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Crimes and misdemeanors
In case you’ve forgotten it, we repeat it once again — one simply can not “delete” something from ’em ol’ interwebs. Once it’s out there, it’s out there.
Case in point: apparently the track listing for Deep Purple’s new album went down some sort of trade database, probably with the notice not to publish it until the D-day. Also apparently, some French retailers didn’t get the latter memo and published it. Just as apparently, Powers to Be™ tried to delete said info from the ‘net in the attempt to prevent the spread. To no avail.
Anyhow, it appears that the new album Turning to Crime will be a collection of covers:
- Volume 1
- 7 And 7 Is (Love)
- Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey “Piano” Smith)
- Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac)
- Jenny Take A Ride! (Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels)
- Watching The River Flow (Bob Dylan)
- Let The Good Times Roll (Ray Charles & Quincy Jones)
- Dixie Chicken (Little Feat)
- Shapes Of Things (The Yardbirds)
- The Battle Of New Orleans (Lonnie Donegan/Johnny Horton)
- Lucifer (Bob Seger System)
- White Room (Cream)
- Caught In The Act (Medley)
Discuss.
This post has been brought to you by our Department of Unsubstantiated Rumours. Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov and Blabbermouth for the heads up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Hey, that sounds lovely! A nice detour.
September 24th, 2021 at 20:31First reaction: disappointment. Moreover, I think Gillan is not a rock and roll singer, no matter how much he longs to be one. No rough mid-range. In a sense he is more than that (a school of hard rock singing in its own right) but when he does old fashion rock and roll, well, second grade, imho.
September 24th, 2021 at 21:11Someone who claimed to be close to management/band said it’s fake. I don’t know if it’s true… I don’t like cover albums so I hope this person is right. We’ll see
September 24th, 2021 at 21:15Unbelievable. Sometimes the members of the band have had fun in re-inventing songs from others, starting with Hush, ending up with Roadhouse Blues. But Deep Purple are still a creative group an I think they still have enough ideas to do their own thing. so I doubt this so-called information. Or do they want to salute people who have had some kind of influence to each of them? By the way, there would be no royalties and being clever business people besides being amazing musicians Deep Purple know how to make some money …
September 24th, 2021 at 21:31Say it isn’t so.
September 24th, 2021 at 22:25I was of the opinion that any new Purple is good Purple. Now this.
Any covers album is a curiosity at best-see Whitesnake: The Purple Album.I don’t remember the last time I listened to it.
Unless I get it as a Christmas gift,I won’t own Turning To Crime any time in the foreseeable future.
Fantastic news ! I hope that the tracklist is accurate because those guys can play and sing these songs with an incredible maestria !
September 24th, 2021 at 23:14Can’t wait
I’m not sure what to think. To be honest, it’s a pretty fucked up list of songs. Hopefully the production somehow manages to tie everything together. (And good luck with that!)
September 24th, 2021 at 23:26This is a great dissapointment.No thanks.
September 25th, 2021 at 00:02I wouldn’t mind hearing them do White Room. But if this is for real, I won’t buy the CD.
September 25th, 2021 at 02:28I dont like at all…a very bad idea…iam disappoinded but i will buy it anyway as a real fanatic Dp fan
September 25th, 2021 at 04:46Could be a kind of quickie budget release, a sort of side project. Wouldn’t object to that.
Not seen addressed anywhere: is Bob Ezrin involved?
September 25th, 2021 at 08:24First thought when I read “Turning to crime”: It will be a cover album …
September 25th, 2021 at 10:29Is this true? could be “fake news”………………would like to hear DP do Cream also!
September 25th, 2021 at 11:15it should be interesting…..what is this song going to sound like? Johnny Horton Battle Of New Orleans (HQ Stereo) (1959) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjXM6x_0KZk
September 25th, 2021 at 11:36Hope its a bad joke …
No new songs /sounds ???
omg
LLRnR
kraatzy
September 25th, 2021 at 11:49Sometimes I feel like…….Screaming
September 25th, 2021 at 12:06Close my eyes
It’s times like this
My head goes down
Given the creativity that they have demonstrated on the last three albums with Bob Ezrin, I am disappointed that their last album might simply be a “covers album”.
