As part of the upcoming ‘Rapture of the Deep – 20th Anniversary Remix’, Deep Purple today release a newly mixed and remastered version of ‘Clearly Quite Absurd’, accompanied by a previously unreleased instrumental studio rehearsal take of ‘MTV’, through earMUSIC.
Roger Glover recalls in 2025: “’Clearly Quite Absurd’ is a very unusual Deep Purple song, which I like. We’ve always liked being unusual. We don’t follow traditions, really. We are just who we are at a specific time.”
The single’s B-side, ‘MTV (2005 Studio Jam)’, is a previously unheard instrumental take from an early rehearsal session – with Don Airey, Steve Morse, Roger Glover and Ian Paice running through a track that later appeared as a bonus on select editions of Rapture of the Deep.
The single is a preview of the Rapture of the Deep – 20th Anniversary Remix, [out worldwide on August 29], which includes a brand-new mix of the full album, revised artwork, and a bonus disc filled with rare studio rehearsals and instrumental jams.
The album will be available as 2CD Digipak, 3LP Vinyl (black, 180g), and the strictly limited 3LP Transparent Sky-Blue Vinyl.
With Deep Purple riding high on the success of their latest No. 1 record ‘=1’, the time is right to (re)discover the album that set the path for Deep Purple in the 21st century.
Alongside the single release, the official music video for ‘Lazy Sod’ is now live on Deep Purple’s YouTube channel.
Asked about the song’s inspiration, frontman Ian Gillan explained in an interview:
“Recently, a young journalist asked me how many songs I had written in my life. I replied that the last time my assistant counted, twenty years ago, it was over 500. I felt quite accomplished until she pointed out Dolly Parton’s 5,000 songs, calling me a lazy sod. I couldn’t help but agree and wrote down the exchange in my notebook.” (ROCKS magazine, June 2024)
Produced once again by iconic Bob Ezrin, the new album ‘=1’ captures the purest classic Deep Purple sound, without relying on nostalgia.
Two weeks before its release on July 19th, global acclaim is mounting for ‘=1’. Critics are already hailing it as a Deep Purple‘classic’ (ROCKS, Germany), giving the album a perfect 10/10 rating, describing it as ‘highly recommended’ (Fireworks, UK), and celebrating ‘=1’ as ‘their finest moment this century’ (Classic Rock, UK).
In celebration of the new album, Deep Purple will perform more than 60 concerts worldwide this year during their ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour.
With three consecutive No. 1 albums in their back pocket and a resurgent new energy powering them forward, this is Deep Purple at their pinnacle. ‘Now WHAT?!’ (2013), inFinite’ (2017), and ‘Whoosh!’ (2020) have sold over one million copies worldwide, making Deep Purple one of the most successful rock bands currently active. The latest studio album, ‘Whoosh!’, reached #1 on the album charts in 7 countries and charted in the top 10 in another 12.
‘=1’ will be released on July 19th via earMUSIC as Ltd. CD+DVD (Digipak), CD (Jewelcase), 2LP Gatefold (black, 180g), Ltd. Purple 2LP Gatefold (180g), Ltd. Crystal Clear 2LP (180g) and Ltd. Box Set (CD+DVD Digipak, 2LP black Gatefold, 3x exclusive 10” vinyl editions featuring live recordings from Deep Purple’s 2022 tour, exclusive Collector’s T-shirt, 2x exclusive guitar picks, 1x exclusive art print, 1x exclusive lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to every show on the Deep Purple ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour).
All LPs include a rich 12-page LP sized booklet – exclusively in the first print run!
The bonus DVD features the approx. 60min documentary ‘Access All Areas’ joining Deep Purple backstage on tour and providing an exclusive look behind the scenes.
Further exclusive items are available via the official album store: Ltd. 2LP Picture Disc, Ltd. Cassette, strictly limited canvas signed by all band members – limited to 150 items only and various other merchandise items
DEEP PURPLE releases their new song ‘Pictures Of You’ of their upcoming album =1 through earMUSIC.
Deep Purple’s latest song, ‘Pictures Of You’ is now available for streaming and as instant gratification track with all digital download pre-orders for =1. Additionally, the single is offered as part of a four-track bundle which features two previously unreleased live recordings from 2022 in Milan, Italy: ‘When A Blind Man Cries’ and ‘Uncommon Man’.
