Deep Purple ~
Stormbringer
reel-to-reel tape album cover detail
.detail photo by Styrous®
In addition to my 20,000 Vinyl LP collection I'm selling, I have reel-to-reel, pre-recorded tapes for sale as well. If interested, contact me by email please, not by a comment.
The Deep Purple ~ Storm Bringer reel-to-reel tape will be on sale on eBay in June (see links below).
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Storm Bringer is the ninth studio album by
Deep Purple, which was released in November of 1974. It blendied rock, soul and funk in a way that was quite ahead of its time. Ritchie Blackmore left after the making of the album and its tour, returning to the group later during the recording of the
Perfect Strangers album.
album cover and title
The cover image of
Stormbringer is based on a photo of a tornado photographed by
Lucille Handberg on July 8, 1927 near the town of
Jasper, Minnesota. Her photograph has become a classic image, and was used and edited for the album's cover. The same photograph was used in 1986 for the
Siouxsie and the Banshees album,
Tinderbox.
July 8, 1927 .
Stormbringer is also the name of a
magical sword described in several novels by
Michael Moorcock. David Coverdale has denied knowledge of this until shortly after recording the album.
A few years later, Moorcock collaborated with
Blue Öyster Cult to write "
Black Blade", a song that actually was about the sword Stormbringer.
the songs
Stormbringer is classic, the epitome of hard rock sound with no exaggeration. It is hard rock at its very best and a driving song that doesn't give ground. According to Glenn Hughes, the slurred gibberish that is spoken by
David Coverdale at the beginning of the title track just prior to the first verse is the same backwards dialogue that
Linda Blair's character utters in the film
The Exorcist when she is questioned by the priest.
Love Don't Mean a Thing is great rock-funk with a vocal by
David Coverdale who hums at the beginning to lead into the song that has a neat funk beat which is perfect for dancing.
Holy Man is a quiet melody with a nice steel guitar intro which gives it a slightly country-western feeling to it. A gentle song that is nice to slow dance to.
High Ball Shooter is
another hard rock classic that gets you up and moving even if you don't
want to; you can't help it! Again, great organ work by Lord.
The Gypsy is a solid, march rock that has some really nice steel guitar work but it does get a bit repetitious at the end.
Soldier of Fortune is a beautifully done
ballad written by
David Coverdale and
Ritchie Blackmore. It has an ace guitar by Blackmore and organ by Lord intro and back up to the brilliant Coverdale vocal. It is soft, gentle and
melancholy with regret for wandering ways that have left the singer alone and lonely, longing for a love he's neglected and lost. The lyrics are sad and wistful: I'm put them below. This is my very favorite song on this album.
As of May 10, 2013,
Soldier of Fortune is Deep Purple's 12th most "listened to" song with over 14,000 hits on
Last.fm and has been included in many rock ballad
compilation albums. Though Deep Purple never released the song as a
single and it never appeared on
record charts, it has developed a cult following over the years.
Covers have been released by
Whitesnake,
Opeth,
Black Majesty and the Romanian band
Iris.
The version of
Soldier by
Whitesnake was performed in concert as a guitar and vocal duet. Somehow, because of its sparseness, it seems very much sadder that the original version.
There is also a really beautiful, instrumental guitar solo by Tirta Leonardi on YouTube (
link to versions of the song below).
Track listing:
All songs written by Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, except as noted
Original vinyl release
Side One:
No. Title Length
1. "Stormbringer" (Blackmore, Coverdale) 4:03
2. "Love Don't Mean a Thing" 4:23
3. "Holy Man" (Coverdale, Hughes, Lord) 4:28
4. "Hold On" (Coverdale, Hughes, Lord, Paice) 5:05
Side Two:
No. Title Length
1. "Lady Double Dealer" (Blackmore, Coverdale) 3:19
2. "You Can't Do It Right (With the One You Love)" (Blackmore, Coverdale, Hughes) 3:24
3. "High Ball Shooter" 4:26
4. "The Gypsy" 4:03
5. "
Soldier of Fortune" (Blackmore, Coverdale) 3:14
Personnel:
- Deep Purple
All songs are sung by Coverdale and Hughes except "Soldier of Fortune", sung by Coverdale, and "Holy Man" sung by Hughes
- Additional personnel
1974
Soldier of Fortune lyrics
I have often told you stories
About the way
I lived the life of a drifter
Waiting for the day
When I'd take your hand
And sing you songs
Then maybe you would say
Come lay with me love me
And I would surely stay
But I feel I'm growing older
And the songs that I have sung
Echo in the distance
Like the sound
Of a windmill goin' 'round
I guess I'll always be
A soldier of fortune
Many times I've been a traveller
I looked for something new
In days of old
When nights were cold
I wandered without you
But those days I thought my eyes
Had seen you standing near
Though blindness is confusing
It shows that you're not here
Now I feel I'm growing older
And the songs that I have sung
Echo in the distance
Like the sound
Of a windmill goin' 'round
I guess I'll always be
A soldier of fortune
I can hear the sound
Of a windmill goin' 'round
I guess I'll always be
A soldier of fortune
Songwriters
Ritchie Blackmore,
David Coverdale
Published by
Lyrics © MAUVE MUSIC/PURPLE MUSIC, INC.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976
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Music videos on YouTube:
Stormbringer
Love Don't Mean a Thing
Holy Man
Hold On
Lady Double Dealer
You Can't Do It Right (With the One You Love)
High Ball Shooter
The Gypsy
Soldier of Fortune
Soldier of Fortune (unplugged) by
David Coverdale
Soldier of Fortune (live - concert) by
Whitesnake
Soldier Of Fortune (guitar solo) by
Tirta Leonardi
Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer reel-to-reel tape on eBay
reel-to-reel tapes on eBay