September 25th, 2021 at 12:19I would have preferred another album of new material, but that would have made it hard to tour the Whoosh! material – and I am looking forward to hearing those tracks live.
September 25th, 2021 at 12:26Did you really believe a brand new album was going to be released two weeks from now?
I didn’t know what to expect, maybe a new song, maybe nothing at all, just a joke, a fake. But of course, not a new album.
So, it’s no big surprise. I, almost, don’t give a damn about a covers’ album, but If it’s out there I’ll buy it, for the same reason as @ 10.
And @ 2 is right. Gillan was, has been and, in their current purple flavour still is, a superb singer, but not singing classic RnR.
September 25th, 2021 at 12:26At this point in their careers ( and my life) I’ll take whatever they put out… for at least a couple of listens. Why not? It’s Deep Purple, it’s my band, they’re still together, they still make music, they still have “that” sound. I’m in!!
September 25th, 2021 at 13:04It’s a joke.
September 25th, 2021 at 13:26May not be a great collection of songs, but any time I can hear the boys, I’ll take it. There is always a nugget of Deep Purple no matter the song.
September 25th, 2021 at 13:45When I first heard about this being a covers album I thought well o.k. it’s just a bit of fun and is not to be taken too seriously. However, I don’t want any of these songs to be played live. There are so many great Deep Purple songs that don’t get played as it is and the time on stage is so precious, if any of these songs keeps a Deep Purple song from being played it would really piss me off. Roger says he reads these comments, I hope he reads this one.
September 25th, 2021 at 15:20God I had forgotten how narrow-minded most Purple fans are… Never happy, never open to new adventures (because yes, covering most of those songs is aventurous, let alone put them all together as someone said here).
They may record some new stuff in the months to come anyway, so why mourning about this great bonus even before giving it a listen? Sad reactions.
I’m happy they never listen to those never happy fans and especially when it comes to “give me more hard rock, that’s what I like”.
I bet most people don’t even know some (if not most) of those songs so why not waiting a bit and then enjoy (or not) the thing?
And they didn’t promise nothing, some of you had decided on a new album… Not them.
And after a great piece of work such as Whoosh! (and the Ezrin Trilogy) maybe you could give the guys a break!
September 25th, 2021 at 16:48Disappointed, Purple are too good to be a covers band. The last track they covered ‘Roadhouse Blues’ was poor, the only dull spot on the album. Of course I’ll buy it and dare say enjoy it but it feels like a lost opportunity and a misstep at this stage in the game.
September 25th, 2021 at 17:44I’m so looking forward to this release.
I’m one of those who enjoys when a band presents the music that they enjoy, or possibly inspired them to become musicians.
Rush has done a Covers EP.
The Rolling Stones did covers on their early releases, and also recorded a Blues Covers album that went on tot win a Grammy.
I remember when Queen used to end their concerts with Rock and Roll Covers.
Bruce Springsteen did the same with the Detroit Medley.
And who can forget Ian Gillans releases with his early band The Javelins.
There’s some good stuff here…I’ll be patient.
September 25th, 2021 at 18:33After that horrible Roadhouse cover and Gillan’s other whiny attempts of RnR (including the one on Whoosh) I would say who cares?
September 25th, 2021 at 22:03Well done DP. You may not have been able to get together but you still managed to put together an album.
September 25th, 2021 at 22:13An album a year, you’re spoiling us! Thanks.
Look forward to hearing it.
Deep Purple es una banda creativa. No hace falta hacer un disco de versiones. Y menos aún a esta altura en donde quedó demostrado que pueden hacer excelentes canciones. Cuando leí que iban a tocar temas de otros sentí la misma desilusión que cuando veo a Blackmore disfrazado o Whitesnake maltratando al legado Purple hace un par de años ya. Deep Purple ha ido siempre hacia adelante con su material, no lo echen a perder ahora.
September 25th, 2021 at 22:46Not what I was expecting, but I will take it. After so many decades of amazing music, they have earned the right to do whatever they want and I am completely OK with that. After all, at it’s inception the band did lots of covers because, in the beginning, they had to. If they do any covers now, it is because not not because they have to, but because they want to. And there is a big difference between the two.