For collectors, the excitement continues as the physical pre-sale of ‘Pictures Of You’ begins today. The single will be released on CD and 12” vinyl on June 28th, 2024, with each format being strictly limited to 5,000 pieces worldwide, and each copy being numbered by hand.
The first music video for ‘Portable Door’, featuring the band performing live on stage, quickly surpassed one million views. In this new video, fans will once again see Deep Purple in their element, performing together.
The enigmatic album title ‘=1’ encapsulates the band’s philosophy of unity amidst complexity, promising an album that resonates deeply with their five decades spanning hard rock legacy. Produced once again by iconic Bob Ezrin, ‘=1’ captures the purest classic Deep Purple sound, without relying on nostalgia.
In celebration of the new album, Deep Purple will perform more than 60 concerts worldwide this year during their ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour.
With three consecutive No.1 albums in their back pocket and a resurgent new energy powering them forward, this is Deep Purple at their pinnacle. ‘Now WHAT?!’ (2013), inFinite’ (2017), and ‘Whoosh!’ (2020) have sold over one million copies worldwide, making Deep Purple one of the most successful rock bands currently active. The latest studio album, “Whoosh!”, reached #1 on the album charts in 7 countries and charted in the top 10 in another 12.
‘=1’ will be released on July 19th via earMUSIC as Ltd. CD+DVD (Digipak), CD (Jewelcase), 2LP Gatefold (black, 180g), Ltd. Purple 2LP Gatefold (180g), Ltd. Crystal Clear 2LP (180g) and Ltd. Box Set (CD+DVD Digipak, 2LP black Gatefold, 3x exclusive 10” vinyl editions feat. live recordings from Deep Purple’s 2022 tour, exclusive Collector’s T-shirt, 2x exclusive guitar picks, 1x exclusive art print, 1x exclusive lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to every show on the Deep Purple ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour).
All LPs include a rich 12-page LP sized booklet – exclusively in the first print run!
The bonus DVD features the approx. 60min documentary ‘Access All Areas’ joining Deep Purple backstage on tour and providing an exclusive look behind the scenes.
Further exclusive items are available via the official album store: Ltd. 2LP Picture Disc, Ltd. Cassette, strictly limited canvas signed by all band members – limited to 150 items only and various other merchandise items.
Tickets for the ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour are available HERE
About Deep Purple
There simply aren’t enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution Deep Purple has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there’s little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the ‘5th Most Influential Band Ever’. The band were also presented the ‘Legend Award’ at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Deep Purple truly are ‘rock royalty’.
With a body of work spanning seven decades, Deep Purple has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band’s inception. The celebrated MKII line up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore were responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 70’s, including ‘Made In Japan’, universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.
Known as one of the hardest working bands ever, Deep Purple has continued to release No.1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. In 2007 (almost 40 years after being formed), the band performed 40 dates in France to an award-winning audience, and they continue to spend much of their year on the road selling out arenas across the globe.
Deep Purple has stayed true to its musical roots taking from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today, but which in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many “classic,” well-known songs, that its audience range widely in age and background – something the band has readily embraced.
Deep Purple’s recent studio album, ‘Whoosh!’ (2020), followed their worldwide chart-topping albums ‘inFinite’ (2017) and ’NOW What?!’ (2013). 2024 sees the release of their brand-new album ‘=1’. On all albums, Deep Purple joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.
Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio), creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of ‘Turning To Crime’.
In 2022 came the sad news of Steve Morse’s departure due to personal circumstances. Moving forward, Deep Purple sought out the masterful skills of guitarist Simon McBride and played the year out in style, exciting crowds with a new energy and excitement.
Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey, and Simon McBride continue with renewed vitality, pushing the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that Deep Purple are very much here to stay.
Deep Purple have released the first song ‘Portable Door’ from their upcoming new album “=1″ through earMUSIC.
Produced by the Berlin-based agency Mutter & Vater and directed by Leo Feimer, the video showcases Deep Purple against the backdrop of the new album artwork, capturing the band in their essence as they share a stage and perform together.
