Month: November 2022

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Episode #189 – Whitesnake – Slide It In (US Release)

This week’s episode was banned on YouTube. Check out one of the fine audio alternatives below to check out this week’s epsiode!

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Apple Podcasts Reviews:

  • Rosebud Jack – Australia
  • 5 Stars!
  • DP Podcast
  • A great review of an awesome band. Nate and John banter back and forth and cover every inch of the topic. My only complaint- Highway Star only 4 stars. Seriously? Jack

Deep Dive Podcast Network:

Lead up to the Album:

  • From October-November of 1983 the album was completed at Musicland with Martin Birch.
  • Hodgkinson quit the band sometime during these sessions.
  • The UK tour dates were then canceled.
  • On December 1, 1983 Neil Murray was asked to audition for the band.
  • Between December 12-15 Sykes rehearsed with the band and is confirmed as the new guitarist.
  • From January 19-28th in Los Angeles at Goodnight Studios Murray and Sykes do overdubs on the album.
  • The album would be remixed by Keith Olsen.
  • David Coverdale, from the Japanese US Remix version: “What happened was we finished the album in Europe and we were all delighted with the way it came out. However, the American record company said it was sounding European and not sounding American. Even when I said, ‘I am European”, they said, “However, we’d like it to sound American”, so I gave them carte blanche to remix in the U.S., on the condition that I could include John Sykes, who’d recently joined Whitesnake, and Neil Murray, who recently re-joined Whitesnake, and they accepted that premise. So I got what I wanted, and they got what they wanted. In essence, the difference is that you can hear the voice a lot better, and you have John Sykes and Neil Murray playing on it, whereas on the European mix, you don’t have them.”
  • John Kaloder was the first A&R executive at the newly formed Geffen Records, headed up by David Geffen. Geffen had heard Coverdale was switching management and flew Kalodner to the UK to try to recruit Coverdale for Geffen.
  • Kalodner said he worked very hard to sign Coverdale and eventually sealed the deal.  Kalodner said: “I thought they were a great commercial rock band. The problem is, that I told Coerdale, even though I really loved the other guys in the band, they weren’t as good as him. He was a superstar, and we were entering the age of Bon Jovi, you know, all of the big superstars, and I thought Coverdale’s voice and songs were better than anything.”
  • Moody: “They ended up taking a lof of Mel Galley and me off of it and putting on John Sykes. I was gone by then, so I really can’t tell you anything further.” He goes on to say, “It wasn’t the same, let’s put it that way. That band in 1983 was not the Whitesnake that I knew and loved.”
  • Moody goes on to explain that they never really tried to emulate other bands’ sound but that he could see that’s the direction they were headed.
  • John Sykes was brought in as a flashy, good-looking new guitarist in the style of popular American bands despite being British.
  • Coverdale had toyed with Michael Schenker and even Adrian Vandenberg who he offered the gig to but Vandenberg turned him down, finding success with his own band Vandenberg at the moment who had the hit “Burning Heart.”
  • Kalodner felt strongly about Sykes from his past history with Tigers of Pan Zang and Thin Lizzy and thought his writing would also be the right fit for Coverdale.
  • Kalodner talks a lot about Sykes’ appeal being his looks and hints that he would have wanted Galley out even without the injury.
  • Coverdale describes Sykes’s audition and that Cozy didn’t like him but that Coverdale kept the idea alive despite Cozy writing him off.
  • Coverdale said at this point he hadn’t really given in to the idea that they would have a “guitar hero” in the band.  He describes Kalodner as having to talk to him to tell him that no one else was in his league and he needed someone like this to complement him. He used other combos such as Jagger/Richards, Page/Plant, and Daltrey/Townshend as examples.
  • Coverdale said he was subconsciously against it because of seeing the “abuse of power that Ritchie manifested.” He was nervous to go down that path again.
  • Coverdale said when his mother first saw a picture of John Sykes she told him, “David, are you crazy? Now you’ll never get any of the girl.” “Up until then I really hadn’t thought about that, but he convinced me to get in the best shape of my life.  Getting John int he band not only revitalized us musically – he is an absolutely brilliant guitarist – but it gave us more motivation to make our stage show hot.”
  • Coverdale said he was never crazy about keyboards and Jon Lord’s role in the band was minimal in the years leading up to this.  When he said he was going back to Purple Coverdale elected to just use them to round out the sound.
  • Kalodner thought the UK version was too heavy on keyboards and wouldn’t cut it in the US.
  • Kalodner and Coverdale had a big fight as Kalodner wanted to bring someone else in to mix the album, someone aside from Martin Birch.  He suggested Keith Olsen. He goes on to describe the problems with Martin Birch’s mixes and how “un-American” they sounded.
  • Olsen first worked with Kalodner with Foreigner.
  • Neil Murray said that Sykes was very much into Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Core Band:

