Deep Purple, news and stuff

February 28
Deep Purple on US rockfest

The http://www.rock-fest.com reports:
Deep Purple will headline the first day (July 18) of the 4 days "Rock Fest 2002" in Cadott, Wisconsin, USA. The opening bands will be Vic Ferrari, Dio and the Scorpions. Stay tuned to the THS, to find out if or when these dates or any other dates will be confirmed by Deep Purple's management.
Thanks to http://www.rock-fest.com for the information.

February 24
UK tour cancelled

The rest of the UK tour has been cancelled due to illness. The tour dates will be rescheduled, possibly to September with maybe a few extra dates added. If you have a ticket to any of the remaining shows on the tour, please call the box office where you bought your ticket for details. The phone number can be found on our tour dates page. Keep watching our tour dates page for the new dates as soon as we have had them confirmed.

February 23
London & Birmingham cancelled

The second concert in London February 23 and the postponed concert in Birmingham February 24 , is cancelled. They will be rescheduled to another date. For these and any other concert during the UK tour, please check the boxoffice for reschedule, cancel etc. The phonenumbers can be found on our tourdate page.

February 16
Birmingham concert postponed

The concert in Birmingham February 16, is postponed until February 24, due to illness. For more info call NEC +44 (0) 870 909 4133.

February 7
Concerto in Australia

The Concert Hall at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre is set to rock into a new era in February when The Queensland Orchestra and hot young band george collaborate in a world first performance.

Under the direction of British conductor Paul Mann, the two Queensland-based ensembles will give the Australian première of Jon Lord's legendary Concerto for Group and Orchestra.

Originally composed for Deep Purple (of which Lord is a member), the Concerto has been a cult favourite since its première at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969.

The Brisbane performances on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 February will mark the first time that the Concerto has been performed by a band other than Deep Purple. This world-first performance by george and The Queensland Orchestra has been authorised by Jon Lord and Deep Purple's management.

The concerts occur just a fortnight before the release of george's long-awaited first album - a CD which also features members of The Queensland Orchestra. "We're very excited and privileged about the opportunity to work with our home orchestra. We feel this is a unique opportunity to perform someone else's work and put our own personal stamp on it", said Katie Noonan.

Conductor Paul Mann has been associated with the Concerto since it was 'revived' in the late 1990s after having been lost for many years. After assisting Lord and Dutch composer Marco de Goeij in reconstructing the Concerto, Mann conducted the première of the revised work at the Concerto's 30th anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1999.

"The Concerto was one of the first pieces of music I ever heard as a young child, and it made an enormous and lasting impression," Mann says. "So I was thoroughly familiar with it from the 1969 recording when the call came from Jon sometime in the spring of 1999." Mann has now conducted the work nearly forty times in Europe and Japan.

In another first, george fans will also hear a live set by the band, featuring george's original music performed in partnership with orchestra members.

These ground-breaking concerts are a co-production by The Queensland Orchestra and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

TICKET INFORMATION

Dates: Friday 15th and Saturday 16th February 2002
Venue: Concert Hall, QPAC
Tickets: A Reserve $65.00; B Reserve $55.00; C Reserve $45.00
Bookings: 136 246 or www.qtix.com.au

For further media information please call:

Cinnamon Watson, Publicist, OPAC on 07 3840 7589 / 0402 325 004 or cinnamon@qpac.com.au

February 7
Deep Purple in Classic Rock

In the February issue of the magazine Classic Rock (UK), there is an article detailing the life and times of Deep Purple Mk 2. There is also a interview with Steve Morse.
Thanks to Roy and Classic Rock for the information.

February 7
EMI Box Set

The DPAS reports:

"The DEEP PURPLE 68/76 are the subject of a major EMI box set which is now being prepared. The package will be housed in a hard back long box case, along with a full length history of the band, based on the original Illustrated Biography (itself long out of print). The set is being produced to a very high standard and will include a large number of rare pictures."

"The set could run up to run to 6 discs and will include a number of rarities (at present a quarter of the set are unreleased versions) as well as more familiar tracks. Amongst these rarities will be a good selection of the much sought after BBC sessions from 1969 and 1970, available in pristine form for the very first time. The set is also likely to include the much requested Black Night encore missing from the Made In Japan shows, as well as the ad-lib vocal version of Fools mastered for the Fireball CD but left off when space ran out. An added dimension to the box is that it will cover the pre - Deep Purple era, with an appropriate selection of tracks, one by each of the ten members."

"Projected release date is October 2002. It is also hoped that an EP will be issued to promote the box and mark the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Smoke On The Water."
Thanks to DPAS for the information.

