Gary Lewis of the Playboys Interview: Happy Together Tour 2013

By Ray Shasho

The annual Happy Together tour kicks off on June 8^th in Biloxi, Mississippi and arrives at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Friday June 14^th. This year’s incredible lineup of legendary 60’s and 70’s Hit Makers are headlined and hosted by The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, Gary Puckett the lead singer from the Union Gap, Mark Lindsay the voice of Paul Revere & the Raiders and Gary Lewis of The Playboys.

These Five legendary music artists have generated over (60) Top 40 hits (half in the Top10) including (6) number one hits. The tour will span 54 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Tickets for the Ruth Eckerd Hall show are available at www.rutheckerdhall.com or by calling 727-791-7400.

GARY LEWIS and The Playboys became instant sensations after their first music gig in Disneyland and eventually performed to packed houses nightly. Gary Lewis was the lead singer and drummer, David Costell on lead guitars, Al Ramsay on bass guitar, David Walker on guitar and John West on Cordovox (electronic accordion).

Gary Lewis is the son of legendary comedienne and actor Jerry Lewis and Patti Palmer Lewis (née Esther Calonico) a former singer with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. Now it was Gary’s turn to begin an illustrious entertainment career in rock and roll.

In the summer of 1964, by suggestion of band leader Les Brown (His Band of Renown), Gary Lewis & The Playboys were invited into the recording studio by producer/arranger Snuff Garrett. Garrett’s musical partner was Leon Russell. The band immediately scored commercially with an Al Kooper/Bob Brass/Irwin Levine penned composition entitled “This Diamond Ring.” The song reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. With a little help from his famous dad, the group was asked to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. After their appearance, Gary Lewis & The Playboys became household names.

1965 became a momentous year for Gary Lewis & The Playboys. “This Diamond Ring” sold over one million copies and became a gold disc. Cashbox Magazine named Gary Lewis “Male Vocalist of the Year,” and a string of hits just kept on coming.  The Playboy’s second hit single “Count Me In” reached #2 on the charts. The band continued to churn out the hits with “Save Your Heart for Me” (#2 Billboard Hot 100 Hit), “Everybody Loves a Clown” (#4 Billboard Hot 100 Hit) and “She’s Just My Style” (#3 Billboard Hot 100 Hit).

Lineup changes during this period included adding … Tom Tripplehorn, Carl Radle  and Jimmy Karstein.

In 1966, Lewis came out from behind his drum kit to exclusively perform his singing duties. During that year … Gary Lewis & The Playboys spawned the hits, “Sure Gonna Miss Her” (#9 Billboard Hot 100 Hit), “Green Grass” (#8 Billboard Hot 100 Hit), “My Heart’s Symphony” (#13 Billboard Hot 100 Hit), “(You Don’t Have To) Paint Me a Picture”(#15 Billboard Hot 100 Hit) and  “Where Will The Words Come From” (#21 Billboard Hot 100 Hit).

Gary Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army on January of 1967 and later served in the Viet Nam War. Lewis returned to music after his discharge from the Army but could not recapture the amazing success generated before he was drafted. The music culture had also changed with the emergence of hard rock and psychedelic.

Subsequent charting singles … “The Loser (with a Broken Heart)” (1967 #43 Hit), “Girls in Love” (1967 #39 Hit), “Jill” (1967 #52 Hit), “Sealed with a Kiss” (1968 #19 Hit) and “Rhythm of the Rain” (1969 #63 Hit).

Gary Lewis &The Playboys generated (17) Top 40 hits, (8) gold singles and (4) gold albums in a period when the Brits were dominating the American airwaves. The group sold (45) million records worldwide.

The band appeared on American Bandstand, Hullaballoo, Shindig!, The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show and The Ed Sullivan Show (6) times … to name just a few of their Television appearances.

Lewis also performed on his Dad’s ‘Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.’

He was also featured in several movies including …Way… Way Out, A Swingin’ Summer, The Family Jewels, Out of Sight and My Boyfriends Back.

