“That’s an amazing thing to hear,” says Simon McBride upon learning that former Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse is a fan of his playing.
While Steve Morse, the band’s longest-serving guitarist, had to leave, Deep Purple found more than a worthy successor in Simon McBride. He possesses all the necessary musical and guitar skills. Simon is so talented, in fact, that Morse himself acknowledged this in an interview with Ultimate Guitar.
We met down with Simon to discuss Deep Purple’s recent album promotion, =1, and to get his opinion on Steve’s praise of his work. We also asked Simon to compare the parts and techniques of Ritchie Blackmore and Steve Morse.
In our recent conversation, Steve Morse gave me a lot of credit for your playing.
Q: Do you know that Steve Morse thinks highly of the way you play?
Simon McBride: “I’m not conscious of it, no. Steve is one of the guitar world’s idols, so hearing that is incredible. He hails from a generation of guitarists that were simply amazing on stage. I am aware that he suffers from arthritis and other conditions that affect his wrists.
“Yet as you age, it becomes increasingly difficult to retain all that skill. However, at the time, what he was doing was simply terrifying. I recall wondering, “How does he do that?” after seeing a few films of the Dregs and his own project. That is not credible.
“I consider myself quite fortunate that he is a fan. Because it’s always comforting to hear from someone of that caliber that they are knowledgeable about their subject. Steve’s approval of my playing indicates that I’m making progress.”
