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SHOCKING: Purple | Mind Blowing Facts

Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride on sharing the stage with Ritchie Blackmore: “If I can play that well when I’m that age, I’ll be happy. People should look at it for what it was – a magical night”

Deep Purple’s current guitar player was caught off-guard when the band got the call from Blackmore. But as he tells Guitar World, he was very happy to be his rhythm guitarist that night

Guitar World

Deep Purple are in their seventh decade. They've sold 120 million albums. And they still have things to say. "There was no joy, no happiness on stage. I don't blame any one person for it, but Ithink we know who we're talking about"

With a combined age of 361 and a ‘f***-off’ attitude to chasing trends, Deep Purple went all-in on Splat!, their 24th studio album

Louder

The guitar genius of Ritchie Blackmore in 5 classic tracks: “There is nothing cooler on record than the dimension-altering alliance of Blackmore, Roger Glover’s bass and Lord’s Hammond organ”

With Blackmore returning onstage with Deep Purple for the first time since '93, we unpack his explosive talents over a handful of tracks (none of which are Smoke On The Water)

MusicRadar

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The explosive story of Ritchie Blackmore’s bitter exit from Deep Purple: “Ian Gillan has got a strange obnoxious side to him which is a side I don’t like”

If Ritchie Blackmore really does rejoin Deep Purple onstage for the first time in 33 years, it will be an incredible turnaround

Louder

“Bob Ezrin was recording and I changed to a different guitar. Within five seconds, he stopped the tape and said, ‘There’s something wrong…’” Simon McBride on Deep Purple’s new golden age of heavy

The band's fleet-fingered, PRS-toting guitar-slinger tells GW how the rock legends nailed their ‘70s sound in the 21st century on their new album, and the pedal people would be surprised to hear is on his 'board...

Guitar World

“His death was an incredible loss, not only for the band but for guitar fans as well”: Every Deep Purple guitarist, from Blackmore to McBride

The British rock pioneers have survived almost continuously since 1968, partly because of their ability to choose the right players to stand in Ritchie Blackmore’s place

Guitar World

“I can hear a lot of Ritchie Blackmore fans crying out, ‘No! He’s using digital stuff!’” Simon McBride is ditching stacks for modelers and transforming Deep Purple’s sound

But his reason for the switch isn’t what you might think

Guitar World

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“A light was in the wrong place and he went straight off into the orchestra pit and broke his leg. He did the show, but he was obviously not feeling great”: The chaotic story of forgotten Deep Purple spin-off project Paice Ashton Lord

When Ian Paice and Jon Lord teamed up with charismatic singer Tony Ashton, they had the grandest of intentions – but it quickly fell apart

Louder

"The very best Deep Purple one could possibly expect to hear in 2026." Splat! confirms beyond question that Ian Gillan & Co are enjoying yet another golden age

The Deep Purple renaissance continues

Louder

"He only became a heavy metal guy after he’d spent time touring with Deep Purple and started in Rainbow." What happened when Ronnie James Dio met Ritchie Blackmore

Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore recruited a largely unknown vocalist to sing on his new project. The rest, as they say, is history

Louder

Watch the video for Deep Purple's frisky new single Diablo

Diablo comes from Deep Purple's new album Splat!, out next month

Louder

"We've been a rock band, we've been pop stars, and then we became dinosaurs. But if you can live through the dinosaur period you become a legend..." The epic story of Nazareth

Axl is a huge fan. Robert Plant owes them money. They were almost on that plane with Skynyrd. Nazareth: the full crazy story

Louder

"I don't know how many thousands of times I've sung it, but I've never once thought 'Oh no, not tonight'." How Deep Purple created an all-time hard rock classic with a song that "didn't go anywhere"

Built from a riff that came from nowhere, Smoke On The Water has been covered by everyone from ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic to Black Sabbath

Louder

"Can this possibly be the perfect rock album?" Deep Purple climb an early pinnacle on Machine Head

Machine Head was the album that set the template for Deep Purple’s entire future direction

Louder

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MusicRadar

“The head of LA’s Mexican mafia was in a cell next to me. He passed me a note and asked for an autograph for his daughter”: The hair-raising adventures of ’90s rock icons Stone Temple Pilots and their doomed singer Scott Weiland

“I could not seem to put more than 30 days of abstinence together”

Louder

Ritchie Blackmore finally confirms that yes, Christopher Cross really did replace him at a Deep Purple show that one time

The incident took place in Texas in 1970 after Blackmore reacted badly to some flu shots

Louder

"I'd been conscious of hardly ever being able to capture the heart, soul and spirit of the band." How David Coverdale led a fans' choir to create the connoisseur's favourite Whitesnake album

With three studio albums under their belt, Whitesnake unleashed their live sound on the world in a double dose of Hammersmith havoc

Guitar World

“Absolutely essential listening for any would-be rock bass player”: How Rainbow bassist Craig Gruber galloped his way through a hard-rock classic alongside Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio

Having become disillusioned with Deep Purple’s growing love of funk, Ritchie Blackmore jumped ship in August 1975 – taking most of Purple’s opening act with him

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Louder

"It was an embarrassment, but we were desperate for the cash."How Thin Lizzy saved their career by recording an album of Deep Purple covers

It's late 1972, and Thin Lizzy are about to lose their record contract - then along comes an offer they can't afford to refuse

The Guardian - US

You need to sit down for this – the best seat cushions in the US to relieve your back

Whether you have a medical condition or you want to be comfortable while sitting for long periods, these cushion seats have your behind

Louder

“It was the first keyboard solo I’d heard on the radio for a very long time”: The Marillion song that proves Mark Kelly’s genius, by Adam Wakeman

Ozzy, Sabbath and Purple contributor says Fish and co were the first prog band he beyond dad Rick’s work with Yes

Guitar World

“A band member said, ‘If we didn’t write it, there’s no point in doing it because we won’t get writing credits.’ I was really disappointed”: The moment Ritchie Blackmore knew he’d leave Deep Purple

Blackmore looks back on his Deep Purple departure

Louder

"So there I was slinging names about and accusing them of all sorts of things – dastardly deeds and vile occurrences!" Feuding and in crisis, Deep Purple combined two high-profile figures to create an anti-censorship classic

The story of a song that merged Mary Whitehouse's infamous clean-up campaign with tensions caused by Ritchie Blackmore

Tom’s Guide

I slept on the Purple Harmony and the Coop Adjustable Latex Pillow as a side sleeper with sore shoulders — for me, there's a clear winner

These two latex pillows could not be any more different. Here's what I recommend as a side sleeper who's dealt with sore shoulders...

Louder

"We wanted a song about castles and crossbows." The magical relationship between Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio celebrated on the monumental Rainbow - The Temple Of The King 1975-76

Nine CDs of Ritchie, Ronnie and Rainbow

1 2 3 4 5

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