  • Bass – Neil Murray
  • Drums – Cozy Powell
  • Electric Guitar – John Sykes
    • Had been offered the job to replace Randy Rhoads but allegedly he never heard back from Ozzy after the offer.
    • When Ozzy did get back to him he had already accepted the job with Phil Lynott to join Thin Lizzy.
  • Guitar – Micky Moody
  • Guitar, Vocals – Mel Galley
  • Keyboards – Jon Lord
  • Keyboards – Bill Cuomo
    • Worked with Steve Perry, Rick Springfield, Kenny Rogers, Steve Perry
  • Vocals – David Coverdale

Technical:

  • Producer, Mixed By – Martin Birch
    • No “Big Ears” on this one.
  • Mixed By – Keith Olsen
    • American version by Geffen Records, completely remixed by Keith Olsen
    • This version features some different guitar solos to the European edition, with the addition of John Sykes as a third guitarist layered on top of the original guitar parts recorded by Mel Galley and Micky Moody.
    • The original bass guitar parts recorded by Colin Hodgkinson were completely replaced by returning member Neil Murray’s bass guitar parts on this version and it also includes some new keyboard parts by Bill Cuomo, differing from the original recording.
  • Mastered By – Greg Fulginiti

Album Art & Booklet Review

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Album Tracks:

This version features some different guitar solos to the European edition, with the addition of John Sykes as a third guitarist layered on top of the original guitar parts recorded by Mel Galley and Micky Moody.

The original bass guitar parts recorded by Colin Hodgkinson were completely replaced by returning member Neil Murray’s bass guitar parts on this version and it also includes some new keyboard parts by Bill Cuomo, differing from the original recording.

Side One:

  1. Slide It In (Coverdale)
  2. Slow An’ Easy (Coverdale, Moody)
  3. Love Ain’t No Stranger (Coverdale, Galley)
  4. All Or Nothing (Coverdale, Galley)
    • Longer fade out on US version.
  5. Gambler (Coverdale, Galley)

Side Two:

  1. Guilty Of Love (Coverdale)
  2. Hungry For Love (Coverdale)
    • Early fade out on the US version, UK version is about 30 seconds longer.john 
  3. Give Me More Time (Coverdale, Galley)
  4. Spit It Out (Coverdale, Galley)
    • Guitar intro, full band on UK version
  5. Standing In The Shadow (Coverdale)
    • Much longer fade out on the US version.

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Bustin’ Out The Spreadsheet

Reception and Charts:

  • The US version of the album was released on April 16, 1984, postponed from April 2.
  • The album peaked at #40 in the US on August 25, 1984.
  • The album is certified platinum in November of 1987. 2x platinum in July of 1992.
  • In 1985 the US remix would be released in the UK.
  • Allegedly when a copy of the US mix had reached David and Mel they hated it.  Mel Galley threw the cassette against he wall.  Coverdale said “It sucks” and “It’s dynamically dull, it’s lost its British bollocks.”
  • Simon Robinson goes on to describe a very long and difficult fight between the band and Geffen about the remix.