September 26th, 2021 at 01:59I hope they tour the US once more so that I can take my two sons to see them now that they are old enough (kind of…LOL) to experience this amazing band live before it is too late.
I loved it in the live act when they played snatches of other people’s classic rocks songs before starting “Smoke”, but a whole album? And these songs? No, thanks.
When Mark I covered a song, they transformed it. That could be interesting. But it won’t happen, at least if we judge by “It’ll Be Me” and “Roadhouse Blues” (though they do the latter well).
I doubt it’s a joke, because it’s not very funny.
September 26th, 2021 at 02:00This has to be some sort of joke…. while I’m not opposed to a DP covers album, the collection of songs mentioned here seems so wildly disparate that I don’t see how they can pull this into a cohesive album.
I love Morse era Purple- and I have really enjoyed the last three records. Unfortunately, a covers album recorded in a pandemic makes sense- if they’re all separated and isolated from each other, picking tunes every knows makes a lot of sense with all that free time and nothing to do but record.
This will either be brilliant or a complete train wreck, if true. I’m hoping this is a red herring to throw us off the scent, but I fear it isn’t so. Praying that the boys surprise all of us and knock it out of the park, but my gut tells me this won’t work with the songs chosen. At least it’ll be better than Slaves and Masters, nothing can be worse than that (but I’ve been wrong before).
September 26th, 2021 at 02:43@4 Yes there will be royalties for the sales of the album, even though not as much as in the good old days, depending on sales of course. However, there will be no publishing money for the band (airplay/copyright and so forth) as that goes to the songwriters. So there are different kinds of royalties.
September 26th, 2021 at 09:51Well if you don’t like it, you’re free not to buy it or even listen to it. I’m very much looking forward to this, some killer songs which I’d love to experience being given the Purple treatment. It’s a free world, isn’t it?
September 26th, 2021 at 11:13I’m looking forward to this album. I hope Shapes of Things is done like Gary Moore’s version.
September 26th, 2021 at 11:25I really dig that “I don’t want it” reaction… and even more : “who wants that” ?
Well, plenty of people it seems…and by the way, who cares about YOU not buying it ? Should the boys wonder about YOU before having some fun in the studio after 53 years and while being 76 years-old ? Who do You think YOU are ? 😉
Simple : they are tring something they’ve never done before. We all should congratulate them for that and also about the choice of songs, quite risky.
Then buy it or not.
To me when people as incredible as Ian Paice, Steve Morse or Don Airey play something, it’s all always worth. Same when Gillan sings whatever he wants or Glover lying a groove. Maybe I’m a Purple fan then.
September 26th, 2021 at 12:56Whatever you think of this release, it is the bands decision to make this album. Thank God fan’s of the combo don’t have a say in these matters. I, for one, will buy and enjoy this forthcoming release.
September 26th, 2021 at 15:06I bet a lot of people here will pass on this one.Wasted time and money. this is all Gillan’s ideas trying hard to throw this nugget of so-called rock n roll songs in the Deep Purple Albums.Gimme a break! This will be a bore.Make a new album and a heavy one
September 26th, 2021 at 16:44@38 I fully agree with you. If there is any indication of what to expect from covers, the covers on DP’s latest albums were clearly weaker than original DP songs. Let us approach this release open minded, though, and give our guys the benefit of the doubt. When the album is out, we will see if they screwed up or not.
September 26th, 2021 at 19:29Actually looking forward to this, Mk1 did a ton of covers on the first 3 albums, and they were all damn good. Also I like Ian Gillan’s cover of Light My Fire, I believe Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe from Yes were also on that track, so I think a cover album at this point in time isn’t a bad idea.
September 27th, 2021 at 00:53Actually I had a lot go fun listening to all those tracks! Some i knew, some i had forgotten, some were a pleasure to discover… sure, I always felt that Rush’s ‘Feedback’ was pretty useless… but I loved the Javelins albums, so… who knows?
September 27th, 2021 at 02:20I agree with sidroman. I’m looking forward to this.
September 27th, 2021 at 09:43At this stage in their career and after the industrious output of the Ezrin era, why shouldn’t Purple be allowed to record a covers album just to please themselves and a few others? I’ll buy it in a heartbeat!
