Posted on by Nathan Beaudry

Episode #37 – The “New” Deep Purple

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Thanks to Our Patrons:

Thanks to our Brothers at the Deep Dive Podcast Network:

Thanks to the Patron Saint and Archivist of The Deep Purple Podcast:

Show Updates:

  • Comments from social media.
  • Apple Podcasts review by yah buh dee , 5 STARS, 11/26/2019 – Finally! – Finally a deep deep purple podcast. Amazing work. Love the band, love the music, love the hosts of this podcast. Just like Black Sabbath sent me to deep purple, Sabbath Bloody Podcast sent me to this podcast. Up to machine head episode and loving every episode so far. Keep up the great work
  • Lots of praise about Butterfly Ball episodes – lots of new people turned on to the show.
  • Aranea Push on YouTube on 11/21/2019
    • So excited to find somebody who has explored The Butterfly Ball in depth! I have a dad who not only instilled in me a passion for music, but who also gave me a name from this album! Needless to say I grew up with this music. But to this day I never meet anyone who’s ever even heard of The Butterfly Ball let alone listened to it! Thanks for taking the time to explore this!
  • Guested on Scott Haskin’s podcast, HaskinCast PodCast, Episode Eighty-Four: 
    • Don’t listen for us! Listen because Scott tells us an incredible Roger Glover story!
  • Judi Kuhl (Glover) words about Butterfly Ball:

Personnel:

  • Rod Evans – vocals
  • Tony Flynn [wiki, discogs] – guitar
    • Born in 1956 in San Francisco.
    • As a child he was in a comedy movie trilogy called “The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monster” playing the role of Pee Wee.
    • Started recording and doing session work very young
    • In the 70s he was in The Tony Flynn Trio
    • Later he was in a band called Naked Kombo
    • He worked with Rick Derringer in 1973
    • In 1975 he was in a group called McJohn with John Mayall though they would never play live – Also in the group was Goldy McJohn, founding member of Steppenwof
    • Next group was Southern Pacific again with Goldy McJohn
  • Tom de Rivera [wiki, discogs] – bass
    • Grew up in Los Angeles County and was a founding member of the band Corroboree in 1968 which was one of the more highly regarded bands in the early 70s club scene in LA
  • Dick Jurgens III [wiki, discogs] – drums
    • Born in 1959 and grew up in Sacramento, California where he began playing drums in the school band.
    • Named after his grandfather who was the founder of the Dick Jurgens Orchestra in the early 1930s.
    • Because of his musical camily connectsions he’d gotten a backstage pass to meet the original Deep Purple when they played California in the 60s.
    • In the late 1970s he was in a fake remake of the band Association.
    • Would later join the new Steppenwolf band.
  • Geoff Emery [wiki, discogs] – keyboards
    • Born in 1951
    • First real credit was with New Steppenwolf
    • It was reported that Emery was also part of an Iron Butterfly lineup as well
    • Was an attorney

The New Steppenwolf:

  • In 1977 Tony Flynn was recruited to be in the “New” Steppenwolf with original organ player Goldy McJohn and bass player Nick St. Nicholas.  He played with them on and off in different lineups up until 1980.
  • Eventually this lineup would include Geogg Emery on organ

Formation:

  • In 1980 Steve Greenberg (also known as Steve Green) became interested in reforming Deep Purple in any way possible.
  • They approached Nick Simper first but Nick declined.
  • When they approached Rod he said in Sounds Magazine in August of 1980: “It came along at the right time because I was tired of what I was doing, you know, toeing someone else’s line and working semi-nine to five. I was ready for a change.”
  • After Simper refused they auditioned Tom who got the gig.
  • On Gerhard’s site it’s mentioned that Geoff Emery was an attorney who put this project together
  • Rod Evans says in an interview with Mexican magazine Conecte “ was tired of all this.  Then one day Gooeff called and said ‘Let’s get Deep Purple together, we have the name.’
  • Rod said he was a little lin doubt.
  • Nick Simper, in 2010, stated that Rod had called him in 1980 and left a message with Simper’s wife to have Nicky call him.  He did not. Later he would say this was a “wise” move.

