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John Sykes R.I.P.
John Sykes, guitar player with Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and his own band Blue Murder, has died, having lost a protracted battle with cancer. The following message has appeared on his website yesterday, January 20, 2025:
It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn’t know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room.
He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years.
While the impact of his loss is profound and the mood somber, we hope the light of his memory will extinguish the shadow of his absence.
Sykes was instrumental in transforming Whitesnake from a British blues-rock band into an American hair metal one. He re-recorded guitar parts for the US edition of 1984 Slide It In album, and later co-wrote most of the material and recorded the smash hit 1987 album. Relations with DC soured immediately afterwards, and he was dismissed before any of the MTV videos were made, or the band hit the road.
Albeit they have parted on less than friendly terms, Coverdale pays a tribute to his former bandmate:
Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans…🙏✨🙏✨⭐️✨🙏✨🙏
Another connection with the Purple family was made in 2002, when Sykes guested on a track for the Hughes/Turner Project first album HTP. Glenn Hughes has also paid tribute today:
There are no words to describe how I feel about John’s guitar playing. He was absolutely a phenomenon.
Here’s a song that we wrote together called “Heaven’s Missing An Angel”. What an amazing solo on this song & Honored to have John join me on vocals.
RIP Dear one. The angel is now in heaven,
Love you 🙏 🩵
Thanks to Blabbermouth and Uwe Hornung for the heads-up. Photo credit: Will Russell, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I’m just speechless and bummed outta this world to hear of John’s passing on my very birthday. 😢
He was one of my favourite guitar players and it’s not because of his WS 1987 contribution, really. Of course, his take on “Crying in the Rain” solo – it’s unmatched stone cold classic of a flawless shred with ferrocity, imagination and classical feel to boot. But to me – it was debut of Blue Murder that showed his absolute knack for singing, playing and composing.
Of course it’s hard to take down his contributions to Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy. They were important periods. Coverdale/Sykes/Murray/Lord/Powell was my favourite WS although it played only 4 weeks in 1984. They were tight, they slayed live, bridging the old band with hinting how they would transite to conquer America.
And the decision to carry on the Thin Lizzy legacy was a brave one, but with Sykes/Gorham/Wharton/Downey core they were as close to the real thing as the absence of Phil Lynnot could ever be standable. I saw the later incarnation of the tribute live in 2009 and it was the only time I ever saw John front row, doing his business. It was clear, there was no one to match his guitar chops. And he sang great in vein of Lynott too. Seeing “Emerald” blasted full punch-on with his rousing solo was a sight to be behold for life.
He was out of business for two decades, which always caused a frown among the guitar playing lovers and it was a subject to all reactions – from love to hate and disdain. I just hope it was the third of his life that he really lived as he wished to. Cause in some sense he was most always his own man, steering his boat on his conditions. And kudos to him for that.
His tone and swaying phrasing was one to none, never to be properly emulated. Sykes was Sykes, one off, leaving the peers rather elsewhere.
I’m just shocked and bummed completely.
Thank you John, you made a big unique wave throughout the rock world. Missed you will surely be.
Blast some of his guitar wizardry in the honor of the man!
“No one ever sees the tears – when you’re crying in the rain…”
January 21st, 2025 at 19:57Yeah that’s sad 😞
He was really great 😊
January 21st, 2025 at 20:28Oh wow, that comes as a very sad surprise to me too. Rest in echo-o-o-o-y halls of endlessly overdubbed guitars, John.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmxK9CS3RV0
I found DC’s condolences a bit perfunctory if you ask me, but maybe something more will follow.
John sure never got over the fact how Coverdale dumped him (which wasn’t nice) and refused to kiss and make up with him even after offers were made from DC in more recent years (otoh, DC has a habit of glossing over past differences).
Given his status following the release of Whitesnake’s 1987 album, he made – after a promising start with Blue Murder – very little of his career. Most of the time he was playing with a resurrected Thin Lizzy, but that was only a glorified tribute. Lizzy without Lynott was always gonna be nothing more than the Jimi Hendrix Experience without Jimi. I’ve heard that John battled with depression which limited his productivity.
I saw him live twice: Once with Thin Lizzy at their final gig in Nürnberg in 1983 and once with Whitesnake in early 1984, shortly before Mel Galley broke his arm (because John fell on him as they walked over parked cars in drunken stupor after a late night out and then Mel stumbled also tripping up John in the process) and Jon Lord left for the DP reunion (with a young John giving the unsympathetic parting shot of “That Hammond sound dated us by 10 years!”). He had no doubt a boisterous stage persona, but his (back then) rushed OTT playing didn’t impress me much at the gig I saw, I preferred guitarists who, uhum, played in time to the music to the Randy Rhoads and John Sykes guitar heros who were prevalent and adored back then. Give me Bernie Marsden anytime …
Still, what John did on 1987 with his guitar overdub armadas became of course an iconic benchmark in hair metal sound for the latish 80s. And Coverdale could never repeat it without him, as the lackluster and overproduced follow-up Slip of the Tongue showed (though neither Vai nor Vandenberg were in any way slouches). John OTOH probably spent his life obsessing about how Coverdale stole his one chance at fame and wealth.
John Kalodner once said something along the lines of how Coverdale preferred to have all of something, albeit only very good, to owning just half of another thing entirely brilliant. Very apt, but DC’s control urges came from how DP fell apart in 1975/76 without anyone doing much about it and him being the new boy who could not yet grab the reins. Had he and Sykes stayed together, they would surely have imploded at a certain point, but another (or two) remarkable WS albums would have been in the cards.
Good-bye John, you and your idol Gary can now have sustain contests in holding notes … 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQNpA00SA58
January 21st, 2025 at 21:04Though I was more than familiar with his work in Thin Lizzy already, I remember listening to the “WS ’87 / Serpens Albus” album upon its release with a friend of mine who, by track 3, had to pick his jaw up off the floor in awe as he announced, “I think I have a new favorite guitar player.”
The debate that has swirled around the merits of his contributions to the Whitesnake legacy has raged over the years ever since, (he either made or destroyed the band’s sound depending on who you ask), but the fact that John Sykes was one of the most impactful guitarists of his era can not be denied.
Unmistakable riffs and tone, with searing, muscular, melodic leads, and that signature vibrato – John Sykes was a one of a kind guitar player for sure…
January 21st, 2025 at 21:08Coincido con 1) la formación DC Lord Murray Powell Sykes o sea un quinteto fue tan efímera como fabulosa…mucha tristeza…
January 21st, 2025 at 23:04RIP great John, you left us too young due to a bastard disease, but you will always be in rock history!
https://youtu.be/dUZaLg94uTw?si=DoHRDCUvSPb1wI4u
January 21st, 2025 at 23:18Vale John Sykes. I do remember him with the later day Thin Lizzy, early 1980’s & then with the later day UK lineup of Whitesnake that then became the USA version. RIP.
January 21st, 2025 at 23:47It was always gonna happen. It’ll happen to each & every one of us eventually as well. It’s just the circumstances & the timing that bums us out.
John Sykes was a guitar wizard extaordinaire.
Mostly remembered for his work on other people’s albums, particularly with Lynott’s Thin Lizzy & Coverdale’s Whitesnake.
The world would have been a little less exciting without him in it.
Blue Murder- Jelly Roll (Promo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmxK9CS3RV0
Wuthering Heights (Without a single Bush in sight!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T0zWxXja3Q
Live In Japan 2004 *Sound Recording (Doing what he did best!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BXKpmpeuzw
John Sykes R.I.P.