Reviews:

  • Shortcuts
  • In The Racks
  • Daily Kent Stater
  • Cumberland Sunday Times
  • TV Host
  • Arizona Republic
  • The Morning Call
  • Springfield Leader And Press
  • Cumberland Evening Times
  • The Newark Advocate
  • The Desert Sun
  • Albuquerque Metal
  • Wichita Falls Sheppard Senator
  • The Los Angeles Times
  • The Pittsburgh Press

The Final Word:

For Further Information:

Listener Mail/Comments

  • Comments about the show? Things you’d like us to cover?  We’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@deeppurplepodcast.com or @ us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Episode #188 – Whitesnake – Slide It In (UK Release)

Link to video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4BLlfxmSzE

Disclaimer: The video used on YouTube is a byproduct of producing our audio podcast. We post it merely as a convenience to those who prefer the YouTube format. Please subscribe using one of the links below if you’d prefer a superior audio experience.

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Apple Podcasts Reviews:

  • VoodooOoze – US – 5 Stars
  • “Men In Time” would’ve been cooler.
  • This podcast rules & if I had it my way, it would’ve been called that. Oh well, like Ozzy Osbourne said on his 1994 album “Rock And Roll Over”: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

Deep Dive Podcast Network:

Lead up to the Album:

  • The album was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany between April and May of 1983 with Eddie Kramer producing.
  • In July of 1983 Coverdale did the vocals in America.
  • In October 1983 John Skyes auditioned for the band in Germany back at Musicland studios.
  • From October-November of 1983 the album was completed at Musicland with Martin Birch.
  • Hodgkinson quit the band sometime during these sessions.
  • Moody: “We recorded ‘Slide It In’ in Munich and it was kind of clinical to me and it was not the same sort of band that Whitesnake had been. At this end of the year, I left the band, after the end of a European tour in the fall of ‘83. I really didn’t have a particularly good time. You would have to ask David the rest of it. Geffen was interested in bringing him to the States and creating a new Whitesnake.”
  • Moody described only being really involved with the writing of one sign, “Slow and Easy” and felt that he was really there more as a session guy.
  • Micky Moody quits and The UK tour dates were then canceled.
  • Mel’s brother, Tom, says that before Mel joined Whitesnake that he and Mel had worked up demos for a new Trapeze album.  He said David Coverdale heard the demos and wanted him in the band to replace Bernie.  They ended up using two of the songs for this album including “Gambler” which was retitled and “Give Me Just A Little More Time.”
  • The other songs on that demo tape not used by Whitesnake would end up on Mel and Tom’s album “Phenomena.”
  • David Coverdale talks about being excited to do this album because it’s the first one where he’d gotten rid of the old management.
  • Coverdale was excited to work with Eddie Kramer but said it was very disappointing. He said the band didn’t like him at all.  He said he wasn’t very involved and said he was “an imposter.”
  • Coverdale was very impressed with Kalodner, saying that he had a great track record for reinvigoraging people who were all washed up.  Getting Aerosmith back together and smoothing out the tension between Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, introducing them to Diane Warren.  He did similar things with Cher.

Core Band:

Additional Personnel:

Technical:

Album Art & Booklet Review

  • Artwork, Art Direction – Manfred Brey
    • http://www.breygraphics.de/
    • Only a handful of other album designs. High end designer based in Munich who has done a ton of work with high end clients and magazines.
  • Photography By – Jürgen Barron Reisch*
  • On the cover shoot in the 2009 25th anniversary release Coverdale is asked about some of the ads and tour material that went around.  More here: http://www.gilmourdesign.co.uk/services/liner-notes/whitesnake-slide-it-in-25th-anniversary-emi-2009/
    • Magazine ads reckoned “It’s about time you had an honest 12 inches”, and tour laminates featured a banana and a girl’s mouth. These weren’t genuinely considered for the new release, were they? “Ha Ha!!!…No…it was something I knocked up with a graphic artist  for stage passes for fun…My God, I would have been murdered had I even considered that as an album cover!” And the advertising copy? “An honest 12 inches” was only a naughty attention grabber for promo ads in the music press…Just a bit of fun.” What can DC tell us about the creation of the Slide It In sleeve? “There’s a fun story about the photo shoot in Munich for the cover…it featured a beautiful, 17 year old girl, called Franzeska…It was her first modeling assignment & I have a bloody big snake draped over her shoulders! After a couple of shots the snake decided to seek out someplace warm & started to work it’s way, rather sexily, down her chest…Unfortunately, this was too much for Franzeska…& she fainted dead away…That was why I had to crop her face where I did…otherwise you would see the white of her eyes as she went down! We had to bring in another model for the shoot & the snake worked amazingly well with her…it even curled into a very similar ‘W’ from the early Whitesnake logo…We used those shots on the inner sleeve & for the cover of the ‘Fourplay’ video collection…I think we may swap it around for this anniversary issue…just for fun…” 

