FEATURE INSIDE STORY Deep Purple Mk IV photographed in Japan, December 1975. Top row L-R: David Coverdale (vocals), Ian Paice (drums). The end of Bottom row L-R: Glenn Hughes (bass/vocals), Tommy Bolin (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboards) the road DEEP PURPLE’S MK IV LINE-UP CRASHED AND BURNED IN SPECTACULAR FASHION IN 1976 AND MANY FANS THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME. BUT WHY DID THE BAND FALL APART SO PUBLICLY? WHAT PART DID IT PLAY IN THE DEATH OF GUITARIST TOMMY BOLIN? AND IS IT TIME THE BAND’S WORK DURING THIS PERIOD WAS RE-EVALUATED? ROCK CANDY INVESTIGATES THE DEMISE OF THIS VERSION OF PURPLE, BRINGS YOU AN EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT OF THEIR ILL-FATED LAST TOUR OF THE UK AND TAKES ANOTHER LOOK AT THE BAND’S OFTEN MALIGNED ALBUM, ‘COME TASTE THE BAND’… GUITARIST TOMMY BOLIN WAS just 25 years old when and equally antagonistic character meant he cast a very THE ACCEPTED view for a long time was that Deep cog in the wheel. They were proved wrong. Bringing in he died of an overdose of heroin and other substances, large shadow indeed over all things Purple. Purple Mk IV was nothing more than the elongated death unknown vocalist David Coverdale and former Trapeze including alcohol, cocaine and barbiturates, on 4 Bolin was an altogether more sensitive man. His throes of a band that had long since seen better days, bassist Glenn Hughes had proved to be a masterstroke. December 1976. He’d been out of Deep Purple since a playing was less hard rock than his predecessor, and his working with a guitarist whose talents didn’t suit the Coverdale had the power to match Gillan blow by blow, disastrous last show at the Liverpool Empire on 15 March character – outwardly manifested by an almost feminine group, and making music that was neither appropriate but he also showed a bluesy register in his voice that that year had precipitated the end of the Mk IV version look, including multi-coloured hair at one point – was far for the band’s style, nor boasted the same quality that gave Purple more emotional depth. Hughes, meanwhile, of the band. Born in Sioux City, Iowa, the American gentler. Was he simply not cut out for the high-pressure previous recordings had offered. had a much wider musical palette, not to mention an had joined the legendary English rock band in June of world of monolithic 1970s touring rock bands? Did the By the time Bolin hooked up with Purple the band had exceptional singing voice of his own. Songs like ‘Might 1975. He’d replaced Ritchie Blackmore, a mainstay of pressures of replacing a legend like Blackmore drive him already survived one seismic line-up change. Vocalist Just Take Your Life’ and ‘Mistreated’ from 1974’s ‘Burn’ – the group who had got fed up with the band’s move to drug use? Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover – both integral the first album the new line-up produced – opened up towards a smoother, more groovy rock sound. Despite It’s all conjecture, of course. But what is certain is components of the sound that had made Purple so a world of new possibilities, without taking away from being an acknowledged killer player – he’d first wowed that Tommy Bolin’s tenure in Deep Purple lasted less successful – had left the group after the ‘Who Do We the group’s essence. So it’s not hard to imagine why the Purple vocalist David Coverdale with his performances than a year, the band released just one, not particularly Think We Are’ album and a final concert in Osaka, Japan band would have felt they could pull off the same trick on Billy Cobham’s 1973 jazz fusion album ‘Spectrum’ well-received album during this time, and the group’s on 29 June 1973. Gillan’s distinctive vocals – slightly when Blackmore left; that they’d be able to evolve again – nevertheless Bolin had his work cut out following legend was severely tarnished by the car crash live histrionic and punctured with many a lung-bursting with Tommy Bolin without alienating their fans. in Blackmore’s footsteps. The Man In Black had been performances that led original members, keyboardist scream – would become the blueprint for many rock responsible for some of rock’s most powerful riffs and Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice, to pull the plug on the singers to come. Fans were unsure as to whether WHEREAS ‘BURN’ and ‘Stormbringer’ – the other Purple Deep Purple story by Howard Johnson. Photo: Getty Images/Fin Costello/Redferns Getty Images/Fin Photo: Johnson. Howard Deep Purple story by was a Purple fan favourite. Plus his abrasive playing style band out of sheer embarrassment. Purple would