Lewis resurfaced with a new band as a nostalgia act to great success.

TODAY Gary Lewis is 66 years of age and lives in Rochester, New York. He will be rejoining the Happy Together tour since sharing the stage in 1985 with The Turtles (featuring Flo & Eddie), The Mamas & the Papas, The Grassroots and The Buckinghams.

In 2012,  Gary Lewis & The Playboys released a brand new single entitled “You Can’t Go Back.” The song was written by Lewis and Nick Rather.

I had the great privilege of chatting with Gary Lewis recently about Happy Together 2013, his incredible journey with Gary Lewis & The Playboys, getting drafted, a famous dad …and much-much more!

Here’s my interview with singer/ songwriter/ musician/ actor/ Viet Nam veteran/ frontman for the legendary Playboys …GARY LEWIS.

Ray Shasho: Hello Gary! Are you living in New York?

Gary Lewis: “I live in Rochester, New York. I love it up here. We finally bought the house that I’ve always wanted after it finally came up for sale. It’s just beautiful … eleven acres, all kinds of fruit trees, grape vines and beautiful pine trees. I love this house.” 

Ray Shasho: Happy Together 2013 arrives at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fl on June 14^th.

Gary Lewis: “Yes, June 14^th, I never played there before. I love playing places that I’ve never played …looking forward to it.”

Ray Shasho: Not to mention the weather is gorgeous and you’re really close to the beach (laughing).

Gary Lewis: “We used to have a house on Anna Maria Island where we’d go to every winter, so we’re very familiar how nice it is.”

Ray Shasho: Gary, have you performed on the Happy Together Tour before?

Gary Lewis: “Yes, I did it in 1985. That was the second year that it was out. Not only was it tremendously fun being with the guys that I’ve known for years and years, but this time, I’ll be on the road with guys that I’ve been hanging out and played with for even more years now. It’s just going to be great. I love Flo & Eddie …their terrific. I’ve played with Gary Puckett tons of times, Mark Lindsay tons of times, Chuck Negron a few times, so it’s really going to be good.”

Ray Shasho: “This Diamond Ring” was definitely one of the most remembered hits of the 60’s.

Gary Lewis: “Not only was it our first record but it was the only one that went to number one for us and sold the most. I’ve got seven gold records for “This Diamond Ring” already … I mean it just keeps going.”

Ray Shasho: When you originally recorded the song in the studio, was it members of The  Wrecking Crew that actually provided the music?

Gary Lewis:  “No, myself and The Playboys did all of the tracks. We played on the original recording. We used The Wrecking Crew when we needed overdubs or solos. So many people have written all over the country for so long that The Playboys didn’t have anything to do with the recording. Some people say I didn’t even sing the song, and man, that really annoys me.”

Ray Shasho:  Leon Russell was extremely important to the band?

Gary Lewis: “Leon was like a co-producer and arranged everything.  He played something on everything … keyboards mainly but he played guitar solos, he played a bass trumpet on “Everybody Loves a Clown”  …I mean and all kinds of stuff, he was brilliant!”

Ray Shasho:  Gary, do you have any good Playboys stories from back in their heyday? 

Gary Lewis: “Yea, I’ve got a good one for you … We were doing a county fair in Florida and this young twenty year old girl who was just getting into the radio business and her station assigned her to come down to our gig and interview me. So we’re talking and she says, Gary I just love all your songs. I said well thank you so much. She said and I really love your dad too. I said thank you! She says yea, especially that tune “Great Balls of Fire” (All Laughing). Can you believe it …my entire career is full of things like that.”

“In the 60’s it was so much fun because Beatlemania was there and people just wanted to grab you and touch you and the screaming and all that …and that got old real fast.”

Ray Shasho: Your mom managed the band for awhile didn’t she?

Gary Lewis: “Yes she did, when I had “This Diamond Ring” come out I was still a minor, so she had to sign all the contracts and do all the business, so she actually acted as the manager and she never took ten percent. I said mom you’re entitled to take the percentage, she said, I don’t need it. With my mom as manager I felt really safe and confident. So that was cool.”

