The new guitarist of Deep Purple is around 30 years younger than his bandmates. Singer Ian Gillan raves about Simon McBride in an interview with dpa and explains what changes the new addition has made.
Ian Gillan is more than satisfied. After more than 50 years in the music business and more than a dozen albums with Deep Purple, the 78-year-old is very excited and enthusiastic when he talks about his band’s new LP. “That’s not always the case,” the singer admits in an interview with the German Press Agency in London. “But in this case, absolutely, yes, I’m very happy.”
Studio debut of the new guitarist
There is indeed fire in the old rockers’ new record, which is titled “=1” (pronounced “equals one”). It is the first studio album with guitarist Simon McBride, who has been a permanent member of Deep Purple since 2022 because Steve Morse has withdrawn for personal reasons. At 45, McBride is by far the youngest band member. Don Airey is 76, bassist Roger Glover is 78 and drummer Ian Paice, the only constant in the band’s 50-year history, is also 76.
“He’s just a kid, isn’t he?” Gillan jokes about his not-so-new bandmate, who wasn’t even born when cult albums like “Deep Purple In Rock” or “Machine Head” were released. McBride has long since passed his baptism of fire at many concerts with Deep Purple. And his presence is clearly noticeable on the new album.
New energy for the band
“He has enough energy for all of us,” says Gillan, laughing. “He brings so much energy that it’s an inspiration. And I think you can hear that in the music. I like to compare it to a football team or other sports teams: you add a new player and suddenly the whole team plays completely differently. It doesn’t even have to be a star player.”
Right at the beginning, the new guy has a thrilling duel on the strings with keyboardist Airey in the song “Show Me”. Compared to his versatile predecessor Morse, who shaped the sound of Deep Purple for almost three decades and incorporated elements of blues and jazz, McBride seems to be more focused on classic hard rock – at least on his first Deep Purple studio album.
Versatile hard rock, first-class songs
Overall, “=1” sounds harder and more powerful than the last, sometimes somewhat leisurely albums by the hard rock veterans. And it is full of first-class songs. “A Bit On The Side” shines with a powerful guitar solo and Airey’s exuberant, progressive escapades on the keys. “Portable Door” is a riff rocker with a fat Hammond organ and typical Purple vibe. “If I Were You” surprises with an epic orchestral finale.
Although “=1” is diverse, everything seems to be of one piece. That’s probably what the title is supposed to symbolize. “For me, this album is really organic,” says Gillan. “It feels natural and has a genuine energy.” Legendary producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper), with whom Deep Purple has worked for a long time, also played a big part in this. “I’ve always been enthusiastic about Bob’s sound since we started working with him,” enthuses Gillan. “It’s just great.”
Singer Gillan in top form at 78
The fact that the new music sounds unmistakably like Deep Purple is of course also due to Ian Gillan himself, who, at almost 80, is in impressive vocal shape. “On the new record, I think my voice sounds better than ever,” says the singer quite immodestly. He can afford it. In “Old-Fangled Thing” and the driving, fast-paced “Now You’re Talking,” Gillan even surprises with loud screams. “It just came out. I didn’t plan it.”
The frontman, who played with Deep Purple from 1969 to 1973, from 1984 to 1989 and since 1992, says that he has often struggled with his voice during his career. “The whole thing about getting older was pretty disappointing at the time,” he says. He hasn’t been able to sing the epic Purple classic “Child In Time” live for a long time, for example.
“‘Child In Time’ was effortless until I was about 38,” he says. “Then the whole structure of my voice changed and suddenly it became difficult. And it no longer sounded like honey, it sounded strained.” But he has found a better sound in his middle range, says Gillan. “It really works great.”
New enthusiasm instead of retirement
Years ago, it seemed as if Deep Purple were preparing for retirement. Their tour, which ended in 2019, was called “The Long Goodbye”. But there is no longer any talk of saying goodbye. On the contrary – they are continuing tirelessly. The band is currently touring Europe. Immediately afterwards they will go to America and then back to Europe. In October there will be several concerts in Germany.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm in the band,” says Ian Gillan. “You don’t want to let go, do you? And I think we’re not just rewinding something. There’s still momentum and life in it and it’s justified.” If there was any need for proof that Deep Purple aren’t ready for retirement, then “=1” is it. The hard rock institution’s 23rd studio album is their best in years.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
