Friday, June 2, 2023 1am ET: Feature Live LP: Deep Purple – Infinite (2017)

Infinite is the twentieth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on April 7, 2017.

1. “Time for Bedlam” 4:35
2. “Hip Boots” 3:23
3. “All I Got Is You” 4:42
4. “One Night in Vegas” 3:23
5. “Get Me Outta Here” 3:58
6. “The Surprising” 5:57
7. “Johnny’s Band” 3:51
8. “On Top of the World” 4:01
9. “Birds of Prey” 5:47
10. “Roadhouse Blues” 6:00

Live At Hellfest 2017
“Time For Bedlam”
“Fireball”
“Bloodsucker”
“Strange Kind Of Woman”
“Uncommon Man”
“The Surprising”
“Lazy”
“Birds Of Prey”
“Perfect Strangers”
“Space Truckin'”
“Smoke On The Water”
“Peter Gunn/Hush”
“Black

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 10pm ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – The House of Blue Light (1987)

The House of Blue Light is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on January 16, 1987 by Polydor Records. It was the second recording by the reformed Mark II line-up, and the sixth studio album overall by this formation of the band.

1. “Bad Attitude” 5:04
2. “The Unwritten Law” 4:54
3. “Call of the Wild” 4:48
4. “Mad Dog” 4:36
5. “Black & White” 4:39
6. “Hard Lovin’ Woman” 3:25
7. “The Spanish Archer” 5:31
8. “Strangeways” 7:36
9. “Mitzi Dupree” 5:05
10. “Dead or Alive” 5:00

Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica
Ritchie Blackmore – guitars
Roger Glover – bass
Jon Lord – keyboards
Ian Paice – drums, percussion

Friday, May 5, 2023 11pm ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – Who Do We Think We Are (1974)

Who Do We Think We Are is the seventh studio album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released January 12, 1973. It was Deep Purple’s last album by the Mark II line-up with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover until 1984’s Perfect Strangers.

Musically, the record showed a move to a more blues-based sound, even featuring scat singing. Although its production and the band’s behaviour after its release showed the group in turmoil, with frontman Gillan remarking that “we’d all had major illnesses” and felt considerable fatigue, the album was a commercial success. Deep Purple became the top-selling U.S. artist in 1973. The album featured the energetic hard-rock single “Woman from Tokyo,” a live staple of the band’s since the album’s release.

1. “Woman from Tokyo” 5:48
2. “Mary Long” 4:23
3. “Super Trouper” 2:54
4. “Smooth Dancer” 4:08
5. “Rat Bat Blue” 5:23
6. “Place in Line” 6:29
7. “Our Lady” 5:12

Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Ian Gillan – vocals
Roger Glover – bass
Jon Lord – keyboards
Ian Paice – drums, percussion

Thursday 12/29/22 9:15pm ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – The Book of Taliesyn (1968)

The Book of Taliesyn is the second studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, recorded only three months after Shades of Deep Purple and released by Tetragrammaton Records in October 1968, just before their first US tour. The name for the album was taken from the 14th-century Book of Taliesin.

The structure of the album is similar to that of their first, with four original songs and three rearranged covers; however, the tracks are longer, the arrangements more complex and the sound more polished than on Shades of Deep Purple. The music style is a mix of psychedelic rock, progressive rock and hard rock, with several inserts of classical music arranged by the band’s keyboard player Jon Lord.

Deep Purple’s American record label aimed for a hippie audience, which was very influential in the US at the time, but the chart results of the album and singles were not as high as expected. This setback did not hinder the success of the three-month US tour, when the band played in many important venues and festivals and received positive feedback from audiences and the press. Deep Purple were still an underground band which played in small clubs and colleges in the United Kingdom, largely ignored by the media and the public. The British record company EMI did not release The Book of Taliesyn until June 1969, on the new underground prog rock sub-label Harvest Records, and the album did not chart. Even the release of the new single “Emmaretta” and new dates in the UK in summer 1969 did not increase album sales or the popularity of Deep Purple in the UK. Perception of the album has changed in later years and it has been reviewed more favourably.

