What do you get when some of the top prog artists in the world combine forces to make a world class prog Christmas album? Brainchild of prog mastermind Neal Morse, this new Christmas CD due out November 6th is like nothing you’ve ever heard before!
Featuring the raging talents of Mike Portnoy (ex-DREAM THEATER), Steve Hackett (ex-GENESIS), Roine Stolt (ex-SANE PERSON), Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE), Pete Trewavas (TRANSATLANTIC, MARILLION) and more as THE PROG WORLD ORCHESTRA.
According to a press release, “this record is the ultimate Christmas prog album geared toward the major prog fan. Complete with shreddy guitars as well as soothing fretless bass, vocals on occasion by the illustrious Mr. Morse, and everything in between, this is an album the true fan will enjoy for years to come.”
A Proggy Christmas tracklisting:
‘Joy To The World’
‘The Little Drummer Boy’
‘O Holy Night’
‘Frankincense’
‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’
‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)’
‘Carol Of The Bells’
‘Home For The Holidays’
‘Shred Ride – Sled Ride/Winter Wonderland’
‘ Night/We All Need Some Light’
The 40th-anniversary edition of DEEP PURPLE‘s classic 1972 album, Machine Head, will be released on October 8th in Europe via EMI. This 5-disc special edition will be accompanied with an illustrated 60-page hardback booklet.
CD1: Original album 2012 remaster.
CD2: 1997 Remix by Roger Glover.
CD3: Original album quad SQ mix in stereo (2012 remaster).
CD4: In Concert ’72 – 2012 remix (recorded live at Paris Theatre, London 9th March 1972).
CD5: 2012 High resolution remaster and surround mix (DVD).
Booklet features:
* Detailed essays from original bassist Roger Glover and Mojo magazine editor Phil Alexander.
* Quotations from Deep Purple fans Mikael Akerfelt, Luke Morley, Sebastian Vettel, Eddie Jordan, Brian Tatler, Janick Gers and Peter Hook.
An interview with famed photographer Didi Zill, whose photos of the legendary recording sessions in Switzerland illustrate the booklet.
RUSH and DEEP PURPLE are among 15 finalists for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame‘s Class Of 2013.
For the first time, the public gets to vote alongside the artists, historians and music industry insiders of the Rock Hall voting body. From now until December 5, fans can vote on RollingStone.com for the nominees they’d like to see inducted. The top five acts will comprise a “fan’s ballot” that will count as one of the more than 600 ballots that determine the Class Of 2013. The results will be announced in mid-December.
The April 18, 2013 event is set for Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, marking the first time the ceremony will be held in the city since 1993. HBO will tape the show for broadcast at a later date.
“The definition of ‘rock and roll’ means different things to different people, but as broad as the classifications may be, they all share a common love of the music,” stated Joel Peresman, President and CEO of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation. “This year we again proudly put forth a fantastic array of groups and artists that span the entire genre that is ‘rock and roll.'”
Artists are considered for inclusion in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording.
Nominees for the 2013 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:
* ALBERT KING
* CHIC
* DEEP PURPLE
* DONNA SUMMER
* HEART
* JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
* KRAFTWERK
* THE MARVELETTES
* THE METERS
* N.W.A.
* PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND
* PROCOL HARUM
* PUBLIC ENEMY
* RANDY NEWMAN
* RUSH
Important note: Only five of the artists will make the final cut and be inducted into the Hall.
In a June 2012 interview with RollingStone.com, guitarist Alex Lifeson of Canadian rock legends RUSH was asked how he feels about having yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. “Honestly, we really, really don’t care about it,” he replied. “It’s someone’s thing, and they can do whatever they want with it. They can have whomever they like. It’s their thing.” He added, “It’s a little bit different here in Canada. We’ve received awards that mean an awful lot more to us than being in the Hall Of Fame. We got the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award a couple weeks ago. That’s really the highest accolade you can get in this country for the performing arts, and it’s recognized nationally, and I felt so proud as a Canadian to be in this esteemed group of artists that have been there for the last 20 years.”
When asked if he and his bandmates would show up at the ceremony if they were eventually chosen to be inducted into the Rock Hall, Lifeson said, “I think we’d consider it at the time and just see where we’re at. I mean, you don’t want to be rude, and we’re Canadians, and we find it very difficult to be rude as much as we’d really like to. [laughs] So we’d probably have to look at that one, if it ever came. I know there must be pressure from their end. We keep going on and getting more popular…”
He continued, “Look, there are a lot of other bands that should be in there before we should be in there… If the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame doesn’t want us in there, that’s fine. I don’t care. It really, really doesn’t matter at the end of the day. It’s probably better left the way it is. There’s more controversy for them and for us.”
