Deep Purple - The Most Fascinating Facts Anywhere

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1. Deep Purple Started Out as a Project Called Roundabout

The group that became Deep Purple was initially developed by drummer Chris Curtis, who imagined a constantly changing collection of musicians revolving around a central core. Keyboard player Jon Lord became involved, and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore was recruited as the project took shape. Curtis eventually departed before the finished line-up emerged. The Roundabout idea disappeared, but the group that developed from it would become one of Britain's most influential hard-rock bands.

2. Their Original Singer Was Rod Evans

Ian Gillan is often regarded as Deep Purple's definitive early singer, but he did not join until 1969. The original line-up featured Rod Evans on vocals, Nick Simper on bass, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on keyboards and Ian Paice on drums. This version of the band recorded the albums Shades of Deep Purple, The Book of Taliesyn and Deep Purple, developing a sound that included psychedelic rock, classical influences and ambitious covers.

3. “Hush” Was a Cover Version

Deep Purple's first major international hit was “Hush”, released in 1968. The song was written by American songwriter Joe South and had previously been recorded by Billy Joe Royal. Deep Purple transformed it with a driving rhythm, prominent organ and Blackmore's guitar work. Its success in the United States gave the group an early breakthrough, even though the heavier style for which they would later become famous was still developing.

4. Jon Lord Wanted the Hammond Organ to Compete with the Guitar

Jon Lord developed a powerful keyboard sound by driving his Hammond organ through a Marshall amplifier. Instead of keeping the organ clean and smooth, he pushed it towards a rough, distorted tone that could stand alongside Ritchie Blackmore's guitar. This approach helped define the classic Deep Purple sound: the keyboard was not simply a background instrument but a forceful musical opponent to the guitar, often trading phrases and solos with it.

5. Jon Lord Composed a Work for Rock Band and Orchestra

In 1969, Jon Lord's Concerto for Group and Orchestra was performed at the Royal Albert Hall with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold. The performance was an ambitious attempt to bring a rock group and a symphony orchestra together in a substantial concert work. It was later released as a live album. Lord continued to explore the relationship between rock and classical music throughout his career, revisiting the concerto decades later.

6. Ian Gillan and Roger Glover Joined at the Same Time

The arrival of singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover in 1969 created the celebrated Mark II line-up, alongside Blackmore, Lord and Paice. Both had previously been members of Episode Six. Their arrival marked a major shift towards the heavier, more aggressive sound heard on Deep Purple in Rock. The five musicians developed a powerful live chemistry that became central to the band's breakthrough in the early seventies.

7. Deep Purple in Rock Was Recorded at Three London Studios

The band worked on Deep Purple in Rock at IBC, De Lane Lea and Abbey Road studios between 1969 and 1970. The sessions were spread across several months rather than being completed in one continuous recording block. The group wanted to capture the energy of its live performances, and engineer Martin Birch helped preserve the forceful sound of the drums and the interaction between the instruments. The album marked a decisive move away from the band's earlier psychedelic style.

8. “Child in Time” Grew from an Existing Musical Idea

“Child in Time” became one of Deep Purple's most ambitious recordings, with a quiet opening that gradually builds into Ian Gillan's extraordinary high-register vocal passages and extended instrumental sections. The song's musical starting point was the melody of “Bombay Calling” by the American group It's a Beautiful Day. Deep Purple developed the idea into a very different composition, adding lyrics about conflict and a dramatic arrangement that became a centrepiece of their live performances.

9. Ritchie Blackmore Helped Shape the Arrangement of “Child in Time”

Although Jon Lord's organ and Ian Gillan's voice are essential to “Child in Time”, the track is also an example of the interplay between the band's musicians. Blackmore's guitar builds tension around the keyboard lines, while Ian Paice's drums help drive the long crescendo. Gillan later recalled that Blackmore and Lord encouraged him to keep his original vocal performance rather than replace it with another take. The result preserved the raw intensity that makes the recording so distinctive.

10. Fireball Followed the Success of In Rock

Released in 1971, Fireball was Deep Purple's fifth studio album and the second to feature the Gillan–Glover line-up. It included the title track, “Strange Kind of Woman” and “The Mule”. The record explored different textures and arrangements instead of simply repeating the formula of In Rock. The title track opens with an unusual drum introduction from Ian Paice, giving the album an immediate and distinctive start.