Ray Shasho: Gary we both have Jewish dads and Catholic moms.

Gary Lewis: “A Catholic and a Jew getting married …boy you should’ve seen all the stress going on there with all the Jewish relatives.  But my mom was pretty tough … she’s great! I’m going to see her tomorrow. She’s 91 living at an assistant living and we’re leaving New York tomorrow to go to LA to see her.”

Ray Shasho: My favorite Playboys tune has always been “She’s Just My Style” and it seems like that song gets more airplay than any of the other hits.

Gary Lewis: “It does. You know what’s funny though, the largest selling internet tune of mine is   “Sure Gonna Miss Her.”  Even above “This Diamond Ring” and “She’s Just My Style.” It’s the biggest selling record of mine on the internet. It’s a great song but I would have never figured that one above the others.”

Ray Shasho: You co-wrote “She’s Just My Style”?

Gary Lewis: “Yes I did.”

Ray Shasho: The song had kind of a Beach Boys flavor to it.

Gary Lewis: “That’s exactly what we were going for too. Even before we started writing it we said lets go for The Beach Boys thing, a little rock and roll with a lot of harmony and I was really happy the way we pulled it off.”

Ray Shasho: What was your perception of playing The Ed Sullivan show?

Gary Lewis: “One time we were doing his show and did the dress rehearsal with a live audience. And as Ed is introducing me he says, “Ladies and gentleman let’s have a nice hand for Jerry Lewis’ son’s combo (All Laughing). So after the show I did tell him … Gary Lewis & The Playboys …please Ed. He got it right when it was on the air. He was so funny; I wonder if he ever did any kind of research on who he was having on the show ... I don’t think he did.”

Ray Shasho: Yea, poor Ed was the butt of a lot of jokes.

Gary Lewis: “Every time my dad would be on his show, I mean my dad would tackle and wrestle him to the floor, bite his head, just all kinds of stuff, and Ed would just get up as if nothing happened. He was cool, I did like him though. We ended up doing the show six times.”

Ray Shasho: Gary, what was it like to be at the height of your career and then receiving your draft notice?

Gary Lewis:  “We were coming off seven top ten’s in a row and then I got the draft notice. The only way I could describe that is like hitting a brick wall in your car going one hundred miles an hour. That’s actually what it felt like. But then I thought to myself, well, I’ll just do what I have to do and when I come back I’ll just pick it up. But when I was in the service the music changed radically and it happened so fast. All of a sudden it was Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and that kind of music was in … and I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got out.”

“When I did get out my producer Snuff Garrett told me, “You know there’s really no more market for your kind of music. You know …thanks bye! Instead of saying, well, maybe we can try this or try that… they just said okay thanks, see you!  And it was very hard to take. So what I had to do, in order to stay in the business, I kept working all the time but had to play smaller venues, clubs, and do four sets a night. If we wanted to keep working that’s what we had to do. So I did it all the way until 1984 when the 60’s started coming back slowly. The promoters and the bookers were starting to book the 60’s acts again. So from 1984 until now I’ve been doing 60 to 100 dates a year and it’s wonderful.”

Ray Shasho: You were sent to Viet Nam?

Gary Lewis: “Yea, I went to Viet Nam and spent three months there. But the North Koreans took one of our ships called the Pueblo in 1968 and it was a gigantic military buildup in South Korea because they expected something bad to happen and I was one of those who went up to South Korea. So I spent nine months up there and spent three months in Viet Nam. Boy it was a scary thing landing in Viet Nam. One of my big things now is being an advocate for the vets. I do free shows for the veterans and their families and I play in golf tournaments to raise money and awareness for disabled vets. I went to California last December to do a show for the brain injured vets. I take tours of the hospitals and stop into the rooms and shake hands and say hi to them and thank them for their service too.”

Ray Shasho: How’s your dad doing?

