New guitarist, new energy: Deep Purple at their best

The new guitarist of Deep Purple is approximately 30 years younger than his bandmates. Singer Ian Gillan talks in the dpa interview by Simon McBride about the changes this brings

Album of the Week – New guitarist, new energy: Deep Purple at their best

Ians Gillan is more than satisfied. After over 50 years in the music business and more than a dozen albums with Deep Purple, the 78-year-old singer is enthusiastic when talking about the new LP of his band. “It’s not always like this”, the singer tells the German Press Agency in London. “But in this case absolutely, yes, I’m very excited.”

Studio debut of the new guitarist

In fact, there’s fire in the new album of the veterans, titled “=1” (speak: “equals one”). It’s the first studio album with guitarist Simon McBride, who has been a permanent member of Deep Purple since 2022, as Steve Morse retired for personal reasons. McBride is 45 years old, making him the youngest band member. Don Airey is 76, bassist Roger Glover 78, and drummer Ian Paice, the only constant in the over 50-year history of the band, is also 76.

“He’s just a kid, isn’t he?”, Gillan jokes about his new bandmate, who wasn’t even born when cult albums like “Deep Purple In Rock” or “Machine Head” were released. McBride’s baptism of fire with Deep Purple has long since taken place at countless concerts. And his presence is also noticeable on the new album.

New energy for the band

“He has enough energy for all of us”, says Gillan and laughs. “He brings so much energy that it’s an inspiration. And I believe you can hear that in the music. I compare it to a football team or other sports teams: You add a new player, and suddenly the whole team plays differently. It doesn’t have to be a star player.”

The newcomer engages in a thrilling duel with keyboardist Airey right at the beginning of the song “Show Me”. In comparison to his versatile predecessor Morse, who shaped the sound of Deep Purple for almost three decades and incorporated elements of blues and jazz, McBride – at least on his first Deep Purple studio album – seems to focus more on classic hard rock.

Versatile hard rock, top-notch songs

Overall, “=1” sounds harder and more powerful than the last, sometimes somewhat sluggish albums of the hard rock pioneers. And it’s full of top-notch songs. “A Bit On The Side” shines with powerful guitar solo and wild, progressive escapades from Airey at the keys. “Portable Door” is a riff-rocker with a fat Hammond organ and typical Purple vibe. “If I Were You” surprises with an epic orchestral finale.

Despite its versatility, everything sounds cohesive. That’s probably also what the title symbolizes. “For me, this album is really organic”, says Gillan. “It feels natural and has an unfiltered energy.” Producer legend Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper), with whom Deep Purple have been working for a long time, had a significant influence on this. “I’ve always been a fan of Bob’s sound since we started working together”, gushes Gillan. “He’s just fantastic.”

Singer Gillan, 78, in top form

That the new music is unmistakably Deep Purple is also due to Ian Gillan himself, who, at almost 80, is vocally in impressive form. “My voice sounds better on the new record than ever before, I think”, says the singer modestly. He can afford it. In “Old-Fangled Thing” and the driving, rapid “Now You’re Talking”, Gillan surprises even with powerful screaming. “It just came out. I didn’t plan it.”

During his career, he often protested with his voice, the frontman admits, who has been playing with Deep Purple since 1969 to 1973, from 1984 to 1989, and continuously since 1992. “The whole thing with growing older was quite disappointing back then”, he says. “I can’t sing ‘Child In Time’ live anymore.

‘Child In Time’ went easily until I was about 38 years old”, he recalls. “Then the entire structure of my voice changed and suddenly it became laborious. And it didn’t sound sweet anymore, it sounded strained.” However, he has found a better sound in his middle vocal range, Gillan states. “It really works great.”

New enthusiasm instead of retirement

It seemed as if Deep Purple were preparing for retirement a few years ago. Their 2019 tour was called “The Long Goodbye”. But there’s no talk of farewell anymore. Quite the contrary – it goes on unrelentingly. Currently, the band is on tour in Europe. Directly following Europe, it goes to America, and then back to Europe. In October, several concerts in Germany take place.

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm in the band”, Ian Gillan points out. “We don’t want to let go, don’t we? And I think we’re not just going through the motions. There’s still swing and life in it and it has its justification.” If they needed proof that Deep Purple are not yet ready for retirement, then “=1” is it. The 23rd studio album of the hard rock institution is their best in years.

1. As a testament to his satisfaction, Ian Gillan, the 78-year-old singer of Deep Purple, expresses his excitement about the new LP of the band to the German Press Agency in London.
2. Deep Purple’s new album, titled “=1”, features the first studio debut with guitarist Simon McBride, who joined the band in 2022, following Steve Morse’s retirement for personal reasons.
3. In the music industry for over 50 years and with more than a dozen albums under their belt, Deep Purple is now considered veterans in the rock and hardrock genre, with Don Airey, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice being 76, 78, and 76 respectively.
4. The new music from Deep Purple is a mix of classic hard rock and versatility, with Simon McBride’s presence as the youngest band member contributing to a new energy and inspiration within the band.
5. Bob Ezrin, producer legend who worked with Deep Purple for a long time, had a significant influence on the new album, contributing to its cohesive sound and organic feel, while Ian Gillan’s impressive vocal performance remains an unmistakable part of the Deep Purple sound.
6. “=1” is being praised by music critics as the best album in years for Deep Purple, showcasing their ongoing enthusiasm and commitment to the music business, despite their status as rock and hardrock pioneers for over 5 decades.