jon’s not exactly vast songwriting input with DP would have ever been impeded by Bob’s recommendations! Knowing Jon’s musicality, he would have likely appreciated Ezrin’s input, especially as Ezrin has a classical background too, he does string arrangements. As regards Ritchie though, you’re probably right. The last strong producer figure Blackers worked with was Joe Meek some sixty years ago.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Joe_Meek_historic.jpg
@6: Tucky Buzzard were on the Purple Records label!!! Produced by Bill Wyman. Some basic research, Herr MacGregor, please!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNDLxWbBhJU
But you had to add insult to injury: American band? WTF, Tucky Buzzard were as Brit as bad sex.
@7: Unfold your WDWTWA gatefold album … listen, learn, read on … FOCUS on the right hand side, the clipping that says:
I BOUGHT IT SO I’LL BLOODY WELL BOOT IT
Telegram by Ian Paice to Melody Maker, Sept. 1970
https://vinyl-records.nl/deep-purple/album-covers/who-do-we-think-we-are-gt-britain/deep-purple-who-do-we-think-we-are-gb-1747.jpg
which was his reply to an angry letter admonishing Little Ian for kicking over his drum kit at the end of a live performance on the television show South Bank Pops from 1970.
July 12th, 2024 at 19:08Thanks Uwe & yes I should have checked my music history. I did wonder after posting about Tucky Buzzard & even then I didn’t look them up. Lazy. Regarding Paice yes I am well aware of his ‘bloody well boot it’ comment from 50 years ago. It is that I have never seen a photo of anything resembling that, it is not an image that befits his persona one would think. The original studio recording or working things out comment which sparked my flurry of searching, was in regards to how things have changed in the ‘Purple’ studio. Ezrin controlling the band like a school teacher etc. Stop, start etc etc. ‘We don’t need no education’ I thought of as well. Cheers.
July 12th, 2024 at 23:13#4 MacGregor:
I love the “night” sound of PS and S&M created by Roger Glover & Nick Blagona….less so the sound of HOBL and even less so of TBRO which I consider terrible (even if it is truly unique, in my life I have never heard a sound from some other album that is the same)
I think that with Bob the sound of PS would not have been so special, so right for the era, a modern and sparkling sound… paradoxically a sound like the 70s records for Perfect Strangers would not have made any sense .
July 13th, 2024 at 10:11TBRO’s production sounds friggin’ abrasive – I know how some of you liked exactly that, I hated it. As if someone wanted to get out of the studio real quick before really producing and mastering it properly. I like DP to sound either sleek (Martin Birch) or warm (Bob Ezrin).
And re Bob’s studio demeanor: Judging from those excerpts he is not a hard taskmaster at all, just a diligent coach which is what you expect from a producer – otherwise you just need an engineer. I mean unlike Phil Spector, Bob doesn’t even keep a handgun on the mixing desk to reinforce his recommendations!
July 13th, 2024 at 13:15I know you will insult me, but I prefer the sound of PS and S&M to the sound of all the production of the last 30 years
I never understood TBRO’s sound, totally different from all the sound you could hear on rock, hard rock and metal records of that period, and totally different from anything in Purple’s discography
July 13th, 2024 at 17:20TBRO album album sound was definitely trying to ‘compete’ with that grunge movement, with the snare drum sound especially. Otherwise I like the overall sound of the album. It has ‘balls’ so to speak. It has an edge to it. It doesn’t sound like it is smothered & compressed in any way. I watched a Bob Ezrin interview last night, a recent one. He talked about AI for a few minutes. Too much vitriol about Roger Waters though. Politically etc, not musically. Not to worry, everyone has there opinion etc. Cheers.
July 13th, 2024 at 22:27Perfect Strangers was to me a state of the art production for 1984 in technical terms, but somewhat unremarkable, nothing spectacular. But it sounded better than any Rainbow, Gillan or Whitesnake album before as production values go. It would have been interesting to hear what Martin Birch would have done with it who was at the time already Iron Maiden’s go-to-producer.
S&M otoh sounded great to my ears, it had warm, organic sonics, not so squeaky-clean as the JoLT era Rainbow albums. I understand how that album fell through with many people because of the music (personally, I think there are weaker other DP albums through the ages, SHADES OF, TBRO and ROTD come to mind)), but the production can’t really be faulted. TBRO sounded painfully angular in comparison.
July 14th, 2024 at 15:38I never thought about it that way, but you’re right, Herr MacGregor, TBRO sounded grungy. Maybe that is why I don’t care for it, I prefer the sound of a Loverboy album to a Nirvana recording any day. Not a huge garage fan, even In Rock sounds a bit too garage for me if truth be told.
July 14th, 2024 at 19:55TBRO production is more to what I think DP at that time should sound like. S&M was recorded nicely but it sounds too neat or smooth or something. Not hard enough might be a better way to put it. Maybe because JLT was there, the attempt at a replication of the early 80’s Rainbow sound came into view, I don’t know. THOBL whilst not great at least comes across a tad punchier in it’s sound as does PS. Purpendicular sounds good, nice & powerful & clear etc. When I turn the volume up for a hard rock band, I like to experience that power, for the music to jump out at me with gusto. When I hear a muffled, compressed sort of sound I do wonder. As I have often said, it can sound like the speakers are smothered by a mattress or something, cue Sabbath’s Born Again album. Cheers.
July 15th, 2024 at 06:22