Concert Audio:

  1. Smoke on the Water live in Mexico City
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYuLwQMB7h4
    • Jorg Planer almost had the full show!
    • Rod: “… but with the Rolling Stones truck thing just outside . . .”
    • In 1994 when Deep Purple played Mexico City Ian Gillan would quip: “This is the FIRST time we play in Mexico!”

Tour Schedule:

  • The “New” Deep Purple featuring Rod Evans Tour Schedule
  • For an extensive review of specific shows along with quotes see: http://www.dpac.at/Bogus_Deep_Purple_1980.html#1
  • Some selected quotes:
    • “I don’t know what they played at the Swing, but they played all the stuff that Rod wasn’t even in the band for when they played the gymnasium of my high school that same year. Yes. THAT is right. My high school. Arcadia high in Arcadia, California. I still can’t believe it 36 years later… I remember wondering why he was singing songs from albums he had nothing to do with… I was trying to see if I could contact any of the friends who were with me but to no avail. I was personally feeling like it was in the fall but after all this time and all the parties it very well could have been June… tell him thanks for the cool show if you see him.” (Ray Wright, via facebook comments)
    • “The next act was introduced as “Steppenwolf”, they did a selection of Steppen-wolf songs including “Magic carpet ride” and “Born to be wild”. When they finished the lead singer came out to introduce Deep Purple. I noticed then that the same band came out to perform as Deep Purple…” (Jon Trask, via e-mail, 2014)
    • “It was already dark when they announced the arrival of Deep Purple. The announcer had no better idea than to ask us to light our lighters to receive the musicians, so people started to burn everything they had nearby. Stands, posters, everything… In the middle of that general fire the magic chords sounded: chan chan chan, chan chan chan chan. I forgot everything and joined the crowd singing “Smoke on the Water” to the screams.” (Nicolás Gadano, laagenda.buenosaires.gob.ar, 2016)
    • “The keyboard player, who must have been playing all of two weeks, has captured Jon Lord’s actions well. The drummer is pretty good and did the synth work in ‘Space Trucking’.” (Julie Lewis, Stargazer magazine No. 23, 1981)
    • “The one thing I remember distinctly was the …ahem… drum solo which consisted of the drummer unscrewing a cymbal from it’s stand, carrying it into the audience and tapping it in front of some bewildered and increasingly smoldering patrons.” (Openair83, bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard, 2004)
    • “I’ll never forget that. The show I attended lasted less than a few minutes. When the lights when on, and there was no Ritchie, the crowd went ballistic which quickly turned into a riot! That show took place @ “At the Factory” on July 17, 1980 in Staten Island, NY. Well, that was a long time ago and I was in a different state of mind that night, but I distinctly remember the band coming on stage (although very briefly) sans Ritchie. It was a packed house and the crowd immediately went apesh*t and started screaming for Ritchie and within a minute (or so) beer bottles started flying toward the band members. It quickly turned into a chaotic scene so I don’t recall for sure, but I believe a few of them were hit and injured. And if that wasn’t bad enough things only escalated once the bouncers tried to intervene (not that they even had a chance). It was a night I’ll never forget.” (MrX, thegearpage forum, 2015)

Example Setlist

From 21 June, 1980 show in San Bernadino California: (source:  http://www.dpac.at/Bogus_Deep_Purple_1980.html)

  • Hush
  • Hey Joe
  • Kentucky Woman
  • Highway Star
  • Smoke on the Water
  • Space Truckin’
  • Drum Solo
  • Woman From Tokyo
  • Might Just Take Your Life

They would also play “Wring That Neck”


In The Media:

