Now in his third stint as Deep Purple’s frontman, Ian Gillan has been a part of more than a dozen albums dating from the late ’60s through 2013’s Top 20 UK comeback Now What?! As such, some songs are simply bound to fall through the cracks when it comes to making concert setlists.
Asked which ones he’d love to pull out of the hat for Deep Purple fans on a future tour, Ian Gillan names a personal favorite — and one he says bassist Roger Glover always favored.
“I can think of a couple off hand,” Ian Gillan tells Rock Overdose. “I was very keen to perform ‘Razzle Dazzle’ live, as it is my favorite DP song, but it didn’t feel right at rehearsal so it never happened. Similar thing with ‘Flight of the Rat,’ which Roger was very eager to do.”
“Razzle Dazzle” arrived as part of 2003’s Bananas, Deep Purple’s first project with keyboardist Don Airey, after late co-founder Jon Lord’s departure. (Lord did, however, help compose two of the album’s songs, including “I’ve Got Your Number” and “Picture Of Innocence.”) “Flight of the Rat,” on the other hand, dates to 1970’s Deep Purple in Rock, the first Deep Purple studio effort to include both Ian Gillan and Roger Glover. Lord and departed guitarist Ritchie Blackmore are the featured soloists.
Ian Gillan also confirms that Deep Purple is at work on a follow up to Now What?! — but that it is very, very early in the process. “It is always difficult for me to talk about future projects, because there is nothing to tell except the same speculation that you can construct for yourself,” he says. “We don’t have any plans worth talking about yet, but at the same time yes we are in process. We have had two writing sessions already but there is not a single song. However, there is plenty of music.”
Gillan has been back with Deep Purple since 1992, having previously fronted the group from 1969-73 and then from 1984-89. Roger Glover was also part of the 1969-73 lineups, but returned for an ongoing stint in ’84.
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After Machine Head and Ritchie Blackmore leaving , DP has done nothing of note.