January 22nd, 2025 at 03:33Sad…
Yesterday I listened to Tygers of Pan Tang’s album “Spellbound” after a long time.. Jon Deverill and John Sykes as new young members of the band .. such a kickass album ! one of the best albums of the NWOBHM”.. “Gangland”, “Take it”, “Hellbound”, “Mirror”, “Tyger Bay”…. what a time !, fresh new energy.
R.I.P.
January 22nd, 2025 at 05:50I loved his music. Great guitarist, one of the originals, that you recognized at first listening because he was different from everyone else. He died too young
January 22nd, 2025 at 06:25RIP
♰
Sad news indeed, especially for those who knew him or dug his work.
To be honest he never did much for me, I always wondered what the fuss was about. Blue Murder to these ears was a poor attempt to recreate the success of 1987 which I didn’t like in the first place. I have seen him live with WS and missed Marsden a lot. Big hair, vain rockstar behaviour, shredding, posing all through the gig – but without Coverdale’s ( a big poser too of course) humour.
January 22nd, 2025 at 09:15I will always remember seeing him in Thin Lizzy on the Thunder and Lightening tour in 1983 and the vastly underrated Tygers of Pan Tang in 1981. In my opinion, these were his musical highlights. The Whitesnake stuff may have been commercially successful but was artistically questionable in my view . How very sad to wake up to this news, another great musician passes RIP.
January 22nd, 2025 at 10:16Just terrible news, i have that Hughes/Turner album, and John is just fantastic on that song Heaven is missing an Angel. R.I.P John.
January 22nd, 2025 at 12:50@10
January 22nd, 2025 at 17:24“Great guitarist, one of the originals, that you recognized at first listening because he was different from everyone else.”
You’re completely right here AndreA 😊
He surely was one of a kind 😢
RIP John
January 22nd, 2025 at 17:45I grew up with 1987 album and that big sound. I know that DC for years try to reconcile and make up with all his old buddies, but John stayed away from him, and he was bitter about the whole firing and departure.
I know that DC wanted to have control over the band, but I wished that made more music together. Alas after Blue Murder he didn’t make much noise which it is a shame but as it is always the case, we might have music coming out from his family estate I hope later on. Great loss
“The debate that has swirled around the merits of his contributions to the Whitesnake legacy has raged over the years ever since, (he either made or destroyed the band’s sound depending on who you ask), but the fact that John Sykes was one of the most impactful guitarists of his era can not be denied.”
Indeed, Marc.
1987 wasn’t an easy album to make. According to producer Keith Olsen it was even one of his hardest jobs to get done, only topped by Slip Of The Tongue where Geffen, John Kalodner AND Keith Olsen all got cold feet whether Adrian Vandenberg (all his songs presented for the follow-up to 1987 were in the key of A according to Olsen) would be up to the task of meeting market expectations after the spectacularly successful 1987 and pushed DC for another guitarist to take charge – they would have preferred Vivian Campbell to Adrian, but he had been asked to leave by DC because his girlfriend didn’t get along with Tawny. (Misogynistic excursion: Behind every great man there is a great woman who stabs him in the back! 🤣) And as Steve Vai was adamant that he should do ALL the guitar parts and had it written in his contract, an explanation why Adrian was not to play on Slip of the Tongue at all had to be created – voilà, along came Adrian’s alleged carpal tunnel syndrome which according to Keith Olsen was a pure publicity sham.
Back to 1987 (the album and the recording process that led to it), if you listen to DC then John Sykes was utterly against rerecording either Here I Go Again or Crying In The Rain (even though that had become a signature tune for him live), deeming them old shite, and basically boycotted the solo for HIGA (which is why Adrian had to do it).
And Keith Olsen credits John Sykes on one hand for creative inspiration and fiery solos, but found him on the other hand more than a handful in the studio as John supposedly
– was not “large production”-experienced enough (his recordings both with the Tygers and Lizzy had been on a much more modest budget and technology scale) to repeat parts in the studio with a precision meeting Olsen’s expectations, which led to experienced sessioneer Dan Huff (of Giant) being called in to do salvage work (NOT just the rhythm guitar on the radio edit version of HIGA), just like Bill Cuomo redid most of Neil Murray’s bass parts on synth bass because a different sound was needed to complement the Sykes armada of guitar tracks;
– went totally overboard with the overdubs to create that huge (in the original recording apparently even huger) “Wall of Sykes”-sound, he had ages to add layer for layer because DC wasn’t around to sing, the over-harmonization of umpteen guitar tracks all slightly distuned to make the sound , however, leading to DC having issues finding the determinative guitar track for his voice to find true key orientation;
– became compulsively obsessed with his amps and effects making the recording process Primadonna-cumbersome and laborious with him.
Well, in hindsight I guess it is quite a happy ending (for DC at least, not so much for the other players, who knows whether John’s severe bouts of depression in his later life might not have had a root in the traumatic experience of not getting the full credit and spoils for one of the most significant 80s albums) that this car accident of a recording and production process led to an album that turned out so well and became a late 80s benchmark for melodic hair metal! 🤣
I personally prefer the old school musicianship of Marsden/Moody to Sykes’ OTT axe wizardry (as you have probably all already guessed by now), but there is no denying that 1987 sounds – head, shoulders & John’s dandruff from his impressively flowing blond locks – like no WS album either before or after it: all boisterous, gung-ho, confident & testosterone-charged – with balls large enough for Coverdale and Sykes to sit and bounce on them.
January 23rd, 2025 at 08:18No 11: I’m mostly in agreement with you and the 1987 album is probably at the bottom of my Whitesnake album ratings but I’m in the minority which is fair enough. I saw him live with Tygers and then with Whitesnake several times and I never felt it was a good fit but Coverdale obviously had a vision which is fair enough.
January 23rd, 2025 at 10:21Coverdale gets a lot of criticism for sacking Sykes and while some of this is maybe justified I understand that Sykes could be very difficult to work with. The Blue Murder albums were OK but after that what did Sykes really accomplish?
Having said all that, he is great loss and 65 is far too young.
Quite a few Whitesnake members gone now. A great shame.
@11 Not a post that should be made at this time. Disrespectful and dismissive. If you can’t make a respectful post as a tribute in the sad circumstances, don’t make one at all. Keep your negative views to yourself.
January 23rd, 2025 at 17:35Is the bare bones statement DC delivered on X on Jan 20 really all he has to say about John’s passing? He might just as well have been writing about the loss of one of the members of his former road crew. 😑
I looked on the WS homepage and there is nothing, not even the barest info on John’s death.
I don’t know how David is doing currently, he might have other things on his mind and to take care of, but if the as of now dearth of his communication on John’s premature death is intentional then that is quite telling. And perhaps not as grandly benevolent as DC often tries to portray himself. I mean John’s guitar playing, image and co-songwriting were stepping stones to David becoming a wealthy American.
Anybody here seen a statement by DC I perhaps missed? I find it extremely weird.
January 23rd, 2025 at 20:35We’re evaluating the man’s work and career in this thread as a commemoration of him, Andrew, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has to now pretend they were a fan of John’s playing.
Yes, there was hype involved around John’s joining of WS with especially DC going quite overboard with his catch – he basically poached John from Phil Lynott who had post-Thin Lizzy plans with him. John’s young man callousness about Moody’s and Lord’s departures as well as the lingering feeling you always had that he wasn’t too distraught about Mel Galley not being allowed to rejoin WS after his accident (where Jon too played a role) didn’t endear him to everyone (I accept that he was in his mid-twenties and testosterone-charged when all this happened).
I found nothing in Max’ comment dismissive or inappropriate. He did see John live with WS after all and came away unimpressed as you could be if you perceived WS as a two-guitarist band (John obviously didn’t!) where the players work together in close cohesion. Neither the duo Sykes/Galley nor the one of Galley/Moody ever gelled with the natural grace of Marsden/Moody.
