For the casual fan, Purple will be eternally remembered as the hard hitting Ian Gillan-fronted ’70s heavy rock band that pumped out chart-busting hits such as Black Night and Smoke On The Water. The Purple story, however, is a lot more colourful and multi-faceted than this as the band has enjoyed a labyrinthine career characterised by multiple line-up changes, explosive ego-clashes and brave forays into a diverse range of musical genres. Purple has at times dabbled with psych, metal, funk, classical and pop while also wearing everything from flouncy ruffled shirts to faded blue denim. This meticulously compiled and carefully annotated double-CD is a treasure trove of BBC Session recordings that capture Purple during the fertile period of 1968-70 and features interviews, rare tracks and intriguing renditions of much-loved classics. The band’s first incarnation, generally referred to as “Mk1”, and often ignored by fans of the later hits, featured Scotsman Rod Evans on honey-rich vocals. This former member of the bands Maze and MI5, possessed a wonderful crooning Elvis-tinged singing style that fitted perfectly with Purple’s early work which was often psych-flavoured and flirted with both goth-pop and organ-driven proto-metal. Purple Mk1’s spirited cover of Joe South’s Hush rocked BBC’s Top Gear show in 1968 and absolutely leaps out of the speakers demanding your attention.
This is a funky, shuddering behemoth of a performance that showcases the first line-up at its foot-stomping best. It is hardly surprising that the single-version of Hush reached the US Top 5. Ritchie Blackmore’s wild guitar solos and Jon Lord’s majestic keyboard action on the sizzling Hey Bop A Re Bop recorded for Top Gear in 1969 are exciting reminders of just how strong this band’s musicianship could be. For sheer crooning excellence, check out Evans brilliant vocals on Emmaretta and the dramatic It’s All Over both recorded for the same session. If you like your music funky and fuzz-drenched turn up the volume to eleven when you play The Painter as this song is so hot it will melt your brain. The famous Mk 2 line-up of Purple, represented here on CD2, featured the robust singing talents of former Episode Six frontman Ian Gillan. Like the metal gods that he would later influence, Gillan at his peak had a voice like an air raid siren yet was able to exercise restraint when the song required a more laid-back approach. Gillan’s stratosphere-caressing shriek functions as the ideal accompaniment to some serious riffology on the thundering 1970 recording of Hard Lovin’ Man and on the suitably explosive Into The Fire. Gillan, gentle and reflective in the early stages of the epic Child In Time, transforms into a howling banshee as the band gradually turns up the firepower. With such highlights littering this rewarding trip into the archives, The BBC Sessions 1968-1970 is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the formative years of one of the world’s greatest rock bands.
BY GRAHAM BLACKLEY
Best Track: Hush (vsn one)
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Psychedelic Sundae VANILLA FUDGE
In A Word: Essential