1. “Listen, Learn, Read On” 4:05
2. “Wring That Neck” 5:13
3. “Kentucky Woman” 4:44
4. “(a) Exposition”
   “(b) We Can Work It Out” 7:06
5. “Shield” 6:06
6. “Anthem” 6:31
7. “River Deep, Mountain High” 10:12

Rod Evans – lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Jon Lord – Hammond organ, keyboards, backing vocals, strings arrangement on “Anthem”
Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals
Ian Paice – drums, temple blocks

Friday 11/25/22 1am ET: Feature Live LP: Deep Purple – Made In Japan (1972)

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 December 8, 1972, with a US release in April 1973, and became a commercial and critical success.

The band were well known for their strong stage act, and had privately recorded several shows, or broadcast them on radio, but were unenthusiastic about recording a live album until their Japanese record company decided it would be good for publicity. They insisted on supervising the live production, including using Martin Birch, who had previously collaborated with the band, as engineer, and were not particularly interested in the album’s release, even after recording. The tour was successful, with strong media interest and a positive response from fans.

The album was an immediate commercial success, particularly in the US, where it was accompanied by the top five hit “Smoke on the Water”, and became a steady seller throughout the 1970s.

1. “Highway Star” 6:52
2. “Child in Time” 12:25
3. “Smoke on the Water” 7:32
4. “The Mule” 9:50
5. “Strange Kind of Woman” 9:36
6. “Lazy” 10:51
7. “Space Truckin'” 19:42

Ritchie Blackmore – lead guitar
Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica (uncredited), percussion (uncredited)
Roger Glover – bass guitar
Jon Lord – organ, piano
Ian Paice – drums

Sunday 9/4/22 1pm ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – Slaves & Masters (1990)

Slaves and Masters is the thirteenth studio album by the British rock band Deep Purple, and was released on October 23, 1990. This is the only Deep Purple album to feature former Rainbow lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who had joined the previous year after the firing of Ian Gillan. Before hiring Turner, the band had considered singer Jimi Jamison of Survivor, but other obligations made him unavailable.

Following its release, Slaves and Masters peaked at No. 87 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album dramatically sold below expectations, as compared to Deep Purple’s previous album, The House of Blue Light with Gillan, which charted at No. 34 in the US. A song from the Slaves and Masters recording sessions was rearranged for the soundtrack of the 1990 movie Fire, Ice and Dynamite. Jon Lord did not play on the song, which was performed by the four other members of the Mark V Deep Purple line-up.

Despite underwhelming album sales, Deep Purple had a relatively successful tour in support of Slaves and Masters in 1991, especially for the band’s European leg. Turner was still a member of the group when they began writing and recording their next album in 1992, but under duress from managers who were eyeing a 25th anniversary tour, Deep Purple ultimately decided to bring back Gillan to the line-up for their 1993 studio album The Battle Rages On… A handful of working tracks originally intended for the follow-up to Slaves and Masters would turn up on subsequent solo releases by Turner.

“Too Much Is Not Enough” had been recorded by Turner for the unreleased follow up of his first solo album Rescue You, and it was also recorded by Paul Rodgers and Kenney Jones band The Law but they didn’t release it, either. Turner’s original version can be found on the bootleg Demos ’88 – 91′ and The Law version on The Law II bootleg. Turner re-recorded the song for his album Hurry Up and Wait (1998).

1. “King of Dreams” 5:26
2. “The Cut Runs Deep” 5:42
3. “Fire in the Basement” 4:43
4. “Truth Hurts” 5:14
5. “Breakfast in Bed” 5:17
6. “Love Conquers All” 3:47
7. “Fortuneteller” 5:49
8. “Too Much Is Not Enough” 4:17
9. “Wicked Ways” 6:33
10. “Love Conquers All” (single edit) 3:25
11. “King of Dreams” (single edit) 4:51
12. “Slow Down Sister” 5:57

Joe Lynn Turner – lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitars
Roger Glover – bass, additional keyboards, production, mixing
Jon Lord – organ, keyboards, string arrangements
Ian Paice – drums
String orchestra led by Jesse Levy

Tuesday 7/19/22 8pm ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – Purpendicular (1996)

Purpendicular is the fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released February 17, 1996. It is their first album with guitarist Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore.