That all is of course quite removed from the fact that – like him and his playing or not – John left a huge stylistic imprint with 1987 never to be repeated by WS and DC +looked like a guitar god to boot, yet still had real substance in his playing. You don’t impress people like Phil Lynott, John Kalodner and David Coverdale if you ain’t got chops and charisma.
By the way: I only saw yesterday a TV interview with a still very young and little shy John upon his entry into WS where he revealed that he listened to a lot of DP Mk II as a teen i.e. pre-DC, but that Burn was his favorite DP album. Given the inherent drama and gung-ho’ness of that particular release, I’m not surprised.
January 24th, 2025 at 11:53Andrew, I said it was sad news.
I do not think my comment is dismissive. I was not talking at the funeral or to the man’s familiy but writing in a music forum. As far as I know it is not uncommon to mention likes or dislikes of somebody’s work, even if he passed away.
As you seem to be in the know: How long a time does it take until you are allowed to admit you find someone’s work overrated? I mean, Karin says so about Elvis all the time… 😉 😀
Is there a certain ammount of time that has to be gone by? Just asking.
January 24th, 2025 at 15:15@ 19 – it sounds like you are not content Uwe unless you do get anything else from DC. Why does that bother you? It has nothing to do with anyone else, whatever difference those two gentleman may have had. Tabloid journalism at it ‘s worst? Why should ole Cov’s say anymore? He paid his respects and what is between individuals should stay that way. Too much gossip and media hype is never a good thing, although some say any publicity is…………..! Personalities eh? Cheers.
January 24th, 2025 at 21:41@ 16 / 19
Uwe, given all the travail involved the recording of the “Serpens Albus” album, (as I have always called it), that it went on to become the smash success that it was – and still is to this day – is something straight out of a fairy tale, and in that respect it nearly mirrors the difficult birth and resulting success of the other great, mega-hit, hard rock album from that year too; Def Leppard’s “Hysteria”.
That John Sykes had an enormous hand in the musical direction of “Serpens Albus” is undeniable, and for all the heartache and disappointment that followed with his firing, (which I think would have happened sooner or later in any case, given the volatile mix of the Coverdale/Sykes chemistry anyway), at least he had the standing achievement of having written, performed and released that particular album to hold on to with pride which, along with the enormous royalty checks that continued to roll in over the years, (very smart of him to secure his publishing by the way), definitely served him well.
For my part, while I certainly I feel that “Serpens Albus” is one of the three great albums that Sykes was involved with in his time, (the other two being Lizzy’s “Thunder & Lightning” and his own band’s self-titled debut, “Blue Murder”), I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily my favorite Whitesnake album either.
“Serpens Albus” is surely Whitesnake’s most impactful album, (and Coverdale certainly tried to make it over and over many times again over the years, without ever achieving the same level of success), but I would have to say that I also prefer the older, blues-based sound of classic Whitesnake as well. That said, however, I must admit that for me, the apex of that particular sound was also achieved with John Sykes in tow, as his work and embellishments on the US version of “Slide It In” made for a far better record in my opinion.
In any case, in the end, whether you loved his impact or not, the John Sykes’ star is certainly one of the brightest in the Whitesnake constellation, and it probably always will be.
As for Coverdale’s published statement in the wake of Sykes’ passing, I agree it hit the bare minimum of what was required for the sake of propriety, but I also would have liked something perhaps a tad more generous from the man who once said that, while he wasn’t able to successfully bury the hatchet with Sykes, he at least hoped that Sykes was as proud of the work that they did together as he was, which I felt was more noble in both sentiment and spirit.
January 24th, 2025 at 21:55Neil Murray’s observations on the 1987 sessions and how it all went to shambles:
QUOTE:
INTERVIEWER: Cozy left Whitesnake in ’85, and recording the 1987 album followed. Why were John, Cozy’s replacement Aynsley Dunbar and you replaced by Vivian Campbell, Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo?
NEIL: A lot of the problems in late ’84 into ’85 were to do with the fact that David, and to some extent John Sykes, didn’t want it to be an equal band. John definitely wanted equal money to David and he didn’t really care very much about the rest of us. David didn’t think it should be equally split, and the same thing with the writing. It certainly wasn’t going to be democratic anymore, and it was a power struggle between David and John.
Cozy basically left because he was offered a percentage of the record royalties etc which he thought was insulting, though in fact he would have made quite a lot of money if he’d stayed on and been part of the ’87 album. And it took a long, long time to find a drummer to do the album. It took nine months to find Aynsley Dunbar and we were auditioning loads of people in LA.
We recorded the backing tracks up in Vancouver, over a period of about two months in the autumn of ’85. However, after that John and David then took another year to re-record guitar parts, add more guitar parts, re-record vocals about three times; David seemingly had lots of medical problems, though I don’t know how many problems with his voice were actually physical problems or whether there were mental problems. But certainly it went on and on and on and on. So during most of ’86 the only people working on the record were John and David.
On the 1st of April 1986, both myself and Aynsley Dunbar stopped being paid because the album was costing so much money and so apparently there was no money left for wages. So we were told. At that point, Aynsley decided he wasn’t a member of the band anymore. Whereas in my case, I still felt that I was in the band, and I was still talking to David and John. In fact, in October and November ’86, I took the opportunity when John was doing guitar parts in London to redo bass parts on a few of the songs.
And not long after, what happened was that John Sykes was very unhappy because David was trying to sideline him and not including John in the mixing of the record, plus John was very angry that Adrian Vandenberg had replaced the guitar solo on Here I Go Again. So John actually flew to LA and turned up at the studio, they had an enormous row, and John left, so that left me and David as the only members of Whitesnake. I’m in London, he’s in LA, we’re still talking, and there are no problems between us.
But I think at that point, Geffen Records start saying, OK, you’ve got to get a band together in order to do the first video, which was for Still Of The Night. So David assembled a band including Tommy Aldridge who he’d basically snubbed the year before when we were looking for a drummer. He would have been a very good drummer for Whitesnake on the 1987 record, but because he was John Sykes’s choice, since that was his favourite drummer, David decided to be very unpleasant and rude to him. So it was quite funny that 18 months later, he got him into Whitesnake as a member.
So he got a hold of people to do the video, which I guess was Rudy, Tommy, Vivian, and Adrian Vandenberg. Adrian had been pestering David, “Oh we must work together, we must work together”, and David was quite keen to do that. So when you look at the video, at least certainly at the time, you can’t really tell who is in the video, whether it’s me or whether it’s somebody else, whether it’s Adrian or whether it’s John Sykes, because at that point, it wasn’t the band. It was just some guys in the video, but it became the band. They went off on tour and made enormous amounts of money, which would have been nice to have had if I was still included, and they got loads of platinum albums given to them which they shouldn’t have done, since they didn’t play in the record, etc, etc.
UNQUOTE
Taken from another very insightful Neil Murray interview that also delves deep into his and Cozy’s tenure with Black Sabbath, well worth a read:
https://neilbass.com/13-interview-june-2007-long-my-career-up-to-1996/
January 24th, 2025 at 23:11@21
“I mean, Karin says so about Elvis all the time… 😉 😀”
YEAH! And I mean it! 😁
January 25th, 2025 at 06:39One sentence from DC. Says quite a lot about him, doesn’t it?
January 25th, 2025 at 08:01@21
It’s actually quite weird!
When a person is alive (and can really feel hurt if people criticise) it’s ok to have an opinion that isn’t covered in roses and bluebells.
But the second this person dies, everyone should have nothing but love and admiration for his or her work? Where is the logic in that?