Speaking to VintageRock.com, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan recently stated about the possibility of one day being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, “You’ve got to take this with great respect. We don’t have anything like that where we come from, over in Europe or anywhere else. It’s an American thing. It’s so completely different. In America, you’re great and really do support and show appreciation for your artists, musicians, film stars, whatever it may be. And you give them visible signs in accolades and all that sort of thing. And you cheer and…you’re very supportive. It’s the completely opposite in the U.K. They want to kill you. [laughs] The moment you get up to any form of success, they just want to wipe you out and deride you. It’s part of the culture. At the same time, we’ve just focused on the music.”
He added, “I honestly can’t tell you whether or not we should be there or not. It could be because of the fragmented nature of the band that they wouldn’t know how to deal with it.
“To us, with the greatest respect, it doesn’t mean a lot although it’s rather like an award in the U.K., if I were to get one. I probably wouldn’t accept it. But then again, after a week of thinking about it, I would accept it because it would be on behalf on the family and friends and everyone who supports the band and who’s looked after us after all these years. It’s kind of a recognition of everyone. But whether we deserve it, I don’t know. I always get embarrassed talking about this stuff.”
Jon’s family have been informed that someone has been selling unofficial T-shirts at gigs and online regarding Jon’s passing.
They would like to make it very clear that this has nothing to do with the family or DEEP PURPLE, and they are upset that anyone should profit from this tacky endeavour – unless the money is given to charity, which seems very unlikely.
They ask that you respect their feelings and not encourage this behaviour.
Jon Lord, the legendary keyboard player and composer passed away on 16th July 2012 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
A week before he died this past July, former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord gave his last-ever interview, to Classic Rock, for the U.K. magazine’s September 2012 issue. During the chat, Lord seemed optimistic about his prognosis a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“When you get to my age, the cancer is very slow moving,” he said. “It’s containable. My oncologist has had patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 15 or 16 years ago. They still have treatment and they still have cancer — but, crucially, they’re still here. They found my cancer early and the size of the tumor has reduced.”
Lord was resigned to the fact that he might not ever be cured him and was aiming for containment. At the time of the interview, the treatment appeared to be working.
“I’d like to get to my father’s age,” he said. “He was in his late 80s and he’d led a good life. I don’t want to limp to that milestone. I don’t want to drag myself over that line. I want to be active and well.”
Lord revealed that somewhere, buried in the mountain of cards and emails and get-well messages he received after being diagnosed with cancer, was one from a long-lost friend now living in Long Island, New York: a certain guitar player called Ritchie Blackmore.
“He sent me a very nice letter and it was lovely to hear from him,” Lord said of his former DEEP PURPLE bandmate. “My life and Ritchie‘s life have departed from each other so radically in the past 20 years. He’s gone his way and I’ve gone mine. But we went through a lot together. We will always have that.”
He continued, “Would I like to play with him again? I’d love to — there’s a legion of people out there who want him to pull on that white Strat again — but I’m not holding my breath. Besides, I know more than most you should do what you want to do. Ritchie is doing that. Good luck to him.”
Former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes tells CBS Local that he has been in touch with the band’s ex-lead singer, David Coverdale, about doing something special to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the “Burn” album. He says, “David and I have talked about this weekly since [former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist] Jon [Lord] died [in July]. How we can do something to keep the flame burning. But we don’t want to hinder the heritage of the band. Some bands get back together and sound bloody awful. It’s the 40th anniversary of ‘Burn’ next year. I’m not giving you a hint to something that’s gonna happen, but you just never know.”
According to Hughes, he and Coverdale made an attempt several years ago to reunite with their DEEP PURPLE bandmates Jon Lord, Ian Paice (drums), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), but the roadblock was the band’s famously mercurial guitarist. “Jon, David and I were trying to get it together,” Hughes said. “[but] we couldn’t get ahold of him. We sent carrier pigeons, and the Pony Express. But nobody at ‘Castle Blackmore’ answered the door. It wasn’t meant to be.”
Lord told U.K.’s Classic Rock magazine in 2010 that he couldn’t ever see a reunion of PURPLE‘s Mk. III lineup.
“I think it’s a dream too far,” Lord said. “I know a lot of people would like it to happen, but it would have to have Ian Paice involved, and right now he’s committed to the current PURPLE lineup. And I know they are planning a new studio album, as well as more touring.”
He added, “I got an email from David recently, and it seems Glenn and Ritchie might be into it, although I don’t know how Glenn feels now, with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION happening.
“Yes, I would love to play with Ritchie again, but don’t read anything into that as far as Mk. III is concerned.
“I must admit I’d also have a concern or two about David‘s voice.”
Coverdale and Hughes joined DEEP PURPLE in 1973 to create the band’s Mk. III lineup, though co-founding member and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left in 1975, to be replaced by Tommy Bolin.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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