Deep Purple (album)

Deep Purple, also referred to as Deep Purple III, is the third studio album by English Rock band Deep Purple, released in 1969 on Harvest Records in the UK and on Tetragrammaton in the US. It was to be the last album with the original line-up.

It was released at a time when the band were starting to grow as performers, both live and in the studio, finding their direction musically. There were some conflicts over whether the band should continue on their rawer, heavier direction. This caused turmoil, which was partially responsible for two of the members Nick Simper (bass) and Rod Evans (vocals) being replaced by Roger Glover and Ian Gillan respectively. Commercially, this album was the least successful of the three Mark I era albums.

Early development

Deep Purple had been on tour overseas in late 1968 to promote their second album, The Book of Taliesyn. Their two so-far released singles and albums had yet to make an impact in Britain when they returned there on 3 January 1969. Their English label EMI pressured the band to make a successful single on their home-court, so there was not much time for restitution after coming home. "Kentucky Woman", like their previous single "Hush", had not fared well there, even if it had been a hit in the States and done even better in Canada. The band themselves had come up with much more solid original material the second time around, wanting to unleash the full potential for each song. Hence, making a song that would easily fit the three-minute range was becoming difficult. However, they could not release a new album without such a single to promote it.

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are 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 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 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 featured Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (organ), 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 (vocals) and Nick Simper (bass, backing vocals), between 1974 and 1976 (Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore in 1975) with the line-up including David Coverdale (vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass, vocals), and between 1989 and 1992 with the line-up including Joe Lynn Turner (vocals). The band's line-up (currently featuring Ian Gillan, and guitarist Steve Morse from 1994) has been much more stable in recent years, although organist 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 (Sun Ra album)

Deep Purple (also released as Dreams Come True) is an album by Sun Ra and his Arkestra featuring Stuff Smith on violin.

Pressings

Track listing

Side A

Deep Purple (song)

"Deep Purple" was the biggest hit written by pianist Peter DeRose, who broadcast, 1923 to 1939, with May Singhi as "The Sweethearts of the Air" on the NBC radio network. "Deep Purple" was published in 1933 as a piano composition. The following year, Paul Whiteman had it scored for his suave "big band" orchestra that was "making a lady out of jazz" in Whiteman's phrase. "Deep Purple" became so popular in sheet music sales that Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1938:

And the stars begin to twinkle in the sky—
In the mist of a memory you wander back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh.
In the still of the night
once again I hold you tight.
Tho' you're gone your love lives on when moonlight beams.
And as long as my heart will beat,
lover, we'll always meet
here in my deep purple dreams....

Larry Clinton and His Orchestra recorded one of the most popular versions of the song on 23 December 1938. Featuring vocalist Bea Wain, the Clinton version was a huge hit. Released in January 1939 on Victor Records, the Clinton recording was number one on the U.S. popular music charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1939. The next most popular version was made by Artie Shaw with vocalist Helen Forrest. The song was also a top ten hit for Guy Lombardo in 1939. The song is a sentimental ballad. The tune was a favorite of Babe Ruth, and Peter DeRose performed the song at Ruth's birthday parties for about a decade.