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Seventh Heaven
In late 1997 – early 1998 Deep Purple did a string of shows in the USA and Mexico, in between Abandon sessions. These came to be known as the House Of Blues Tour as most venues stateside were HoB’s in different cities. The January 28, 1998 show at the House of Blues in Hollywood, California, was recorded on video and broadcasted live on the Internet, which was just becoming fast enough for video streaming.
A couple of new tracks for the upcoming album were previewed at these shows, including Seventh Heaven, which by the time the band reached West Coast developed into a wonderful live number.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4JYw99v0NQ
Thanks to 69 who posted the link in our forum.
P.S. T is absolutely right — this appears on the Total Abandon DVD as a bonus track. If you liked it and have the DVD, put it in and watch the whole thing. And if you don’t have it, buy it now!
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Superbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 1st, 2007 at 21:33This riff is my favorite of all and I always thought it should work harder than on purpundicular and this live version is even better than my imagination with lovely intro, solos and the hard riff – congratulation boys, do it again!!
September 1st, 2007 at 22:06This is a bonus track from the DVD which goes a long way in quelling the nay-sayers and Doubting Thomases regarding Steve Morse. This much-ignored track from the underrated “Abandon” album shows that the Morse-era DP is capable of doing In Rock-quality songs and is as exciting as anything during the Blackmore era.
Blackmore continues to be my favorite guitarist of all time. However, he is gone and won’t be coming back. Morse has filled the shoes in his own way quite well, and this track–which appears on my own mixes quite often–is the direction the band should take: The heavy sound of “Seventh Heaven” and “Wrong Man”. We need a whole album of this type.
The dynamics on this cut are fabulous with the slow crescendo building from a light touch to full blown mayhem. Ian Paice is on fire.
Very nice job guys.
September 1st, 2007 at 22:26i’ve always loved abandon… surely, it has its lows, but hey, take ’69, seventh heaven, watching the sky… i think this is second best reunion album (after purpendicular).
September 1st, 2007 at 22:43“Seventh Heaven” is exactly the kind of song I don’t want to hear from Purple.
September 1st, 2007 at 22:43In Rock-quality?
By far not.
Blackmore continues to be favorite guitarist of all time?
Yes, Sir!
7th Heaven was one of the more enjoyable pieces on Abandon and that says a lot……….
September 1st, 2007 at 23:05Abandon was CRAP.
Abandon was not crap any fule kno that, listen to fingers to the bone, watching the sky, seventh heaven for starters, this was a band growing from the dictatorship created by RB, i was sick of his moods taking priority over my hard earned wages. I was glad to see the back of him and see a band who wanted to entertain me and want me to walk away elated. I am not knocking Blackmore as a guitarist just his attitude to his fans, and dont give me the pretentious artist crap, we all have a job to do as did he!
September 1st, 2007 at 23:29Still some blackmorons hanging around pestering these threads, I see?
September 1st, 2007 at 23:40I’m sure there’s some open, unmoderated discussion forums at the Blackmore’s Night’s website you can relocate to?
7th Heaven was and is a great song, and this early version is great. But I can’t get a version I heard back in 1997 out of my head. It was a audio only internet broadcast of the New Orleans House of Blues show from the same tour. Problem for me – with all subsequent versions, including the studio version – was that Ian was SCREAMING the chorus – “HEEEEEEEAVEN, I’M IN HEaAaVEN” – on all choruses, from what I can remember. Or possibly just screaming on two of the three choruses. But still – I was missing that on all subsequent versions of the song.
Still – a great, groovy song.
Reminded me of how I loved it when I first heard it and saw it performed live on one of the few occasions it actually was performed.
That show was great, I remember you had it as a download in the video section a couple of years ago. I watched it there. Shame that nothing but Bloodsucker ever saw an official release, the whole show would deserve it!
September 1st, 2007 at 23:52I have a bootleg from the Orlando show, the 2nd one of the tour I think. As a matter of fact I hear myself orderinga scotch and ginerale near the end. I thought 7th heaven was great.
