Deep Purple in Rock
Encyclopedia
Deep Purple in Rock is an album by English
rock
band Deep Purple
, released in June 1970. It was their fourth studio album and the first with the classic Mk II lineup. Rod Evans
(vocals) and Nick Simper
(bass) had been fired in June 1969 and were replaced by Ian Gillan
and Roger Glover
, respectively. Deep Purple in Rock was their breakthrough album in Europe and would peak at #4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for months. (The band's prior MK I albums had been much better received in North America than in their homeland.) The album was supported by the hugely successful In Rock World Tour
which lasted 15 months.
Although this was the first studio album to feature the MK II lineup of the band, it was this lineup that had earlier recorded the live Concerto for Group and Orchestra
. The album was also preceded by two singles, the first studio recordings that Gillan made with Deep Purple. The first single was a Greenaway-Cook composition called "Hallelujah", which flopped. The second single, "Black Night
", fared much better as it rose all the way to #2 on the UK charts.
In 2005 the album won the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour Award (given by the British monthly magazine Classic Rock) in the category Classic Album. The award was presented to Ian Gillan
, Ian Paice
and Jon Lord
.
to Neil Diamond
, among others, but on this record all tracks are credited to the five members of the band. "Speed King
" and "Flight of the Rat" are hard rock songs and the 10-minute epic "Child in Time
", perhaps the most famous song from this record, would be a concert staple for years to come.
Although "Into the Fire" and "Speed King" were featured on the set lists at the time, "Child in Time" was the only song from this album that was included on Made in Japan
two years later (although "Speed King" was the usual encore and is featured on the expanded CD re-issue, as is "Black Night
" which was included in the Deep Purple in Rock re-issue).
The cover depicts the band in a rock sculpture inspired by Mount Rushmore
.
In 2000 Q magazine placed the album at number 78 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.
Jon Lord
used both the Leslie speaker
and a Marshall amplifier
with his Hammond organ
, therefore the organ sound varies a lot throughout the songs. (Example: "Living Wreck" - Leslie speaker, "Hard Lovin' Man" - Marshall amplifier).
Ritchie Blackmore
used a Gibson ES-335
guitar on "Child in Time
", not his usual Fender Stratocaster
. This album is his favorite, along with Machine Head
.
The US release of the album cut the intro to "Speed King", lasting just over a minute. It remains edited on the standard Warner Bros. US release, but is restored to full length on the 25th anniversary package.
In 1995 a remastered and revised 25th anniversary edition of the album was released by EMI. The remastering and remixing job was overseen by Roger Glover
. The album features a number of bonus songs including previously unreleased jams.
On 21 July 2009 audiophile
label Audio Fidelity released a remastered version of Deep Purple in Rock on a limited edition 24 karat gold CD. Mastering for the CD was performed by Steve Hoffman. This release follows the original 7-track format with no bonus tracks.
, Ian Gillan
, Roger Glover
, Jon Lord
and Ian Paice
.
Side two
(“Good Golly Miss Molly”, “Tutti-Frutti” and “Lucille”), as well as Elvis Presley
and Chuck Berry
. The original UK version of the album includes the full introductory instrumental, featuring a blistering Blackmore guitar passage blending into a quieter Lord organ piece, but the U.S. version did not include the intro. The hard-rocking song features a mid-section “call-and-answer” solo exchange between Blackmore and Lord, which presaged their live performances for years to come. It was regularly played at concerts during the Mark II era, starting as an opener, but more frequently performed as an encore.
on guitar) re-recorded this song on their 1998 release Abandon
, with the revised title of “Bludsucker”.
” in 1972, “Child in Time” goes from quiet sadness to bombastic rocker and back again in a track running over 10 minutes. Lord’s organ is most prominent in the quieter parts, as he plays a chord structure inspired by (some say, “stolen from”) a song by It's a Beautiful Day
titled “Bombay Calling.” Gillan’s vocals start out softly, evolve into howling and lastly demonstrate his ability to “scream in tune”. Blackmore then launches into a searing guitar solo running over two minutes, before the first verse repeats and the song comes to a crashing end. It would be a concert staple for every version of Deep Purple that included Gillan.
Engineers
certification
(United States)
BPI
certification
(United Kingdom)
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, released in June 1970. It was their fourth studio album and the first with the classic Mk II lineup. Rod Evans
Rod Evans
Rod Evans is a former English singer and was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968. He provided vocals for the group's first three albums, including the hit singles "Hush" and "Kentucky Woman". He was replaced by Ian Gillan in 1969.-Early career:Before joining Deep Purple, Evans played together...
(vocals) and Nick Simper
Nick Simper
Nicholas John Simper is a bass guitarist, best known as a founding member of Deep Purple.-Biography:...
