List of Deep Purple members
Deep Purple are a British hard rock band originally from Hertford. Formed in March 1968, the group originally included vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. When they broke up for the first time in July 1976, the band featured Lord, Paice, vocalist David Coverdale, bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes, and guitarist and vocalist Tommy Bolin. The group reformed in April 1984 with their "Mark II" lineup of Blackmore, Lord, Paice, vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover. The current lineup, dubbed "Mark VIII", features Paice, Gillan, Glover, guitarist Steve Morse and keyboardist Don Airey.
History[]
1968–1976[]
Deep Purple were formed under the name Roundabout in March 1968 by vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.[1] Lord and Simper had previously played together with The Flower Pot Men, and the bassist had earlier worked briefly with Blackmore;[2] Evans and Paice were brought in from The Maze, whom the guitarist had seen performing.[1] The group soon changed their name to Deep Purple, after the song of the same name by Nino Tempo & April Stevens.[3] Deep Purple quickly recorded their first album Shades of Deep Purple, which was issued in July 1968.[4] After The Book of Taliesyn and Deep Purple, Blackmore, Lord and Paice made the decision in May 1969 to dismiss Evans and Simper, wanting to pursue a heavier direction for which they deemed the pair unsuitable.[5]
By the time Evans and Simper played their last show with the band on 4 July 1969, new vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover had already been recruited from Episode Six.[6] During its four-year tenure, the "Mark II" lineup established itself as the most commercially and critically acclaimed of the group's history, releasing the studio albums Deep Purple in Rock, Fireball, Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are, in addition to the highly-praised live album Made in Japan.[7] However, following increasing tensions and exhaustion, in October 1972 Gillan informed the rest of the band that he would be leaving after the remaining tour dates were completed.[8] Glover followed the singer later in providing his resignation, believing that Blackmore wanted him to leave.[5] The final show of the tour took place on 29 June 1973 in Osaka, Japan, after which Gillan and Glover both left and Mark II came to an end.[9][10]
On 14 July 1973, it was announced in Melody Maker magazine that Glenn Hughes of Trapeze had replaced Glover on bass.[11] Paul Rodgers, who had been a member of Free until their recent breakup, was initially offered the role of frontman, but he declined to focus on the formation of Bad Company.[12] The position vacated by Gillan was later taken by David Coverdale, who auditioned in the summer and was unveiled as Deep Purple's new vocalist on 23 September 1973.[13] After the band released Burn and Stormbringer, the creatively frustrated Blackmore recorded a self-titled debut album by a new project dubbed "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" in early 1975.[14] This ultimately led to his departure from Deep Purple, which was officially announced on 21 June 1975.[15] Despite Blackmore's core creative role in the band, Deep Purple continued with the addition of former James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin.[16] After just one album, Come Taste the Band, the "Mark IV" lineup played their final show on 15 March 1976, before breaking up officially on 19 July.[17] Bolin died of a heroin overdose that December.[18]
1984 onwards[]
After eight years of inactivity, on 27 April 1984 it was announced that the Mark II lineup of Deep Purple were set to return for a worldwide tour and a new album.[19] The reunion of Gillan, Blackmore, Glover, Lord and Paice lasted for five years and spawned two studio releases: Perfect Strangers and The House of Blue Light.[7] By the middle of 1989, however, Gillan had left the group for a second time, with the other members firing him due to creative and personal differences.[20] After auditioning and rehearsing with numerous potential replacements for the vocalist, the band eventually enlisted former Rainbow frontman Joe Lynn Turner to take Gillan's place in December 1989.[21] The new singer recorded just one album with the group, Slaves and Masters, which was released in 1990 and promoted on tour throughout 1991.[7]
In August 1992, despite having started work on the band's next album, Turner was suddenly dismissed from Deep Purple.[22] Gillan subsequently returned for a third stint as lead vocalist, as management wanted him in the fold for a planned 25th anniversary tour, and the band issued The Battle Rages On... in 1993.[23][24] Blackmore was unhappy with Gillan's return and Turner's firing, however, which led to renewed and increasing tensions between the pair on the subsequent touring cycle.[25] The guitarist played his final show with Deep Purple on 17 November 1993.[26] After briefly considering disbanding, the band added Joe Satriani in Blackmore's place for a string of pre-arranged tour dates, including shows in Japan and Europe starting in December.[27] The arrangement was only temporary, however, with the guitarist returning to his solo career at the end of the run in July 1994.[27]
Blackmore was eventually officially replaced by former Dixie Dregs and Kansas guitarist Steve Morse on August 17th 1994, who debuted with the band at three low-key gigs in November 1994 and was later offered the position permanently.[28] The Mark VII lineup remained stable throughout the rest of the decade, releasing two studio albums in Purpendicular and Abandon.[7] In March 2002, it was announced that Lord – a member of every lineup of Deep Purple to date – was set to amicably retire from the group, with Don Airey taking his place.[29] The keyboardist's departure left Paice as the sole remaining constant member of the band.[30] The Mark VIII lineup of Gillan, Morse, Glover, Airey and Paice have released five studio albums to date: Bananas in 2003, Rapture of the Deep in 2005, Now What?! in 2013, Infinite in 2017 and Whoosh! in 2020.[31] The lineup remains active as of July 2019.[32]
Members[]
