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Review: Deep Purple — A Matter of Fact
Wymer Publishing were kind enough to send us a preview copy of Jerry Bloom’s Deep Purple — A Matter of Fact.
First things first: what this book is not. It is not a comprehensive biography of the band. It does not pretend to be. As such, I would not recommend it as an introductory reading on the history of the band.
What the book is: it is a collection of short (2-3 pages) stories arranged in roughly chronological order. Some of them are highly amusing, some educational, some quite bizarre, and some quite mundane. What falls where is a matter of opinion of course, but I’ll give you one example of the latter category: a certain singer, whose name escapes me at the moment, was offered a job in the nascent Deep Purple (way before Rod Evans came into the equation). His manager refused, in the hopes of advancing said singer solo career instead. Months later the manager refused another job offer, this time from one Jimmy Page, for another nascent band. The fact that I forgot the name of the singer before I finished the book, speaks volumes about wisdom of said manager on both counts.
It is 193 pages long, printed in rather generous 10-point(ish) font, interspersed with contemporary press clippings and an odd photo or three. Being a collection of short stories, it also plays quite well with reading on the go.
From what I can tell, the book is very well researched, although of course there’s no ceiling of how well it can be done, and some (you know who you are) might find inaccuracies.
In summary, it is quite literally what it says on the cover:
Based on interviews with band and road crew members, contemporary press articles, and drawing on management files, A Matter of Fact helps to clarify the truth behind several stories. It also dispels some untruths once and for all, as well a few previously un-revealed new stories that will appeal to even the most diehard fans.
Our verdict: while we would not recommend it for an introductory reading on the history of the band, it is a very interesting read for hardcore fans. This way, it is highly recommended.
Deep Purple — A Matter of Fact will be published on May 4, 2015 via Wymer. The book can be preordered from the publisher’s website.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Every thing from Jerry Bloom should be read by any Purple family fan.
February 21st, 2015 at 13:15That singer is Terry Reid.
February 21st, 2015 at 17:47Ordered mine already. May seems a long way off if some are printed already…
February 21st, 2015 at 21:47Scott W:
it was a preview copy. it is still a work in progress, with quite a bit to be done before it can be released to wider audience. proofreading, for one, comes to mind.
February 21st, 2015 at 23:30Thanks for the reply Nick!
February 22nd, 2015 at 01:43Yeah, Terry Reid was the name that came to mind when the article mentioned a singer who was considered for Zep. The way I’ve always seen the story told, though, it was Reid himself who passed on the job; IIRC, he didn’t want to be quite so much in the limelight, as the singer of a band that was obviously going to be big news. Instead, he because one of those guys unknown by the world at large, but well respected by those who’ve heard his albums.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of him being considered for Purple, though. Interesting stuff – I’ll certainly be ordering this book!
February 23rd, 2015 at 12:29I read the book in six days.
May 24th, 2015 at 12:12Lots of 2-4 page “fun fact” anecdotes.
Stuff I already knew,stuff I didn’t know,and stuff that fell into the “WTF” area.
A nice addition to my Purple library,but by no means essential.
For completists,really.