Personally I really loved John S, but I’m perfectly ok with people not feeling the same!
Even if someone were to criticize Ian G (well, that person would have some serious mental health issues, so no point in being mad at someone like that, so rather feel deeply sorry for him) I would think 🤷🏼♀️ no matter what!
January 25th, 2025 at 13:23Herr MacGregor might call me a whiner, but I am disappointed about DC’s lack of grace and magnanimity here (very much in contrast to the image he likes to project). Yeah, I would have preferred a “It’s no secret that John and I were estranged, but what a shit-hot guitarist he was, we did great, lasting things together. I have good memories too. I wish the world would have heard more of his music once he went out on his own.”
Being decent doesn’t cost you anything except some self-discipline. But as recent election results around the world show, it seems to have gone out of style and pissing on the grave of your opponents is deemed as valiant.
So yeah, it’s disappointing if not really all that surprising. DC can be a lot of mouth and little substance.
January 25th, 2025 at 14:53I didn’t think of any whining Uwe in your statement, just what would you have ‘expected’ from ole Cov’s. Obviously I knew what you meant, but as Karin says, why is it when someone passes away, that many people expect some sort of over the top reaction from many. I am not a follower of David Coverdale at all after his ‘Faust’ moment of selling out etc in the mid 1980’s. So any so called Mr Clean image or any diplomatic reverence is not to my knowledge at all. I can only imagine what the response may have been if Coverdale didn’t say anything at all. He did enough in what was required, if anything was required at all. Cheers.
January 26th, 2025 at 02:24I will finish what I didn’t elaborate on from my previous post. It is this so called ‘social media’ hype crap in this modern world, that unless someone sees a tribute or something similar online, that they
January 26th, 2025 at 02:33(the individual they expect to see a response from) don’t care at all. Just because someone doesn’t say anything publicly, or is ‘muted’ in their response, doesn’t mean that that person has very little or no respect for someone. Whatever happened to the day of peoples personal thoughts? Cheers.
A good obituary should not be nasty, but it doesn’t need to gloss things over either. Jimmy Carter was a remarkable and kind man with great achievements, but it also belonged to the truth that his Presidency was largely a failed one.
January 26th, 2025 at 04:40What bugs me about DC’s statement is that it reeks of perfunctory insincerity. If he can’t bring himself to say anything more heartfelt appreciative about the man who was as pivotal as he himself was for the most successful album in WS’ (and even DP’s!) history by a stretch***, then I would have preferred a maybe even harsh statement like “I shed no tears about John’s passing, he tried to have me evicted from my own band at a very difficult time for me and I could never forgive him that.” for at least being truthful as regards DC’s inner feelings.
[I’m saying all this with the caveat of course that for whatever reason DC might not yet have gotten around to a more substantial statement regarding John’s death.]
*** “Titled Whitesnake in the US and Canada, the album was released on 23 March 1987. After entering the Billboard 200 chart at 72 on 18 April, it reached Top 10 on 9 May and Top 5 on 30 May. Having peaked at number 2, the album hovered at or near its peak position over the course of seven months from 13 June 1987 to 23 January 1988, spending in total more weeks inside the top five than any other album in 1987 and charting for 76 weeks in total. It was barred from the top spot for 10 non-consecutive weeks by three different albums, including U2’s The Joshua Tree, Whitney Houston’s Whitney and mostly Michael Jackson’s Bad.”
“It sold four million copies in all and as such was certified four-times Platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 2 December 1987, and five-times Platinum on 7 January 1988. By October 1989, the album had sold nine million copies worldwide and six million copies alone in the United States (before being certified for six million on 24 July 1992). The last RIAA certification was eight-times Platinum on 10 February 1995, for sales of over 8,000,000. Reported total sales worldwide between 1990 and 2017 were more than 10-15 million. By 2025, the album has sold 25 million copies worldwide.”
January 26th, 2025 at 15:52@27 Just like that, Karin! 😀 It always made me wonder … yes, you can speak bad all you want while they’re alive but heaven forbid you dare to critisize any of their deeds when they’re gone. Expect for the likes of Hitler whre it is obviously ok to spealk ill of the dead. Which brings me to another interesting question: How long has something to be over and out until it is acceptable to make jokes about it?
January 26th, 2025 at 16:46While jokes about Nero are fine, jokes about Stalin do not go down so well. Making fun of Cesar is more ok than making fun of, say, Mohammed even if both men are a long time dead. It is all very confusing, isn’t it?
@30
It’s ok you don’t like social media, as long you promise to stay here with us 🤗
January 26th, 2025 at 17:32This one:
https://youtu.be/4dFQdvYh59A?si=B_78GVEEiLC8S9yJ
Do any of you amazing people know the name of the young man who is Ian’s backing vocal?
January 26th, 2025 at 17:34It must be John Sykes singing, otherwise your question would be in the wrong thread, Karin. Not every thread is about Ian Gillan.☝️🥸
In the meantime, why don’t you research on Dave Lloyd from Nutz/Rage/2am a little and report your findings?
https://youtu.be/hVZieQMSL3s
https://youtu.be/l7hKTx413aA
https://youtu.be/X4ghBxtJ3jA
January 27th, 2025 at 00:33Moving on or rather returning to John Sykes, this is an info-heavy feature on 1987’s gestation with input from DC, John Sykes, Neil Murray and Keith Olsen. Of course their memories don’t coincide all the time, but it makes for an objective picture. Decide your own truth so to say.
https://youtu.be/wIuxdyEh13I?
Did John record vocals for 1987 while DC was unable to sing? I wouldn’t rule that out, guide vocals perhaps to gain a better picture of the developing songs and have a vocal line to work with and adorn with his guitar overdubs? But as a scheme to row a psychologically and physically ailing DC out? I doubt it.
Or maybe DC was projecting a little … Memories of when he had used Glenn Hughes’ cocaine addiction-fueled involuntary absence during the CTTB sessions to sneak his lead voice on ‘Dealer’ instead of the take Glenn had already done? Shudder the thought … 😛
January 27th, 2025 at 01:01@33
Max, I live in a country where sarcasm is the daily outpouring for almost everyone!
In Denmark there is this saying, when someone has been quite disrespectful: “too soon”? And then everyone says: no no not at all!
Well, I’m not the definition of any wisdom (for this you’ll have to ask Uwe ☺️😉) but I think you can say how you feel about someone’s work, but do it in a respectful way.
I really find it hypocritical when you all of a sudden “love everything about a person” just because that person isn’t around anymore.
But isn’t being respectful and honest always the best way to be?
I would like to hear all you clever people in here 😉
January 27th, 2025 at 07:09@29
MacGregor, you say: “why is it when someone passes away, that many people expect some sort of over the top reaction from many.”
Well, when it comes to musicians, I think it’s because they are sometimes worshipped beyond the normal!
Some people tend to forget that even the most amazing singer, guitarist or homeopath (oh sorry, couldn’t help myself there ☺️) is a completely normal (well kind of) human being with the flaws and courage that are everyone’s luck!
When people die they are no better than they were when they were alive and kicking (someone)!
But maybe we need to make people, situations and opinions more acceptable! Like candyfloss!
It really tastes awful 😝 but when you remember your childhood and remember getting that disgusting pink fluffy thing, we all cover it with nostalgia and sadness because that period is over forever. And we remember it all as more, well, eatable than it really was!
Well now to something completely different, as my Monty Python heros would put it!
January 27th, 2025 at 11:54This morning there was 4 blackbirds in our garden!
Two males and two females, and if they can figure out to do it, like the birds and the bees normally do, we should soon have beautiful serenades!
