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It’s about fast desperate singing…
Here’s a little peek into what could have been going on in some heads during those jams at the Hanwell Community Centre in 1969.
Little Richard performing Good Golly Miss Molly, recorded for UK TV in 1963. It’s not unthinkable that an 18 year old Gillan was in the audience:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MhybWFjuN2g
Tutti Frutti:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mlkMc0ZaJmY
Lucille:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mcxej1zJKTo
A little “best of” Jerry Lee Lewis:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=x5C7OGNCC3g
The last video (I’m The Wild One) is edited from the movie Great Balls of Fire! with Dennis Quaid playing the original madman of Rock’n’Roll. I don’t know how historically accurate the movie is, but there’s a great moment in there: on a late 50s “package tour” Lewis was to go on stage before another performer (Little Richard?). While delivering a particularly frenetic version of Great Balls of Fire, he proceeds to set the piano on fire, marches off the stage and (quite pompously) announces to his successor: “Follow this!”.
As we know, Blackmore used to be in Jerry Lee’s UK touring band back in the 60s. I wonder where he might have picked up those ideas about setting his amps on fire?…
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
It isn’t any secret that Gillan & Co. admired the old rock & rollers, and Speed King is an allusion to that. As we know, a Speed King is someone who can sing at a hundred miles an hour. The lyrics quote several of those songs in a tribute to the time and the music.
The band would ultimately quote even themselves in “Hungry Days,” “’69,” and “Gypsy’s Kiss” just to name a few.
As for Blackmore, he is historically significant in his pre-Purple work with artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis as well the Joe Meek days. What he became was partly due to the experience he gained during that time period, especially with Screaming Lord Sutch.
He took a little bit of everything he’d done and seen into Purple and Rainbow with him, both musically and showmanship. He was a keen observer and is greater than the sum of all his parts–from Hendrix impressions during extended numbers like “Mandrake Root” and “Space Truckin'” to setting things aflame like Lewis or tossing the guitar around in the Townshend vein. He may not have been the first, but he took it all to new heights and made it his own.
November 23rd, 2007 at 06:02Hi! As I see, nothing has changed: everybody wants to dance. Me too:))). By the way, our Karin Stanek & Czerwono-Czarni used to perform “Tutti Frutti” in the early 60ties (the compilation is available in Polish markets and probably in Rockserwis).
November 23rd, 2007 at 09:43Thanks for unbelievable videos.!
Blimey!! Little Richard…he’s a one man rhythm machine and listen to the edge on that voice!!!! No wonder a young Ian was so enamoured by him!! a truly great and influential talent.
November 23rd, 2007 at 15:04Why is it that people can appreciate and acknowledge Ian’s influences, but more times than not ridicule Glenn Hughes for his? I thought Deep Purple MK IV’s incorporating of “Not Fade Away ” into “Highway Star”, and Georgia On My Mind” into Smoke On The Water” during their live performances was awesome (Bolin’s guitar playing at that time notwithstanding). Just an observation.
November 23rd, 2007 at 17:11Well said Seven-47, yes MkIV was probably the most rock’n’roll/roots tinged incarnation of DP, with performances like “Highway Star/Not Fade Away”, and “Smoke on The Water/Georgia On My Mind” from the ‘Russian Foxbat’ album (TB’s playing on this is EXCELLENT by the way), and Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues” from the “California Rehearsals”.
November 23rd, 2007 at 23:20Not to mention the fabulous opening cut of ‘Come Taste The Band’, the garage-rockin’, honky-tonk piano inflected “Coming Home”.
Dear TruthHurts;
“Russian Foxbat”? Please elaborate, I’d love to hear to hear Deep Purple MKIV with Tommy Bolin on top of his game!
November 24th, 2007 at 00:13The “On the Wings of a Russian Foxbat” was also released in the US as a King Biscuit Flower Hour performance with two different covers (that I know of).
This show contains excellent versions of “Burn” and “Stormbringer” with the latter better than the Made in Europe/Final Mk IV Concerts version. Bolin was certainly capable and even brilliant, but unfortunately, the drug problem cut short his promising career.
November 24th, 2007 at 06:24Thanks for the info “T”, I have the King Biscuit Flower Hour recording and agree that “Burn” & “Stormbringer were exceptional. “Smoke On The Water” however was not so good. There was something definitely wrong with the guitar performance that evening!
November 24th, 2007 at 17:08Nice clips. Ian has always said that he was influenced by the early rock and rollers. About eight years ago, I got to see a package tour of Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. The three of them would put most modern performers to shame. The story was accurate in the movie about the piano being set on fire. There was an arguement between Jerry Lee and Chuck Berry. Berry was contracted to close the show, but Jerry Lee had the number one song at the time (Whole Lot of Shakin). To show up Berry, Jerry Lee set the piano on fire. If anyone wants to hear some great old time rock, pick up Jerry Lee’s last album- Last Man Standing (both the original album and the DVD/CD package). It is because of DP that I got even more interested in the old time musicians.
November 24th, 2007 at 17:33‘ Foxbat ‘ was an excellent testimonial for Tommy Bolin 🙂
November 24th, 2007 at 20:13Hi!Very nice clips !!!
December 17th, 2007 at 11:17Thank your T