September 1st, 2007 at 23:58Yeah, why not try and locate the master tapes and put this stuff out officially. I am a big fan of Blackmore but I really appreciate and love the way that Steve Morse is blowing life in many of the songs that Deep Purple with Mr. B on board didn’t even consider doing live. Also, I think that most of the stuff from the Morse-era really deserve more playing than the usual ‘classic stuff’ like “Knocking on your back door”, “Black night” or “Strange kind of woman” (classics in their own way).
September 2nd, 2007 at 01:28No sir, I prefer tracks like “Soon forgotten”, “Purpendicular Waltz”, “Hey Cisco”, “I Got Your Number”, “House of pain” or most of the Bananas and Rapture Of The Deep songs. In a way , with just a few exceptions like ’69 or “Almost Human” , the album Abandon just doesn’t work for me. In fact I think it is the weakest Deep Purple albums of them all. But that of course is just my personal opinion and I think that this band with Steve Morse and Don Airey still have the quality to come with a modern classic Deep Purple album.
Come on guys, don’t tour too much and spend some more time in the studio!!!
Hi. I totally agree with all the people who want to hear more stuff like “Seventh Heaven” and other songs from the Morse era – why not making a fifty/fifty mix of “classics” and new stuff? When Mark III started they changed everything with only “Smoke” and “Space Truckin'” left. Why not doing “SIFLS”, “Ted”, “Rosa’s Cantina” AND “Smoke (for heaven’s sake), “Highway Star”, “Perferct Stangers”, “Battle” – just to mention a few. A little, just a little more courage would be fine. Cheers Joachim
September 2nd, 2007 at 04:51HoB should be a FULL DVD its brilliant.
September 2nd, 2007 at 05:07Great stuff.. and bloodsucker from this gig is very good too!
September 2nd, 2007 at 08:45Probably the hole gig is..
It’s mind boggling to notice RB gets the critic of wasting people sour earned money so often while it is a FACT that it was Ian Gillan who DID that…….
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:01If you did not hear that, you must be deaf.
I do not deny RB did not and does not always make me happy, but on the plus side : mostly it was a positive experience(SO DO NOT EXAGGERATE RB’s UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE, THAT’S CRAP-yep, indeed-, ….)and there was always a sense of exitement in the air : I like to be surprised, not knowing what will be next.
If I want to be sure about what I get I go to Mac Donalds or a DP/Morse event…….Always the same. Well, maybe lots op people like it that way…….That’s their right, I guess…..
Brilliant song! Would love to hear the lads play more tracks from Abandon it’s a fantastic album.
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:38Blackmore is my all time hero – my favourite Purple member too, but I love where Purple are at with Steve. If this means more albums and more tours than more power to them.
purplepriest……..GET A LIFE……….Oh and by the way this version of Seventh Heaven is excellent
September 2nd, 2007 at 14:17purplepriest, my money is hard earned money not sour earned money, I work bloody hard, enjoy my work and get well paid for it.
I don’t bother with the press or what I hear in interviews etc. my impressions are formed from my experiences, even when is voice was playing up he would give his best to the point that at times you could almost feel the pain he must have been going through, OK cigs may have contributed to that but we are all allowed our pleasures. I have seen him playing in small clubs (Solo, Gillan) upto to the festivals IG has always give his best whenever I have seen him.
And like the majority of the contributors here Seventh Heaven is one class track, I too would love to see that and much more of the SM era tracks in the current set.
September 2nd, 2007 at 16:15during the ’97 and ’98 shows ian gillan was at the top.except the 70’s,this was his best period for him to scream.i would have dvd from that period.
September 2nd, 2007 at 17:15i remeber i show in june 98 in Rome while during Speed King he was on fire.
well hello >>>>saw dp at johnnyland near corpus christi tx usa in 1996,anyone there? what a gig …..that was a band …….not now….
September 2nd, 2007 at 17:32Say Jim………….
What’s a life?
Just kidding……….
Get me one, please……..
September 2nd, 2007 at 19:50Great footage!
I agree with Purple Ron. Don’t tour too much and spend some more time in the recording studio.
Also I agree with Rob, the HoB should be a full DVD.
