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1999
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1998
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1997
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NOTE: This is news. Talk to Joanna for the latest rumours.

For upcoming releases please check here
If you have any news, please send them to the news crew

October 30
Roger Glover feature in US magazine
Greenwich, CT, USA - home of the Purple management and others - has a quality monthly, glossy magazine called GREENWICH, the October issue of which has a stunning front cover - Roger Glover! Inside is an extensive article with some great photographs that any self respecting fan would love. It sells locally for $3.75 plus tax. If anyone wishes to obtain their own copy we would suggest getting in touch with the magazine direct:
Greenwich Magazine
39 Lewis St.
Greenwich CT 06830
USA
Tel: 203-869-0009
Fax: 203-869-2549
E-Mail: grnwchmag@aol.com
(Please mention that found out about the magazine from this website. Thanks.)

October 15
Ian Gillan's autobiography released in the US
Blake Publishing and Seven Hills Book Distributors announce the publication of Ian Gillan: The Autobiography of Deep Purple's Lead Singer by Ian Gillan with David Cohen ($10.95, ISBN 1-85782-320-6, October). A rock and roll singer for over 30 years, Gillan's book is a time capsule of life on the road. The book contains a full discography and detailed tour schedules for Gillan's entire career.
Read the press release.

October 13
Bruce Dickinson talks about Deep Purple
UK Metal Hammer, October 1998, page 40:
"All the artists I admire, they are outsiders. Page and Plant are terminally cool, Deep Purple are presented as being a bunch of old codgers-what crap! Purple are still playing just as good as they were when they first kicked off, if not better. But the world will never know that cos they aren't wearing the right kind of trousers."

October 9
Steve Morse on new Kansas live album
King Biscuit Flower Hour is releasing a Kansas cd featuring Steve Morse (scheduled release date of Oct. 20). The concert is a 1989 show from the Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (near Philadelphia) recorded during the In The Spirit Of Things tour. The song list is: Magnum Opus (portion), One Big Sky, Paradox, Point of Know Return, The Wall, Game (probably Play The Game Tonight), All I Wanted, T.O. Witcher, Dust in the Wind, Miracles Out of Nowhere, The Preacher, House on Fire, Carry On Wayward Son.
[ Thanks to Jay Pearson. ]

October 8
Joe Lynn Turner in AT&T commercial
If you live in the USA you can hear Joe Lynn Turner sing in the new TV commercials for AT&T's "The Lucky Dog Phone Co.".
[ Source: New York Times, thanks to Ram Samudrala]

October 7
Deep Purple Boxset from Rhino Records
Highway Star reader George (thanks George!) reports:
I got the latest Rhino catalog (#37) and the boxset is listed on page 27. I thought the boxset was out when I called the toll free number to Rhino, they said it would not be available until February of 1999.
The blurb in the catalog is a picture of the Coverdale, Bolin, Hughes, Lord and Paice lineup. The description reads:
"The first heaviest of Purple collections, covering their entire career, from their late '60's origins on through their early-to-mid- '70's "classic" period, right up to the present. All of the heavy metal band's various line- ups over time are represented, including legendary members Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Tommy Bolin, and David Coverdale. Compiled with the group's direct cooperation, this 4 CD box set includes the hits, key album tracks, loads of rarities, and previously unreleased sides from the vaults. Of course, there's also a lavish booklet with extensive liner notes, great photos, and track by track info...not to mention Rhino's trademark digital remastering from the original tapes, making the band's music sound better than ever. Crank It!!!! (56 tracks)
Hightlights - Hush, Kentucky Woman, River Deep, Mountain High, Black Night, Speed King, Strange Kind of Woman, Fireball, Smoke on the Water, Woman From Tokyo, Might Just Take Your Life, Burn, Stormbringer, Perfect Strangers, The Battle Rages On.
R2 75566/4CDs/$59.98"
The working title for the four CD set is Purpetuity.

September 20
Purple Records Resurrected
Quite surprisingly, Purple Records is being resurrected, under the supervision of Deep Purple archivist Simon Robinson. Distributed by RPM Records, the first planned releases includes a live Trapeze album from 1992, the first UK reissue of Jon Lord's finest, "Sarabande", and the much talked about Mark 4 rehearsals, which now has been given the title "Days May Come And Days May Go: The California Rehearsals: June 1975". The CD contains over one hour of hitherto unreleased music, including some lenghty jams, and early versions of songs which later appeared on "Come Taste The Band". No release date is given yet. Other Purple Records releases will consist of both reissues of some of the old Purple Records albums, as well as rare or unreleased recordings.
Read more at the DPAS website.

September 20
DPWWW Exclusives:
The Who Do We Think We Are 25th Anniversary CD is now closer than ever. Roger Glover has recently received the master tapes and was thrilled to find EMI finally unearthed the long lost outtakes of Smelly Botty, Painted Horse, and It's Only Make Believe. Roger will be working on the tapes as time permits during the hectic tour schedule, so we don't have a release date, but we will pass on further details as we get them.

EMI has released a 30th Anniversary compilation CD called "Very Best of Deep Purple" which will be promoted with TV ad campaigns. The set includes tracks from present day Purple, and also gems from each stage of their history. For completists, there is a 2 disc version. Click here for a complete setlist and to see the cover (62 kb .jpg).

September 7
Possible Captain Beyond reunion does not include Rod Evans
The Highway Star reader Ryan Meehan talked to Captain Beyond bassist Lee Dorman after an Iron Butterfly gig in August, and asked him about the rumours of a possible Captain Beyond reunion. Lee said he'd been discussing the possibility of a reunion with Bobby Caldwell and Rhino, but when asked if original Deep Purple and Captain Beyond vocalist Rod Evans would be involved, his answer was "Definitely not". If the reunion was to happen, Willy Daffern (vocalist on Captain Beyond's "Dawn Explosion" album) would handle the vocals.

September 4
Deep Purple Singer Charged With Assault
Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan will have to make a return appearance in Pontiac, Mich., now that prosecutors have charged the 54-year-old singer with a misdemeanor stemming from a concert at Pine Knob Aug. 15. The Associated Press reports that Gillan, upon witnessing the treatment of a fan by security guard Michael Kennedy, took his microphone and struck Kennedy in the head with it, causing a minor cut that didn't need medical attention. In a statement sent to investigators, Gillan said that he thought Kennedy's actions could have incited a bigger situation. "With 12,000 people at fever pitch," Gillan wrote, "the last thing you need to introduce is the ingredient violence. What would happen if the fan was with a large group of friends who decided to get involved by wading in with fists and feet? If it happens again, I will do the same thing. I have witnessed the consequences of these things in action, and they range from worse to far worse."
For his part, security guard Kennedy said, "We were not roughing [the fan] up," adding that he "was just doing my job." Bruce Payne, Gillan's manager, said that Kennedy's "pride was probably hurt more than his head."
"I've seen everything at Pine Knob," Dirk Feneley, a sheriff's deputy for Oakland County, told Pontiac's Oakland Press. "But I've never seen it where the lead singer bends over and hits someone."
[ Source: Wall of Sound, September 3 1998]