Deep Purple - BBC 1969-1970 (2021) Bootleg

(U.K 1968 - 1976, 1984 - Present)

After Deep Purple split in 1976, interest in preparing complex reissue projects waned. When the group did reform in 1984 the interest from their old label was on back-catalogue collections and 'Best Of's'. In the absence of anything official, the bootleggers attempted to fill the BBC rarities gap and a number of titles appeared which all contained vintage BBC material. A detailed Deep Purple EMI back-catalogue programme then began which saw some BBC recordings emerge as bonus tracks. Even so, there were sessions which remained unreleased officially, and others assumed to be 'lost'.

The BBC's Transcription Service began back in the thirties to press UK programmes (light and classical music, comedy, drama etc) onto records for the BBC Empire Service, offered to subscribing radio stations abroad. In The sixities, the BBC began adding pop sessions to the mix, firstly on a programme called Pick Of The Pops, then via a new show called Top Of The Pops, both distributed abroad to subscribing stations. The producers of these pop programmes put together selected tracks from recent radio sessions, with DJs like Brian Matthew adding new links and instructions.

Radio 1 presenter Brian Matthew

Participating stations paid the BBC a modest annual fee to air them. At the time the BBC didn't really have a proper active policy for pop music. Many of the session tapes were reused so offten it was only via the transcription department that session tracks survived. The compillers rarely put entire sessions on the discs, but just made a selection - which is why tracks from sessions survive, but not others. And to describe the Transcription programme mix as eclectic is almost to redifine the word: Volume 262 for exampole features Deep Purple, Roger Whittaker, The New Seekers, Lulu, Jethro Tull, Clodagh Rodgers and The Plastic Ono Band together on one 40 minute album!

Researcher Ken Garner discovered that engineers from the Transcription service actually recorded their own live feed alongside that being captured for UK radio. It was these tapes used to make the Top Of The Pops programme, which accounts for the accasional different version or edit of some tracks. The albums themselves were issued on a strict license basius and after a year, the radio stations were under ordrers to return them to London where some were kept but many more were destroyed.

Aside from the discs, fans sometimes managed to record sessions 'off-air', sticking a microphone in front of a radio speaker, As recordings came to light it was possible for collector's to assemble a list of Deep Purple's sessions. Unlike the tapes, the BBC were meticulous in keeping paperwork, so when Garner wrote his definitive 'In Session Tonight' book in 1993, this more or less completed (confirmed) the research.

Although radio in the UK was still resolutely mono, stations abroad were moving over to stereo. Transcriptiuoin engineers (based at Kensington House in Shepherd's Bush since the early sixties) used the session recordings to develop their skills in this area, so while the sessions went out in mono in Britain, some which made it to transcription discs were in stereo. The Transcription albums did also occassionally 'cheat' in an attempt to cover breaking chart singles which the BBC didn't have a session version of. There is one Transcriptioin disc with Strange Kind Of Woman introduced by Brian Matthew as 'live', but which is just the regular single.

Deep Purple BBC Sessions 1968-1970

Deep Purple's original producer Derek Lawrence recollections of the band's early trips to the BBC are understandably hazy. But Derek did recall walking around to the appropriate office at the BBC with a large bunch of red roses and talking the woman into giving them a hearing. This was before they'd even released their debut record and was something of a sharp move, but then Deep Purple did enjoy a number of breaks in those early days. They'd made contact with a businessman, Tony Edwards, wanting to invest in a band and through his financial support found time to audition, rehearse and write.

Derek Lawrence

Through another of Derek's contacts came an approach from a flash new record label in New York seeking a new British cross-over rock/psych/pop band to market in the aftermath of the British invasion. Early monitor mixes impressed and over the next twelve months Deep Purple rode their luck across America with headlining shows. TV appearance and three months of intence gigging at the end of 1968 to support two Billboard top thirty albums and high charting singles. A UK record deal with EMI was also soon in place, again in part thanks to Derek's contacts as an independent producer for the label, but in the UK sales were modest.

Happily though the baand's first BBC session got a positive response from the station. It was BBC policy to assess intial 'pop' sessions via a production panel, whose comments would then decide whether or not the radio station would let them do further work. The panel reported that they found Deep Purple to be a 'Polished commercial group' and cleared the way for further bookings, giving the group an 'Enthusiastic, Unanimous pass'.

At this time Radio One was only just over a year old. Due to Musicians Union restrictions on the number of records which could be played, a number of the DJs on the new station featured In Session recordings by pop bands instead. Deep Purple did six different sessions inside a year for DJs such as Chris Grant, Tony Brandon, Dave Symonds and of course John Peel - who was quite a fan of the early incarnation of the group. And while some of the tracks are a little poppy, many showed just why insiders were so enthusiastic about the potential of the group, and their playing clearly gets more exciting and confident through the sessions. Deep Purple's first line-up did their final BBC session in July 1969 unaware that the rest of the group had already decided to bring in two new members. And with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in place, Deep Purple were back at the BBC studios just six weeks later for the Mk 2 line-up's Radio 1 debut. The band continued to grace the various studios of the BBC for another year.