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Album Tracks:

Side One:

  1. Gambler (Coverdale, Galley)
    • Backing Vocals – The Fabulosa Brothers
    • Soloist – Jon Lord, Mel Galley
    • Written-By – Coverdale*, Galley*
    • David Coverdale from the Japanese release liner notes: “‘Gambler’ is an exercise in lyrical obliqueness, trying not to be so straightforward in words, not using words like ‘spit it out’, which is pretty straightforward. On ‘Gambler’, I just tried to be a little more poetic, and I’m delighted with the way that came out.”
  2. Slide It In (Coverdale)
    • Backing Vocals – The Fabulosa Brothers
    • Soloist – Micky Moody
    • Written-By – Coverdale*
    • David Coverdale from the Japanese release liner notes: “‘Slide It In’ is more of a tongue-in-cheek. It’s about one of the aspects of the games people play in relationships and it regularly . . . I think a man and a woman can have a terrible argument and things, and particularly a woman can keep going on and on and on about it, and the only way I think I’ve ever found to remedy that situation is to get “anatomically conversant”, thereby being inspired to write a song called ‘Slide It In’. It’s actually not about bananas.
    • Coverdale describes Deep Purple as being a “deadly serious” rock band and that he really enjoyed having a little fun with songs and lyrics like these.
    • Coverdale said he wrote this and several other songs in Saint Lucia.  He said “My wife and I at the time were getting on very, very well and we were very physically active, which was certainly promoting a lof of those tunes.
    • About the negative comments from the press on the lyrics David Coverdale said: “Water off a duck’s back…that is of course if I bother reading the reviews.. If they don’t get it…fine…Unfortunate, but, not my problem. I do what I do, & they do what they do…for some reason I feel my contribution is more fun…more joyful…I don’t envy miserable people…they tend to try & drag you down to their level…Energy vampires…& I’m just not interested…It really is a waste of time to try & piss on my parade. Some of my lyrics are obviously written in fun…for a laugh…like the title track, and if they want to take them ‘seriously’, then that really is their problem…not mine. I remember when I was getting nailed as a sexist. I helped design the ‘Lovehunter’ cover…just to piss ‘em off even more!”
  3. Standing In The Shadow (Coverdale)
  4. Give Me More Time (Coverdale, Galley)
  5. Love Ain’t No Stranger (Coverdale, Galley)
    • Backing Vocals – The Fabulosa Brothers
    • Soloist – Micky Moody
    • Written-By – Coverdale*, Galley*
    • David Coverdale from the Japanese release liner notes: “‘Love Ain’t No Stranger’ is a song about some personal mistakes I made in my life, an attempt for me to analyze, for the reasons behind it.”
    • Cozy described this track as being “the best track he’d ever played on” according to Martin Popoff in “Sail Away.”