Gary Lewis: “He’s doing pretty good. He’s always got his hands into something. He’s just going on the road and doing shows now. He’s 87. His shows mainly consist of … he sits down now, he tells stories, jokes, shows videos and people ask questions …it’s that kind of thing. So he’s doing alright.”

Ray Shasho: Gary, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview, If you had a “Field of Dreams” wish, like the movie, to play or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?

Gary Lewis: “John Lennon. I always thought he was the most brilliant Beatle .And I loved the way he lived his life. You need people with the love and peace thing. He really believed it and got a lot of people going on that too. And that was great.”

Ray Shasho: Did you get the chance to meet John Lennon?

Gary Lewis: “Yea, I met him a couple of times. I met him at a party in Bel Air, California and one time backstage at the Hollywood Bowl when they played there. I had a couple hits … “This Diamond Ring” and “Count Me In” so they sent one of their guys out to come get me and bring me back. So I met them all. When I walked in John Lennon looks at me and says, “Nice suit mate …cool!” Of course I had my Beatles suit on with the black velvet collar and cuffs.”

Ray Shasho: Did you meet Elvis too?

Gary Lewis: “Yea, I met Elvis and he was darn nice too, in 1971 when he was playing the Las Vegas Hilton. He asked me backstage and he was walking around pouring champagne for everybody and giving out scarves. When he would talk to you it sounded sincere, very nice guy …I liked Elvis.”

Ray Shasho: Gary, thank you so much for being on the call today and more importantly for all the incredible Playboys music you’ve given to all of us. We’ll see you at Happy Together 2013 in Clearwater!

Gary Lewis: “It’s been my pleasure Ray, see you in Clearwater.”

Coming up next … an interview with Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night and the Happy Together Tour 2013.

Check out Happy Together 2013 show dates at www.pollstar.com

Tickets for Happy Together 2013 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fl are available at www.rutheckerdhall.com or by calling 727-791-7400.

Gary Lewis & The Playboys official website www.garylewisandtheplayboys.com

Download Gary Lewis & The Playboys latest single “You Can’t Go Back” at itunes.

Very special thanks to Jeff Albright of The Albright Entertainment Group.

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com   - Please support Ray so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting. 

~~Pacific Book Review says Ray Shasho is a product of the second half of the 20th century, made in the USA from parts around the world, and within him is every trend in music, television, politics and culture contributing to his philosophical and comically analytical reflections collected in his fine book of memories. I found Check the Gs to be pure entertainment, fantastic fun and a catalyst to igniting so many memories of my own life, as I too am within a few years of Ray.  So to all, I say if you have a bit of grey hair (or no hair), buy this book!  It’s a great gift for your “over-the-hill” friends, or for their kids, if they are the history buffs of younger generations trying to figure out why we are the way we are.

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Exclusive Interview with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple: Now What?!

By Ray Shasho

Ian Gillan is the legendary charismatic frontman for one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history. Deep Purple is essentially known for its hard rock pulse. Its musical schemes have encompassed progressive rock, blues, R&B and even jazz, but the ingenuity of Deep Purple has never been more evident than on its latest release entitled, Now What?!

Now What?! The brand new Deep Purple album is quarterbacked by producer and musician Bob Ezrin. Ezrin is a legend in his own right and one of a very few who can still make a difference in today’s convoluted music world. Ezrin produced highly successful albums for Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd and Lou Reed to name just a few.

It’s an incredible mix of progressive & hard rock genius. Deep Purple is triumphant with its band of virtuoso musicians featuring … Ian Gillan’s poetic and majestic vocalizations, Steve Morse’s incisive guitar licks, Roger Glover’s savvy bass lines, Ian Paice’s masterful drumming and Don Airey’s wizardry on the keyboards.