  • Daily Record – 18 July 1980:
    • A band billed as Deep Purple was scheduled to perform last night at the Factory, a club located . . . on Staten Island.  The band will appear Sunday at Baby-O, in Seaside Heights . . .
    • “What does this Deep Purple have in common with the band that recorded ”Smoke on the Water” and “Burn?”  Don’t ask the band’s ol record company, Warner Brothers. “WE dont’ know anything about this group, “ said Marion Perkins, director of East Coast Tour Publicity for Warners.”
    • “Don’t ask Capitol Records, the label to which the current Deep Purple is supposedly signed.  “Deep Purple is not on Capitol,” said a spokeswoman int he company’s publicity department.”
    • John Salvato, of Talent Spectrum, made the claim that they were signed to Capitol.
    • Article goes on to talk about sold out show of 38,000 Deep Purple played in Mexico City grossing $342,000.
    • “So the question remains: who is this Deep Purple?  And do they have teh reight to use the band’s name? Salvato’s only comment on that issue: “I’m not sure of the legalities.”
  • In Reno Gazette Journal on 09 August, 1980 – 
    • Blackmore: I think it’s pretty disgusting that a band has to stoop this low and take somebody else’s name.  It’s like a bunch of guys putting together a group and calling it Led Zeppelin.
    • Glover: “People are paying good money to see something that isn’t what it’s purported to be.  Even though Rod was in the band originally, it’s not really the band that people know.”
    • “Tony Flynn contends that his group ‘ sounds exactly the same and looks exactly the same.  In all respects, we are the same product.’ Flynn also asserts taht he acquired the right to use the Deep Purple name from the group’s old manager, John Coletta, and its accountant, Bill Reed.”
    • Reed and Coletta, of course, denied this claim.
  • In Los Angeles Times on 09, August, 1980 – Patrick Goldstein
    • To most rock fans, Deep Purple means Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Gillan, all best-known for their work with the heavy-meatl supergroup.  But none of those stalwarts will be on stage when the band headlines the Long BEach Arena on Aug. 19. In fact, no one seems to want to reveal just who is in Deep Purple these days.  The group has been playing concert halls around the country despite the presence of only one original member, singer Rod Evans.
    • Goes on to say how they were going to reveal the band’s identities on August 17.
  • In Los Angeles Times, on 19 August, 1980 – Richard Cromelin 
    • The controversy surrounding tonight’s concert by Deep Purple –now billed as “The NEw Deep Purple” — at the Long Beach Arena excalated Monday when an ad appeared int eh Times stating that Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Glen [sic] Hughes, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice would not perform at the concert.
  • In Los Angeles Times, on 21 August, 1980 – Terry Atkinson
    • The New Deep Purple band, which includes only one musician ever associated with the famous British rock group, drew enough curious and confused fans Tuesday night to fill two-thirds of the 9,000 available seats at the Long BEach ARena.  The audience response wavered between docile acceptance and enthusiasm during the 55-minute set.
    • Some of the audience Tuesday seemsed unaware of the pre-concert controversy about the band’s makeup.  “This is ridiculous,” cried one young man. “That’s not Deep Purple up there.” A woman who gave up on the show after only 10 minutes had been better informed, but bought tickets anyway. “I wanted to see if they at least sounded something like Deep Purple.  They’re not even close.– it smears the name of the group.”
    • The band’s playing was so sloppy that, though I blieeve it performed nothing but old PUrple songs, I can’t be sure.  The group got halfway through one of my favorites “Woman From Tokyo,” before I realized what it was. I couldn’t even identify a couple of others though “Highway Star” . . . “Space Truckin’” and “Burn” were (barely) recognizeable.
    • Tempos constantly went awry, all sense of dynamics was absent, and the long guitar, organ and drum solos were pathetic.  On top of everything, Evans had a flat, leaden voice that didn’t do justice to his material. With his black tank top, tight black pants and short hair he didn’t even look the part. Flashy laser light effects couldn’t hide the fact that the whole thing was a sham.
  • In Los Angeles Times, on 25 August, 1980 – PAtrick Goldstein
    • Purple Pose: Rock or Xerox?
    • According to Lor Kain, a San Francisco-based singer, two members of the new Deep Purple, pianist Jeff Emery and guitarist Tony Flynn, played numerous dates with him in Colorado earlier this year — calling themselves Steppenwolf.
    • “One night Flynn even introduced himself on stage as Michael Monarch (the original STeppenwolf guitarist),” said Kain, who served as the group’s lead singer.  “Each night they’d say, “Who’s gonna play the original member this time?”
    • Kain claimed the group never had full-scale rehearsal, saying “We just learned the songs off Steppenwolf’s greatest-hits album.”  Though the group was billed as including original band member Nick St. Nicholas, who claimed to own the non-exclusive rights to the name of the group, KAin said that St. Nicholas never appeared at any of the gigs.  Emery and Flynn were unavailable for comment.
    • According to the new Billboard Talent Directory, NTI’s talent roster includes Deep Purple, Steppenwolf, as well as re-formed groups like JAy and the Americans, Canned Heat, the Blues Image, Herman’s Hermits, the MC5 and Rare Earth.
    • One rock businessman, a Colorado-base promoter, washed his hands of the whole matter.  According to the promoter, Emery earlier this year offered him either group–one price for STeppenwolf, one price for Deep Purple.  “At this rate,” said the promoter, “I expect to hear about a Beatles tour any day now.