be able to replace such an important album to feature Coverdale, Hughes and Blackmore 68 69 FEATURE INSIDE STORY this fucking merry go round. I couldn’t stop it.” Purple and merely using it as a vehicle to eventually drive Was Bolin unable to get hold of heroin in Japan? Is a solo career. And inevitably there was talk of drugs. that why he took morphine there? Whatever the reasons, By the time the fifth date of the tour rolled around, – had easily convinced into how casually the a morphine-induced deep sleep led to the guitarist at Liverpool Empire Theatre on 15 March, things had the sceptics in Purple’s players in this tale may mangling the left hand he’d inadvertently slept on for reached breaking point. Jon Lord explained what hard rock fan base, the have viewed the issue hours. Circus magazine in America reported at the time happened on the 2011 documentary Gettin’ Tighter: first (and as it would of drug use. that Bolin had “pinched a nerve” in his hand, leaving him “At one point during the show, Glenn said to the turn out, only) album with just two days to mend before the first Japanese audience, ‘I’m sorry we’re not playing very well, but with Bolin, ‘Come Taste IT WAS when the gig, in Nagoya on 8 December we’re very tired and jet-lagged.’ The Band’, had many Purple tour headed to 1975. The performance wasn’t “TOMMY AND I WERE ON A TREMENDOUS And I remember spluttering people confused. On Jakarta in Indonesia impressive, but by the time DRUG RUN AT THAT POINT. I DIDN’T to myself, ‘Speak for yourself.’ the one hand there at the start of the band reached Tokyo LIKE THE MAN I WAS BECOMING, BUT I I was working like a Trojan to were comments December that the for a show at the infamous try to make this work… Paicey saying the album was wheels suddenly, Budokan on 15 December, COULDN’T STOP THIS MERRY GO ROUND. was playing like a madman “underpowered and and catastrophically, Circus journalist Peter Crescenti I COULDN’T STOP IT.” just to keep it all together… way too relaxed for its started to come off. reported that Purple were firing BASSIST GLENN HUGHES Coverdale was singing his socks own good. A harmless Purple had signed a on all cylinders. off. So to hear this guy who little sparkler where deal to play one major This simply isn’t true. It’s was extremely high on various once there was a ton Jon Lord and Glenn Hughes onstage before it all went pear-shaped show in Jakarta, but obvious watching substances telling the of TNT.” On the other it soon became clear video footage of five audience, ‘I’m sorry, we hand, reviewers like that the promoter had songs from the show aren’t playing well’ kind Kris Nicholson in Rolling Stone suggested Bolin’s “more booked two gigs, but was only willing to pay the band that were eventually of rankled me a bit. flexible approach to writing and arranging produces a the amount that was stated in the original contract. released as Deep I came off stage and more melodic and dynamic feel.” The album didn’t incite Unsurprisingly, this had caused ill feeling between the Purple Rises Over went straight to my an all-out revolt amongst Purple’s massive worldwide band and their touring entourage on the one hand, and Japan – ‘Burn’, ‘Love dressing room, which following, but it definitely sowed doubts as to where the the promoters and the police/show security on the other. Child’, ‘Smoke On The I was sharing with Ian established heavy rock juggernaut was heading. Various disagreements occurred at the band’s hotel, Water’, You Keep On Paice, and I said, ‘Ian… Not that sales of the album were any major cause and one of the band’s security guys, Patsy Collins, ended Moving’ and ‘Highway that’s it, isn’t it? That’s for concern, as ‘Come Taste The up falling down a lift shaft. He died Star’ – that Bolin is absolutely the end Band’ reached 19 on the UK THE ACCEPTED VIEW FOR A LONG in hospital from his injuries the unable to play anything of this band as far as album charts and 43 in the US. TIME WAS THAT PURPLE MK IV WAS following day. Two other Purple remotely approaching I’m concerned. Why crew members, tour manager Rob fluidly with his left are we doing this to This might not have been the NOTHING MORE THAN THE ELONGATED stellar success that Purple had Cooksey and Glenn Hughes were hand, and Jon Lord Guitarist Tommy Bolin (left) and bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes. ourselves?’ So he and I enjoyed earlier (previous album DEATH THROES OF A BAND THAT HAD all arrested on suspicion of murder, is working manfully Drugs contributed to the downfall of Purple Mk IV shook hands and said, ‘Stormbringer’ made it to number LONG SINCE SEEN BETTER DAYS.