I am really happy! Nothing beats the song of blackbirds 😍
I can’t wait for the day when – after Big Ian has laughs in either heaven or hell – Karin in an obituary/commemorative thread will warmly welcome critical statements about the then recently deceased. She doesn’t even allow them while he is still alive! 😁
Instead, like a lioness for her young she will be all protective … 😎
January 27th, 2025 at 15:41Something else from Big Ian’s former backing singer, Karin, just to show how I always think of you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWB6ghAtawc&t=271s
That album is regarded as a lost AOR gem.
January 27th, 2025 at 15:48Blackbirds? From 1939 and I guess it shows, would today likely meet some resistance for racial stereotyping, not that it doesn’t …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w-Z2NfEmaY
“Two males and two females …”
What a waste of resources! Coming from a country that rates efficiency as I do, wouldn’t ONE male and THREE females have been the more sensible ratio? 😎
January 27th, 2025 at 17:03I still have candyfloss regularly. At Blackmore’s Night gigs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ZNoN7kVUs
Nice slide playing though, Ritchie has always been good at that, George Harrison’esque.
January 27th, 2025 at 17:09@40
“can’t wait for the day when – after Big Ian has laughs in either heaven or hell – Karin in an obituary/commemorative thread will warmly welcome critical statements about the then recently deceased. She doesn’t even allow them while he is still alive! 😁”
Ok, I haven’t said anything less than super positive, because I really love my life and I am afraid that some of the women from fb read this and then will find me, hunt me down, and barbecue me – mais d’accord, entre nous:
I really love Ian’s voice, it has everything! It is as easy explainable as to how I love coffee!
But Uwe, I don’t know the man! I have no idea at all of what he is like, you know, deep down!
He can be awful, full of him self, egocentric and mean!
Or he can be a darling, loveable, kind and friendly – I just don’t know, and to be honest, I really don’t care.
I have a sentiment that he must be nice through and through, but I have no idea!
I read something about Mel Gibson that shocked me a bit, because I also thought he was nice guy (it seems he is not) based on the positive parts he has had in motion pictures (Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 1-4, Maverick, Tequila Sunrise, Bird on a Wire, Hamlet, Conspiracy
Would I like to have a chat with him? Not really!
But I do adore his work as a singer, songwriter etc.
I can, as I have said before, smile broadly, when I see all the Liebeserklärungen there happen on fb on a daily basis.
Do I feel sorry for these women? Yes I do!
I am truly afraid they don’t have a life. All they wait for is to declare Ian their undying love. And isn’t that a bit sad? 😞
I know several people who don’t appreciate Deep Purple!
Do I love them any less? Not at all!
So to finish this, while I can still breathe before I’m executed and hung up on a stick with an apple in my mouth: I don’t know Ian, but I am more than thrilled to listen to his formidable voice.
I live a full and happy life and yes music is a big part of it, always has been and always will be! But I will not and can not be involved with a person I don’t know!
Is this enough to satisfy your extreme curiosity regarding, well this?
January 27th, 2025 at 18:39@40
“I can’t wait for the day when – after Big Ian has laughs in either heaven or hell – Karin in an obituary/commemorative thread will warmly welcome critical statements about the then recently deceased. She doesn’t even allow them while he is still alive! 😁”
Well I had actually written all this before, but it vanished somehow, soooo sorry if this comes twice 🫣
I have never said anything less than super positive in here, because I am a bit scared that some of his female worshippers read this, hunt me down, kill me and barbecue me, mais d’accord, entre nous:
I do love Ian’s voice! I have never said anything less than that! It is as easy explainable as to how I love coffee!
But I cannot go into personal considerations, because I do not know the man!
He can be awful, egocentric, super shallow and mean!
Or he can be a darling, sweet, kind, nice and friendly, I just don’t know.
Based on his singing and songwriting, I guess he is the latter, but I don’t know.
Mel Gibson, an actor I really appreciated, based on Braveheart, Hamlet, Lethal Weapon 1-4, Bird on a Wire, Conspiracy Theory, What women want etc, has been saying rather awful things lately, but based on his work I would say he must be terrific. Is he terrific? I don’t know…
So how can I say anything serious about a person I have no acquaintance with?
I have friends who cannot stand Deep Purple and Ian’s voice (I have stopped trying to convince them how wrong they are 🤣) and I love them as much as those friends I dive into Purple with!
To me it is lovely music, a big part of my life, but not defining my life! Hope you can detect the difference.
Sadly I am no lioness, would love to be because then I could defend myself from those who now have read this, who will find me, kill me, put an apple in my mouth and put me on a stick…..
Is this to your satisfaction? Or do I need to explain more how I don’t know Mr Gillan and therefore cannot go into detail about him?
January 27th, 2025 at 19:00@41
Woah! He is not half-bad at all ☺️
January 27th, 2025 at 19:02@42
Well don’t you know anything about blackbirds?
January 27th, 2025 at 19:15They are together with their mate until one of them dies!
So two males and two females are quite what is needed!
@43
Ritchie is still great, and so sorry I am saying this about Ms.Night, but oh man her voice is annoying and well yeah, candyflossy 😟😞
I would have loved her to have more of a Stevie Nicks nasally style, or even a Karen Carpenter deep voice.
January 27th, 2025 at 19:24She sure is beautiful but looks isn’t all – at least not when you’re supposed to be singing 😝
Candice’s voice developed over time, she has more timbre and power today than when she started out with BN when she had basically still a girlie voice. And she’s a bit of a one trick pony, but so was Bon Scott!
***************************************************************************
“They (blackbirds) are together with their mate until one of them dies!”
Phew, that sounds boring even for Denmark. 😄
Reminds me of that old Jewish joke:
On Sabbath, one of the faithful approaches the Rabbi and unburdens his heart: “Rabbi, I’m really scared of dying, can’t you make me live as long as possible?”
The Rabbi thinks hard for a moment and finally says: “Go get a wife then.”
His community member is taken aback: “A wife? How is that gonna help, that won’t extend my life by a single day!”
The Rabbi unruffled: “True, but it will FEEL a lot longer that way!”
January 27th, 2025 at 22:20Regarding the Blackbird, here in Tasmania they are of plague proportions it seems. To think that one pair was brought over here from old Blighty or Europe approximately 200 years ago. They are a bit annoying though, trashing the bird bath water repeatedly and the garden mulch, digging up seedlings etc after grubs & worms. At least our local Pademelon enjoys them. They use them as a sentinel of sorts, if the blackbird freaks about humans wandering about or something else then the Pademelons in our garden are also on edge. If the Blackbirds are relaxed and doing their thing, so are the Pademelons. Nature eh? Another young Pademelon on the way after yesterday’s female & male interaction. Eight years here now & a new joey every year so far, nice to have them in our garden sleeping underneath all that overgrown horrible Ivy growing all over that old fence down the back. I still think this could be the reason that Uwe has never visited Australia, it is just too WILD for him, he he he. Cheers. A short Pademelon clip for anyone who may be interested in what feral wildlife we have to put up with down here, and that does NOT include any Deep Purple aficionados.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE2-kyalA9M&t=114s
January 27th, 2025 at 22:53@ 38 Karin, Danmark seems to be the place to be then! Sadlly I only made it there twice, quite a long time ago when I was cruising Scandinavia with a VW Bus. First thing I remember: I took over all the other cars on the freeway which reallly made me wonder as in Germany it had always been them that would pass me by… After a while I realised how relaxed driving could be and joined the flowing traffic…. I liked the country instantly. People were very nice expect for some elders that seemed to have not-so-good-memories when hearing some german accent …
“But isn’t being respectful and honest always the best way to be?” Very wise words from our Danish correspondent!