The New Deep Purple Album

  • Featured the track list:
    • Tracks the New Deep Purple band recorded in the summer
    • of 1980 at L.A.’s Village Recording Studios had been:
    • – Hush
    • – All I Am Is Blue
    • – Hold On Me
    • – Blood Blister
    • – Brum Doogie
    • Producer: Mike Curb
    • Album title: unknown Picture: Tony Flynn
    • A more recent version of “All I Am Is Blue”, performed by Tony Flynn & The Bluescasters in Acapulco on July 10, 2015, can be viewed on youtube.
  • Tony Flynn – The Bluescasters – All I Am Is Blue
    • Live in Acupulco, July of 2015

What Deep Purple’s Former Members Had To Say

  • “People are paying good money to see something that isn’t what it’s purported to be. Even tough Rod was in the band originally, it’s not really the band people know.” (Roger Glover, Rolling Stone magazine, August 1980)
  • “I think it’s pretty disgusting that a band has to stoop this low and take somebody else’s name. It’s like a bunch of guys putting together a group and calling it Led Zeppelin. I don’t like this at all.” (Ritchie Blackmore, Rolling Stone magazine, August 1980)
  • “We did not want anything with Deep Purple, and everyone was involved in different projects. I think Rod Evans was in his right because the name had been abandoned, but there were so many “legal corners” hidden that this became a complex battle and they lost, I wish the best of lucks.” (Jon Lord, Conecte magazine, November 1980)
  • “We didn’t make that money, it went all to the lawyers involved… The only chance to stop that band was to sue Rod, as he was the only one receiving money, all others were on wages… Surely Rod did get involved with some very bad people!” (Ian Paice, March 18, 1996, from Hartmut Kreckels (un)official European Captain Beyond website)
  • “It was a very expensive business. And, of course, we’ll never be paid the damages. Rod Evans just doesn’t have the money. He no longer receives the royalities from those first three albums though.” (Manager Tony Edwards, source: Deep Purple – The Illustrated Biography by Chris Charlesworth, 1983)
  • Before the controversy
    • “Deep Purple is a thing of the past and I don’t want to have another experience like that again.” (Ritchie Blackmore, 1978 – Conecte magazine, May 1981)
  • After the controversy
    • New: “One day I’d really like to work with Ritchie again and maybe it’ll be with Purple, I don’t know.” (Ian Gillan, Record Mirror, August 30, 1980)
    • “I think there is an excellent opportunity for Deep Purple to meet again in the near future.” (Jon Lord, 1980 – Conecte magazine, May 1981)

Where are they now?