September 2nd, 2007 at 19:54let us not ruin another blog by comparisons of RB and Steve Morse, lets see if we can go over this 1 more time, RB was here, was a major contributor to DP, is no longer here, SM is here now and contributing great stuff to the present DP, I prefer not to go to McDonalds but would go see DP EVERY DAY!!!!
September 2nd, 2007 at 20:08i was at the orlando show and they did this one i can remember thinking WOW !! i was freezing my u kno wut off cuz it was like the coldest night in florida !! i was like 13 or 14 and it was my first purple show i can remember just being blown away !! there was magic in the air that night gillan was in TOP form ! they opened up with hush and just pure energy from there on … i seen them twice since then .. i was at the perihelion show in 2001, and i just seen them at ruth eckerd hall and it seems like they get better and i enjoy them more every time… although dad says jon lord was heavily missed . the highlight was getting to meet the band !! i got all there autographs and chatted with evry one
September 2nd, 2007 at 21:35Hey all, I’m pretty sure that this is from the Jan. 28, 1998 gig at the Los Angeles HOBL on the Sunset Strip (not New Orleans). It was broadcast live on the Internet and I was there on the balcony with a kick-ass view. It was awesome!!!!
Cheers,
September 3rd, 2007 at 02:40Carl
I second that Stoffer!!! Abandon, what a great album(and tour)….. Ah today’s blue Monday and I should have seen it comin’>>>>>>>>>>>>
September 3rd, 2007 at 14:52Post Blackmore Deep Purple are just fantastic!!
Long Live DP
Goodbye RB
September 3rd, 2007 at 16:18Sorry – I didn’t read the posting carefully, I was tired and in a rush – speed kills! I’d delete my earlier posting but I can’t – doh!
September 3rd, 2007 at 18:13superb song, great performance of it also, thanks to the contributor…. i agree more songs from the purpendicular and abandon era should be played live with the current tour … on the issue of RB, he too is my all time favourite guitarist, but since `84 i have to admit the Morse era albums get played in this household a lot more than the Blackmore reunion titles …. never knock Ian Gillan he`s given everything to Purple, the guy`s in his early 60`s and still delivering … just enjoy everyone !! long live DP ..
September 3rd, 2007 at 21:55IG is the voice of dp nuff said !! and yea i would like to hear more of the morse era myself …. when i seen them at the ruth eckerd hall in july abandon was abandoned as usual but contact lost long time gone and rapture were one of the highlights of the night, but steve did do a little medley of sometimes i feel like screaming !! but into the fire , space truckin , and knockin at your back door was KILLER ! 😉
September 3rd, 2007 at 22:26Just goes to show that DP are a most remarkable and dynamic band.
And just another reason to celebrate the departure of Blackmore.
September 4th, 2007 at 13:31Gillan,please make ypur hair longer than now! even if just a bit of white you could it….
September 4th, 2007 at 15:41Sorry, I don’t think this is very much cop. As PP says, probably one of the better moments off a dire album. Everything off “Purpendicular” and “Rapture..” is better, but even these overall decent LPs do not compare to ANYTHING from MkII to V line-ups. The Morse-heads do try it on though: “the best thing to ever happen to Deep Purple” (!!!!) “In Rock -quality” (!!!) the band ought to honour these devotees by only playing material from ’95 onwards instead of getting SM to butcher the classics.
September 4th, 2007 at 21:58Cada loca con su tema.
September 5th, 2007 at 03:07idiotas en todas partes
September 5th, 2007 at 09:36That clip proves that the best thing ever to happen to Purple was Blackmores departure. Hilarious to think that he thought he was bigger than the band.
Deep Purple revolves around musicanship, talent, excitement, and most of all a sense of fun and entertainment.
‘The banjo player took a hike’
September 5th, 2007 at 15:05The Blackmore ‘ devotee’s’ just cant leave it alone can they. Betrayed, and let down, they sit around and attempt to conjure up what life would be like if TMIB was still in Purple. Constantly comparing, and never happy, these Blackmore obsessives live their lives in the past.