11. “Smoke on the Water” Came from a Real Casino Fire

In December 1971, Deep Purple travelled to Montreux, Switzerland, to record their next album. During a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention concert at the Montreux Casino, a fire broke out and destroyed the venue. The band witnessed the smoke spreading across Lake Geneva. Roger Glover later recalled that the phrase “Smoke on the Water” came to him after the incident. The song's lyrics recount the events that disrupted their recording plans.

12. The Famous Riff Was Not the Song's Original Recording Plan

Ritchie Blackmore's four-note riff made “Smoke on the Water” instantly recognisable, but the track emerged from the practical circumstances surrounding the Machine Head sessions. The group needed somewhere to record after the casino fire, and much of the album was developed in unusual surroundings. The riff's simplicity is part of its strength: it uses a clear, repeated pattern that leaves room for the bass, drums and vocal narrative to build around it.

13. Machine Head Was Recorded in a Hotel

After the fire at the Montreux Casino forced the band to abandon its original plan, Deep Purple eventually recorded Machine Head at the Grand Hotel in Montreux, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. The hotel was largely out of season, and the musicians worked in a makeshift recording environment. The unusual setting became part of rock history because the sessions produced “Smoke on the Water”, “Highway Star”, “Lazy” and “Space Truckin'”.

14. “Highway Star” Was Developed on the Road

“Highway Star” was shaped during Deep Purple's touring period and became a regular opening number at concerts. Its fast guitar and keyboard solos made it a showcase for Blackmore and Lord, while Gillan's lyrics celebrated the exhilaration of speed and driving. The song appeared on Machine Head in 1972. Its arrangement helped establish the band's ability to combine a memorable riff with extended instrumental passages without losing momentum.

15. Made in Japan Captured the Band's Live Power

Released in 1972, Made in Japan documented performances recorded in Osaka and Tokyo in August that year. Rather than reproducing the studio arrangements exactly, the band stretched songs through improvisation and extended solos. The album became one of hard rock's best-known live recordings, demonstrating how much the music could change from night to night. It also captured the intense musical exchanges between Blackmore, Lord, Gillan and the rhythm section.

16. The Band Initially Had Reservations About Releasing Made in Japan

Deep Purple's Japanese concerts were recorded at a time when the group was primarily focused on its studio work. The live album was released internationally after the performances, and its success helped establish it as more than a souvenir for concertgoers. The extended versions of songs such as “Space Truckin'” and “Child in Time” showed the group operating with a freedom that was difficult to reproduce in a studio setting.

17. “Woman from Tokyo” Reflected Their Japanese Touring Experience

“Woman from Tokyo”, released on Who Do We Think We Are in 1973, was inspired by the band's experiences travelling to Japan. Its opening guitar figure and melodic chorus made it one of Deep Purple's best-known songs from that period. Although it was associated with the band's international touring, it did not appear on the original Japanese release of the album in the same way as on many later editions, giving its release history an unusual twist.

18. David Coverdale Made His Debut on Burn

Ian Gillan left Deep Purple in 1973, and bassist Roger Glover departed soon afterwards. The band recruited singer David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes, creating a new line-up that released Burn in 1974. Coverdale's blues-influenced voice and Hughes's high-register vocals changed the band's vocal character. The album's title track, “Mistreated” and “You Fool No One” showed that Deep Purple could adapt its sound while retaining its instrumental intensity.

19. Tommy Bolin Took the Guitar Role After Ritchie Blackmore

Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1975 and formed Rainbow. American guitarist Tommy Bolin was recruited for the next phase, appearing on Come Taste the Band. Bolin brought a different style, with influences from funk, jazz and fusion alongside rock. His tenure was short, and the band ended its original run in 1976. The album nevertheless documents a distinct chapter in Deep Purple's evolution rather than simply an attempt to recreate the Blackmore era.

20. Deep Purple Reunited the Classic Line-up in 1984

After several years apart, the Mark II line-up of Gillan, Blackmore, Lord, Glover and Paice reunited and released Perfect Strangers in 1984. The album brought the familiar combination of Gillan's vocals, Blackmore's guitar and Lord's organ back to a new generation of listeners. Its success showed that the classic line-up could return without relying entirely on its early-seventies catalogue. The reunion was not permanent, but it became one of the defining events in the band's long history.