IAN GILLAN

IAN GILLAN - "Highway Star - 40 Years In Rock" DVD Due This Spring

According to Deep-Purple.net, DEEP PURPLE singer IAN GILLAN's 40th anniversary (that's 40 years as a professional musician...), DVD has been through a number of changes over the last twelve months. First an internet only edition, then only available via Gillan's web site, etc. but now appears to have settled down as a 2xDVD edition on a major label, available Europe wide (and through DPAS Mailorder). Titled Highway Star - 40 Years In Rock, and scheduled for March / April, DVD 1 is a major interview with Gillan full of clips (lasting two and a half hours!). DVD 2 has a number of shorter features such as GillanCam, Russian Tour Report, At Home With etc.

IAN GILLAN - More "Highway Star - A Journey In Rock" DVD Details Revealed

As previously reported, DEEP PURPLE frontman IAN GILLAN's 40th anniversary (that's 40 years as a professional musician...), DVD has been through a number of changes over the last twelve months. First an internet only edition, then only available via IG's web site, etc. but now appears to have settled down as a double-DVD edition on a major label, available Europe wide (and through DPAS mail order.

Titled Highway Star - A Journey In Rock, DVD 1 is a two and a half hour documentary featuring interviews with Ian Gillan, Pavarotti, Tim Rice, George Best, Roger Glover, Ronnie Dio and many more, along with performance clips etc. DVD 2 is a bonus disc, with features including another documentary of Ian Gillan on tour, titled End Of Tour Blues, with 12 complete tracks from gigs in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cardiff and Plymouth (1hr 45min); GillanCam, half-an-hour of heavily distilled footage filmed by IG himself; and lots of extras. The total running time of the two discs is 380 mins (that's well over six hours) and it's initially available in a limited edition hardback book.

(Thanks Deep-Purple.net)

GILLAN/IAN GILLAN BAND Reissues Announced

The following update is courtesy of DEEP PURPLE fansite Thehighwaystar.com:

Edsel Records (through Demon) will be releasing a selection of seven GILLAN and IAN GILLAN BAND albums in March and April. These will comprise of five chart albums, which were originally released between 1979 and 1982, including Glory Road which charted at 3 and Future Shock UK at 2. Together the seven albums feature eight chart singles.

The first batch of Gillan releases hit outlets on 2nd April and include Mr Universe (1979), Glory Road (1980), Future Shock (1981) and Double Trouble (1981). These will be followed on 7th May with Ian’s first solo album Child In Time (Ian Gillan Band, 1976), Live At The Budokan (Ian Gillan Band, 1977) and Magic (Gillan, 1982). All seven albums have been digitally re-mastered by Ray Staff (Bohemian Rhapsody, Physical Graffiti, Corrine Bailey Rae, Deep Purple) and will feature bonus tracks including live recordings, and `b’ sides as well as album out-takes. The deluxe packaging will contain photos, lyrics, memorabilia and some wry observations of the times by Ian Gillan himself.

Gillan says: `It’s about bloody time!’

These albums feature some of Ian’s cohorts including Janick Gers, Bernie Tormé, John McCoy, Colin Towns and Mick Underwood as well as the Gillan classics 'Sleeping On The Job', 'No Easy Way', 'Trouble', 'Mutually Assured Destruction', 'New Orleans', 'No Laughing In Heaven', 'Nightmare', 'Restless And Living For The City'. There are also fabulous live versions of Deep Purple classics including 'Child In Time', 'Smoke On The Water' and 'Woman From Tokyo'.

Ian Gillan is rock royalty, and has become an erudite elder statesman of the genre. He was the original Jesus Christ Superstar and - with Deep Purple - he co-wrote and sang 'Smoke On The Water' (one of the most popular songs of all time) among dozens of other hits. He’s always made music for music’s sake, not to appease critics, the industry or anyone else; to quote the man. ‘It’s important to step off the highway sometimes and take the scenic route.’ He has played to tens of millions of fans, and sold over one hundred million records. To this day he approaches writing, recording and touring with the zeal, passion and commitment of an eighteen year old. Currently on tour with Deep Purple - His life is music - listen and enjoy.

The complete tracklistings for the reissues can be found here.

DEEP PURPLE's IAN GILLAN: "Some Things That Don’t Seem That Good Turn Out To Be Gems"

The following interview is courtesy of Debbie Bennett from Expressandstar.co.uk:

Everyone over the age of 25 has heard of it. It is the simplest of riffs which every wannabe guitarist learns first and foremost – even non-metal fans.

'Smoke On The Water' was, and still is, the song that gave British heavy rock band DEEP PURPLE a place in the music history books.

Now, almost 40 years on, after a number of break-ups, reunions, and various line-ups, Deep Purple seems to have finally found its comfy chair as the band continues to tour, record and amaze, with three of its earliest members still on board.

Although lead vocalist IAN GILLAN Gillan wasn’t the first singer with Deep Purple, which formed in 1968, he joined in 1969, bringing with him an incredible four-octave voice which has hardly aged over the years.

A European tour-leg begins in March with UK dates starting in April including a May date at the NEC Arena, and Ian sounds relaxed and calm following a month’s break in Queensland, Australia, where he’s spent a few lazy days swimming in the Great Barrier Reef.

He mentions spotting crocodiles and sharks: “Just like the music business, really,” he jokes.

Presumably, then, he can relax and stop writing when he’s away from it all.

“Oh no, I do write,” he replies. “I’ve got my little book with me all the time, plus my laptop. . . I’m always scribbling.”
And that’s not just lyrics, but thoughts, questions and general putting the world to rights. He never quite knows what his notes will be used for – but then he doesn’t ‘write’ in the conventional sense.

“Roger has a theory that if anything’s good enough, you’ll remember it,” he says of his fellow band member, bassist Roger Glover. “But some things that don’t seem that good turn out to be gems.”

Read more here.

Petition To Nominate IAN GILLAN For The Rank Of The Member Of The Order Of British Empire Launched

According to DEEP PURPLE fan-site Thehighwaystar.com, Steve Hoare has started a petition to nominate Ian Gillan for the rank of the Member of the Order of British Empire. British citizens and residents can sign petition online at the Prime Minister’s website. Deadline is March 4, 2008.

MBE rank does not entail knighthood, but is nevertheless a very prestigious award. You can read more about it at Wikipedia.

(Thanks Thehighwaystar.com)