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Deep Purple

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Deep Purple was formed in London in 1968. In the best-known line-up, known as Mark II, the band consisted of singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Roger Glover, organist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. Together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple is regarded as a founder of hard rock and heavy metal; the three British bands were nicknamed the 'unholy trinity'.

Music and breakthrough

Their first hit was Hush (1968), a cover of a Joe South song, which reached number 4 in America. With In Rock (1970) the band chose a much heavier sound. In Child in Time Gillan sings high up in his falsetto. Jon Lord played his Hammond organ through Marshall amplifiers, so that it sounded just as loud and distorted as Blackmore's guitar. In December 1971 the band wanted to record an album in Montreux, but during a concert by Frank Zappa the casino burned down after someone fired a flare gun. The band turned that story into Smoke on the Water, for the album Machine Head (1972), which was recorded in the corridors of a hotel. Released as a single, the song reached number 4 in America in 1973.

Influence

The live album Made in Japan (1972) captured the band at the peak of their form. In 1975 the Guinness Book of Records named Deep Purple the loudest band in the world, after a concert at London's Rainbow Theatre. In 1976 the group broke up; in 1984 Mark II got back together. In 2016 Deep Purple was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jon Lord died in 2012.

Line-up

Core members only; touring and session musicians are not listed.

Mk I 1968–1969
Mk II 1969–1973
Mk III 1973–1975
Mk IV 1975–1976
Mk II (reunion) 1984–1989
Mk V 1989–1992
Mk VII 1994–2002
Mk VIII 2002–2022
Mk IX 2022–present

Listening

Listening tip. Smoke on the Water (1972): notice the riff at the start. Blackmore plays a four-note melody in G minor, each time on two strings at once, a fourth apart. Without a third, the sound stays clear, even with heavy distortion.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (en): Deep Purple
  2. Wikipedia (en): Jon Lord
  3. Wikipedia (en): Smoke on the Water
Categories: ArtistsHard rock and heavy metal