Well I feel sorry for you. For ten years you have had nothing to cling on to, for ten years he has betrayed you. For ten years he has given you nothing.
September 6th, 2007 at 13:46“The Morse era ” , as it is sometimes referred to , is Stellar . We are lucky to see a band who has already established a legacy , go into a second career as they have , which stands on it’s own , as it does .
People will have opinions , but they are not around when I drive and listen to my best of “TheMorseEra” compilation that I made for my jalopy .
Their combined experience shows with songs as well as musicianship that gets right in the pocket and takes you where you haven’t really been before . It’s a totally new sound , with the features that you would expect from Gillan Paice and Glover . The wisdom that goes onto each peice is apparent ; they wouldn’t have been able to write those songs when they were in their twenties . They have a knack of producing sounds that peak your interest with many layers that unfold with many listenings , and I find myself wanting to listen to this music more and more and more and more , it’s untouchable .
September 8th, 2007 at 06:48I never said Blackmore needs to be in DP for DP to make great music. This was proved in ’75 when Tommy Bolin joined. Nor is it even necessary for Ian Gillan to be lead singer for the band to make superb records, as Mk. 1, 3, 4, 5 proved (even though IG seems too proud to admit it). And “Purpendicular” was a GOOD album with strong moments on it. But “Abandon” was TOTAL CRAP, and Gillan, Glover, Lord, and Paice should have had the courage to let Morse go and find another sharper guitarist/writer instead of resting on certainties and turning DP into just another rock band.
September 8th, 2007 at 19:32It’s a matter of apples and oranges. Some people like apples; others wouldn’t touch an apple with a set of borrowed lips and prefer oranges. As for me, I like fruit salad. I like oranges better than apples, but an apple will do me just fine.
I respect TruthHurts assertion that “Abandon” was “crap”; however, in my book, “Abandon” was the second best of the Morse-era albums, and here’s why.
A large part of it had to do with heavier songs than “Purpendicular” like “Seventh Heaven,” which obviously came across well on stage (see video above).
The re-worked “Bludsucker” was a good idea to give DP an excuse to do it live in order to promote the album, where it worked extremely well (see “Total Abandon”) (I wish they’d re-work Burn for Morse & Airey), and likewise “Watching the Sky” is a Morse-era highlight with its contrasting dynamics and heavy beat in the same vein as the heavy metal of the time.
The Montreux Festival version of ’69 reminds me of the old days–an extended number with the repeating bass line à la “Space Truckin'” of the classic era. The bluesy rocker “Almost Human” was featured for a time–a song with a great texture and fine performance from Morse.
“Whatsername” which morphs from its growling Hammond to the smooth battle between Steve and Jon and the odd arrangement is both indicative of the experimental side of the album and classic Deep Purple. “Fingers to the Bone” is just an example of some damn fine songwriting.
The rappy “Any Fule Kno That” and “Watching the Sky” were an attempt to remain in the musical climate of the time. It (once again) proved that DP can (and does do) any kind of music. And do it well.
The experimental nature of the album went past a lot of people who didn’t see it for what it was. The sound of the album was no accident. It was a deliberate attempt to keep DP current. Remember, they are NOT (by their own admission) a “classic rock” band.
I maintain that “Abandon” was a 1998 “In Rock”. Experimental. Harder than the much smoother predecessor. Guitar and especially organ-based. A transition album. And one followed by a weaker album. It even had a reworked song from “In Rock.” That wasn’t a coïncidence.
“Abandon” was a pretty fine piece of fruit and a fitting swansong for Jon Lord. Don’t you agree? Of course not.
And that’s OK. To each his own. I don’t care for “The Battle Rages On.”
September 9th, 2007 at 03:15And there I was, trapped in a lunatic asylym(Jon Lord)
September 9th, 2007 at 23:23I like a nice juicy peach!!
September 10th, 2007 at 14:20Just watch out for bugs.
September 12th, 2007 at 03:09Dont bug me!!
September 12th, 2007 at 15:37ALL DEEP PURPLE ROCKS !!!!!
July 8th, 2013 at 21:31