(bass) had been fired in June 1969 and were replaced by Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
and Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
, respectively. Deep Purple in Rock was their breakthrough album in Europe and would peak at #4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for months. (The band's prior MK I albums had been much better received in North America than in their homeland.) The album was supported by the hugely successful In Rock World Tour
In Rock World Tour
The In Rock World Tour was a successful worldwide concert tour by British hard rock group Deep Purple. The tour began in July 1970, after the release of their album In Rock, and lasted 15 months, until September 1971...
which lasted 15 months.
Although this was the first studio album to feature the MK II lineup of the band, it was this lineup that had earlier recorded the live Concerto for Group and Orchestra
Concerto for Group and Orchestra
The Concerto for Group and Orchestra is a concerto composed by Jon Lord, with lyrics written by Ian Gillan. It was first performed by Deep Purple and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold on 24 September 1969 and released on vinyl in December 1969. The release was the first...
. The album was also preceded by two singles, the first studio recordings that Gillan made with Deep Purple. The first single was a Greenaway-Cook composition called "Hallelujah", which flopped. The second single, "Black Night
Black Night
"Black Night" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple, first released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Year Anniversary version of their 1970 album, In Rock. The song became a hit following its release, peaking at #2 on UK charts, and to this day remains Deep Purple's...
", fared much better as it rose all the way to #2 on the UK charts.
In 2005 the album won the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour Award (given by the British monthly magazine Classic Rock) in the category Classic Album. The award was presented to Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
, Ian Paice
Ian Paice
Ian Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the English rock band Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band who never stopped performing with the group, and the only member to appear on every album the band has...
and Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
.
Change in direction
Deep Purple's earlier work ranged from psychedelic hard rock to orchestra-driven tracks and covers that ranged from The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
to Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, among others, but on this record all tracks are credited to the five members of the band. "Speed King
Speed King
"Speed King" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple from their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. The song is one of the loudest from the album, and featured some of the band's greatest amount of improvisation in a studio recorded song, on both the original version and later live versions...
" and "Flight of the Rat" are hard rock songs and the 10-minute epic "Child in Time
Child in Time
"Child in Time" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple. Featured on their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock, the song is 10 minutes and 18 seconds long.-History and characteristics:...
", perhaps the most famous song from this record, would be a concert staple for years to come.
Although "Into the Fire" and "Speed King" were featured on the set lists at the time, "Child in Time" was the only song from this album that was included on Made in Japan
Made in Japan (album)
Made in Japan is a double live album by English rock band Deep Purple, recorded during their first tour of Japan in August 1972. It was originally released in December 1972, with a U.S...
two years later (although "Speed King" was the usual encore and is featured on the expanded CD re-issue, as is "Black Night
Black Night
"Black Night" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple, first released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Year Anniversary version of their 1970 album, In Rock. The song became a hit following its release, peaking at #2 on UK charts, and to this day remains Deep Purple's...
" which was included in the Deep Purple in Rock re-issue).
The cover depicts the band in a rock sculpture inspired by Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
.
In 2000 Q magazine placed the album at number 78 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.
Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
used both the Leslie speaker
Leslie speaker
The Leslie speaker is a specially constructed amplifier/loudspeaker used to create special audio effects using the Doppler effect. Named after its inventor, Donald Leslie, it is particularly associated with the Hammond organ but is used with a variety of instruments as well as vocals. The...
and a Marshall amplifier
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
with his Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, therefore the organ sound varies a lot throughout the songs. (Example: "Living Wreck" - Leslie speaker, "Hard Lovin' Man" - Marshall amplifier).
Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
used a Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
guitar on "Child in Time
Child in Time
"Child in Time" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple. Featured on their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock, the song is 10 minutes and 18 seconds long.-History and characteristics:...
", not his usual Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
. This album is his favorite, along with Machine Head
Machine Head (album)
Machine Head is the sixth studio album released by the English rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded through December 1971 in Montreux, Switzerland, and released in March 1972....
.
Later editions
In some countries, including Mexico, Deep Purple in Rock also included "Black Night", a single recorded during the sessions.The US release of the album cut the intro to "Speed King", lasting just over a minute. It remains edited on the standard Warner Bros. US release, but is restored to full length on the 25th anniversary package.
In 1995 a remastered and revised 25th anniversary edition of the album was released by EMI. The remastering and remixing job was overseen by Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
. The album features a number of bonus songs including previously unreleased jams.
On 21 July 2009 audiophile
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
label Audio Fidelity released a remastered version of Deep Purple in Rock on a limited edition 24 karat gold CD. Mastering for the CD was performed by Steve Hoffman. This release follows the original 7-track format with no bonus tracks.
Track listing
All songs written by Ritchie BlackmoreRitchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
, Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
, Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
, Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
and Ian Paice
Ian Paice
Ian Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the English rock band Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band who never stopped performing with the group, and the only member to appear on every album the band has...
.