1. “Vavoom: Ted the Mechanic” 4:16
2. “Loosen My Strings” 5:57
3. “Soon Forgotten” 4:47
4. “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming” 7:29
5. “Cascades: I’m Not Your Lover” 4:43
6. “The Aviator” 5:20
7. “Rosa’s Cantina” 5:10
8. “A Castle Full of Rascals” 5:11
9. “A Touch Away” 4:36
10. “Hey Cisco” 5:53
11. “Somebody Stole My Guitar” 4:09
12. “The Purpendicular Waltz” 4:45
13. “(empty track)”
14. “Don’t Hold Your Breath” 4:39

Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica
Steve Morse – guitars, backing vocals
Jon Lord – keyboards
Roger Glover – bass
Ian Paice – drums

Monday 1/10/22 7pm ET: History of Rock and Roll Hour 29

Monday 11/15/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – Machine Head (1972)

Machine Head is the sixth studio album released by the English rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded in December 1971 at Montreux, Switzerland, and released on March 25, 1972 on Purple Records.

As previous recording sessions had been slotted into the group’s gigging schedule, Deep Purple wanted to dedicate time to record an album away from the typical studio environment, hoping it would result in a sound closer to their live shows. They hired the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio for recording, and block-booked the Montreux Casino as a venue, but during a Frank Zappa concert immediately before the sessions, the casino burned to the ground. After a week of searching for an alternate venue, including a session at a nearby theatre that was abandoned due to noise complaints, the band managed to book the Grand Hotel, closed for the winter, and converted it into a live room suitable for recording. These events, particularly the casino fire, became the inspiration for the song “Smoke on the Water”.

Machine Head is Deep Purple’s most commercially successful album, topping the charts in several countries, including number one in the UK. Influential in the development of traditional metal, it continues to be viewed favourably by music critics and has been reissued several times.

1. “Highway Star” 6:29
2. “Maybe I’m a Leo” 5:30
3. “Pictures of Home” 5:24
4. “Never Before” 4:01
5. “Smoke on the Water” 6:16
6. “Lazy” 7:33
7. “Space Truckin'” 4:54
8. “When a Blind Man Cries” 3:31

Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica
Roger Glover – bass
Jon Lord – keyboards, Hammond organ
Ian Paice – drums, percussion

Wednesday 9/22/21 12pm ET: Feature Artist: Deep Purple

Formed in early 1968 by Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Rod Evans, Ritchie Blackmore, and Nick Simper, Deep Purple released their debut album, Shades of Deep Purple, in July of that year.

They have undergone many changes of personnel over the years, and today Ian Paice is the only member from the original line-up still with the band. The other members currently are Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Steve Morse and Don Airey.

Current members
Ian Paice – drums (1968–1976, 1984–present)
Roger Glover – bass (1969–1973, 1984–present)
Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica, percussion (1969–1973, 1984–1989, 1992–present)
Steve Morse – guitars (1994–present)
Don Airey – keyboards (2002–present)

Former members
Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals, string arrangements (1968–1976, 1984–2002; died 2012)
Ritchie Blackmore – guitars (1968–1975, 1984–1993)
Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals (1968–1969)
Rod Evans – lead vocals (1968–1969)
Glenn Hughes – bass, vocals (1973–1976)
David Coverdale – lead vocals (1973–1976)
Tommy Bolin – guitars, backing vocals (1975–1976; died 1976)
Joe Lynn Turner – lead vocals (1989–1992)

Touring members
Joe Satriani – guitars (1993–1994)
Candice Night – backing vocals (1993)[178]
Randy California – guitar (one show in 1972; died 1997)
Nick Fyffe – bass (some shows in 2011)
Jordan Rudess – keyboards (one show in 2020)

Thursday 8/13/2020 11pm ET: Feature LP 2020 – Deep Purple – Whoosh (2020)

Whoosh! is the twenty-first studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on August 7, 2020.

1. “Throw My Bones” 3:38
2. “Drop the Weapon” 4:23
3. “We’re All the Same in the Dark” 3:44
4. “Nothing at All” 4:42
5. “No Need to Shout” 3:30
6. “Step by Step” 3:34
7. “What the What” 3:32
8. “The Long Way Round” 5:39
9. “The Power of the Moon” 4:08
10. “Remission Possible” (instrumental) 1:38
11. “Man Alive” 5:35
12. “And the Address” (instrumental) 3:35
13. “Dancing in My Sleep” (Bonus Track) 3:51

Ian Gillan – vocals
Steve Morse – guitars
Roger Glover – bass
Ian Paice – drums
Don Airey – keyboards
Saam Hashemi – programming on “Dancing in My Sleep”
Ayana George – backing vocals
Tiffany Palmer – backing vocals