Luv & Peace
January 28th, 2025 at 11:19@49
I simply adore that you compare Ms Night with the late and great Bon Scott 😂😂
“Phew, that sounds boring even for Denmark. 😄” <- 🤣 well please give your sweetheart a big hug from me, I really think she needs it!
Heard that joke before! But where do the beautiful blackbirds fit in there? 🐦⬛
January 28th, 2025 at 11:50@50
“Regarding the Blackbird, here in Tasmania they are of plague proportions it seems. “
I’m so sad to hear this, but don’t they sing wonderful? At least they do in Denmark ☺️
Nature can be a bit messy 😅
“I still think this could be the reason that Uwe has never visited Australia, it is just too WILD for him, he he he.” <- 😁😆 you don’t think it’s the other way around? 😉☺️
January 28th, 2025 at 11:57I would have loved to go to Australia longer than just the transit stay we had for a couple of hours on our way to NZ. But Edith’s choice was clear the minute she heard that NZ has no snakes and Australia lots of them (along with giant size spiders)! 😂 Me? I mind neither wilderness nor venomous critters.
I’m a great fan of Australia and its inhabitants, led of course by Ms Rachel Ward of The Thorn Birds- and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid-fame!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmkbudWbQ9A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1oFnWHDPg0
January 29th, 2025 at 02:22@ 53 – The Blackbird does have a nice song and it was good to finally hear it live in concert after many decades. The early Pink Floyd records (More & Ummugumma) have a song or two that start with a very quiet pastoral setting with the odd blackbird song every now & then. I used to also hear it in tv shows from that part of the world, still do. I do enjoy natures melodies. Many of our feathered friends do deliver wonderful melodies. Cheers.
January 29th, 2025 at 05:26@51
“Danmark seems to be the place to be then!” – 😄 well Max, a truer word has never been spoken!
“After a while I realised how relaxed driving could be and joined the flowing traffic” – exactly! One of my darling brothers often mentioned how exciting and at the same time nerve wrecking it was for him to drive at the autobahn! He couldn’t help himself but letting his car go as fast as possible, but he really didn’t like it!
“I liked the country instantly” – well what’s not to like?! We have everything 🤩 lovely beaches, lovely coffee (and I can’t stress this enough: the coffee is completely lovely 🥰), we have ok food, I’ve been told the women in Denmark are not among the ugliest in the world, our dogs are all well behaved thanks to the numerous ‘doggy-training schools’, the sun shines (well sometimes anyway), and the best of it: in my neighbourhood there is the most lovely music being played (well from our house to be honest 😉) Purple People are among the kindest and sweetest people 🥰
“expect for some elders that seemed to have not-so-good-memories when hearing some german accent” – I am so very sorry for that 😥 I really thought people have moved on! But I can assure you that among my people we like all kinds! Even those who prefer tea (😳)
“Very wise words from our Danish correspondent! “ well, thank you Sir, and back to the studio…. ☺️
January 29th, 2025 at 08:03“A short Pademelon clip for anyone who may be interested in what feral wildlife we have to put up with down here, and that does NOT include any Deep Purple aficionados.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE2-kyalA9M&t=114s”
My God, your island rats have really fat butts, don’t they, Herr MacGregor?!
“I liked the country instantly” – well what’s not to like?!”
Uhum, may I submit Danish pastries as an entry as they taste so god-awful, tooth-achingly sweet? And that yellowish cream is really yucky too … 😈
“People were very nice expect for some elders that seemed to have not-so-good-memories when hearing some German accent …”
I’ve been to countless countries like Israel, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, France, Greece, former Yugoslavia and Italy where survivors from unspeakable German atrocities lived and I’ve never had an experience like that. Which I actually found surprising as I would forgive anyone who experienced German WW II occupation to feel a shiver down his spine when he hears our language spoken.
The issue with Scandinavia was of course that prior to WW II, Germany was the second language of the educated elites there and German culture a great influence (part of history is also that there were even sympathies in Scandinavian democracies for some National Socialist ideas) – and then the German Wehrmacht invades neutral countries such as Denmark and Norway and smashes that cultural connection to bits. You can’t really blame anyone for having hard feelings about that. Scandinavia was genuinely surprised about being dragged into WW II given their long policies of neutrality.
I thought that Land of Mine/Under Sandet/Unter dem Sand was a great, very humane and emotionally gripping Dutch film … “No one wants to see Germans here …”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kao3t0NBMU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Vc–byXKE
January 29th, 2025 at 16:04@57
“No one wants to see Germans here …” – well we love to see German people here! We have nothing against anyone (except Zep people 😁)
And we adore those who spend a lot of money in our country 😉
“Danish pastries as an entry as they taste so god-awful, tooth-achingly sweet? And that yellowish cream is really yucky too” – it is completely adorable! Once a year I get a Spandauer! Filled with that delicious cream! And I LOVE it 😍😍😍
“You can’t really blame anyone for having hard feelings about that“, yes you can! It’s so long ago now, time to forgive and go on 🥰
January 29th, 2025 at 17:07@ 58 – “We have nothing against anyone (except Zep people 😁)” Whoa & ouch & everything else Karin. Well it looks like I have just added another arrow to the quiver. Now let me see, which poison will I add to that nasty arrowhead, hmmmmmmmm. Something natural of course, one of those nasty herbs (weeds) that grow everywhere around the garden, he he he. Cheers.
January 29th, 2025 at 21:24“Well we love to see German people here!”
Yes, but quite reasonably, you prefer us to knock first before we enter, not wear jackboots and/or breeches plus refrain from dumping masses of concrete on your beaches and digging up the sand there to hide land mines!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvoL2jhsyPo
January 30th, 2025 at 00:13@60
“you prefer us to knock first before we enter, not wear jackboots and/or breeches plus refrain from dumping masses of concrete on your beaches and digging up the sand there to hide land mines! “
January 30th, 2025 at 07:20Well, yeah duh (thanks Svante, it’s a lovely expression 😃), we prefer that from everyone! Don’t you?
@59
“which poison” – 😄
January 30th, 2025 at 07:22Ok MacGregor, I’ll tell you a secret: 🤫 I really have nothing against Zep people either! They can be quite nice 😁
Poison won’t do it, Herr MacGregor, you fearless Knight of the Unholy Led Zeppelin Order, you need a flaming arrow with her!
https://www.electronicproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/packaging-and-hardware-prototyping-tools-equipment-services-flaming-arrow-robin-hood-gif.gif
Only fire can banish evil.
January 30th, 2025 at 14:04It seems like DC will indeed leave it at his bare-bones and bland initial statement:
“Just heard the shocking news of John’s passing…My sincere condolences to his family, friends & fans…🙏✨🙏✨⭐️✨🙏✨🙏”
which sounded like it was an AI-generated wording proposal with silly emoticons generally preferred by 10-year-olds.
I’m flabbergasted. This from someone who in all his mock grandeur is always mouthing off about how he is “reaching out to people” and “not holding any grudges”. “Sincere”, yeah sure, my ass …
Am I being unfair?
January 30th, 2025 at 16:32Oh, please, just give it up. This is just an echo of the discussion about what and how things were said when Morse left. Maybe people choose to reach out to people in private and just post something simple online? And are we to say how other people should word their condolences?
January 30th, 2025 at 17:32I don‘t see the comparison, Svante, when Steve was let go every remaining Purple member wrote something personal and not some Hallmark card condolences crap. That to me was a release with full honors.