Chris Grant's Tasty Pop Sundae, July 1969

Deep Purple Mk1
Session 6 [30.06.1969]
Studio 2, Aeolian Hall
Show Producer: Paul Williams
Aired: 06.07.1969
1. The Painter (Ver 2)
2. I'm So Glad (Ver 1)
3. Hush (Ver 4)

Although Deep Purple had signed replacements for Simper and Evans, the pair had yet to be given their marching orders at the time of this recording. The band looked back to their first album for two of the tracks, performing Hush for the fourth time in session. Here we get the rather camp spoken introduction from Chris Grant ("mmm....boys....!") but there is another surviving albeit poorer quality off-air version fronted by Brian Matthew. Another take of The Painter reveals a much stronger attack to the performance too. Just four days after this session, Deep Purple Mk 1 played their final live concert and the management told Simper and Evans that they were out of the group.
The Aeolian Hall studio was a building that the BBC took on during the war. It was used for all sorts of recordings by the BBC, including rock and pop sessions, before they gave it up in 1975.

Mike Harding's Sounds Of Seventies, April 1970

Deep Purple Mk2
Session 11 [21.04.1970]
Studio 5, Maida Vale
Show Producers: Malcolm Brown,  Mike France, Mike Harding

Aired: 28.04.1970
1. Hard Lovin' Man (Ver 1)
2. Bloodsucker (Ver 1)
Living Wreck (Ver 2)

Mike Harding was the only BBC DJ who produced his own sessions according to Ken Garner. Again saved by the Transcription Serrvice people (Vol 286) with new introductions by Brian Matthew. A suitably heavy set plugging the 'In Rock' album, the band were already gaining a big live following in Europe. Alternate edits of a couple of these tracks do exist, as both transcription and off-air recordings (tweaked for the different uses) have survived. It is in some ways a shame that we lose a little of the music to the DJ voice over too, but this does add a bit of context to the tracks. And besides, when the DJ in question is Brian Matthew, who is to gripe? The original presenter of the session, Mike Harding, also went on to front the BBC in Concert programme.

Sounds Of The Seventies (which had only kicked off at the start of April) was part of a new progressive music strand the BBC introduced on Radio One in March.

BBC Transcription Service, September 1970

Deep Purple Mk2
Session 12 [23.09.1970]
Studio T1, Shepherds Bush
Producer: Unknown
1. Black Night (Ver 1)
2. Grabsplatter (Ver 1)
3. Into The Fire (Ver 1)
4. Child In Time (Ver 2)

This final session was recorded especially for the BBC Transcription Service (Vol 309) for foreign radio stations. It marked the final visit of Deep Purple to the BBC (with the exception of a second In Concert recording in 1972). The session included a short interview with Jon Lord.

The "Glabsplatter" featured here is an instrumental, strangely for a booked session - you might have expected them to record another album track. The title goes way back to Ian Gillan's ramblings in his Episode Six days. Deep Purple later recorded the track in the studio with vocals as "I'm Alone", released on a B-Side. The BBC take of Grabsplatter was first issued on their New Live & Rare EP in October 1980.

This post consists of FLACs freshly ripped from my recently acquired Vinyl (purchased from 'Radiation Records' in Rome while on hols in Europe) and includes limited artwork. The Pink Vinyl is a nice feature with this release, and the colouration is perfect (rare for these type of bootlegs). 

Although these tracks have already been officially released on CD (see cover below), the quality of the recordings on this release is excellent and there isn't any surface noise. My first DP album was 'In Rock' and the track selection on this release is featured heavily. Pity that "Speed King" is missing however.

Interesting note made by Bootlegger: These recordings are in public domain according to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, sections 6-9 "Copyright in broadcasts made for, or first published by BBC, lasts fo 50 years from the end of the year of first publication"

This is another prize addition to my Deep Purple Vinyl collection and I was more than happy to part with the €20.00 to acquire it. Needless to say it was safely tucked away inside the clothing compartment in my suitcase when flying home.    

Track Listing:

Chris Grant's Tasty Pop Sundae, July 1969 *

A1 The Painter

A2 I'm So Glad

A3 Hush

Mike Harding's Sounds Of Seventies, April 1970 **

A4 Hard Lovin' Man

A5 Bloodsucker

A6 Living Wreck

Transcription Service, September 1970 **

B1 Black Night

B2 Grabsplatter

B3 Into The Fire

B4 Child In Time

Deep Purple Mk1 *

Bass – Nick Simper
Drums – Ian Paice
Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore
Keyboards – Jon Lord
Vocals – Rod Evans

Deep Purple Mk2 **

Bass – Roger Glover
Drums – Ian Paice
Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore
Keyboards – Jon Lord
Vocals – Ian Gillan

Deep Purple BBC Link (234Mb)