Notable tracks on the new release include … “Weirdistan” a mesmerizing blend of keyboards, synthesizers and wailing guitars accentuated with quixotic melody. Gillan, Morse and Airey especially shine on this track. “Bodyline” is vintage Purple supplemented with a jazzy guitar chant. “Above and Beyond” is an awe-inspiring and nobly performed progressive rock configuration, “Blood from a Stone” A slow-bluesy number that gets periodically barraged by heavy guitar riffs. The tune is an ideal intro for a James Bond movie. The slower keyboard strokes are reminiscent to Ray Manzarek (The Doors). It’s a magnificent song! “Uncommon Man” is definitely one of my favorite tracks. Steve Morse’s proficient guitar licks are definitely a spotlight on the track. It’s a powerful song that lifts the band into new horizons. “Apres Vous” is an incredible jam that exhibits why Deep Purple is still one of the best bands in the world.  “All the Time in the World” is a tailor-made Top 40 hit if mainstream radio was still any good.  

Now What?! is an exceptional album performed by an incomparable band of musicians. Deep Purple delivers an intellectual mix of music that will captivate the Purple fanbase, rock and prog aficionados, the contemporary listening audience and future generations to come … I gave Now What?! (5) Stars.

The Deep Purple Story: Keyboardist Jon Lord received a telegram from Tony Edwards stating that he’d back Lord in putting a band together; later Edwards called Ritchie Blackmore to meet with him. In December of 1967, the two musicians met up and collaborated for the first time. John Lord had already asked Nick Simper to play bass, a former bandmate with ‘The Flower Pot Men.’

While living in Hamburg, Germany, Ritchie Blackmore saw drummer Ian Paice performing onstage with his band The Maze. The group was fronted by singer Rod Evans. Evans auditioned for the lead vocalist role for a scheming new (Deep Purple) band and won the spot. Blackmore remembered Paice from Hamburg and asked Evans to bring him along. Blackmore and Lord were a bit worried that Evans mannerism was much like Tom Jones or Engelbert Humperdinck. Jon Lord later stated, “We’d eventually beat him into shape.”

In 1968, Deep Purple was officially formed. The band was named after a Nino Tempo and April Stevens song of 1963, believed to be Ritchie Blackmore’s grandmother’s favorite song.

Deep Purple’s musical styles intentionally mimicked the American rock group Vanilla Fudge (“You Keep Me Hangin’ On”). The group quickly scored commercially with their Top 40 hit single “Hush” (#4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart) and became overnight sensations in the U.S.

Ritchie Blackmore’s vision for the band was to implement heavier rock techniques, and while Rod Evans and Nick Simper were in the group it may never have been accomplished. After Rod Evans was dismissed from Deep Purple, he went on to form Captain Beyond in 1971. 

Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover were performing at Woodford Green in London with their British pop rock band ‘Episode Six.’ Their lead singer Ian Gillan was noticed by Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord. After watching Gillan’s performance, they offered him the lead singer position for Deep Purple. Eventually Roger Glover would be asked to join the band, while securing one of the greatest music lineups in rock history.

Gillan and Glover’s first recording with the band was Deep Purple In Rock (1970), and according to band members, every song on the album made a statement. The band wrote and recorded crucial tracks immediately with their new lineup. The album featured Ian Gillan’s first penned song with his new band entitled, “Speed King.” Other notable tracks were … “Child in Time” and “Hard Lovin’ Man.”

The band toured extensively in Europe and followed the success of In Rock with Fireball in 1971. Fireball hadn’t reached the same success as its predecessor but did spawn the classic track “Strange Kind of Woman.”

“Smoke on the Water:” Deep Purple had always enjoyed making music that sounded live, so they recorded their next album with a mobile studio in a theater setting without the audience. They decided to record the album in Montreux, Switzerland at the Hall in the Grand Hotel at Lake Geneva. When they got there, the last function at the Casino hall before the band took over was a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention concert. The band decided to watch the show, but after an hour into the concert people began staring at the sparks on the bamboo ceiling. Then the music stopped and Frank Zappa walked up to the microphone and announced, “I don’t want to alarm anybody or cause any panic but …FIRE!” Within minutes the huge complex was an inferno. The huge blaze was caused by a man firing a flare gun into the ceiling.

