Showing posts with label Jon Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon Lord. Show all posts

May 21, 2021

Jon Lord articles/mentions

 ~        
Gemini Suite     
     
mentions:     
Deep Purple ~   
     Purple Passeges               
     
     
     
      
Jon Lord - 1976   
date & photographer unknown     
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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January 30, 2018

Gene Krupa articles/mentions

~ 
       
       
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
       
       
       
Gene Krupa - 1941     
photo by Gjon-Mili                  
 
 
 
 
       
mentions:       
       
"Fats" Domino ~ Blueberry Hill   
Jon Lord - Gemini Suite       
Verve Records & Norman Granz
     
     
       
       
              
    












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June 11, 2014

101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 68: Jon Lord - Gemini Suite

                               

















Jon Lord ~ Gemini Suite                                            .
 Reel-to-Reel Tape box detail                                         .
detail photo by Styrous®                                            .
  


In addition to my vinyl LP record collection I'm selling, I have hundreds of reel-to-reel, pre-recorded tapes as well. This is an entry about one of them that is for sale on eBay (see link below for others). I have the vinyl LP version as well. Interested? Contact me by email, please, not by a comment.

~ ~ ~

reel-to-reel tape 
cover design by John Van Hamersveld
cover painting by Cliff McReynolds
photo by Styrous®


Jonathan Douglas Lord was born 73 years ago this month on June 9, 1941. He was better known as Jon Lord of the hard rock group, Deep Purple.

The Gemini Suite was performed by Deep Purple and the Light Music Society under Malcolm Arnold at the Royal Festival Hall in September of 1970.



reel-to-reel tape 
cover design by John Van Hamersveld
photo by Styrous®



After the 1969 classical / rock fusion Concerto For Group and Orchestra, (also see link below), Jon Lord was commissioned to write a follow-up. This was Gemini Suite, five long movements inspired by the members of Deep Purple, and performed live in September 1970 at the Royal Festival Hall with The Light Music Society Orchestra and broadcast life on British and Danish radio (the album of the concert was issued in 1993 as Gemini Suite Live). Jon Lord then recorded it in the studio as his first solo project in 1971, with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold and soloists drawn from the rock world. Gemini Suite was an important step for Lord and led to albums such as Windows (1974) and Sarabande (1976).





    
reel-to-reel tape back cover details
cover design by John Van Hamersveld
detail photos by Styrous®




The album was originally released in Europe and America in 1971 with different cover artwork. The 1973 US reissue (this copy) featured a third version of the cover artwork.





reel-to-reel tape back cover detail
cover design by John Van Hamersveld
detail photo by Styrous®



The first movement starts out very dramatic with the full orchestra and an extremely dynamic tympani beat "fit to beat the band".  There is some fine guitar work by Albert Lee in it.

The second part of the first side is jazzy and upbeat with Lord on piano. The orchestra follows and play along with the game. Lord does a fancy keyboard solo on this piece. Pretty nice stuff here. 

The third section opens with some dramatic tympani which is a nice introduction to the fine drum work á la Gene Krupa by Ian Paice. Paice, the orchestra and the timpani finish out the piece in grand style.



photo by Styrous®



Capricorn opens side two. It is very slow, quiet and mysterious. It features vocals by Yvonne Elliman and Tony Ashton. 

The second section of part two is jerky and dissonant and features some really cool bass guitar work by Roger Glover. It quiets down some at the end. 

The third section is all Lord's. He does some amazing organ work and rocks out with the orchestra. It gets a bit eerie for a while before it goes back to a rock motif that then builds to the finale.




reel-to-reel tape label detail
detail photo by Styrous®



Studio album track listing:

Side 1:

1    "Guitar" - Soloist: Albert Lee - 8:52
2    "Piano" - Soloist: Jon Lord -
3    "Drums" - Soloist: Ian Paice

Side 2:

4    "Vocals" - Soloist: Yvonne Elliman and Tony Ashton
5    "Bass guitar" - Soloist: Roger Glover
6    "Organ" - Soloist: Jon Lord

Production notes

    Composed and scored by Jon Lord
    Lyrics by Jon Lord
    Recorded at Abbey Road and De Lane Lea studios, London, March 1971
    Studio engineers: Mike Gray, Philip McDonald, Dave Stock
    Mixed by Martin Birch

Warner Brothers WST 2717-C

1973 reissue

Credits


Later studio version of Gemini Suite:
Side 1
Side 2
Capricorn



Deep Purple website




Jon Lord ~ Gemini Suite reel-to-reel tape is on sale on eBay

reel-to-reel tapes on eBay



Jon Lord died on July 16, 2012. The Guardian wrote an obituary on him on July 19 and quoted him as saying, 'We're as valid as anything by Beethoven."