  • Rod Evans
    • No one knows.
    • It’s reported he was married in 1988.
    • As we said in an earlier episode listener Norman wrote in to say he met Nick Simper and asked him where Rod Evans was.  His answer: “Where is he? That´s the 100.000 billion dollars question. As far is know – as my daughter is friend with somebody who is close to Rod´s kids – he is alive, doing well, living in California, retired, bald-headed, and totally out of the music biz.“
  • Tony Flynn
    • After The “New” Deep Purple Tony Flynn had plans to record a solo album in Mexico with Rod Evans, Goldy McJohn, Paul Butterfield, and Geoff Emery.  In an interview in 1981 he said that he completed some of the recordings but it’s unclear (and unlikely) that Evans, Goldy, or McJohn participated.
    • Released a CD in 1990 entitled “Anthony R. Flynn – Angel’s Breath.”
    • He also starred in a movie “Romancing the Bride” with Laura Prepon and Carrie Fisher credited as Tony Flynn
    • Tony Flynn – Deep Purple tribute show (a journey through Rod Evans’ 1980 Deep Purple tour)
    • Tony Flynn – Tribute to Deep Purple show (a journey through Rod Evans’ 1980 Deep Purple tour) Outtakes from Tony Flynn`s Deep Purple tribute show, performed in Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero, in Mexico on December 16th, 2017 From May 17th to September 20th, 1980, original Deep Purple vocalist Rod Evans was on tour with his new Deep Purple band, performing in the United States, Mexico City and Canada. The group consisted of Rod Evans (vocals), Tony Flynn (guitars), Geoff Emery (organ, vocals), Dick Jurgens (drums) and Tom De Rivera (bass, vocals). A journey through the Deep Purple 1980 tour – Music by Tony Flynn & The Mountain Men
    • Tony Flynn & The Mountain Men – Wring That Neck
      • Tony Flynn – Fandango
      • Tom de Rivera [wiki, discogs] – bass
        • Allegedly retired from the music business after the 1980 tour
        • There is word taht he played with a band called Soul Purpose in South Orange County, California in 2006.
      • Dick Jurgens III [wiki, discogs] – drums
        • As reported on: http://www.dpac.at/Bogus_Deep_Purple_1980.html
        • passed away of cancer on December 4th, 2016. He was sick for a long time. “Thank you for the nice contact we had, it gave me a lot of inspiration when creating the “New Deep Purple 1980” fanpage. Rest In Peace!“
        • Legendsfuneralhome.com – 
      • Geoff Emery [wiki, discogs] – keyboards

      Podcast Meeting

      • Show format moving forward
      • Discussion of subjects, how to select, etc.
        • Cycle through categories?
        • Introduce random element?
        • One picks category, other picks subject?
      • Deep Purple History segment? Time to retire?
      • Any new segments to bring in?

      In The News . . .

      • Ian Gillan “Announces” New Deep Purple Album on Facebook
      • Deep Purple
      • December 3 at 2:00 AM ·
      • A MESSAGE FROM IAN GILLAN
      • It was late March in 2019, when I found myself in Nashville TN, renting an Airbnb delight called ‘Rose River Cottage’, on one bank of the Cumberland River, almost directly opposite the Grand Ole Opry, from where the quaint music would drift across the water into the wee small hours.
      • It was springtime, and – along with the woodchucks – I was emerging from hibernation.
      • Across town, other members of Deep Purple were staying in more urbane accommodation. This was a shock, as we are famous for our lack of planning and we all wondered what had drawn us together in this place and time.
      • An even greater surprise was to follow; each member (arms and legs I’m talking about) arrived at a rehearsal studio and then a recording studio at roughly the same time on roughly the same day with roughly no idea of what we were doing.
      • It was a total coincidence, the like of which has probably never been witnessed since – unbelievably – exactly the same thing happened a few years earlier when we spawned some In-Finite ideas.
      • Then – blow me down – Bob Ezrin turned up and said ‘Let’s have dinner on Monday’
      • Someone enquired ‘What’s the big occasion?’
      • Bob replied ‘To celebrate the fact that we are all still alive…’
      • ‘In which case’ continued the world-weary muso, ‘We’d better make it Sunday’
      • But we survived the weekend and had dinner on Monday.
      • Tuesday, we made another album and Wednesday we went to the pub….
      • Something like that anyway (it was all a blur) and now we gird our lions (yes, I know, but I’m in Africa) for a year of febrile activity into which a rare amount of planning has been invested; obviously not by us.
      • I sense the grinding of campaign wheels, the oiling of creaky roadies, rumours of itineraries and ripples of creativity in Hamburg. Quite plainly something is in the air; but I have no idea what it could be.
      • Perhaps, after another brief hibernation, all will become clear, in the spring of 2020.
      • ig

      This Week in Purple History . . .

      January 6 through January 12

      • January 12, 1987 – The House of Blue Light is released
      • January 7, 1975 – Stormbringer is certified gold in the US having been released the previous November
      • January 10, 2013 – Claude Nobs dies

      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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