Deep Purple - Live In London (1982) FLAC

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

As Deep Purple Mk 2 ended their Japanese tour in June of 1973 and news of Gillan and Glover's departure reached fans around the world, it looked to many of us like the end. Yet even as papers printed details the remaining trio of Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and lan Paice were already looking for new members. Ex-Trapeze bassist Glenn Hughes was recruited almost at once and the line-up was completed in August with David Coverdale, whose vocals had stood out amidst a deluge of demo tapes the others had waded through that summer.

So almost exactly a year after the upheaval, Deep Purple - hot on the heels of their new studio album - were back in Britain for their long awaited homecoming tour. Kicking off up in Scotland, pausing only for a flying visit to Holland, they wound their way across the rest of the country during May, concluding the visit with an isolated replacement show at Southend in late June. This previously unreleased live set comes from that tour, taped before a capacity crowd at the Kilburn State Gaumont in London on May 22nd 1974 for an In Concert programme by the BBC; who found it easier to record a concert from the tour rather than get the band into the studio as in previous years.

Deep Purple's set kicked off with a sizeable chunk of the new album and from the title track BURN which opened the show, they were clearly not going to rest on laurels laid down by earlier lineups. It was followed by the then current single "Might Just Take Your Life", the influence of new blood clearly showing in the band's shift towards a heavy blues based sound; a shift in which however they didn't neglect the hard rock for which they were known and loved. Jon's gentle keyboard introduction
to "Lay Down Stay Down" precedes some excellent work from the whole band, the energy and enthusiasm which all but disappeared just a year before had returned in earnest. 

"Mistreated" climaxes the opening quartet of numbers, more than fulfilling the promise shown by the studio version. Ritchie rips into a magnificent opening barrage before settling into the riff as Coverdale's deep heartfelt vocals weigh in. Together they dominate the performance of what was for many people the highpoint of the show.

On to the second side and with Jon's introduction over, Ritchie leads the crowd into a brief song (and dance) before switching pick-ups, boosting the volume, and hitting the riff which conquered America - "Smoke On The Water", to their credit one of only two oldies they retained. 

The band then took the show to a close with two lengthy numbers of which "You Fool No One" is included here in full. One of their most adventurous numbers, it made good use of the dual vocal capabilities of Coverdale and Hughes adds some excellent bass work to back up Paice's phenomenal drumming. Ritchie belts out the tune like a demon, lets fly with a mammoth tremolo arm blitz and then contrasts it nicely with a gentle blues solo; underneath it all Jon's Hammond adds the final touches to a classic track.

Since it was first broadcast, this recording has remained an (officially) unheard but much demanded item amongst MK 3 Deep Purple fans. Rather hastily mixed at the time for an experimental broadcast in quadra phonic on June 6th, 1974 the tapes have here been completely remixed, whilst special cutting had enabled us to include almost an hour of unedited music in its original running order - only the rather over-long set closer "Space Truckin" being omitted. The material captures well the line-up's energetic performance at the height of their popularity and provides a worthy souvenir of their only British tour. Less than a year later Ritchie himself was bowing out, and the group's live form never fully recovered. [Liner notes by Simon Robinson]

An account from the Deep Purple Appreciation Society

In May of 1974, Deep Purple were on tour in England and Wales (having played Scotland the previous month), for the first (and last) time with the new Mk3 line-up, singer David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes having replaced Gillan and Glover.

The shows were tremendous, with Blackmore, having gained more control over the musical direction, in particularly awesome form - effortlessly ranging from quiet blues to hard riffing. Although following Mk 2 wasn't an easy task, the band pulled it off and while some people missed the older material, few could deny the new set - already honed by a big American tour - was extremely powerful.

The band played the larger theatres and town halls right across the country, with a set list firmly based around the new Burn album issued just three months before. Only "Smoke on the Water" and a lengthy much revamped "Space Truckin'" remained from Mk 2 days, with "Highway Star" as part of the encore. London did well, with three shows at different venues; Hammersmith Odeon, Lewisham Odeon and the Gaumont in Kilburn. This last show was recorded officially and broadcast by the BBC (and later issued on vinyl as "Live In London"). The opening number "Burn" at Hammersmith was also filmed (see below). The tour, which was supported by Ronnie Dio's band Elf, ended in Coventry on the 28th.[extract from deep-purple.net]

Deep Purple - Burn ( Hammersmith Odeon 1974 )

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my recently purchased vinyl from a record store in Athens, while holidaying in Europe last year. Full album artwork and label scans are also included, along with all post photos. The condition of the vinyl and album cover are almost mint and this is definately one of my prized additions in my record collection. Like many Deep Purple fans, it took me some time to adjust to the new lineup when Gillian and Glover left the band, however Coverdale's voice and the funky sound of the MK3 outfit soon grew on me and their LP Burn has remained high on my playlist over the years.

Recorded live on 22nd May 1974 at Kilburn State Gaumont in London, the album features over 57 minutes of  Heavy Rockin' Music.  Due to the lengthy running times of both vinyl sides, the recording is lacking in the low register, so I have taken the liberty of enhancing the bass line during the riping process.

It should be noted that the Side 2 record label incorrectly lists a third track "The Mule", although there is a brief interlude (maybe 1 min) within "You Fool No One" where the main riff from The Mule is played, but quickly returns back to chorus for You Fool No One.

The track listing on the back cover of the album only lists two tracks on the second side.

Track List:

01 Burn   

02 Might Just Take Your Life

03 Lay Down Stay Down

04 Mistreated

05 Smoke On The Water

06 You Fool No One

Deep Purple MK3:

Lead Vocals – David Coverdale

Bass Guitar, Vocals – Glenn Hughes

Drums – Ian Paice

Electric Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore

Keyboards – Jon Lord 

Live In London Link  (342Mb)