January 24
More tour dates

We've got hard dates for the Russian leg of the tour with the possiblity of some Baltic dates to be added. Then it's a month in South East Asia from mid-April stopping off in Indonesia (let's hope this one sticks this time!), India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. June 1 sees them on an eight week US tour co-headlining with the Scorps and our main man Ronnie James Dio opening. Can't wait!

January 23
DVD with Steve Morse

The DPAS reports:
"A Steve Morse DVD is now in the planning stages and will include a Dixie Dregs show filmed at Toad's Place, New Haven, Connecticut on November 29th 2001. It will also include (it is hoped) a further selection of material from various stages in his career, and unreleased Deep Purple footage featuring Steve."
Thanks to DPAS for the information.

January 19
Interview with Ian Gillan online

There is a new interview with Ian Gillan, done by the fans, which you can find at BBC Southampton. They also run a competition.
Thanks to Simon Marks at BBC Southampton for the information.

January 15
Interview with Ian Gillan

In the latest issue (nr 36) of Classic Rock (UK), there is a brief interview with Ian Gillan.

Ian about the CD single box - "Were we involved in putting this compilation together? Well put it this way: I only found out about it today!"

Ian about why they do the extensive British tour - "Because I didn't like the last one we did, which was places like Wembley and the NEC. We needed to do a tour of theatres and city halls, the type of thing I used to do with Purple and with my own band Gillan. I don't want to be too specific about the set list, but I can promise a few surprises. We'll be previewing a few songs we've written for the new album, although it'll all probably be sorted five minutes before we go on stage."

Ian about the new album - "I've just got back from the latest writing sessions in Florida and things are looking very good. I'm thrilled to bits with what we're coming up with, and we'll probably hit the studio after the UK dates. Will it be out by the end of 2002? Believe me, I hope so. It's about time."

Ian about the rumour (that Jon Lord had quit and been replaced by Don Airey) - "I was with Jon only last week in Florida, and he's very much in the band. He was out for our European tour but that was a medical thing - now he's back"
Thanks to Roy and Classic Rock for the information.

January 14
Bass-ic Competition

This is our best one yet! Thanks to the wonderful Monsieur Patrice Vigier we have a genuine Roger Glover Signature bass to give away - just like the one Roger uses on stage and in the studio. The questions are hopefully non-trivial, but the truth is out there!
Win the bass

January 14
The upcoming solo album from Roger Glover

The DPAS reports:
"Roger Glover's new album (provisionally titled 'Snapshot') was recorded at Acme Studios in Mamaroneck, New York, and engineered by Peter Denenberg (who helped on the 25th anniversary remixes for 'Machine Head'). The album will be out later this year. It has fourteen original songs, some co-written with Randall Bramblett, and the titles include: 'If I Could Fly', 'Nothing Else', 'What You Don't Say', 'The Bargain Basement', 'It Could've Been Me', 'Burn Me Up Slowly', 'Some Hope', 'It's Only Life', 'Beyond Emily', 'My Turn' and, written by Bramblett, 'Queen Of England'. Besides Roger, the core musicians were Randall Bramblett (vocals, keyboards, saxophone) and Joe Bonadio (drums and percussion). Other people taking part are: Eran Tabib (guitar), Nick Moroch (guitar), Larry Saltzman (guitar), Warren Haynes (slide guitar), Joe Mennonna (saxophone/trombone), Vaneese Thomas and Deena Miller (backing vocals) and Gillian Glover (vocals, backing vocals). Vaneese Thomas is the daughter of Rufus Thomas and Deena Miller the daughter of Jimmy Miller."
Thanks to DPAS for the information.

January 14
Last Rebel on US TV

The movie called "The Last Rebel" will be broadcast on US TV (Western Channel) January 16, 10.30 AM (Eastern time). Jon Lord and Tony Ashton wrote the soundtrack to that movie.
Thanks to Petr Novák and AMG for the information.

January 14
Pavarotti & Deep Purple on CD

The Italian branch of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is selling the CD of the 2001 edition of the Pavarotti & Friends, which includes Deep Purple. The CD can only be found in Italian newsstands, All the proceeds will go to a fund to help Afghan children.
Thanks to Andrea Vellano for the information.

January 14
New CD single box

EMI will release a CD single Box called "A singles Anthology 1968 - 76", February 18, 2002. It will include...
1. Hush/One More Rainy Day
2. Kentucky Woman/Wring That Neck
3. Emmaretta/Wring That Neck
4. Hallalujha/April (Part 1)
5. Black Night/Speed King
6. Strange Kind Of Woman/I'm Alone
7. Fireball/Demon's Eye
8. Never Before/When A Blind Man Cries
9. Woman From Tokyo/Black Night (Live)
10. Might Just Take Your Life/Coronarias Redig
11. You Keep On Moving/Love Child
The box comes with a 8 page booklet and the best of the European picture sleeves will be chosen.
Thanks to Michael Eriksson and DPAS for the information.