September 27th, 2021 at 11:34Peter J @24,
Spot on observations!
Peace,
September 27th, 2021 at 12:02Ted :>
I’m taking a wait and see…er…hear approach with this one. I love the idea of the guys having fun with such a crazy list, but for me it will come down to what they do with the material and whether the production makes it sound cohesive.
If the overall experience is similar to roadhouse blues, I’ll probably take a pass, just because I know I wouldn’t listen to it more than a handful of times. However, if it hangs together, I’ll most certainly order the super duper deluxe supreme box set version.
September 27th, 2021 at 15:35Snoor!😴 hope not true.
September 27th, 2021 at 16:54I just remembered your site.
I see everyone is still alive,
What to say…my once favourite band descendng into another wormhole.
September 27th, 2021 at 21:31@47 No need for you to follow the train to the wormhole, bro. Stay on your cloud and enjoy yourself!)
September 28th, 2021 at 13:23The standout track will be “oh well “
September 28th, 2021 at 16:44To “haters”-haters: all I say is that Gillan’s vocal capacities and style are not apt for delivering classicRnR especially black singers’ acts. But we’ll see and hear. Gillan is the most talented hard rock singer of all times. Moreover he found a nice compromise for a 75 year old with Ezrin. But we have heard many a time how he failed in other genres. So do not get me wrong.
September 28th, 2021 at 18:25Well! Let me tell you: initial reaction was this of “never ever happy fan” – “I’m kind of dissapointed”. UFO went on the covers set with a whimper, and since I regard Purple as something greatest… I would prefer the new stuff initially to be the closing kick. I liked the studio output of the last 2 decades, so much more than the approach to the concerts (see Mister, this was once an improvising band! Last time, circa 1998 – 2000… “Pictures of Home”, “Fools”… Steve and Jon nicely pulled these things out back then). As far as this is digressing – it carries a point regarding “Turning to Crime”.
@ 32 – Mike has it laid out well, I think. If Purple reminded themselves of Vanilla Fudge’s debut from 1967 (which was ALSO an album of AWESOME covers – due to new sauce and seasoning of old chestnuts) and their own reimagined covers of 1968-69 period… Now this is what chances to become glorious. Give it a purple galvanizing bath. Play with swagger, improv, spill out the guitar and organ all over. Bend he unbendable in the well known unique DP style. That’s my thought here it could turn out interesting and adventurous. Should it be just play by numbers like “Roundhouse Blues”… Then – just no. Good covers require at least fair dose of imagination and bravery. I’m curious then. Deep Purple does quite a bit of a stunt. Will they pull it off? We’ll see. Do or die (by wring(ing) that neck, ahem). Best to the Messers!
September 28th, 2021 at 19:17@50
Can you give us some examples about his failures?
BTW, I was told this cover album is very pleasant and different to anything they did before.
September 28th, 2021 at 20:01@ Ted : cheers mate!
@ Atilla : I see what you mean but it seems that you don’t even know those songs : only one out of 13 is a “classic rnr” so you should be happy…
And I don’t see where Gillan failed, he’s a great blues singer, he’s also fab on folk tunes and even quite good at reggae and pop.
Ok he’s bad at opera but I don’t see arias here
September 29th, 2021 at 07:56@ Peter J: let us hope for the best, let us wait for November. Until then it is only guessing. Btw I listened to these songs and white room is one of my all time favourites, etc. You are right: classic rnr is not an appropriate definition for such a disparate setlist but I could not come up with a better one. Which makes this even riskier an endevor from a singer’s angle. That was my only point. But of course I will buy it.
September 29th, 2021 at 10:26@ Atilla: Gillan not good at singing old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll? Have you not heard him sing ‘Lucille’ (live with Purple and in the studio with his band Gillan), ‘Trying To Get To You’ (Gillan) or ‘Trouble’ (Gillan)? He may struggle now in his 70s, but back in the day he was superb at covering that style! If you haven’t heard the three I just mentioned then check ’em out.
September 29th, 2021 at 10:59How long before they’re billed as “Ian Gillan’s Deep Purple”?
