Deep Purple

Deep Purple is the name of a British rock group, and is also the name of a song composed by Peter De Rose, from which the band may have borrowed its name. They are one of the first and most famous hard rock bands, and are considered pioneers of heavy metal.

The Reunion

In April 1984, 8 years after the demise of Deep Purple, it happened. It was announced on BBC radio's The Friday Rock Show that the "classic" early 70s line-up of Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, and Paice was reforming and recording new material. The band signed a deal with Polydor in Europe and Mercury in North America. The album Perfect Strangers was released in October 1984 and the tour followed, starting in New Zealand and winding its way across the world into Europe by the following summer. It was a tremendous success. The UK homecoming proved mixed as they elected to play just a single festival show (with main support from The Scorpions). The weather was famously bad but 80,000 turned up anyway.

Related Topics:
1984 - Polydor - Mercury - Perfect Strangers - New Zealand - The Scorpions

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The line-up recorded and toured The House of Blue Light in 1987 though to lower sales, a live album Nobody's Perfect (1988) was culled from US shows on this tour. While in the UK a new version of "Hush" was released to mark 20 years of the band. In 1989, Ian Gillan quit the band again, as his relations with Blackmore soured. His replacement was former Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. This line up recorded just one album, Slaves & Masters (1990), and toured in support of it.

Related Topics:
The House of Blue Light - 1987 - Nobody's Perfect - 1988 - Joe Lynn Turner - Slaves & Masters - 1990

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With the tour done, Turner was forced to go as Jon Lord and Ian Paice realised they needed Gillan back in the fold. Blackmore relented and the classic line-up recorded The Battle Rages On in 1993. During the support tour in mid-1994, tensions between Gillan and Blackmore came to a head yet again. Blackmore walked out, never to return and leaving the band in a fix. Joe Satriani was drafted in, so the live dates (in Japan) could be completed. Satriani was asked to join full time, but declined. The band auditioned guitarists, and Steve Morse of Dixie Dregs impressed them enough to get the gig.

Related Topics:
The Battle Rages On - 1993 - 1994 - Joe Satriani - Japan - Steve Morse - Dixie Dregs

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