DC has given lengthy interviews how he has reached out to Ritchie, Jon, Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody (he didn‘t want to know) over the years trying to make amends for the past. He claimed to have contacted Sykes too (something Sykes vehemently denied, stating the last time he spoke to DC was when he yelled at him from his car during the car chase from the recording studio in 1987 where DC fled from him wishing to avoid confrontation about his dismissal). So where is that magnanimous attitude now?
Stars and praying hands emojis … 🙄, I‘m surprised DC (or whoever writes for him on his X account) didn‘t add “thoughts & prayers”. 😑
I’m not even a John Sykes fan, the guy could be a handful and was largely ruthless in his treatment of other musicians. Nor do I worship the 1987 album. But all that said, it put DC where he is now, kickstarted his second transatlantic career. You’d think that should have been worth a more thoughtful comment all things considered.
January 30th, 2025 at 20:38@ 62 – good to hear Karin, the Zeppelin behemoth usually resides somewhat in most Deep Purple aficionados, not all mind, but many just like with Sabbath. That so called ‘unholy trinity’ as such. The lady I share this house with,(ex partner for a few decades) is a herbalist, naturopath etc, so the joking about herbs, witches and the cauldron being stirred etc is usually just that, a bit of bantering. She is from The Netherlands (English mother, Dutch father), those Europeans again eh? @ 63 – Maybe I should just use the trusty old voodoo doll. Cheers.
January 30th, 2025 at 21:28@67
“herbalist, naturopath etc” – please enlighten me what “etc” covers☺️
January 30th, 2025 at 22:43@56 Well Karin, mind you it has been quite a while 8make this 40 years) since I have been to your beautiful country. So those elder people who wouldn’t like a german accent could well have some vivid memories of times when Germans didn’t come to that northern shores as tourists only … so even if I don’t feel guilty myself I sure could understand that some of them very hesitant. And let me tell you that in France I have gone through some much harder times just for being German. Some wouldn’t even serve me food. But same here…it’s long long ago.
As for your rather rhetorical question “what’s not to like”… well, back then at least … as a German I have to say … the bread? 😉
I sure hope to get back to Danmark once more to check out how it’s nowadays…
January 31st, 2025 at 11:22@ 68 – from my memory Karin & being a ‘guinea pig’ for certain ‘experiments’ at times over all these years (it is a wonder I am still alive), she also was into for a while reflexology, homeopathy (a little) & Swedish massage & making her own tinctures, ointments, creams etc, she still does that mixing the cauldron thing. Being a certified Naturopath enables her to get the best ingredients . She doesn’t officially practice Naturopathy anymore but remains a registered member. I have to be careful Karin, if Uwe sees this he may start to think it is I mixing the cauldron & casting spells. The last thing I want is to have my do gooder reputation sullied in any way, he he he. If we mention Ian Gillan or Elvis Presley, Uwe will just think we are waffling on about music & then hopefully I will still be free to waffle on some more. Cheers.
February 1st, 2025 at 04:39@69
The bread??!
Is it perhaps our bread made of rye you’re thinking about?
Well, if it is, I’ll tell you bread made of rye, in Danish! Rugbrød ☺️, is really good for you 😃
Maybe you read Uwe’s comments regarding our Danish’, you know ‘Wienerbrød’, hopefully it isn’t that you’re thinking about 😉 it’s really yummy too, but only once a year or so 🙃
And let me add this: besides our coffee (which is complete lovely) we are having fine gentlemen playing handball! Tomorrow, Sunday, at 18:00 or 6 PM, Denmark will play in the final against Croatia!
February 1st, 2025 at 06:34It’s worth seeing, should any of you be in front of a tv 😃
Outside of Germany, all bread is hopeless, Max. No idea what these other nations do or don’t do, but they sure mess it up. Scandinavians are not much better than Anglo-Americans in that regard – and that is pretty much a scathing condemnation when it comes to bread! 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dz_VwtSED8
We’re often regarded as the beer culture nation of the world, but we’re actually the bread culture one.
I never forgot an experiment I saw on TV in the 60s – I think it was ‘Die Drehscheibe’ 😁 which was broadcast every working day in the early evening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8krH42-oWd4
Two test populations of lab rats were fed with different types of bread to the exclusion of anything else – one population only received fluffy white bread, the other German sour dough bread as prevalent in Germany. After several rat generations, the white bread population had an inordinate amount of deformed offspring, the sour dough rats were, however, perfectly healthy.
February 1st, 2025 at 15:52@70
Or maybe that’s exactly why you still are alive 🤩
Will you please send her my love, I really dig she also has been into homeopathy 😍
I honestly believe that Uwe is a ‘closet-nature-seeking’ gentleman! But sadly he will never admit to it 😄
February 1st, 2025 at 17:35Ok, I’m with you, here comes some mentioning:
Presley <- 😝
Ian Gillan <- ohh yeah 😍
Is that enough?
@72
Ok sweetie, Danish bread is adorable and lovely! Why do you think the Danish population are so strong, intelligent, amazing, kind and friendly 😂
I was in Germany visiting a friend, and we were eating out every night, and I have to say Uwe, the Wienerschnitzels are amazing, but that’s about it!
February 1st, 2025 at 17:39The beer, the solid German food and the desserts are nothing to brag about 😃
Hell is a place where Scandinavians are in control of the kitchen. 😑
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY_Yf4zz-yo
And in the German dubbed version of The Muppet Show, the “Swedish Chef” was actually a “Danish Cook”, say no more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lon8khUi1MY
The reason that the Vikings had to raid coastal civilizations again and again was simply that most of their abducted slaves preferred to starve to death rather than eat what they were presented with as “food”.
https://www.tastinghistory.com/recipes/vikingheart
February 2nd, 2025 at 01:09@ 73 – I will pass on your message Karin & thanks for that. However this Uwe character has me a little concerned if he is a “closet nature seeking” chap. The only articles I have ever noticed over the years in the media regarding these people are about nudist beaches and other frivolity seeking naturist activities. Surely it isn’t that, the opposite of donning the garb. Have we exposed something here (sorry, bad pun). As for his sour dough comment of “outside of Germany all bread is hopeless”. Also ” No idea what these other nations do or don’t do, but they sure mess it up. Scandinavians are not much better than Anglo-Americans in that regard – and that is pretty much a scathing condemnation when it comes to bread!” it certainly is Uwe. Well at least Australia isn’t included in that scathing assessment. As you have never visited here you will have to leave us out of that condemnation. And we do not feed our sour dough to rats either, well, not intentionally, he he he. Cheers.
February 2nd, 2025 at 05:54@75
“And in the German dubbed version of The Muppet Show, the “Swedish Chef” was actually a “Danish Cook”, say no more.”
🤣😆🤣😆
Oh sweetie, 😂😂😂, having a bad mood today? 🤗🥰
I didn’t criticise all your food! The Wienerschnitzels are really good! 😆😆
February 2nd, 2025 at 10:35Oh, how you insult me, Karin:
1. Wiener Schnitzel is not German food, it is Austrian. No German in his right mind would ever want to be mistaken for an Austrian.
2. And not even really Austrian either: It came to Europe via the field kitchens of the Osman/Ottoman Empire as they besieged Vienna. Deep frying thin slices of meat was quick and in its original recipe, it was made from beef/veal as pork wasn’t halal. That is why you may not call a Wiener Schnitzel made from pork thus, but rather ‘Schweineschnitzel Wiener Art’.
3. Is there any other Arab/Turkish food then you want to sell to me as German, you crustaceans- and mussels-munching little beach rodent? 🤣 😘 Before you start, we didn’t even invent Sauerkraut, that came from Asia and the Caucasus.