Right on, Jon!



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May 20, 2014

101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 67: Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer








                   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).   

~ ~ ~


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

Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer
reel-to-reel tape box cover
photo by Styrous®

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.

        
                 Jasper, Minnesota. tornado                                     Siouxsie and the Banshees
  photo by Lucille Handberg                                                 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.


Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer
reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®




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.

Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer
reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®


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. 



Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer
reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®



You Can't Do It Right (With the One You Love) returns to the funk feel with a smooth female group backup. A very nice synth break by Jon Lord on this one.

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). 


Deep Purple ~ Stormbringer

reel-to-reel label detail
detail photo by Styrous®


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


~ ~ ~
 

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



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May 19, 2014

101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 66: Deep Purple ~ Purple Passeges







Deep Purple ~ 
Purple Passeges





                   Deep Purple ~ Purple Passages
                 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 ~ Passages reel-to-reel tape will be on sale on eBay in June (see links below).

~ ~ ~


I remember those long, late-night parties in which I'd dance my ass off to the latest ventures into hard rock by those great groups of the late '60's. Deep Purple was one of them. Oh, my, how I'd dance until I was exhausted!

Purple Passages is a 1972 United States-only compilation album by Deep Purple featuring material originally released in 1968 and 1969 on the Tetragrammaton label. It features classics such as Hush and Kentucky Woman.

This compilation included some alternate mixes of The Bird Has Flown and Why Didn't Rosemary?, with the former having a clean intro instead of a fade-in on the album version. It also included the final Purple Mk. I single, Emmaretta, for the first time on LP. Original lead singer Rod Evans went on to front the popular 1970's band Captain Beyond (see link to Viewfinder article below).



reel-to-reel tape box cover 
.photo by Styrous®



The beginning of Deep Purple developed in 1967 from an idea by Chris Curtis who had the fantasy of building a group centred around himself. There was a conflict of ideologies and Curtis eventually left and the group was then built around Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore. The line-up was completed with experienced ex-Johnny Kidd & The Pirates bassist, Nick Simper, plus singer Rod Evans and drummer Ian Paice, both from The Maze. The band was finalized in March, 1968.




reel-to-reel tape box back
photo by Styrous®



In nine months Deep Purple recorded three studio albums and a non-album single; a pretty amazing feat by anyone's measure. The early releases have been described as lacking direction but in reality, the band was still coming to grips with a wonderful new sound which seemed to work with virtually any type of music, and which did not limit them to a set direction. Every musical avenue was open, and the first to bring success was pop.

Their debut single Hush, by Joe South, originally written for recording artist Billy Joe Royal, was a huge US hit, climbing into the Billboard top five. Hush is one of four songs originally recorded with vocals sung by Rod Evans.  Others are Kentucky Woman, originally from the album The Book of Taliesyn from 1968, Mandrake Root from the same album that originally featured Hush, and Bird Has Flown from the album Deep Purple, or Deep Purple III, released in 1969.
          
reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®



 a later line-up
    
    
         
 
 
   		         
       




The Songs


reel-to-reel tape box back detail
detail photo by Styrous®

And the Address has a neat organ intro by Lord that slowly fades up and builds into a traditional hard-rock driving beat instrumental that is a great dance song with some fine guitar work by Blackmore.

Sirens open Hey, Joe which goes into a terrific middle eastern-sounding, syncopated, staccato organ and guitar intro which gives way to the slow, dreamy-tempo vocal by Evans that the song is so identified with. The guitar instrumental break in the song is terrific. It has a very dramatic end with footsteps that go out the door which slams shut. A very nice touch.



there is a lyrics book included with the reel-to-reel tape of Purple Passages

lyrics book
photo by Styrous®

Hush starts out with a distant wolf (?) howl then goes into a a fast, bouncy, syncopated dance beat that is SO good to move to. I love the organ riff by Lord on this one. It references, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, a song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, but attributed to a then-fictitious band they named, "Steam".

