List of Deep Purple members

Deep Purple are a British hard rock band originally from Hertford. Formed in March 1968, the group originally included vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. When they broke up for the first time in July 1976, the band featured Lord, Paice, vocalist David Coverdale, bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes, and guitarist and vocalist Tommy Bolin. The group reformed in April 1984 with their "Mark II" lineup of Blackmore, Lord, Paice, vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover. The current lineup, dubbed "Mark VIII", features Paice, Gillan, Glover, guitarist Steve Morse and keyboardist Don Airey.

Deep Purple, from top to bottom, in 1968 (Mark I), 1970 (Mark II), 1976 (Mark IV) and 2013 (Mark VIII).

History

1968–1976

Deep Purple were formed under the name Roundabout in March 1968 by vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.[1] Lord and Simper had previously played together with The Flower Pot Men, and the bassist had earlier worked briefly with Blackmore;[2] Evans and Paice were brought in from The Maze, whom the guitarist had seen performing.[1] The group soon changed their name to Deep Purple, after the song of the same name by Nino Tempo & April Stevens.[3] Deep Purple quickly recorded their first album Shades of Deep Purple, which was issued in July 1968.[4] After The Book of Taliesyn and Deep Purple, Blackmore, Lord and Paice made the decision in May 1969 to dismiss Evans and Simper, wanting to pursue a heavier direction for which they deemed the pair unsuitable.[5]

By the time Evans and Simper played their last show with the band on 4 July 1969, new vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover had already been recruited from Episode Six.[6] During its four-year tenure, the "Mark II" lineup established itself as the most commercially and critically acclaimed of the group's history, releasing the studio albums Deep Purple in Rock, Fireball, Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are, in addition to the highly-praised live album Made in Japan.[7] However, following increasing tensions and exhaustion, in October 1972 Gillan informed the rest of the band that he would be leaving after the remaining tour dates were completed.[8] Glover followed the singer later in providing his resignation, believing that Blackmore wanted him to leave.[5] The final show of the tour took place on 29 June 1973 in Osaka, Japan, after which Gillan and Glover both left and Mark II came to an end.[9][10]

On 14 July 1973, it was announced in Melody Maker magazine that Glenn Hughes of Trapeze had replaced Glover on bass.[11] Paul Rodgers, who had been a member of Free until their recent breakup, was initially offered the role of frontman, but he declined to focus on the formation of Bad Company.[12] The position vacated by Gillan was later taken by David Coverdale, who auditioned in the summer and was unveiled as Deep Purple's new vocalist on 23 September 1973.[13] After the band released Burn and Stormbringer, the creatively frustrated Blackmore recorded a self-titled debut album by a new project dubbed "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" in early 1975.[14] This ultimately led to his departure from Deep Purple, which was officially announced on 21 June 1975.[15] Despite Blackmore's core creative role in the band, Deep Purple continued with the addition of former James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin.[16] After just one album, Come Taste the Band, the "Mark IV" lineup played their final show on 15 March 1976, before breaking up officially on 19 July.[17] Bolin died of a heroin overdose that December.[18]

Ian Gillan (left) and Ritchie Blackmore (right) performing on the Deep Purple reunion tour in January 1985.

1984 onwards

After eight years of inactivity, on 27 April 1984 it was announced that the Mark II lineup of Deep Purple were set to return for a worldwide tour and a new album.[19] The reunion of Gillan, Blackmore, Glover, Lord and Paice lasted for five years and spawned two studio releases: Perfect Strangers and The House of Blue Light.[7] By the middle of 1989, however, Gillan had left the group for a second time, with the other members firing him due to creative and personal differences.[20] After auditioning and rehearsing with numerous potential replacements for the vocalist, the band eventually enlisted former Rainbow frontman Joe Lynn Turner to take Gillan's place in December 1989.[21] The new singer recorded just one album with the group, Slaves and Masters, which was released in 1990 and promoted on tour throughout 1991.[7]

In August 1992, despite having started work on the band's next album, Turner was suddenly dismissed from Deep Purple.[22] Gillan subsequently returned for a third stint as lead vocalist, as management wanted him in the fold for a planned 25th anniversary tour, and the band issued The Battle Rages On... in 1993.[23][24] Blackmore was unhappy with Gillan's return and Turner's firing, however, which led to renewed and increasing tensions between the pair on the subsequent touring cycle.[25] The guitarist played his final show with Deep Purple on 17 November 1993.[26] After briefly considering disbanding, the band added Joe Satriani in Blackmore's place for a string of pre-arranged tour dates, including shows in Japan and Europe starting in December.[27] The arrangement was only temporary, however, with the guitarist returning to his solo career at the end of the run in July 1994.[27]