Side Two:

  1. Slow An’ Easy (Coverdale, Moody)
    • Backing Vocals – The Big ‘Eads
    • Slide Guitar – Mel Galley, Micky Moody
    • Soloist – Micky Moody
    • Written-By – Coverdale*, Moody*
    • David Coverdale from the Japanese release liner notes: “‘Slow and Easy’ is a kind of Whitesnake track which we arranged as a kind of modern rhythm and blues vehicle. We structured the arrangement Cozy Powell at his dynamic best. This song has been accepted all over the place. It’s like a new Whitesnake anthem. We’re delighted, but the essence of Whitesnake is to try and accomplish modern blues in an ‘80s context.”
    • Coverdale: “Slow an’ Easy,’ I had written basically to replace ‘Lovehunter’ because I was bored sick of singing it. And it was going to be a vehicle for my then slide player Micky Moody.”
    • He says it was recorded during an alcohol-fueled jam in Munich and that most of the lyrics were ad-libbed then cleaned up for the recorded version.
  2. Spit It Out (Coverdale, Galley)
  3. All Or Nothing (Coverdale, Galley)
  4. Hungry For Love (Coverdale)
  5. Guilty Of Love (Coverdale)
    • Backing Vocals – The Fabulosa Brothers
    • Soloist – Mel Galley, Micky Moody
    • Written-By – Coverdale*
    • David Coverdale from the Japanese release liner notes: “Just a very simple and honest love song, which . . . my daughter asked me, “Daddy, how can you be guilty of love?” and unfortunately I couldn’t give her an answer. It’s just an own-up song that I tried to be clever with words on, very simply. But it is just basically a very simple love song.

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Bustin’ Out The Spreadsheet

Reception and Charts:

  • The UK version was released on January 30, 1984.
  • It peaked at #9 in the UK on February 11, 1984.  It would reach #1 in Germany.
  • Shortly after recording Galley was badly injured in a fairground accident and suffered nerve damage which left him unable to play the guitar.
  • Jon Lord describes working with Eddie Kramer as being happy to work with someone new.  “I’m really chuffed with the album. Very, very chuffed indeed.”  He adds: “The songs, I think, are the best that David’s written for some time.”
  • Lord goes on to say that he found it difficult to write with Whitesnake and that his role was more to be the best keyboard support possible.  Lord says, “To me, this is what Whitesnake has always been aiming at. It’s not so much your bog standard rock ‘n’ roll band, or a hard rock band, but a modern R&B band, which I’m glad to see is happening.  But the songs on the new album, I think will se the style for Whitesnake for the next coupld of years.”
  • Lord describes the sound Kramer got for them as being bigger.

Reviews:

  • Record Mirror – Jim Reid
  • Sounds – Garry Bushell
  • Kerrang! – Dave Dickson
  • New Musical Express – Richard Cook
  • Soundcheck – Neil Jeffries
  • Darker Than Blue – Simon Robinson

For Further Information:

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Episode #187 – Deep Purple – Live in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (1991)

Link to video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsFN9DtD-cg

Disclaimer: The video used on YouTube is a byproduct of producing our audio podcast. We post it merely as a convenience to those who prefer the YouTube format. Please subscribe using one of the links below if you’d prefer a superior audio experience.

Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Anchor.fm, Breaker, PodBean, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, or search in your favorite podcatcher! 

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Thanks to Our Executive Level Patrons:

  • The $25 “Uncommon Man” Tier
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  • The £10 Tier
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    • Clay Wombacher
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    • Mikkel Steen
  • The $10.99 “What’s Goin’ On Here” Tier
    • Richard Fusey
  • $10 “Some One Came” Tier
    • Ryan M
    • Jeff Breis
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Deep Dive Podcast Network:

Thanks to Our Core Level Patrons:

  • The $7.77 KeepItWarmRat Tier
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    • Peter from Illinois
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    • Karl Hellberg
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    • John Convery
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    • Jesper Almén
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    • Mark Hodgetts
    • Will Porter
    • Zwopper The Electric Alchemist
    • Percival Frequency
    • Scott Zerns
OSTRAVAR Aréna (previously ČEZ Aréna is located in Vítkovice, Ostrava, Czech Republic. It opened in 1986.