The band went back to the hotel and watched the fire burning all day. A few mornings later, Roger Glover woke up half asleep and muttered the words …Smoke on the Water. The band always writes the music first so they already had a riff in place, and so they wrote the lyrics exactly as they witnessed the event.

The Machine Head album released in early 1972 (#7 on the U.S. Charts) would later be touted as an early influence to heavy metal music. The album became one of Deep Purple’s most significant releases spawning the classics … “Highway Star,” “Smoke on the Water,” “Lazy,” and “Space Truckin’.” Machine Head went platinum.

Also in 1972, under resistance by the band, they recorded a double live album in Japan entitled, Made In Japan. The album was essentially the Machine Head tour. The band recorded (3) concerts ... (2) in Osaka and (1) in Tokyo. Most of the material came from the second night in Osaka. Made In Japan also went platinum and the live version of “Smoke on the Water” became instrumental to the song’s success.

Smoke on the Water” (#4 Hit on Billboard’s Hot 100) was officially released as a single in 1973 and became one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock and roll history. Deep Purple were now international superstars in the studio and on the road.

At the peak of their success, Ian Gillan gave a six month notice and stated that he was leaving the band after fulfilling all of his commitments in 1973. The album Who Do We Think We Are was released in January of 1973. The release generated the hit single “Woman from Tokyo.” “Smoke on the Water” was also busy that year becoming Deep Purple’s biggest hit of all-time.  Who Do We Think We Are was the last studio album to feature Ian Gillan as their lead singer until the 1984 reunion LP Perfect Strangers.

Deep Purple did six American tours before Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left the band. The grueling touring schedule and fatigue became the reason for their early departure from the band. In 1973, the band had eleven different entries in Billboard and became the top-selling artists in the U.S. But without its lead singer and bass player the band felt like it was the end.

Deep Purple brought in several lineups through the years. Lead singers that included David Coverdale and Joe Lynn Turner, guitarists Tommy Bolin and Joe Satriani and bassist Glenn Hughes. There have also been band reunions that have included the original Deep Purple core lineup. 

Sadly, founding member, keyboardist and songwriter Jon Lord died in 2012.

Ritchie Blackmore and his wife Candice Night currently perform together with their medieval folk rock band Blackmore’s Night.

Ian Gillan is the son of a school teacher mother and a factory worker father. Gillan came from a musical family; his grandfather was a bass-baritone and sang opera, and his uncle was a jazz pianist. Ian was a boy soprano in the church choir when he was young.

Besides being the legendary voice of Deep Purple, Gillan also sang the role of Jesus on the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. He also recorded with his solo bands the Ian Gillan Band (1975-1978) and Gillan (1978-1982).

Gillan was also the lead singer of Black Sabbath (1982-1984). 

Ian Gillan performed in the charity group Rock Aid Armenia and later (2011) participated in the supergroup ‘WhoCares,’ a continuing effort by Gillan to help the people of Armenia after a devastating earthquake. The group was comprised of Gillan, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Jason Newsted (Metallica), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) and Mikko “Linde” Lindstrӧm (HIM). They recorded the songs … “Out of My Mind” and “Holy Water” which is included in a 2-CD compilation of rarities from the music careers of Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi. Proceeds from the CD helped rebuild a music school in Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia. Gillan and Iommi received the Armenian Presidential Medal of Honor for their humanitarian efforts.

I had the rare pleasure of chatting with Ian Gillan recently about Deep Purple’s incredible new album, working with legendary producer Bob Ezrin, their current tour, and the components that make Deep Purple such a great band.

Here’s my interview with singer/songwriter/ humanitarian/ and the legendary voice of Deep Purple and Jesus Christ Superstar …IAN GILLAN.

Ian was in Portugal during this call …

Ray Shasho: Ian thank you for being on the call today. Deep Purple has plenty of international dates coming up are there any U.S. dates in the near future? 

Ian Gillan: “I’m not sure; I haven’t seen any American dates either (All laughing). We’re flat out until Christmas. I know we’re in all kinds of places … Morocco, Iceland, all over Europe, Russia and the Eastern European countries right through to the UK, then in Japan and South America, but I don’t see any American dates.”