Blackmore was eventually officially replaced by former Dixie Dregs and Kansas guitarist Steve Morse, who debuted with the band at three low-key gigs in November 1994 and was later offered the position permanently.[28] The Mark VII lineup remained stable throughout the rest of the decade, releasing two studio albums in Purpendicular and Abandon.[7] In March 2002, it was announced that Lord – a member of every lineup of Deep Purple to date – was set to amicably retire from the group, with Don Airey taking his place.[29] The keyboardist's departure left Paice as the sole remaining constant member of the band.[30] The Mark VIII lineup of Gillan, Morse, Glover, Airey and Paice have released five studio albums to date: Bananas in 2003, Rapture of the Deep in 2005, Now What?! in 2013, Infinite in 2017 and Whoosh! in 2020.[31] The lineup remains active as of July 2019.[32]

Members

Current

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Ian Paice	1968–1976 1984–present	drums percussion	all Deep Purple releases to date
	Roger Glover	1969–1973 1984–present	bass	all Deep Purple studio albums from Deep Purple in Rock (1970) to Who Do We Think We Are (1973), and from Perfect Strangers (1984) onwards all Deep Purple Marks II, VII and VIII live releases
	Ian Gillan	1969–1973 1984–1989 1992–present	lead and backing vocals percussion harmonica	all Deep Purple studio albums from Deep Purple in Rock (1970) to Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Perfect Strangers (1984), The House of Blue Light (1987), and from The Battle Rages On... (1993) onwards all Deep Purple Marks II, VII and VIII live releases
	Steve Morse	1994–present	guitar	all Deep Purple studio albums from Purpendicular (1996) onwards all Deep Purple Marks VII and VIII live releases
	Don Airey	2002–present	keyboards synthesizers	all Deep Purple studio albums from Bananas (2003) onwards all Deep Purple Mark VIII live releases

Former

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Jon Lord	1968–1976 1984–2002 (died 2012)	keyboards synthesisers piano backing vocals	all Deep Purple studio albums from Shades of Deep Purple (1968) to Abandon (1998) all Deep Purple Marks I–VII live releases
	Ritchie Blackmore	1968–1975 1984–1993	guitar	all Deep Purple studio albums from Shades of Deep Purple (1968) to Stormbringer (1974), and from Perfect Strangers (1984) to The Battle Rages On... (1993) all Deep Purple Marks I–III live releases
	Rod Evans	1968–1969	lead vocals	Shades of Deep Purple (1968) The Book of Taliesyn (1968) Deep Purple (1969) Inglewood: Live in California (2002)
	Nick Simper		bass backing vocals
	Glenn Hughes	1973–1976	bass backing and additional lead vocals	Burn (1974) Stormbringer (1974) Come Taste the Band (1975) all Deep Purple Marks III and IV live releases
	David Coverdale		lead vocals
	Tommy Bolin	1975–1976 (died 1976)	guitar backing and occasional lead vocals bass	Come Taste the Band (1975) all Deep Purple Mark IV live releases
	Joe Lynn Turner	1989–1992	lead vocals	Slaves and Masters (1990)

Touring

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Notes
	Candice Night	1993 (touring only)	backing vocals	none – (live performances only)
	Joe Satriani	1993–1994 (touring only)	guitar	none – (live performances only)

Timeline

Lineups

Lineup (period)	Members	Studio albums	Live albums
Mark I (March 1968 – July 1969)	Rod Evans – lead vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Shades of Deep Purple (1968) The Book of Taliesyn (1968) Deep Purple (1969)	Inglewood: Live in California (2002)
Mark IIa (July 1969 – June 1973)	Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Deep Purple in Rock (1970) Fireball (1971) Machine Head (1972) Who Do We Think We Are (1973)	Concerto for Group and Orchestra (1969) Made in Japan (1972) Deep Purple in Concert (1980) Scandinavian Nights (1988) Gemini Suite Live (1993) Space Vol 1 & 2 (2004) Live in Montreux 69 (2006) Live in Denmark 1972 (2007) Stockholm 1970 (2014) Long Beach 1971 (2015)
Mark III (September 1973 – June 1975)	David Coverdale – lead vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Glenn Hughes – bass, vocals Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Burn (1974) Stormbringer (1974)	Made in Europe (1976) Live in London (1982) California Jamming (1996) Mk III: The Final Concerts (1996) Live in Paris 1975 (2001) Perks and Tit (2004) Graz 1975 (2014)
Mark IV (June 1975 – July 1976)	David Coverdale – lead vocals Tommy Bolin – guitar, backing vocals Glenn Hughes – bass, vocals Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Come Taste the Band (1975)	Last Concert in Japan (1977) Deep Purple in Concert (1995) This Time Around: Live in Tokyo (2001) Phoenix Rising (2011) Long Beach 1976 (2016)
Band inactive July 1976 – April 1984
Mark IIb (April 1984 – May 1989)	Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Perfect Strangers (1984) The House of Blue Light (1987)	Nobody's Perfect (1988) In the Absence of Pink (1991) Perfect Strangers Live (2013)
Mark V (December 1989 – August 1992)	Joe Lynn Turner – lead vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Slaves and Masters (1990)	none
Mark IIc (August 1992 – November 1993)	Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion Candice Night – backing vocals (touring only)[33]	The Battle Rages On... (1993)	Come Hell or High Water (1994) Live in Europe 1993 (2006)
Mark VI (December 1993 – July 1994)	Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion Joe Satriani – guitar (touring only) Roger Glover – bass Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	none
Mark VII (November 1994 – March 2002)	Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion Steve Morse – guitar Roger Glover – bass Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Purpendicular (1996) Abandon (1998)	Live at The Olympia '96 (1997) Total Abandon: Australia '99 (1999) In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra (2000) Live at the Rotterdam Ahoy (2001) Live at Montreux 1996 (2006) Live in Newcastle 2001 (2019)
Mark VIII (March 2002 – present)	Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica, percussion Steve Morse – guitar Roger Glover – bass Don Airey – keyboards Ian Paice – drums, percussion	Bananas (2003) Rapture of the Deep (2005) Now What?! (2013) Infinite (2017) Whoosh! (2020)	Live at Montreux 2006 (2007) Live at Montreux 2011 (2011) Live in Verona (2014) From the Setting Sun... (In Wacken) (2015) ...To the Rising Sun (In Tokyo) (2015) The Infinite Live Recordings, Vol. 1 (2017)