The capacity of the arena is 9,779, plus 16 skyboxes, making it the fourth-largest hockey venue in the Czech Republic. The rink can be converted into seating for concerts, increasing the capacity to 12,500.

This was the opening show of the 1991 Slaves and Masters tour, postponed form January 29th.

Setlist:

  1. Intro
  2. Burn
  3. Black Night (incl. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll)
  4. Truth Hurts
  5. The Cut Runs Deep (incl. Hush)
  6. Perfect Strangers
  7. Bass Solo / Fire In The Basement
  8. King Of Dreams
  9. Love Conquers All
  10. Difficult To Cure
  11. Keyboard Solo
  12. Knocking At Your Back Door
  13. Lazy
  14. Wicked Ways
  15. Highway Star
  16. Smoke On The Water (incl. Drum Solo & Woman From Tokyo)

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Episode #186 – Gillan – Double Trouble (Studio LP)

Link to video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSDEJDHE7MQ

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Lead up to the Album:

  • Tensions were beginning to grow in the band.
  • The band was taking an equal split but Gillan felt that he was the one taking the real risk.
  • They were scheduled to fly back from shows they were performing to appear on “Top of the Pops.”
  • Bernie refused to do it.  The rest of the band weren’t terribly happy about it either.  Gillan made ethe decision that they had to do it to support the record label.
  • Gillan gave the band an ultimatum and said the car was coming to pick them up and that if you weren’t in the car, you weren’t in the band.
  • Everyone turned up except Bernie.
  • Gillan phones up Phil Banfield and said asked him to find a guitar player.
  • Banfield found Janick but he wasn’t allowed to be on Top of the Pops because he wasn’t on the recording so they did the appearance without a guitar player.
  • Gillan rehearsed with Janick in the hotel room.
  • They rehearsed the new album in Lyme Regis in Dorset at Drake Hall (named after Sir Francis Drake).
  • https://www.loudersound.com/news/bernie-torme-s-debt-to-ian-gillan
    • “I think they wanted us to be more like Rainbow. In retrospect I think that was incredibly stupid because I think Gillan had a more long-term effect on what happened later in terms of thrash than Rainbow ever had.
    • “I joined on £30 a week and at the end of it, big tours, three top 10 albums, I was on, I think, £45 a week. There was a complete shambles about publishing. It was badly organised and to be honest I would have to say an awful lot of that was Ian’s responsibility. He was the guy in charge and he promised things he wasn’t able to do.”
    • An argument over an upcoming appearance on Top Of The Pops led Torme to walk away when he was told he wouldn’t be paid for it.
    • He adds: “I really regret how I did it, I shouldn’t have done it in that way. It was terribly negative and I love all of them.”

Core Band:

Additional Personnel:

Technical:

  • Engineer – Paul ‘Chas’ Watkins* (tracks: A1 to B4)
  • Producer – Steve Smith (3)
    • Worked with Bob Marley & The Wailers, Robert Palmer, Toots and the Maytals, and Supertramp.
  • Recorded By [Manor Mobile] – Chris Blake (tracks: D2)
    • Worked with Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, and Van Morisson.
  • Recorded By [Rolling Stones Mobile] – Mick McKenna (tracks: C1 to D1, D3), Steve Smith (3) (tracks: C1 to D1, D3)

Album Art & Booklet Review

  • Design [Sleeve], Artwork – Jean-Luke Epstein*
  • Design [Sleeve], Artwork – Lol Sanford
    • Also worked for Graphyk, not many other credits
  • Photography By [Inner Sleeve] – Mick Gregory
    • Worked with Samson, Bernie Torme, and credit on the Perfect Strangers album art
  • Photography By [Inner Sleeve] – Nico Preston
    • Only this Gillan album and a Gary Moore album as a credit
  • Photography By [Outer Sleeve] – Jon Prew
    • Credits with Split Enz, UB40 and, Rory Gallagher

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Album Tracks:

Side One:

  1. I’ll Rip Your Spine Out (Gillan, McCoy, Underwood)
  2. Restless (Gillan, McCoy)
  3. Men of War (Gillan, McCoy)
  4. Sunbeam (Gillan, Gers, McCoy, Underwood)