Ray Shasho: Many of the legendary British rock bands who used to tour extensively in the states have either stopped coming to the U.S. or choose restricted dates. I’m hoping the decision not to tour in the U.S. is a financial decision and not because the American music scene has gone to crap.

Ian Gillan: “They seem to have gotten stuck in the mud, that’s for sure. No support on the radio, they just want to play something from the 70’s. Once you get that label of classic rock around your head in America it’s like a tombstone. It’s had an effect; nobody wants to be represented like that. I think it’s your decision to handle it as you want but the rest of the world doesn’t handle it like that.”

“It’s really funny, I heard from somebody that was on the committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination, which we didn’t get; describing us as one hit wonders (laughing). Of course this might be the same group that decided The Monkees were America’s answer to The Beatles. But I’ve been fighting my whole life against being institutionalized and have no reason to stop at the moment. You just need to see the funny side of it really. But it doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to our lives or what we do. We’re on the road nonstop, we played in forty eight countries last year and life is a ball, we’re just having the greatest time doing what we do best, which is playing live.”  

Ray Shasho: “Ian, congratulations on the recording of Deep Purple’s nineteenth studio album. Was this the first time Purple had worked with Bob Ezrin?

Ian Gillan: “Yes it is he was the catalyst for getting us back in the studio after seven years. We were quite happily drifting on.  It would come up in conversation now and again about a new album … yea man, maybe next year-maybe next year. But he reminded us of a few things, he came out to see us in Canada, we were on a tour there in February of 2012 and it was quite a good conversation, everyone started remembering who we are and what we do. So primarily we’re an instrumental band and he said just concentrate on the music and just let it develop as you used to. Don’t worry about three or four minute tracks; they’re not going to play it on the bloody radio anyway … just make your music. So that was the trigger.”

“So we arrived in Nashville for the writing session in great shape. Having been through a very long unsettling period, there was a great empathy among musicians and almost like a family again. So the music came quickly and the whole thing was written in four weeks. Then we took another four weeks to record it.”

Ray Shasho: Bob Ezrin is one of a few trailblazers still making a difference in today’s music world.

Ian Gillan: “He’s a great musician as well as a great technician. The first time we went there, we went to see the Nashville Symphony. We listen to a lot of jazz, blues and rock and roll. Bob’s got the same taste in music as us, which is diverse. I don’t think anyone in the band listens to what you call genre music or anything like that; I listen to a whole variety of stuff when I’m at home. So it was great having him onboard with his experience of course and he immediately became a member of the band, so there was a great deal of mutual respect and that helps a lot when you’re expecting someone to guide you along. He encouraged us to be expressive, which was a good thing, and at the same time he held on quite tightly to the reins and steered us in the right direction without us even being aware of it, so it was very subtle and a manipulate job, but I give Bob Ezrin a lot of credit.”

“I can’t obviously say anything about the music because it’s too subjective, but what I can say with confidence is this is the best sounding Deep Purple record that we ever made by a long shot.”

Ray Shasho: The title and cover art for the new album was also interesting, is there a special meaning behind the title?

Ian Gillan: “Not really, I designed it originally … there’s us guys reluctant to go into the studio and we keep getting nudged, go on and make another record … no-no we’re fine having a great time, every night is a big adventure, and it’s like the phone rings and you go …Now what?  Eventually you have to do what is demanded. So it’s kind of a grumpy reaction to constant prodding by the record label and by management etc. I just doodled around with it one day on the computer and it kind of caught on and I guess it was just a phrase that seemed right at the time, as with everything, and our album is a collection of ideas that represent that moment in time.”

