Shades of Deep Purple

Deep Purple Debut Album

May 17, 2009 Ali Eftekhari

Despite the prematurity of the Deep Purple early works, Shades of Deep Purple has some creative instrumental pieces based on an incredible teak work.

As discussed in the Deep Purple Early Years, three leading members (Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, and Ian Paice) were able to compose some new creative pioneering pieces from the first album, though lack of creativity in songwriting is obvious. This was probably the main reason that they preferred to record cover songs rather than their own compositions.

Whether in cover songs or their own compositions, the instrumental pieces were incredibly creative with new features, which were not usual at the time. However, the vocal-based pieces were similar to the usual 60s rock records.

And the Address

With the first track, And the Address, Deep Purple addressed their unique music that it is not a usual 60s rock album. Starting with a long instrumental track with a guitar solo piece followed by a keyboard solo showed the elements of hard rock and heavy metal (though such styles were not established at the time) by this brand new band.

Prelude: Happiness

This track was directly taken from the Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade as the first sign of Deep Purple, and more accurately Jon Lord, interest in classical music. As a matter of fact, Jon Lord is a magical songwriter in re-writing classical compositions for rock performance.

Mandrake Root

Mandrake Root, which is mainly an instrumental track, is indeed the best track of the album. The origins of the legendary song, Smoke on the Water, are visible in the Jon Lord’s keyboard riffs. Contrary to the usual manner that drum provides a background for the solo instrument; Ian Paice’s drum was parallel to the Jon Lord’s keyboard in 2 min solo (it was even taken into account in the stereo sound recording). In the next step, when Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar replaces the Jon Lord’s keyboard solo; once again, Ian Paice’s drum is not pushed to the background, and somehow mixed with the guitar solo, particularly because of severe guitar sound effects.

Mandrake Root remained a favorite song in Deep Purple live performances until 1972, when more matured tracks like Smoke on the Water were available, and the instrumental solo part was also incorporated in other tracks (e.g. into Space Truckin’ in the live album Made in Japan ).

The Beatles’ Help

When a hard rock band like Deep Purple covers a song by a pop rock band like The Beatles, everyone expects to hear a heavier version; but the Deep Purple version of Help is one of the slowest ones, through a musical rough-textured elegy.

The track starts with a collection of all four instruments, and when Rod Evans starts to sing, dirge melodies by the guitar and keyboard provide a threnody background for the vocal. Surprisingly, they were successful to decently include their characteristic hard rock elements through a keyboard solo followed by a guitar solo at the end of the song, while keeping the elegy tune. And finally, they finish the track the way started.

Jimi Hendrix’s Hey Joe

According to their similarity, one expects to hear an identical cover; but the early keyboard solo by Jon Lord reminds that this is Deep Purple music.

Ritchie Blackmore was truly successful to cover guitar solo pieces by a guitar virtuoso like Jimi Hendrix. However, the overall composition was still suffering from the lack of creativity in song writing. This is also the case for their popular cover song, Hush. In spite of great hard rock instrumental solos (i.e. characteristics of Deep Purple), the overall music composition was a common 60s rock.