Side Two:

  1. Nightmare (Towns)
    • Released as a single and made it to #36 on the charts
  2. Hadely Bop Bop (Gillan, McCoy)
  3. Life Goes On (Gillan, Towns)
  4. Born to Kill (Gillan, Towns)

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Bustin’ Out The Spreadsheet

Reception and Charts:

  • UK Chart Entry: 7 Nov 1981
  • Highest Position: 12
  • Total Weeks on Chart: 15

Reviews:

  • Darker Than Blue Issue 25  July 1982
    • GILLAN: Double Trouble. Virgin VGD 3506: UK: Oct 1981
    • Some of it has grown on me, and what seemed initially like a non-starter bar one track now rates somewhat higher. ‘I’ll Rip Your Spine Out’ is one of my favourites, let down only by the rather predictable synth tone in the solo. It’s ‘Men Of War’ which really slays me, and has done from the first play. The vocals soaring in and out, growling and screaming – magnificent. The guitar works well, but again I find the keyboards somewhat ordinary. The album ends with the only two Gillan/Towns compositions, of which I think I prefer ‘Life Goes On’. A marked change in style instrumentally, and some good vocals. We even get some of the Mary Longs sneaking in near the end, with a nice dramatic close. Which is more than you can say for ‘Born To Kill’. it fizzles out after such a good build up through all the different tempos etc. Certainly good stuff, Colin playing well, and I feel I’d go for it more had they not done it so well live. At times I do find myself missing the Gillan “thrash” of yore, and the mix isn’t anything to shout about, but the album certainly has more going for it than the last poor effort. Gers slots in well, only two Blackmoresque solos throughout.
    • The bonus live LP is a real duffer, and a poor recording (mostly from the Reading festival 1981). The sleeve artwork is crummy. Enough, what about the singles?….
  • From Kerrang #22 Aug 12-25 1982 entitled “If I Were A Carpenter”
    • In a field somewhere between London and Reading lies a tape of “Double Trouble.” A two-record set containing both live and studio material, it surpassed all previous Gillan albums in terms of overall sales. Yet a pre-release earful of the studio half (and only part of that) during a fifth-gear burn up on the M4 proved more than enough for Ian Gillan himself. The songs he liked, the mix, handled by US producer Steve Smith, he didn’t.
    • “I wound down the window, ripped the tape out of the cassette player and threw it away. It was…*crap*!”
    • There are times, even for one of rock’s most articulate spokesmen, when the simple, graphic expression carries most meaning. Clearly Ian gleans little pleasure from the memory of that album but, a pub near the Hounslow district of London being our chosen rendezvous, he can at least console himself with a pull on a pint.
    • “All the power was missing from it,” he continues, setting down his glass, “I just hated it. The sound was more acceptable for American audiences, I suppose, but I don’t really give a monkey’s toss about American audiences or any audience when it comes to writing the songs. Which isn’t to say I don’t care about the fans, just that, ultimately, you have to make your own judgment on music, you’ve got to be proud of what you do because you’re the one who has to live with it, be it a success or a failure.
    • “As far as I’m concerned the public can take me or leave me and what I do. No compromise at *any* stage at all. I’m not interested in it. I left Deep Purple for that reason, because suddenly we were beginning to do what the audience expected. Even if ‘Double Trouble’ had been multi-platinum…well, I haven’t played it since.”
  • In “Child in Time” Gillan writes:
    • About after he ditched the cassette out the car window
    • “A few weeks later I listened to it again and realized that I had completely missed it. How stupid I had been because it was a fine piece of progressive rock, and I don’t think I had ever felt that since early Purple days. Songs like “Restless, “I’ll Rip Your Spine Out,” Hadlely Bop Bop” “No Easy Way” and the single “Nightmare” all jumped out at me.Who said you couldn’t make a good album while on the road? Gillan  were doing it with consistency while playing 200 shows a year.

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