Deep Purple is an English hard rock band that formed in Hertfordshire in 1968. Together with groups such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, they’re considered as heavy metal pioneers. Especially influential to later metal bands were Ian Gillan’s powerful screams and Ritchie Blackmore’s virtuoso solos. Deep Purple were also very influential to progressive music as well, with their style evolving over the years and incorporating a variety of genres from art rock to blues to psychedelia and more.
The Early Days:
Deep Purple’s early output ranged from energetic rock (such as their cover of Joe South’s “Hush”, which became an iconic radio hit that climbed to #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart) to strongly classically influenced pieces (such as “April”, a fan-loved gem from their third album). Their first few albums contained very long solos, such as those on the band’s covers of “Hey Joe” and “I’m So Glad”. The appeal of the more heavy, arena-friendly tracks from the group brought them considerable success in the U.S., setting them apart from many English contemporaries, particularly in their 1968 debut album ‘Shades of Deep Purple’.
After their third album, founding member and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore in particular felt the band should move in a harder direction. He additionally felt that then singer Rod Evans and bassist Nicky Simper were incapable of working in that direction.