September 29th, 2021 at 11:23@56 : obviously you don’t know his tastes (Glover would be the one who knew and loves all those tunes, IG didn’t) and it’s not even his idea, so again you’ ve missed the point.
And even if, what would be the problem ? We had Blackmore’s Purple in the early 90’s and even though I love the albums, it’s hard to pretend that this Purple was more interesting than the Ezrin trilogy or than Purpendicular…
@ Attila, yes it’s hard to find only word for those songs… To me it’s something we should credit to the band 😉
September 29th, 2021 at 14:41Turning To Crime is what Deep Purple has done. A whole album of cover songs? This is definitely a crime in the first degree. What if this is their last album? As a Deep Purple fan, collector of Deep Purple memorabilia and all medians of music since 1968, I am so disappointed. I will buy the LP and CD only for my collection but won’t even open them. I’m sure that I will see their videos and music on-line but it won’t be on any playlist. Three words, LAZY(no pun intended) and BORING.
September 30th, 2021 at 04:26I think maybe and this is going out on a limb. I’m not an engineer or a producer. But I think if they do this cover album, instead of using ProTools, and modern recording techniques, they should maybe use analog recording . Maybe Steve and Roger playing through vintage amps maybe using vintage instruments to get the feel of these old time classics. Just a thought.
September 30th, 2021 at 08:15@59: Er, the album is already done…
September 30th, 2021 at 08:17It has been a global pandemic making it difficult for most musicians to record and play. There were probably noone expecting a DP album to come out this fall at all. To everyone who complains about this album, would you rather have waited a year more for a DP album to come out?
One theory I was thinking of is that this might be leftovers from the last couple of recordings. Maybe they have jammed on some covers for fun during the sessions and someone decided to put this together as something to enjoy while we wait for original material. Or, it seems most people won’t enjoy it. Whatever.
And about them destroying their brand with a record like this; Most regular people seems to be surprised DP even exist at all when you mention that to them. Surely it must be better for the brand to show that they do exist instead of being quiet for another year? But sure, since the album probably won’t reach the mainstream anyway it would have been fun if they had released it as Dick Pimple.
September 30th, 2021 at 08:23@61 Svante, brilliant thoughts!
September 30th, 2021 at 09:00It escapes me why some people are so sourpuss dead-serious about this. It’s not intended to be a new In Rock or Machine Head, not even a Perfect Strangers or Purpendicular. And it doesn’t mean that DP have stopped writing own material, it is just an excursion of a couple of old geezers getting together to play because they can’t currently tour. What’s not to like?
Granted Purple’s covers of other people’s material, even in Mk I days, were often hit and miss, they weren’t Vanilla Fudge or Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (unbeaten at their own game of re-imagining songs) when it came to rearranging and giving something a whole different slant, but I’m still looking forward to this. Some of it will no doubt be fun – and as a detour that is enough for me.
September 30th, 2021 at 16:54The bar for expectations of a new original album is almost all of the songs are good, and a few would be added to the set list. The bar for a cover album is that a few will be good and perhaps one makes it to the live set.
October 1st, 2021 at 03:55Hi, here’s something I just found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV09L8DVHqc
October 1st, 2021 at 12:12Have a nice Day!
Yes, as an encore or something. Or maybe with encores alternating from night to night. The choice of covers is nicely eclectic, not your usual suspects.
October 1st, 2021 at 12:36I wish that “Turning To Crime” will also be available in vinyl deluxe box set just like “Infinite” and “Whoosh”.
October 1st, 2021 at 14:22A little more information:
https://nowspinning.co.uk/deep-purple-turning-to-crime-covers-album-due/
October 1st, 2021 at 14:31Imagine being so angry at this! Pathetic.
Have some of you not noticed what’s being happening in the world the last 18 months that may have put the brakes on the gents getting together to write and record an album?
We all know their creative process relies on them being in the same room and playing. In the absence of being able to do that they’re letting their hair down and having a bit of fun. What’s the harm? If you don’t want to listen to it then don’t. Leave the rest of us, who will take it for what it is, to enjoy it. It will absolutely, certainly be better than nothing.
October 1st, 2021 at 16:26Amazon has a November 26th release date. I’m looking forward to it.
October 3rd, 2021 at 12:17