Current[]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Paice |
|
|
all Deep Purple releases to date | |
| Roger Glover |
|
bass, occasional keyboards |
| |
| Ian Gillan |
|
|
| |
| Steve Morse | 1994–present | guitar |
| |
| Don Airey | 2002–present |
|
|
Former[]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Lord |
|
|
| |
| Ritchie Blackmore |
|
guitar |
| |
| Rod Evans | 1968–1969 | lead vocals |
| |
| Nick Simper |
| |||
| Glenn Hughes | 1973–1976 |
|
| |
| David Coverdale | lead vocals | |||
| Tommy Bolin | 1975–1976 (died 1976) |
|
| |
| Joe Lynn Turner | 1989–1992 | lead vocals | Slaves and Masters (1990) |
Touring[]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candice Night | 1993 | backing vocals | Night performed backing vocals at select dates on Deep Purple's 1993 tour on the request of Ritchie Blackmore.[33] | |
| Joe Satriani | 1993–1994 | guitar | After Ritchie Blackmore's sudden departure in November 1993, Satriani substituted on guitar for remaining shows.[27] | |
| Nick Fyffe | 2011 | bass | Fyffe filled in for Roger Glover for a series of European dates in 2011.[34] | |
| Jordan Rudess | 2020 | keyboards | Rudess filled in for Don Airey for one show in March 2020, while Airey was absent for undisclosed reasons.[35] |
Timeline[]
Lineups[]
| Lineup (period) | Members | Studio albums | Live albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark I (March 1968 – July 1969) |
|
|
|
| Mark IIa (July 1969 – June 1973) |
|
|
|
| Mark III (September 1973 – June 1975) |
|
|
|
| Mark IV (June 1975 – July 1976) |
|
|
|
| Band inactive July 1976 – April 1984 | |||
| Mark IIb (April 1984 – May 1989) |
|
|
|
| Mark V (December 1989 – August 1992) |
|
|
none |
| Mark IIc (August 1992 – November 1993) |
|
|
|
| Mark VI (December 1993 – July 1994) |
|
none | |
| Mark VII (August 17th 1994 – March 2002) |
|
|
|
| Mark VIII (March 2002 – present) |
|
|
|
References[]
- ^ a b Makowski, Peter (19 July 2016). "Deep Purple - Playing With Fire". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Barton, Geoff (20 February 2015). "The Real Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: Nick Simper". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2007). "Deep Purple: A Band In Time". Planet Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Shades of Deep Purple - Deep Purple: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ a b Tyler, Kieron. "On The Roundabout With Deep Purple". Deep Purple Appreciation Society. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Gillan, Ian (15 December 2016). Ian Gillan: The Autobiography of Deep Purple's Lead Singer. London, England: John Blake Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 978-1786063519. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d Rivadavia, Eduardo (20 February 2016). "Deep Purple Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Ian Gillan: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Cornyn, Stan (22 October 2013). "Stay Tuned By Stan Cornyn: Loudest Purple". Rhino Entertainment. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Gillan, Ian (20 September 2016). "Ian Gillan: The Day I Left Deep Purple". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Priddey, Neil (4 October 2014). Purple Records: 1971–1978. Lulu.com. p. 120. ISBN 978-1291942682. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Barton, Geoff (2 November 2015). "Deep Purple: "Paul Rodgers would have fitted in until the first fight"". Louder. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Coverdale, David (30 November 2018). "King David" (PDF). Rock Candy. p. 57. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (7 April 2015). "How Ritchie Blackmore Ended His First Tenure With Deep Purple". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ McPadden, Mike (4 August 2015). "Ritchie's Blackmore's Rainbow: 40 Facts About the Classic Album". VH1. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Barton, Geoff (29 August 2017). "Deep Purple: Exit The Man In Black..." Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Prato, Greg (17 November 2016). "Marching Powder: The High Times And Fast Life Of Tommy Bolin". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Deep Purple Falls On Vocalist Gillan" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 794. Los Angeles, California: Radio & Records, Inc. 23 June 1989. p. 42. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 260. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Joe Lynn Turner Interview (1992)". trinkelbonker. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Lifton, Dave (5 January 2013). "Deep Purple to Reissue 'Slaves and Masters'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "The Battle Rages On... - Deep Purple: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. pp. 271–274. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Deep Purple: 'Time To Kill' Book Focusing On Classic Lineup Due In November". Blabbermouth.net. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "Joe Satriani: Why I Left Deep Purple". Ultimate Guitar. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Steve Morse Joins Deep Purple". Darker Than Blue. No. 47. Deep Purple Appreciation Society. December 1994. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Jon Lord Leaves Deep Purple, Is Replaced By Don Airey". Blabbermouth.net. 16 March 2002. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (29 June 2018). "Deep Purple's Ever-Present Paice-Setter". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Deep Purple: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ Divita, Joe (6 May 2019). "Deep Purple Announce 2019 U.S. Tour". Loudwire. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Deep Purple's Blackmore happily leaves hard-rock days behind". Goldmine. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ "Nick Fyffe rocks Yamaha basses with Deep Purple". MusicRadar. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Dream Theater Keyboardist Jordan Rudess Performs Live With Deep Purple In Mexico City; Fan-Filmed Video Posted". BraveWords. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
External links[]
- Lists of members by band
- Deep Purple members