Original vinyl release
Side oneSide two
Bonus tracks on the CD re-issue
Speed King
As the liner notes for the LP allude (“A few roots…replanted”), “Speed King” is an ode to early rock-and-roll, with frequent references to songs performed by Little RichardLittle Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
(“Good Golly Miss Molly”, “Tutti-Frutti” and “Lucille”), as well as Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
. The original UK version of the album includes the full introductory instrumental, featuring a blistering Blackmore guitar passage blending into a quieter Lord organ piece, but the U.S. version did not include the intro. The hard-rocking song features a mid-section “call-and-answer” solo exchange between Blackmore and Lord, which presaged their live performances for years to come. It was regularly played at concerts during the Mark II era, starting as an opener, but more frequently performed as an encore.
Bloodsucker
Another hard rocker featuring a mid-section exchange between Blackmore and Lord, with Gillan literally screaming out the final verse. The Mark VI version of Deep Purple (featuring Steve MorseSteve Morse
Steven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his work in the hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994. He began his career to form the unique styled instrumental rock band Dixie Dregs in the 1970. Morse's musical inspiration comes from country, funk, jazz fusion, and...
on guitar) re-recorded this song on their 1998 release Abandon
Abandon (album)
Abandon is the sixteenth studio album by Deep Purple released in 1998.The album title is actually a pun from Ian Gillan – "A Band On" – and the album was followed by the "A Band On Tour". Uniquely for a Deep Purple studio album, it features a reworking of a previously recorded song...
, with the revised title of “Bludsucker”.
Child in Time
Considered one of the epic songs of the Mark II era, especially prior to the release of the iconic “Smoke on the WaterSmoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
” in 1972, “Child in Time” goes from quiet sadness to bombastic rocker and back again in a track running over 10 minutes. Lord’s organ is most prominent in the quieter parts, as he plays a chord structure inspired by (some say, “stolen from”) a song by It's a Beautiful Day
It's a Beautiful Day
It's a Beautiful Day is a band formed in San Francisco, California in 1967, the brainchild of violinist David LaFlamme.LaFlamme, a former soloist with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, had previously been in the band Orkustra, and unusually, played a five-string violin...
titled “Bombay Calling.” Gillan’s vocals start out softly, evolve into howling and lastly demonstrate his ability to “scream in tune”. Blackmore then launches into a searing guitar solo running over two minutes, before the first verse repeats and the song comes to a crashing end. It would be a concert staple for every version of Deep Purple that included Gillan.
Flight of the Rat
A hard rock song featuring a straight-ahead structure of three main power chords. Unlike the call-and-answer solo structure of “Speed King” and “Bloodsucker”, Blackmore and Lord are each accorded their own extended solos on this song. This song was never performed live.Into the Fire
A staple of early Mark II concerts, the song starts with a hooky introductory riff and two main chords which are octaves of each other. Features a phased and unusually slow guitar solo by Ritchie.Living Wreck
A straight-ahead rocker that tells the story of a love affair that fails miserably to live up to expectations. "Living Wreck" was released as the B-side of the "Black Night" single in the UK. Live recordings of this song are rare.Hard Lovin’ Man
Two power chords kick off the album’s closer, before Glover’s bass provides the rhythmic intro. Blackmore’s guitar is folded in, then Paice and Lord join in before the vocals start.Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
1 |
| 1970 | Norwegian Record Charts | 5 |
Personnel
- Ian GillanIan GillanIan Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
– vocals - Ritchie BlackmoreRitchie BlackmoreRichard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
– lead guitar - Roger GloverRoger GloverRoger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
– bass guitar - Jon LordJon LordJonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
– organ - Ian PaiceIan PaiceIan Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the English rock band Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band who never stopped performing with the group, and the only member to appear on every album the band has...
– drums
Engineers
- Andy Knight - IBC StudiosIBC StudiosThe IBC Recording Studios were recording studios in 35 Portland Place, London, England. After the Second World War it was the address of the leading independent studio in London and the British Isles...
(tracks 1, 3, 5 and 6) - Martin BirchMartin BirchMartin Birch is a British rock and heavy metal music producer, who became renowned for engineering and producing albums by the British rock bands Deep Purple and Iron Maiden....
- De Lane Lea (tracks 4 and 7) - Phil McDonald - Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
(track 2)
- Peter MewPeter MewPeter Mew is a British music audio engineer at Abbey Road Studios where he is now senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey Road in 1965 as a tape operator and has since worked with many artists at the studio...
- Original album remastering - Roger Glover - Oversaw the mixing of the extra tracks
- Tom Bender and Jason Butera - Additional studio work
Sales accomplishments
RIAARecording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(United States)
| Date | Designation | Total Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 27 July 2001 | Gold | 500,000 |
BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(United Kingdom)
| Date | Designation | Total Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1 March 1984 | Silver | 60,000 |