Emmaretta opens with some funky guitar licks by Blackmore. Really nice for dancing, its syncopated beat makes for a good propulsion of movement. This has a nice instrumental break as well as some great drum work by Paice at the fade out.


lyrics book back
photo by Styrous®


Chasing Shadows opens with a really neat drum intro by Paice that leads us into a syncopated, jungle-sounding song with a feeling of gusto and verb. The vocal by Rod Evans sounds distant and echoey. The guitar work by Blackmore in the first instrumental break is sensational! The organ by Lord in the second break is hot as well. This is a fantastic song.



lyrics book back detail
detail photo by Styrous®


The Bird Has Flown has a tom-tom beat that mellows out for a few seconds then goes on to make for a pretty nice dance song. Some terrific guitar work by Blackmore and organ by Lord in this one. It builds to a really hot end.



lyrics book back detail
detail photo by Styrous®



Why Didn't Rosemary? lopes along with a bouncy gallop that is impossible to keep still to. A fun and happy song. Again, great guitar work sby Blackmore during the instrumental. This and Hard Road are a couple of my favorite songs on the album (favorite at the end).

Hard Road has the same feeling as Rosemary and seems to be an extension of it except it is an instrumental.  It opens with some nice organ work by Lord and some really cool tympani work by Paice. It has a great, traditional, hard-rock ending. TERRIFC!  



lyrics book interior
photo by Styrous®


The Shield has a smooth, suspenseful with a mid-east kind of feel to it. This is my second favorite song. I love the opening line, "Mama plays a queen on the hill built on a dream". It has some interesting Korla Pandit-like organ work by Lord. A really fantastic, dreamy-feeling song that gently rocks out, it is perfect for slow dancing or trippin' out. At six minutes you have time to do it. Try it sometime.





lyrics book
 photo by Styrous®






             
lyrics book detail
detail photo by Styrous®



Mandrake Root has a Smoke on the Water feeling to it so, I guess it kind of was the basis for it. It was recorded from May 11 to 13, 1968. Smoke was recorded in 1972. The title refers to the hallucinogenic mandrake plant, but is also the name of a pre-Purple band that Blackmore was trying to form in Germany when he got the call from Deep Purple's original management.



           
lyrics book detail
detail photo by Styrous®


Kentucky Woman, written by Neil Diamond, is just plain, old fun. A fast song that moves and I mean it! Terrific for dancin' and rockin'. Once again, Blackmore blows it all out on his guitar and Lord has a field day on the organ.




April opens with a somber organ by Lord, then a quiet piano and guitar form the intro to the song that eventuallly goes into a moderately fast but quiet kind of gallop with some nice tympani, once again, by Paice. A chorus joins in as well as an orchestra and they establish a sensational instrumental that is incredibly beautiful. At one point it goes into a minuet with an oboe that floats above the quiet pizzicato strings. Around eight minutes into the song, the Baroque mood is suddenly interrupted as the rock vocal breaks in and the song reassumes the train-like beat á la rock. The chorus returns and everyone is ready to party.

At a little over twelve minutes, April has the time and space to really explore and is epic by any standard. My only regret about this song is it fades out instead of ending with the grand finish that would have befitted a work of this calibre. As the Stones once said, "You can't always get what you want."


Of all the great songs on this album, 
this one is my favorite.




reel-to-reel tape label detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Track listing

Side one

  1. "And the Address" (Blackmore/Lord) - 4.53
  2. "Hey Joe" (trad., arr. Lord/Evans/Simper/Paice/Blackmore) - 6.57
  3. "Hush" (Joe South) - 4.20
  4. "Emmaretta" (Lord/Blackmore/Evans) - 2.58
  5. "Chasing Shadows" (Lord/Paice) - 5.31
  6. "The Bird Has Flown" (Evans/Blackmore/Lord) - 5.30
  7. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" (Blackmore/Lord/Evans/Simper/Paice) - 5.00

    Side two

    1. "Hard Road (Wring That Neck)" (Blackmore/Lord/Simper/Paice) - 5.11
    2. "The Shield" (Blackmore/Evans/Lord) - 6.02
    3. "Mandrake Root" (Blackmore/Evans/Lord) - 6.03
    4. "Kentucky Woman" (Neil Diamond) - 4.44
    5. "April" (Blackmore/Lord) - 12.03

      Credits

      Deep Purple

        
      Warner Brothers Records
      WST 2644-F-DP
      1972



      Links to Deep Purple related sites on the net:
      Links to music videos on YouTube:

      And the Address
      Hey, Joe 
      Hush
      Hush (original 1968 film clip)
      Emmaretta
      Chasing Shadows
      The Bird Has Flown
      Why Didn't Rosemary?
      Hard Road (Wring That Neck)
      The Shield
      Mandrake Root k
      Kentucky Woman
      April



      Deep Purple ~ Purple Passages reel-to-reel tape is on sale on eBay

      reel-to-reel tapes on eBay


      PURPLE HARD ROCK RULES!


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