Bob Ezrin – producer, mixing, percussion, backing vocals
Justin Cortelyou – mixing, tracking
Jason Elliott – mixing
Justin Francis – mixing
Julian Shank – engineer, mixing
Bryce Robertson – tracking assistant
Alex Krotz – engineer
Jaime Sickora – engineer
Zach Pepe – engineer assistant
Eric Boulanger – mastering
John Metcalf – orchestra arrangements on “Man Alive”
Alan Umstead – conductor on “Man Alive”
Nick Spezia – orchestra recording on “Man Alive”
Ben Wolf – band photography
Elena Saharova – landscape photography
Jekyll & Hyde – cover art, design

 

Tuesday 7/28/2020 12am ET: Feature LP: Deep Purple – Perfect Strangers (1984)

Perfect Strangers is the eleventh studio album by the British rock band Deep Purple, released in October 1984. It was the most successful album recorded by the reformed ‘Mark II’ line-up.

It was the first Deep Purple studio album in nine years, and the first with the Mk II line-up in eleven years, the last being Who Do We Think We Are in 1973. Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover arrived from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore’s backing band. Just one song in the reformed Deep Purple’s new repertoire, “Nobody’s Home”, would be credited to all five band members. Gillan and Glover, attempted to return matters to the all-for-one credits of the band’s earliest recordings, but Blackmore held firm. It was not until Blackmore left the group in 1993 that the issue was finally resolved.

The CD and cassette versions of the album contained the extra track “Not Responsible” (one of few Deep Purple songs with profane lyrics, as the word “fucking” can be heard in the song). The album was remastered and reissued on 22 June 1999 with the bonus instrumental track “Son of Alerik”. The latter had previously been available as a B-side on the single “Perfect Strangers” in 1984.

The album was a commercial success, reaching #5 in the UK charts and #12 on the Billboard 200 in the US. Perfect Strangers was only the second Deep Purple studio album to be certified platinum in the United States, following 1972’s Machine Head. The tour was so successful that the band had to book many additional dates to the U.S. arena tour, as tickets sold out very quickly. Their U.S. tour in 1985 out-grossed every artist that year except Bruce Springsteen.

1. “Knocking at Your Back Door” 7:09
2. “Under the Gun” 4:40
3. “Nobody’s Home” 4:01
4. “Mean Streak” 4:22

1. “Perfect Strangers” 5:31
2. “A Gypsy’s Kiss” 5:14
3. “Wasted Sunsets” 3:58
4. “Hungry Daze” 5:01
5. “Not Responsible” 4:53

10. “Son of Alerik” 7″ Single
11. “Knocking at Your Back Door” 7″ Single

Tuesday 10pm ET: History of Rock and Roll with Bill Drake

This week Hours 29 & 30 featuring; The Who, Iron Butterfly, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and the hits of 1966 and 1967.

Friday 1pm ET: Feature Artist – Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. The band is considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the “unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies”. They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as “the globe’s loudest band” for a 1972 concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre, and have sold over 100 million copies of their albums worldwide.

Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and an eight-year hiatus (1976–1984). The 1968–1976 line-ups are commonly labelled Mark I, II, III and IV. Their second and most commercially successful line-up consisted of Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards, backing vocals), Roger Glover (bass), Ian Paice (drums), and Ritchie Blackmore (guitar). This line-up was active from 1969 to 1973, and was revived from 1984 to 1989, and again from 1992 to 1993. The band achieved more modest success in the intervening periods between 1968 and 1969 with the line-up including Rod Evans (lead vocals) and Nick Simper (bass, backing vocals), between 1974 and 1976 with the line-up including David Coverdale (lead vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass, vocals) (and Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore in 1975), and between 1989 and 1992 with the line-up including Joe Lynn Turner (vocals). The band’s line-up (currently including Ian Gillan, and guitarist Steve Morse from 1994) has been much more stable in recent years, although keyboardist Jon Lord’s retirement from the band in 2002 (being succeeded by Don Airey) left Ian Paice as the only original Deep Purple member still in the band.

Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1’s Greatest Artists of Hard Rock program and a poll on British radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the “most influential bands ever”. The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards. Deep Purple (specifically Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan, Glover, Coverdale, Evans and Hughes) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Thursday 6pm: Across The Tracks: Featuring – One (Part 3)

This installment of Across The Tracks feature tune with “ONE” in the title.  We’ll feature music from James Taylor, Laura Branigan, Queen, Ronnie Dyson, Deep Purple, Tommy Cash, Murray Head, Wallflowers, Jethro Tull and much more across the tracks and genres.