“Above and Beyond” is a track that’s got Jon Lord’s spirit in there. I had written the lyrics, almost finished the lyrics when we heard the news about Jon dying. We kind of sat around the studio and then started talking about the good old days and some good memories of Jon. It was just like when my dad died actually, his body went away and then suddenly his spirit just filled me up and he has been travelling with me ever since. The same thing kind of happened with Jon, he filled the room and I wrote these words …souls had been touched are forever entwined.  I sang them at his funeral and then I included them in the song, which was finished pretty much apart from that line. But when I wrote those words, it all made sense, and there was Jon Lord singing to us all.”

“The song is kind of a burlesque waltz in three four time and has a glorious key change. I just find it spiritually uplifting and I think it’s definitely going to be in the show.”  

Ray Shasho: “Above and Beyond” is definitely one of my favorite tracks and should be a favorite among fans and critics.

Ian Gillan: “It’s difficult to pin down our kind of music, somebody was saying early on … You’re playing Wacken in Germany this summer; it’s the biggest heavy metal rock festival in Europe, just a huge annual event and they said, does Deep Purple fit into that heavy metal thing? Two weeks before that we’re headlining the Montreux Jazz Festival … go figure (All laughing).”

“We’ve headlined the Jazz Festival about four times I think. If you describe jazz as free form or adventurous music, that’s what happens in Deep Purple in a rock format every night and these guys are just unbelievable musicians and they just extemporize, every night, the same old songs but their different, they go out there and improvise. That’s what makes it so constantly exciting …it’s a thrill.”

Ray Shasho: The track “Bodyline” has a lot of those jazzy riffs that you’re talking about.

Ian Gillan: “Very sexy song that one.”

Ray Shasho: “Vincent Price” is a cool tune … any influence from Bob Ezrin’s days with Alice Cooper?

Ian Gillan: “(Laughing) No I don’t think so. We write jam sessions every day. Nobody brings any songs to a Deep Purple session ever. We start from scratch. We start at midday and go through till six, day after day after day. The ideas emerge and we record them and then after four or five days we start working on the ideas… on the arrangement and stuff like that. Every song that we start to develop has a working title, not necessarily the one we end up with, but it has a working title. So this sounded like a horror movie so we called it “Vincent Price.” We’ve all worked with Vincent Price over the years in different ways. Roger flew over to Portugal to fine tune the lyrics and so we said what would a film director want as essential ingredients in a horror movie in the 60’s with Vincent Price? So we started a list… thunder and lightning, chains rattling, creaking gates, dogs howling, vampires, sacrificial virgins, zombies …and hang on a second the song is finished. So we just put a list of film clichés and it seemed to work perfectly.”

Ray Shasho: Did the music come first on “Smoke on the Water?”

Ian Gillan: “When the casino began to be burnt down then we were short of time and the engineer said… hey guys we’ve got one day left and we’re still seven minutes short of an album.  So we dug out the soundcheck tape which didn’t have a title and then we wrote the biographical story of what happened in Montreux. It was the very last thing that was added and then I sang it of course. The music came first.”

Ray Shasho: Ian, Here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview, If you had a “Field of Dreams” wish, like the movie, to play or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?

Ian Gillan: “Oh man! It would have to be either Cliff Bennett or Ella Fitzgerald, one of those two.”

Ray Shasho: Ian thank you so much for being on the call today and more importantly for all the great music you’ve given the world.

Ian Gillan: “Thank you very much Ray, I really enjoyed talking with you.”

Order Deep Purple’s latest CD … Now What?! at amazon.com

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Deep Purple official website www.deeppurple.com

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Very special thanks to Carol Kaye of Kayos Productions

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com   - Please support Ray so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting. 

~~Pacific Book Review says Ray Shasho is a product of the second half of the 20th century, made in the USA from parts around the world, and within him is every trend in music, television, politics and culture contributing to his philosophical and comically analytical reflections collected in his fine book of memories. I found Check the Gs to be pure entertainment, fantastic fun and a catalyst to igniting so many memories of my own life, as I too am within a few years of Ray.  So to all, I say if you have a bit of grey hair (or no hair), buy this book!  It’s a great gift for your “over-the-hill” friends, or for their kids, if they are the history buffs of younger generations trying to figure out why we are the way we are.

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