PS: Re Australian cuisine, Herr MacGregor, kangaroo steak is fine, but the custom of serving beer in pitchers a civilizational relapse that can sensibly only be countered by mass deportations to convict islands …
February 2nd, 2025 at 20:39Karin, the bread was white and in look and feel seemed more like something to stuff a pillow with. I remember there was sugar in it too which made for an …let’s say..interesting experience combined with ham and cheese. I settled for pizza…even for breakfast. But that may be water under the bridge now and Danish bread today might be.something to write home about. I don’t know but I do know that
Uwe, you’re right of course. Whereever you may roam the bread is hopeless. I always thought that our Wurst and Bier are irreplaceable and of course they are – but bread turned out to be the main problem. I did not know how much I could miss simple bread until I lived in the US for some time. I got more or less used to the beer, even some french cheese could be found and even lecker mashed potatoes with gravy in the latino community…but that bread… sweet Jesus.
February 2nd, 2025 at 21:35@78
“Oh, how you insult me, Karin:” <- ☺️ no sweetie, not you, but the food!
And when you tell me it isn’t German food, then how could it be any insult at all? 😉
“ Is there any other Arab/Turkish food then you want to sell to me as German, you crustaceans- and mussels-munching little beach rodent? 🤣 😘 Before you start, we didn’t even invent Sauerkraut, that came from Asia and the Caucasus.” <- well I guess I have to re-visit your beautiful country!
When I was very young, one of my brothers invited me to Lübeck, but I guess you’ll now patiently explain to me that the marvellous marzipan isn’t from that area either?!
I do remember your coffee as yummy ☺️
February 2nd, 2025 at 21:59@79
Sugary pillow-stuffing!!! Poor you 😂
I really can’t blame you for eating pizza at breakfast 🥳
What kind of bread that have been, I have absolutely no idea!
February 2nd, 2025 at 22:03Are you sure you were in Denmark? 😉
Lieber Max, Americans only need their teeth to smile – not to chew.
February 2nd, 2025 at 23:12…and CHEESE just to make them look as if they smiled I guess, Uwe?
Karin, given the quality of the beer I am pretty sure I was in Denmark … I remember my stay quite vividly. Something not neccesarily so in those llong gone days of my misspent youth …
February 3rd, 2025 at 14:30@82
February 3rd, 2025 at 14:40Some of those certainly grind their teeth, apparently they like to look somehow angry (the female part😉) they have been told it’s very appealing 😂 (go figure…)
“Karin, given the quality of the beer I am pretty sure I was in Denmark …”
LOL, Max is even nastier than I am!
February 3rd, 2025 at 16:43@83
😂 ok because the beer in Denmark is so UNBELIEVABLE good that the only place in the world you could have been was actually in Denmark 😅😅
Your misspent youth 😃 well you’re still here, aren’t you? So it can’t have been completely wasted 😉
February 3rd, 2025 at 16:49@85
“LOL, Max is even nastier than I am!“
…..
…….. 😟 (sigh)
(Why do I even bother anymore?😖)
February 3rd, 2025 at 18:38Alas!, always that overt Danish Dannebrog patriotism!
https://c8.alamy.com/compde/g726ep/danische-fahnen-gemalt-auf-ein-scheunentor-sonderho-fano-island-danemark-skandinavien-europa-g726ep.jpg
Interestingly, most Danes believe that their flag was bestowed on them from Heaven (seriously) …
https://denmark.dk/-/media/websites/denmarkdk/people-and-culture/dannebrog-800/dannebrog-800-years.ashx?mw=1366&hash=FDB9E3444DB4C7C83E2A709AF99D2F7B
In a different world and born somewhere else, die liebe Karin would have surely become a cheerleader captain!
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e0/d1/6a/e0d16aeac9bfe923cab2f7503ca86f27.gif
Holy bautasten!
https://gdkfiles.visitdenmark.com/files/445/274721_bautasten-rundkorsel-otterup-close-up-anne-mette-rasmussen.jpg?width=987
“Og ædle kvinder, skønne møer
og mænd og raske svende
bebo de danskes øer …”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSwV-DJivQU
February 3rd, 2025 at 20:20@88
“Interestingly, most Danes believe that their flag was bestowed on them from Heaven (seriously) …”
Hmmm, I’m sure the vast majority believes that Dannebrog comes from Langkilde Flagfabrik☺️
“In a different world and born somewhere else, die liebe Karin would have surely become a cheerleader captain!” – ok, why?
February 3rd, 2025 at 23:13Guess I’m more this kind 😉
https://youtu.be/l1b6nhLBWMM?si=1ASuB_5KQdC8enQQ
@ 88- Uwe, I wish you would give some sort of spoiler alert in regards to those cheerleaders. I didn’t think that they would do things like that in Denmark. In future maybe a little headline warning “beware, scantly clad young females doing their thing ahead” or something along those lines. That would ensure I would pass by without any ill discipline or temptation and concentrate on musical images etc. You did mention our Catholic upbringing somewhere recently, discipline my son discipline! Cheers.
February 4th, 2025 at 03:59@90
“I didn’t think that they would do things like that in Denmark.”
You’re completely right there MacGregor! In Denmark the women are very shy, timid, reluctant to show any leg and certainly not any tummies!
We’re wearing clothes more like this:
https://youtu.be/Jf66JATBJPc?si=atBNMkkcIvvsxC3d
And this is indeed how we appear at our lovely beaches! Just ask Uwe, I think he frequently is using his theatre binoculars when he is vacationing in Denmark 😉
February 4th, 2025 at 08:03https://youtu.be/0D7LANGD7eQ?si=G06ZTAI-sHTbTnYN
Don’t believe a word deceptive Karin says, MacGregor, the female beach look standard in Denmark is of course accurately represented by that Danish talent Ms Josephine Skriver, here in a winter wear show:
– PUBLIC DECORUM RATING: SFW (safe for work) –
Law & Order:
https://i.insider.com/56cb30822e5265b6008b8a04?width=800&format=jpeg&auto=webp
Celestial & Angelic:
https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/2f8ea46c73b09d947b5a6b33721d8fdc?width=1440
Reinterpretation of Danish Folklore:
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/W83BAM/danish-model-josephine-skriver-displays-a-new-creation-during-the-2016-victorias-secret-fashion-show-in-paris-france-30-november-2016-W83BAM.jpg
You owe it to yourself, don’t settle for less, Herr MacGregor!
February 4th, 2025 at 20:40@ 91 – yes indeed Karin, the fashion of the day and back in the 1800’s the poor ladies having to dress like that, all the flammable and unnecessary hugely over the top and difficult garments. The total opposite of today’s fashion in many aspects. Was that all a mans ideas, most probably we could think. Oh well, history eh, some of it like most things in life leaves a question mark. Regarding Uwe & his binoculars, ha ha ha, as long as he doesn’t also use a ‘Sherlock Holmes’ looking ‘magnifying’ glass. Cheers.
https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/detective-seamless-pattern-gm1178338539-329306925
February 5th, 2025 at 00:16@92
Well you’re the one with the binoculars sweetie 😉
February 5th, 2025 at 08:56@93
February 5th, 2025 at 08:59Next time I’m at the beach I will certainly look for a Sherlock Holmes person walking around looking for Ms Skriver lookalikes 😂
(I’m afraid he will be disappointed because most of the Danish women are quite ordinary, at least compared to her ☺️)
@ 92 – thanks for the warning Uwe, sheesh those Danes eh? Who would have thought. At least I had time to brace myself. Cheers.
February 5th, 2025 at 09:09@96
“sheesh those Danes eh? Who would have thought.”
February 5th, 2025 at 19:50MacGregor I promise you, Danish women are not like that – at all!
Maybe we don’t dance around in big dresses from previous centuries, but we are quite grounded in our own mediocrity 😅😅