IN THE GROOVE: METAL MADNESS (October 17, 2023)

🤘🏽 ☠️ 🤘🏽

During the late 1960s and early 1970s a new musical genre developed into a phenomenon that is still going strong some 50 years later and shows no sign of slowing down. In case you didn’t get the hint from my new header image, I’m talking about heavy metal!

Today I’m featuring the final group from the “unholy trinity”, a band that has been my go-to metal group since it’s inception. There has always been something very special about this favorite group of mine – whether it’s the incredible vocals, the blistering guitar or even just the name itself, I was and still am a big fan. You’ll soon see why I feel as I do.

Bill and I got to see these guys on October 22, 1971 in the Felt Forum which was the theatre inside Madison Square Garden. We saw a lot of groups at the Forum but the night of October 22 was memorable. Earlier in the day while I was out with my parents, our house was burglarized. I recounted the incident on my website; the story is called “Poor Althea’s Boy” – https://theelephantstrunk.org/2023/08/17/poor-altheas-boy/

On the ride into Manhattan for the concert, I found my mind drifting back to just a few hours earlier when we discovered the house had been burglarized. There’s a dreadful sense of losing control, deeply unsettling feeling of being violated attached to a crime in your home, your safe place. Uninvited people were in our house, going through our personal property. To say it’s disconcerting is putting it mildly. Thank goodness no one was home at the time except the first floor tenant and he heard nothing nor was he harmed in anyway. He had his headphones on and was completely oblivious to what was going on upstairs.

I asked my parents if they wanted me to stay home with them that night; they said no, the police had everything covered. I was relieved; I needed a diversion, something magical to take my mind off the break-in.

Deep Purple was just the ticket.

Deep Purple got its start in London in 1968. Originally formed as a psychedelic and progressive rock band, the group shifted to a heavier sound in 1970 with their album “Deep Purple In Rock”. In the early to mid-seventies, Deep Purple had been referred to as “Britain’s hardest and heaviest metal group” and was listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as “the globe’s loudest band” for a 1972 concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre. To date the band has sold more than 100 million albums.

Just like any other band who has endured the test of time and is still touring today, Deep Purple has had multiple reincarnations. For me, these members formed the greatest lineup: Ritchie Blackmore consistently at the helm as lead guitarist; Jon Lord (keyboard, strings), Roger Glover (bass, 1969-1973) followed by Glenn Hughes (bass, 1973-1976), Ian Gillan (lead vocals, 1969-1973) followed by David Coverdale (lead vocals, 1973-1976) and Ian Paice (drums); original members Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice are still with the band in concert today.

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite songs. Listen to any, listen to all; each one is great!

This is Deep Purple!

Now for the mother of all Deep Purple songs.

On December 4, 1971, Deep Purple was in Montreux, Switzerland to record the album “Machine Head”. On the eve of the recording session, a concert with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention was held in the casino’s theatre. This was the theatre’s final concert before the complex closed down for its annual winter renovations, which would allow Deep Purple to record there. At the beginning of the Mothers’ synthesizer solo on “King Kong”, the place caught fire when “someone stupid” in the audience fired a flare gun towards the rattan-covered ceiling. Although there were no major injuries, the resulting fire destroyed the entire casino complex, along with all the Mothers’ equipment. Here is the retelling of that night’s events – a saga set to music.

This is “Smoke on the Water”.

https://youtu.be/zUwEIt9ez7M?si=qzBpeXrhnq-IB9XI

That’s the way it is with heavy metal and groups like Deep Purple; you can’t stop at just one!

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Metal Madness featuring the last member of the “unholy trinity”.

But wait! Something doesn’t add up!

Today’s edition covered the third Tuesday in October; what about weeks four and five? Well, have no fear; I am prepared! I will be stepping outside the realm of the “unholy trinity” next Tuesday; please join me to see who I’ve chosen for Week #4. I think you’ll agree it’s a good fit. 🤘🏽

Thanks for reading my posts and for being a great audience and good sports. I look forward to catching up with you again next week.

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023