The enigmatic album title =1 encapsulates the band’s philosophy of unity amidst complexity, promising an album that resonates deeply with their five decades spanning hard rock legacy. Produced once again by iconic Bob Ezrin, =1 captures the purest classic Deep Purple sound, without relying on nostalgia.
In a recent interview regarding the sonic direction of their upcoming album, guitarist Simon McBride shared insights, saying: “The new album will reflect what the five of us create in the rehearsal room. Many of the songs, like ‘Portable Door’, were written in the first sessions and literally came together in 5 or 10 minutes. It all was so easy and natural.”
Frontman Ian Gillan, highlighting the organic nature of Deep Purple’s song writing, added: “Throughout Deep Purple’s history, our best songs have always been those that were written in no time at all. We’ve played what felt good and developed songs as we have always done.”
earMUSIC and DEEP PURPLE release “EXTRAS: The NOW What?! B-Sides and Bonus Songs”. This digital compilation is available on all streaming platforms as well as a specially priced digital download.
The idea of this compilation started after sharing previously released ‘rare tracks’ on a private playlist. We believe it is a very interesting listen for all the fans that like to go deeper into the bands production process.
NOW What?! was a very important album for the band, bringing them back to No.1 (in Germany and many other countries). It is packed full of songs that have become modern hits and highlights in their history. It is an album that brings back many special memories of joy and well-deserved success.
Here is a short description of what you can find on the compilation:
1. “Hell To Pay (Radio Edit)”: This edit was the first single released before the album came out. It was available as CD-Single and 7”, together with ‘All The Time in The World’. A great rock song, played live nearly every night during the NOW What?! and infinite tours.
2. “It´ll Be Me”: This cover version of a Jerry Lee Lewis classic was added as bonus track on many editions of the NOW What?! CD. Compared to other songs on this compilation it will be an easy one to find on physical formats.
3. “All The Time in the World (Radio Mix Edit)”: This version was a mix that became ready before the full album was finished. It is a little shorter than the album version and it features extra percussions and less guitar. The song obtained some radio airplay in various countries, paving the way for the album’s success. Listening back to it, we still believe that it is a Purple classic, and was played live occasionally during the NOW What?! tour. This version was released as B-Side on the “Hell To Pay” CD single and 7” vinyl.
4. “First Sign Of Madness”: This studio song did not make it to the final album but it is a fantastic rock track; previously included on the Gold Edition of NOW What?! as well as the ‘Vincent Price’ single on CD-Maxi and 7”.
5+6. “Uncommon Man” and “Above and Beyond” – instrumentals: These two songs were inspired by the late, great Jon Lord, who sadly passed away during the recording of the album. While the lyrics are a very important part of both songs, these instrumental versions show the beauty and the finesse of the instrumental parts.
7+8. “Après Vous” and “Hell To Pay” – instrumentals: Previously released only as digital downloads and B-Side of the “Out of Hand” 10” Vinyl single. The vinyl 10” is not an easy one to find and the songs are available to stream for the first time.
9. “Green Onions / Hush (Live in Gaevle)”. This great live version was mixed specifically to be released as B-Side of the “Above and Beyond” CD-single (also available as purple 7” vinyl, with a different B-Side). It shows the joy and energy that the band brought to the NOW What?! tour and gives a taste of the atmosphere on-stage and in the audience.
DEEP PURPLE is one of the most influential and inspiring bands of all time. Five decades in to their career, they are still achieving ‘Top 10’ albums upon release, and performing consistently successful tours worldwide. ‘The Soundboard Series’ provides previously rare concert performances from the archives, remixed and remastered, to the finest audio quality.
‘Live In Hong Kong 2001’ captures Deep Purple playing one of the city’s largest venues at their raw, purest, rock ‘n’ roll best.
‘Live In Tokyo 2001’ took place over two nights, and is regarded amongst the fans as a stand-out from their live repertoire. Unique in approach to ‘Live In Hong Kong’, the band collaborated with the Shin Nihon Philharmonic Orchestra, and the legendary Ronnie James Dio to deliver an astonishing performance. That it also contains Jon Lord’s peerless ‘Concerto’, is just the icing on the cake.
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