References

1. Makowski, Peter (19 July 2016). "Deep Purple - Playing With Fire". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
2. Barton, Geoff (20 February 2015). "The Real Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: Nick Simper". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
3. Wall, Mick (2007). "Deep Purple: A Band In Time". Planet Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
4. Eder, Bruce. "Shades of Deep Purple - Deep Purple: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
5. Tyler, Kieron. "On The Roundabout With Deep Purple". Deep Purple Appreciation Society. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
6. Gillan, Ian (15 December 2016). Ian Gillan: The Autobiography of Deep Purple's Lead Singer. London, England: John Blake Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 978-1786063519. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
7. Rivadavia, Eduardo (20 February 2016). "Deep Purple Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
8. Ruhlmann, William. "Ian Gillan: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
9. Cornyn, Stan (22 October 2013). "Stay Tuned By Stan Cornyn: Loudest Purple". Rhino Entertainment. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
10. Gillan, Ian (20 September 2016). "Ian Gillan: The Day I Left Deep Purple". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
11. Priddey, Neil (4 October 2014). Purple Records: 1971–1978. Lulu.com. p. 120. ISBN 978-1291942682. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
12. Barton, Geoff (2 November 2015). "Deep Purple: "Paul Rodgers would have fitted in until the first fight"". Louder. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
13. Coverdale, David (30 November 2018). "King David" (PDF). Rock Candy. p. 57. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
14. Rivadavia, Eduardo (7 April 2015). "How Ritchie Blackmore Ended His First Tenure With Deep Purple". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
15. McPadden, Mike (4 August 2015). "Ritchie's Blackmore's Rainbow: 40 Facts About the Classic Album". VH1. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
16. Barton, Geoff (29 August 2017). "Deep Purple: Exit The Man In Black..." Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
17. Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
18. Prato, Greg (17 November 2016). "Marching Powder: The High Times And Fast Life Of Tommy Bolin". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
19. Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
20. "Deep Purple Falls On Vocalist Gillan" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 794. Los Angeles, California: Radio & Records, Inc. 23 June 1989. p. 42. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
21. Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 260. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
22. "Joe Lynn Turner Interview (1992)". trinkelbonker. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
23. Lifton, Dave (5 January 2013). "Deep Purple to Reissue 'Slaves and Masters'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
24. "The Battle Rages On... - Deep Purple: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
25. Thompson, Dave (17 June 2004). Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. pp. 271–274. ISBN 978-1550226188. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
26. "Deep Purple: 'Time To Kill' Book Focusing On Classic Lineup Due In November". Blabbermouth.net. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
27. "Joe Satriani: Why I Left Deep Purple". Ultimate Guitar. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
28. "Steve Morse Joins Deep Purple". Darker Than Blue. No. 47. Deep Purple Appreciation Society. December 1994. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
29. "Jon Lord Leaves Deep Purple, Is Replaced By Don Airey". Blabbermouth.net. 16 March 2002. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
30. Sexton, Paul (29 June 2018). "Deep Purple's Ever-Present Paice-Setter". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
31. Ankeny, Jason. "Deep Purple: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
32. Divita, Joe (6 May 2019). "Deep Purple Announce 2019 U.S. Tour". Loudwire. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
33. Gary Hill, Rick Damigella and Larry Toering (January 28, 2011). "Interview with Candice Night of Blackmore's Night from 2010". Music Street Journal. He asked me to join him on tour in 1993, Purple's last tour as the famous Mark 2 line up, and requested I sing back up vocals on his Difficult to Cure solo

External links

• Deep Purple official website